lastmanstanding: I would not have made the connection without that info.
There's even the language dialect!!....
CT Russell, he loved and supported genocidal militants.
by lastmanstanding 34 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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darkspilver
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steve2
It is well nigh impossible to puncture JWs indifference towards the life and teachings of their founder.
They can barely comprehend that what he declared for 1914 and what actually transpired were two starkly different things, let alone get their poor little heads around the man’s magpie collection of every crazy belief in the air in late 19th Century USA and further afield.
Little wonder JW organization bypass the man and stake their claim for unique God-approval to the year, 1919 with the odious Rutherford at the helm.
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Earnest
“German military preparation is so well known…. Germany is today, humanly speaking, the arbiter of the world’s peace.”
With the advantage of hindsight we do not view Germany as an arbiter of the world's peace. At least, not during the first half of the twentieth century.
However, the genocides to which you refer occurred between 1904 - 1907 which was more than ten years after this article was written. I do not believe it is true that anyone viewed Germany as genocidal at that time. -
lastmanstanding
Earnest
However, the genocides to which you refer occurred between 1904 - 1907 which was more than ten years after this article was written. I do not believe it is true that anyone viewed Germany as genocidal at that time.I appreciate what you point out, however, this is not just “anyone” we are talking about. This is someone who was supposedly chosen specifically by the most high god, all powerful being etc
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TD
And Pennsylvania was full of GERMANS!
Ja! das stimmt!
Aber sie sind aus religiösen Gründen emigriert....
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stuckinarut2
Yes, it is somewhat puzzling to think that Jesus and Jehovah felt that THIS man was the best available in order to convey "The Truth" through.
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Wakanda
Pennsylvania
DeutschDutch!https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Dutch
I've heard they adopted the mispronunciation because of WWII. We're not German, were Dutch, yeah yeah, Dutch!
Apologies for the tangent.
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reslight2
The article quoted from "Things to Come -- And the Present European Situation", is being distorted to mean something I am sure that Russell himself never intended. Russell never said he "loved" the German Army, nor did he ever say that the German Army was "divine". He definitely did not love and support genocidal militants. He did say that he believed that God's divine providence was overruling what was happening in Germany and Europe, in preparation for the coming trouble and the following blessings. Russell said similar about things that have happened in the U.S. as well as in many other lands. One may read the entire article at:
http://mostholyfaith.com/Beta/bible/Reprints/Z1892JAN.asp#Z19:2
Russell's interest was in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy; the time of the end was to be bring an increase in knowledge, and he was looking for signs of that happening. Nevertheless, as he often pointed out, such knowledge would bring discontent, and thus the "time of trouble", or Armageddon. Russell did not believe in the kind of Armageddon that the JWs preach.
The incidents regarding the Herero and Namaqua took place about 14 years later. I don't know if Brother Russell was even aware of what happened regarding this.
When I look at Russell's Watch Towers, I find that almost on any page there is something related to the times of restitution (restoration) when God is to bless all the families of the earth. These are promises from the Bible; Russell did not make them up.
The only religion Russell believed in, however, was that of Jesus and his apostles, as revealed in the Bible. He did not believe in starting a new religion. Nevertheless, after Russell died, Rutherford rejected the message of the "ransom for all," "glad tidings of great joy that will be for all the people", and replaced it with a message that is almost the opposite of what Russell spent his life preaching and defending. The message of the JWs definitely does not come from Russell, but rather the basic message was developed by Rutherford, and, actually rejects the central message that Russell preached, that Christ died for all, and that all will be saved from Adamic death and come to a knowledge of Christ. The "8 million people 100 years later" who are now preaching a message of "join our organization or you may be eternally destroyed" are definitely not preaching the gospel message that Russell preached. Indeed, it is almost the opposite of what Russell taught.
Russell, however, had received education from private tutors beyond his seventh grade public education. Around 1870, he determined to be non-denominational, and began an indepth study of the Bible, with the aid of many ministers, including George W. Stetson, pastor of the Advent Christian Church in Edinboro, Pennsylvania and George Storrs, editor of the Bible Examiner in Brooklyn, New York. Russell's former private tutoring, his own research and study, including his studies of many works of writings by Christian authors, more than likely gave him an education equivalent to, or beyond, that of a Bachelor's degree.
Russell never claimed to be the faithful and wise servant and he never claimed to be the Laodicean angel. These claims were made by others. Russell's last statement on this was:
"Some of the dear brethren seem to find as much about Brother Russell in the Bible as they find about the Lord Jesus, and I think that is a great mistake. I do not find it there." -- 1910 Convention Report Sermons, page 125.
