TD stated:
I don't know why you would want to change his mind, as the the Dawn Bible Students are innocuous. They also do not suffer from the doctrinal rigidity that renders the JW belief system fragile. (In other words, there probably isn't a single card you can yank out that will bring the house down.) Although Russell certainly had his faults, much of the information you will read on the internet about him is either distorted, speculative or just plain wrong. If you approach a knowledgeable Bible Student with the usual "Masonic connection" "Pyramidology" and "Miracle Wheat" crap, he is the one that will cut you down to size, not the other way around. The "Masonic connection" is purely speculative, the fascination with pyramids was not out of place, given the time period and certainly not a backbone of Russell's eschatology. Russell also appears to have acted in good faith regarding the Miracle Wheat. Although it turned out to be embarassing we can't reasonably argue today that it was his fault that the strain turned out to be a "sport." (In other words, the vigorous growth lasted for only a generation or two.) This phenomenon has embarassed many horticulturalists since then.
I couldn't have said it better myself TD.
LW said:
although I agree that Russell is the lesser of the two evils, let's not defend the bumbling fool. I mean, he was responsible for starting the whole disaster that is jehovahs witnesses after all.
Hmmm ... a man starts a publishing house, another man takes over and transforms it into a den of thiefs , and the first man is at fault? c'mon! Why don't you blame Jesus for Christianity, Jehovah for creating us, give me a break! RR