vienne

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Posts by vienne

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  5

  Has anyone done a point by point refutation of Fritz Springmeier's The Watchtower and the Masons: A Preliminary Investigation?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is there a point by point refutation of that book?it's the source of all of the "russell was a mason" conspiracy.

  i started reading the book and i noticed some pretty obvious holes in the argument... for example, he writes that the pyramid-shaped monument is "proof" and we all know it isn't.here is the book if you want to check it out.https://archive.org/details/fritzspringmeierthewatchtowerandthemasons1990_201603.

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  vienne

  I read this and we cite it in our book. He gets everything wrong and makes wild claims. Then he admits he didn't really research his topic. He lists all the Russells he can think of that may have been Masons to infer that C. T. was one, then tells his readers he hasn't connected them. Bad book.

  An example of his poor work is his claim that J. Paton baptized Russell. Russell was baptized in 1874, long before he met Paton. This is the only point we note in Separate Identity. Nothing else in his book is worth noting.

  Springmeier has a troubled personal history. Personally I look deeply into a books quality when that's the case.
  
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  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  I should be in bed instead of posting here. Bruce and Rawe were friends prior to Rawe's last disfellowshipping. As I understand it from someone who should know, Bruce dropped contact afterward, though if Richard called him he was respectful. It is in Bruce's nature to treat people, even those with whom he disagrees, with respect. Bruce is not an 'apostate' what ever that really is.
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  joe, have you read the book? It's verifiable history. Hard to fault that. The WTS has a copy and never expressed an objection to it. Bruce is an old timer who's lived a significant amount of watchtower history. Our books are JUST history. There is no agenda but detailed, factual history. Hard to fault that.
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  NN, you made me laugh.
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  We fund our research partly from our royalties. We make more if you buy it from lulu.com

  http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/b-w-schulz/a-separate-identity-organizational-identity-among-readers-of-zions-watch-tower-1870-1887/paperback/product-21546337.html

  If you need to buy from Amazon, here is the link:

  https://www.amazon.com/Separate-Identity-Organizational-Readers-1870-1887/dp/1304969401

  Our bio of Nelson Barbour is here:

  http://www.lulu.com/shop/b-w-schulz/nelson-barbour-the-millenniums-forgotten-prophet/paperback/product-5424152.html

  There is a link to the less expensive ebook version on that page too.

  The Barbour bio needs updating, but we want to finish Separate Identity first.
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  Old Goat who posts here sometimes is a friend. But I'm here mostly to just observe. I have an academic, not a polemic interest. Thanks for the welcome NN
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  Footnote 14 reads

  14 Death of Thomas Birney, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Press, January 17, 1899. The obituary misnames his
  partner as James R. Woodwell. The membership list for St. John’s Lodge is found in An Address Delivered at the
  Request of St. John’s Lodge, no. 219, F. & A.M. at the 444th Stated Meeting, April 12th, 1883, on the History of
  the Lodge, and the Establishment of Freemasonry in Pittsburgh. Thomas Birney’s name appears in the
  membership list on page 112. No Russells find a place on the list, nor do they receive other mention. For details
  see Appendix One.
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  That's his uncle Thomas Birney. See page three and footnotes

  Thomas Birney’s obituary gives us significant insights into the Birney and Russell’s early years.
  Thomas and family lived first in Meadville, Pennsylvania “for a time.” He moved to Pittsburgh at least
  by 1845. The Birneys seem not to have been poor Irish. He entered a partnership with Joseph R.
  Woodwell12 who owned an existing wholesale hardware business. Birney started his own firm, Thomas
  Birney & Co., sometime before 1869. By that same year he was on the board of directors of the
  Guardian Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York.13 He and his family joined Pittsburgh’s
  Second Presbyterian Church in 1845. Thomas was a member of St. John Lodge of Free and Accepted
  Masons. We cannot find a membership for Joseph.14
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  Both our names appear on the title page. Amazon does bad stuff to author pages. We're pushing to finish volume 2. Originally, we saw this as slim book similar to our biography of Barbour. (Eventually we'll revise that) We were surprised at the amount of original source material. It grew to 2 volumes, and vol. 2 is about 3/4 done. There will be a volume 3. Assuming old age doesn't kill this project, there will be a third book and maybe a 4th. We have a tentative outline for the next book, which we've given the working title, "On the Cusp of Fame."
  
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  43

  Who is B.W. Schulz? Anyone know?

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am writing an article on whether c.t.

  russell was a mason.

  i am of the opinion that he was not, given the evidence.. i just bought b.w.

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  vienne

  Bruce is a long time Witness. Since 1952. He is, however, a careful and honest historian. He retired from teaching this year. His email is on the 'permissions' page of our book. He is elderly and infirm. He "calls a spade a spade" and does not attempt to coverup the warts and pimples of Watch Tower history. As his writing partner, I'd throw a fit if he did. We reject partisanship.

  I am not a Witness, though I have relatives who are. Personally, I think our work should stand on its content. It is significantly footnoted so you can reproduce our work. No-one asked about me. I feel slighted. I have a masters degree in education and another in history and a PhD [UniSA] in history. We strive to maintain a high, professional standard in our books.

  Oh, and this is my second post. I have yet to say, "Hello." Consider it done.