Russell never claimed to be a prophet; in fact he disclaimed being such many times. He never claimed any special authority to speak for God or Christ. Russell never assumed any authority so as to demand that anyone should not join the military service anywhere in the world. There was no JW organization, no central authority on earth among the Bible Students, in the days of Russell. Russell was never a member of the JW organization, and he preached not only against such authoritarian sectarianism, he also preached against the kind of "second death" dogma that Rutherford developed after Russell died.
In looking at the sites referred to concerning Russell's alleged commending Bible Students for serving in the German army, I am somewhat bewildered. So far I have seen nothing presented that specifically has the German Watch Tower "commending" the Bible Students for serving in the German army. I would like to see specifically what is being referred to in its complete context. Nevertheless, much of the work related to the German edition was left up to others; I am not sure that Russell was aware of what might have been published that might have been different from the English. Russell did not operate the Society as being "Jehovah's visible organization" as the present day "Watchtower" does.
The English Google translation of the page entitled "Annotations of Jehovah's Witnesses" makes very little sense. Nevertheless, the idea that Russell was in some manner creating some "double standard" regarding military service is preposterous. Russell's stance was that it was to each Christian's conscience as to how he should respond regarding military service. He did not seek to reject anyone as being a Christian if they were in the military of any nation. However, he did express his own view that it would best that a Christian should avoid military service if possible as a conscientious objector, or to serve in hospital work; but if one was drafted into the military of any country, one should still hold to Christian values.
Russell, himself, never portrayed any "soldiers" as "monkeys".
Contrary to the false claims of Rutherford, Russell had no conrol over what Rutherford and his associates did after his death.
Russell's Watch Tower virtually ceased to exist when he died in 1916, as Rutherford, by means of deception, had new by-laws passed which, in effect, destroyed the WTS Russell had created. A new sectarian spirit was prevelant in Rutherford's Watch Tower, leading the vast majority of the Bible Students around the world to reject Rutherford's Watch Tower and Rutherford's "Jehovah's visible organization" dogma.
Russell's Watch Tower having ceased in 1916, Rutherford's new Watch Tower did assume authority to tell Bible Students to refuse service in the military, which led to the arrest of Rutherford and others.
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OrphanCrow
reslight2: The only religion Russell believed in, however, was that of Jesus and his apostles, as revealed in the Bible. He did not believe in starting a new religion. Nevertheless, after Russell died, Rutherford rejected the message of the "ransom for all," "glad tidings of great joy that will be for all the people", and replaced it with a message that is almost the opposite of what Russell spent his life preaching and defending. The message of the JWs definitely does not come from Russell, but rather the basic message was developed by Rutherford, and, actually rejects the central message that Russell preached, that Christ died for all, and that all will be saved from Adamic death and come to a knowledge of Christ. The "8 million people 100 years later" who are now preaching a message of "join our organization or you may be eternally destroyed" are definitely not preaching the gospel message that Russell preached. Indeed, it is almost the opposite of what Russell taught.
Russell taught a Zionist doctrine. A dual covenant doctrine of salvation whereby all would be saved - Jew and Gentile alike. Jesus came for all. (but especially for Chuckie)
The Jewish homeland figured prominently in Russell's doctrines
Rutherford changed that to a replacement theology*. Whereby the Jehovah's witnesses, his new and improved religion, would replace the Jews as God's chosen people. A Jew would have to convert to Rutherford's religion to qualify for salvation
*Rutherford didn't just replace the Jews themselves with his religion adherents, he also replaced their homeland. Jerusalem was re-located to California
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reslight2
It is well nigh impossible to puncture JWs indifference towards the life and teachings of their founder
Russell was never a member of the JWs. He preached against such authoritarian sectarianism, and he preached against the kind of message that the JWs preach. He was definitely not the founder of the JW organization.
They can barely comprehend that what he declared for 1914 and what actually transpired were two starkly different things
Most people (both JWs and non-JWs) know very little about Russell and what he was expecting for 1914. Most do not know that he rejected his earlier views in 1904, when he came to realize that the ending of the Gentile Times would not bring the end of the time of trouble, but rather the beginning of the time of trouble. Some quotes from Russell in 1904 and after 1904 regarding the beginning of the time of trouble:
http://rlctr.blogspot.com/2016/10/t-of-t.html