Russell's aleged freemasonry on JWfacts.com

by NikL 67 Replies latest jw friends

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  NikL

  Paul has written an interesting piece on jwfacts.com

  https://jwfacts.com/watchtower/blog/russell-not-a-freemason.php
  

  Anyway, It jogged my memory and reminded me of something I thought I would pass on to you.
  Back in the late 80s I had the opportunity to chat with Ray Franz on the phone and I asked him about this very thing.
  He didn't say yes or no to Russel's Masonic connection but what he said was something like, "he is buried in the Masonic section of the cemetery so draw your own conclusion."
  I assumed that the answer was yes since only those with a Masonic connection can be buried in the Masonic section of the cemetery. My grandparents are interned in such a segregated spot since he was a 32nd degree Mason.
  Anyway, I just though I'd pass that on for what it's worth.
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  confused

  I might be a bit dim but what exactly is a freemason?
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  vienne

  Franz, if he said that, was inaccurate. Russell was demonstrably not a Mason and he is not buried in a masonic cemetery.
  
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  Finkelstein

  "he is buried in the Masonic section of the cemetery so draw your own conclusion."

  United Cemetery plots are not owned by the Freemasons, they have a reserved cemetery property close by though.

  There is no debate or question concerning Russell's being influenced by some of the unique Freemason theological ideas of which Pyramidolgy stems from.
  
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  vienne

  Pyramidology did not come from Masonic belief but from two British writers. The one most influential on Russell was Charles Piazzi Smyth. Russell circulated for a brief while a pyramidology book by J. A. Seiss, an American Lutheran pastor. There is nothing in Russell's theology that parallels Masonic belief or practice.
  
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  sparrowdown

  Regardless of where he got his kooky ideas they were not as WT would like its members to believe all immaculately conceived from a pure study of the Bible. WT has whitewashed, omitted and outright lied about Russell's origins, inspirations and obsession with stuff like the pyramids, his crazy-ass beliefs were a franken-theology blend of all sorts of shit.

  No wonder people are confused about his connections!
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  vienne

  Sparrow,

  We devote an entire chapter [chapter 4] in Separate Identity to tracing the origins of his theology. And you are right, the early Bible Study group [1871-1876] were heavily influenced by others, especially Literalist/Age-to-Come believers as represented by the religious newspaper The Restitution.
  
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  Phizzy

  Russell had vague relatives that were Freemasons, and he did use a number of Masonic expressions in his writings, but then we all do in our everyday speech, without realising it perhaps, "on the level", " the third Degree" etc etc

  I could never find any evidence that he ever joined, and I think all this sort of Conspiracy Theory stuff, Masons, Illuminati etc is a waste of time and thought.

  Russell was a plagiarist and very much of his time, oh, and also a false Prophet.
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  Finkelstein

  vienne says ....
  

  There is nothing in Russell's theology that parallels Masonic belief or practice.

  Bullshit ! there is much related with Russell and the Freemason Egyptian ancient theological practice.

  The great Egyptian pyramid is entwined in Freemason practice, you have to be an idiot to not accept that.
  

  Because of Russell's association with the Freemasons, he drew out and plagiarized some of this organization's theological ideas.

  The Winged Sun Goddess symbol which he used on the front cover of the The Finished Mystery.

  
  

  It is true that Charles Smthe heavily promoted this concept and he wrote a book which no doubt got into Russell's hands among other late 19th century bible investigators in the US.

  This so called monument in stone as its perceived was deeply rooted in Freemason theology.
  
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  Finkelstein

  We devote an entire chapter [chapter 4] in Separate Identity to tracing the origins of his theology.

  Who is We may I ask ?