A Non-JW account of CT Russell...

Mad

>Subject: Fw: Presby. Minister's Commentary on Bro. Russell
>
>Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 16:37:38 -0400
>
>An interesting and complimentary passage from a minister about Brother
>Russell.
>
>"Where Else But Pittsburgh?" A book written by George Swetnam, an ordained
>Presbyterian minister, who wrote for years for the Pittsburgh Press
>newspaper, and is regarded as the foremost historian of the Pittsburgh and
>Western Pennsylvania areas...Interesting Excerpts from the book: "Where
>Else But Pittsburgh?"
>
>"It is an amazing thing that no Pittsburgh history has ever even so much as
>contained the name of C.T. Russell, since his influence has easily been the
>widest of any man who ever lived in the city... including Andrew Carnegie.
>
> He was a pioneer in the Chain store, the Motion Picture industry and
>other important ventures. He was one of the most prolific and widely read
>authors of his day, turning out many books and a column carried by more
>then 1500 newspapers, with some 15 million readers. Russell traveled over
>a million miles, delivering more than 30,000 sermons and lectures...
>
> "His parents were Reformed Presbyterians, a sturdy sect which refused to
>acknowledge any government except that of God, and who refused to pay
>taxes or take part in military service...
>
>He was always interested in religion, writing Bible verses on the sidewalks
>with chalk when a youth. As a boy he was quick & alert, so his father took
>him into partnership in his general store at the age of 11.
>
>When he was 15 he was sent out as a buyer.
>
>"Like many other youths Charles was troubled in mind. He battled over the
>doctrine of predestination and was pondering these things for while he was
>unable to accept religion he was unable to let it go. It was a successful
>but skeptical businessman of 18 that he stepped into a dingy basement to
>see if a handful who met there had anything more sensible than the creeds
>of the churches. What he heard set him searching the Bible again, which he
>did for 46 years!
>
> "Soon he rented a hall & started a Bible School where for 5 years he
>lectured. Then, convinced he had a divine mission, he did a strange thing
>for a young man of 26 with no formal theological education. He invited ALL
>the ministers of Pittsburgh to a meeting, explained his beliefs and urged
>them to unite with him! The fact that they accepted his invitation shows
>how high young Russell stood in the community. Yet after hearing they
>declined his offers..
>
>"Rebuffed by the ministers in his home town Russell turned himself to a
>life of evangelism. He carried on his haberdashery business for some time
>but his interest in commerce gradually waned and he closed his store for
>the next year..
>
> Russell was nearly 6 feet tall, well built, with piercing gray eyes.
>His manner was always CALM, stressing argument rather then emotion,
>sometimes adding a touch of humor. In later life he was snowy haired,
>white bearded, and saintly in appearance..
>
> In 1914 he completed work on the first epic motion picture: "The Photo
>Drama of Creation" 15 years before any other sound pictures were produced.
>It ran for eight hours and was viewed by some eight million people!
>
> "Late in life he set up his entire fortune, by now amounting to well
>over a million dollars, into a trust fund for the W.T.B.& T Society, the
>business organization for Jehovah's Witnesses...
>
> "He made many close friends and bitter enemies. He was the target of
>many stories accusing him of all sorts of crimes and wrong doing in regard
>to his marriage, although there appears to be little if any basis for such
>charges...
>
> "All through his life Russell told his followers NOT to revere him; He
>taught them this so well that the publishing house he founded has never
>published a biography of "Pastor Russell"...
>
> " The movement he founded now has worldwide scope & is still one of the
>worlds fastest growing religions. In 1958 some 250,000 came to NYC to hear
>the same doctrines Russell preached to the unreceptive clergy 80 years
>earlier."

Just in case someone wanted to learn a little! None of us JWs look at him as a prophet- just as an admirable man to started to question the ridiculous dogma of the churches.

drew sagan

I think you fail to see the real problem many of us have with C.T. Russell, J.F. Rutherford, and everybody else who is behind the name of 'the orgainzaiton'.

It's not that these guys are prophets (although it's slipped from their tounges a few times). It's the fact that they demand you give them the same respect, honor, and obedience that you would give to and inspiried prophet, Jesus Christ, or God himself.

You can't have your cake and eat it to. You can't say (as the Watchtower did in the 1920's) that to reject C.T. Russell is to reject God himself.

It's the same story over and over. Just because these leaders never come out and say that they are inspired or a prophet of God they get off the hook. What is the differance if we treat someone like they are inspiried or believe they really are or not. The WTS and all its past leaders get to have the status of an inspiried prophet without actually having to be an inspired prophet.

jaguarbass

Soon he rented a hall & started a Bible School where for 5 years he
>lectured. Then, convinced he had a divine mission,

It seems like the people who are full of shxt end up leading those who are not full of shxt. But if you follow someone who is full of shxt you too will end up full of shxt.

Tuesday

From what I've read it seems like CT Russell was a bit of a crackpot but his orginization was alot more loving. Rutherford was the doom and gloom guy of the WT.

Who are you?

Just in case someone wanted to learn a little! None of us JWs look at him as a prophet- just as an admirable man to started to question the ridiculous dogma of the churches.

Mad...all of your words, thoughts, and actions are dictated by the WTS. You sit there and pat yourself on the back for not viewing Russell as a prophet, yet you accept anything the Governing Body says. If the GB told you to look at Russell as a prophet, then you would. If they told you to jump in the lake, you would. You know it, I know it, we all know it. There is absolutley nothing remarkable about letting the WTS control your words, thoughts and actions.

greendawn

Russell's occultic leanings were too strong for my liking the last straw was when he published a book containing the words of a demon to a spirit medium woman. A serious religious leader would never do that.

moshe

I like to read a good biography. I like to read the first person accounts of what a famous or historical person did. Like how the founder of standard oil, John Rockefeller passed out dimes to children- how Thomas Edison slept in his laboratory and tested thousands of filaments for the light bulb. You can learn a lot from a biography. Unfortunately there are no real biographies of WT leaders. There was nothing about them worth remembering and too much that needed to be forgotten.

Mad

Hey- I agree with a lot of what you say- I'm merely pointing out that he at least TRIED- which is more than can be said of most!

Like I said, it was for those wanting to learn- rather than have spittle drool from their ever-insulting lips!

Mad

[email protected]

Who are you?

Hey- I agree with a lot of what you say- I'm merely pointing out that he at least TRIED- which is more than can be said of most!
Like I said, it was for those wanting to learn- rather than have spittle drool from their ever-insulting lips!
Mad

If anyone is interested in learning something other than WTS sponsored fluff http://www.biblestudents.net/history/

You may find the Presidency Papers interesting because it covers the power struggle after Russell's death.

dedpoet

Just in case someone wanted to learn a little! None of us JWs look at him as a prophet

But a lot of his followers did at the time he was making his prophecy that the rapture would occur in 1914, then 1915, then 1918....

He was a prophet actually - a false prophet, like his successor J F Rutherford (millions now living will never die, written in 1920: armageddon will come in 1925, the scriptures say so etc)

just as an admirable man to started to question the ridiculous dogma of the churches

He challenged the "ridiculous dogma" of the churches, and came up with an even more ridiculous dogma of his own, which became even more ridiculous when Rutherford succeeded him, and is still ridiculous today

dedpoet

A Non-JW account of CT Russell...

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