Pastor Russell’s Sexual Preference?

by Marvin Shilmer 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  Marvin Shilmer

  Pastor Russell’s Sexual Preference?

  Today I uploaded a new article to my blog. It shares a piece of weird Watchtower history that tends to fly under the radar. At first this information may seem just a peculiar personal sexual preference. But as it turns out the preference is part of a just-as-peculiar Watchtower teaching. This article does not exhaust the subject, but it does further a rather bizarre subject of Watchtower teaching and the organization’s founder.

  My article is titled Pastor Russell’s Sexual Preference? and is available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/08/pastor-russells-sexual-preference.html

  Marvin Shilmer

  http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com
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  bottleofwater

  In other words, weirdo!
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  Snoozy

  I definately got the impression that he was a party animal..but not sure on the same sex thing..I did read a lot of the info provided in other literature but just couldn't form that opinion positively.

  Snoozy..
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  clarity

  I never thought that Russell wasn't interested in sex, but he had a few hang-ups, as they say.

  Freud's theory's of the Oedipal Trauma seem's to explain Russell's behavior.

  Russell became attatched to a career oriented woman (the good mother) and married her.

  In fact she looked upon him as a powerful "parental figure", for about the first 18 years, that is!

  I think, according to Freud, having sex with your (good) mother is not gonna happen. Hence the "adopted daughter" appears on the scene.

  Evidently that particular setup was a little more like it, for our own confused Pastor Russell!!

  clarity
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  Band on the Run

  Madonna/prostitute complex?

  Why would Maria go along for 18 years? If the marriage was never consummated, annulment might be an option. Divorce was so very hard to get in NY in those days, I would not trust anything in divorce papers.

  I admit to researching Paul McCartney's divorce. How anyone can survive the public embarassment is beyond me?
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  ProdigalSon

  My money is on closet pedophile.....
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  mummatron

  Why would Maria go along for 18 years? - BOTR

  Money and power I guess. She had business interests in the WTBTS and had a great deal of say in the daily running of the WTBTS and was awarded alimony and provided with a home when the divorce was finalised.

  MS - it raises lots of possible explanations:

  ? - Oedipal Trauma as suggested by Clarity - he lost his younger siblings and mother.

  ? - Impotence or some other genito-urinary disease - he suffered from frequent cystitis in later life.

  ? - Repressed homosexuality.

  ? - A belief that sex be purely for procreation.

  ? - He was into other women - the alleged 'intimacy' with his foster daughter Rose Ball.

  Who knows?
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  startingover

  My gay nonJW cousin who I have been sharing JW information with, made a comment to me I want to share. After reading this quote concerning Russell from Jan Haugland's "Successor Problem" thesis,

  "It is also a fact, as both parties confirmed in court, that the marriage was never consummated. First, Russell seems to have had a low sex drive. Second, he was of the opinion – so common in Victorian times – that sex was filthy, animalistic and detracted from true spirituality. This was a source for much frustration to Maria Frances. ...", he said his "gaydar" went off. He said..."This explanation of Russell's "low sex drive" leaves out consideration of the possibility that Russell was homosexual and sublimated his sex drive with religion. It is a very common occurrence... Wouldn't this interpretation raise the ire of the Watchtower group!" Interesting observation.
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  startingover

  Please post someone, I don't want to be a thread killer.
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  shamus100

  Lots of closet homosexuals back then. ;)

  It was common to have same-sex experiences when younger. But alas, mommy and daddy wanted a baby, so you get married, and rarely have sex. It's all rather pase, rather boring...

  There, better? :)