miller and russell... the best laugh i've had for a while

by Aussie Oz 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Aussie Oz

  I just can't contain my mirth (and disgust ) about the the history of the WT SOC any more!

  The history of Miller and his teachings, Barbour being a millerite and a guide to the then young Russell cemented the TRUTH of the modern day WT organizations history as opposed to its own whitewashed version of history.

  For 37 years i saw them as the one true religion. Now i just see them as total frauds. Nothing more than a bunch of followers of followers of followers of fanciful dreams and failed realizations.

  William Miller + Nelson Barbour + Charles T Russell + Rutherford + Fred Franz = Jehovah's Witnesses.

  Laughable history and certainly NOT UNIQUE.

  Disgust at the fact that 99.9% of them will never know it.

  oz
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  cantleave

  I know what you mean there Aussie. I have tried to alert some to the early history, they stay blinded by the"light gets brighter" story.

  So sad, so many good people wasting their lives following a lie.
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  designs

  Put 20 religious ideas in a Blender and hit Puree that was us.
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  Earnest

  Their history is no more laughable than any other christian religion. Understanding of scripture has always been inherited with a slight twist or difference which distinguishes one movement from another. I suppose some of the thoughts that the early Fathers up to the time of Augustine were original when they were combining Greek philosophy with scripture but it does seem that in exegesis there is nothing new under the sun.

  What links Miller, Barbour, Russell and many others is that their particular slant on scripture was the belief that we are living in the end-times and then using scripture and chronology to confirm that. An excellent book (there are several volumes) is 'The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers' by Le Roy Froom, a seventh-day adventist who traces the repetitive rise and fall of these movements from the earliest days of the christian religion. And of course the nature of these movements is that they do inevitably rise and fall (or change their nature) as however much exegesis they do it eventually becomes clear that the end will not come in their life-time.
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  designs

  Religions need to either radicalize and go for a niche market or become a social gathering with some nice community outreach programs.

  Being an Armageddon junkie religion will end up poorly, but they aren't ready to invest in the outreach programs that could help.
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  Old Goat

  Every religion has connections to the past. Jehovah's Witnesses are a millenarian movement and connect to that movement in broad ways. The millenarian movement is wider than Millerism, including in its scope many British and German theologians. A recent post over at http://truthhistory.blogspot.com/ reveals Russell's dependence on William Warleigh, an Anglican. That was total news to me.

  As far as Nelson Barbour goes, read Nelson Barbour: The Millennium's Forgotten Prophet by Schulz and de Vienne. It's excellent history, entertaining to read, and will open your eyes. It's not an anti-witness book, just history, and probably more important for that. You can buy the book via lulu.com .

  I'm not disturbed by a Russellite connection to Miller. And that there is one is not news. What disturbs me is the persistence among modern Jehovah's Witnesses of a dictatorial approach to theology. They stifle theological debate under the guise of banning apostate thinking. They formulate practices that go beyond Biblical practice. You don't really need a list do you? I don't reject Witnesses as Christians. I do reject the practices of Witness Hierarchy as un-Christian and dictatorial. Yes, the Bible says to respect those taking the lead, but one has to answer the question: "Leading to where?"
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  Mad Sweeney

  There is always that blurred line between Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Incorporated. The members themselves, even very high ranking ones within the WT hierarchy, are mostly decent people who are duped by the concept that the WT is God's ONE CHANNEL of communication to the earth. The Watchtower, on the other hand, is a dangerous and fraudulent mind control cult that enslaves its members, forces them to reject Christ, kills them with arbitrary rules, and harbors pedophiles in safety from the law.

  There is a difference between Jehovah's Witnesses and The Watchtower Society, though they go hand in hand and the overlap between them makes distinguishing between them a tough task at times.
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  designs

  Vicarius Christi, its been the bane of more than one group.
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  thetrueone

  Its a sad story of bunch of power playing opportunists who used and exploited the bible and people who believed in the bible

  to further their own existential power and influence over others.

  The return of Christ was perceived to be marketable by the WT leaders, they were mostly right.

  Guided by the voice of god hardly, guided by their own internal desires and needs absolutely.

  " God's Holy Spirit for sale come and get it "
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  Heaven

  Religions need to either radicalize and go for a niche market or become a social gathering with some nice community outreach programs.

  I've had similar thoughts, Designs, about the JWs needing to become a kinder, more community friendly group. They also need to offer free beer. That will get a lot to go.