Why the Jehovah's Witnesses don't want
you to know about their founder:
Charles Taze
Russell.
Charles Taze Russell, founder of the sect
known as "Jehovah's Witnesses" (or "Russellites"), was born in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania in 1852. He explains the origin of his religion as follows:
"Let me begin... at the year 1868 when, as a
member of the Congregational church and of the Young Men's Christian
Association, I began to be shaken in faith regarding many long-accepted
doctrines... Among other theories I stumbled upon Adventism. [The sect founded
by Mr. William Miller in 1829, who preached that Christ would come again in
1840]. Thus I confess indebtedness to Adventists as well as to other
denominations." (Watch Tower, July 1906; cited in The Jehovah's Witnesses,
Hebert Hewitt Stroup [New York: Columbia University Press, 1945, pp. 5,6.])
Although there is no unified historical
record concerning the founding of the Witnesses, according to a WatchTower
Yearbook, "a few Christian persons met together in a little house in
Pennsylvania to discuss the Scriptures relative to the coming of Christ and His
Kingdom" (ibid., p. 4). This Bible study group bestowed upon Russell the title
"Pastor". In court. Russell was asked, "Now; you never were ordained by a
bishop, clergyman, presbytery, council, or any body of men, living?" Russell
answered, "I never was." (Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults [Minn.:
Bethany House Publishers, 1985, pp. 4-5.])
Notice the emphasis on the Second Coming of
Christ. According to the Witnesses, Armageddon or the "Holy War" between Christ
and His disciples and Satan and his followers during which the world as we know
it will be destroyed, is always "just around the corner." Many times the
WatchTower and Bible Society has given dates for the end of the world. For
example, in July of 1917, the year 1925 was established as a "significant date"
- that is, the year of Armageddon. Similarly, 1975 was established as a
"significant date" in June 1966. Of course, both times thousands of Witnesses
left the organization because Christ did not come. (The Orwellian World of
Jehovah's Witnesses, by Heather and Gary Botting [Toronto: University of Toronto
Press, 1984, pp. 195-196]) These dates alone, which are the product of faulty -
indeed fatuous - Biblical exegesis, render the claim of the Governing Body of
the WatchTower Society that they are "God's representatives on Earth" blatantly
absurd.
Charles Taze And Masonry
Again, many thousands came to this
conclusion when his wife, Maria Ackley (1906), sued Russell for divorce. They
reasoned, correctly, that being a prophet of God precluded getting a divorce.
Her grounds were four-fold: "That his conceit, egotism and domination were such
as to make life intolerable to any sensitive woman; that his conduct in relation
to other women was improper; that on one occasion he was silent to his wife for
four weeks and only communicated with her by letters of a reproachful character,
and that he sought by most despicable means to isolate his wife from society,
and designed to get her pronounced insane in order to put her away" (Stroup, p.
9). Mrs. Russell won the suit, and her alimony payment was $6,036 (Martin, p.
39). Moreover, she received back alimony payments from officials of the
WatchTower Bible and Tract Society: "Mr. Rutherford testified to the fact that
he and four other prominent Witnesses grouped together in 1909 to raise $10,000
which they paid to Mrs. Russell for back alimony. From 1909 until the time of
the death of Mr. Russell; these men paid Mrs. Russell $100 a month out of their
own funds" (WatchTower, Feb. 1917; Stroup, pp.117-118).
Mr. Russell died on October 31, 1916. Why
would these five officials have to pay Mrs. Russell what is due her? After all,
her husband owned 990 of the 1000 shares of the Watchtower Bible and Tract
Society. Walter Martin observes, "Thus Russell apparently controlled the entire
financial power of the Society and was not accountable to anyone" (Martin, p.
39). So any money sent to the Society belonged to Russell. Although he refused
to relinquish alimony, he spent very liberally on himself and his cronies. His
wife explains at the trial, "His life was one continuous round of expensive
touring, at tremendous cost to many of his deceived followers. At a convention
...he and his special favourites were settled in palatial quarters apart from
the main company. There he held daily receptions, to which live hundred each day
were admitted by ticket, all being treated to refreshments, free boat ride, and
carfare from the convention grounds to his quarters" (Stroup, p. 12).
Russell toured the world in 1912 to promote
his new religion. But he was dishonest while doing so. The Brooklyn Eagle,
a newspaper in New York hat ran an expose of Russell, elaborates: "All during
this time the 'Pastor's' sermons were being printed in newspapers throughout the
world. [He] caused accounts to be published in his advertised sermons telling of
enthusiastic greetings at various places he visited. It was shown in many cases
that the sermons were never delivered in the places that were claimed." (Martin,
page 40).
Not only did Russell lie while touring the
world, he lied under oath. A Protestant minister, J.J. Ross, published a
pamphlet calling Russell's religion "the destructive doctrines of one man who is
neither a scholar nor a theologian" and who "never attended the higher schools
of learning; knows comparatively nothing of philosophy, systematic or historical
theology, and is totally ignorant of the dead languages" (Martin, p. 42).
Russell sued for "defamatory libel", claiming that Ross' charges were untrue and
exposed him to public ridicule and contempt, thereby irrevocably injuring his
reputation. In court, however, all of Ross' charges were proven to be true. For
example, when asked if he knew the Greek alphabet Russell answered: "Oh, yes."
Then when he was asked to identify some letters, he rejoined, "I don't know that
I would be able to." Finally, he was asked, "Are you familiar with the Greek
language?" He replied, "No." The case, Dr. Walter Martin rightly concludes;
"established him beyond a doubt as a premeditated perjurer" (Martin, pages
42-45).
To make more money - as if he did not have
enough - Russell lied once again: the Society advertised wheat seed for sale at
$1 a pound. It was called "Miracle Wheat" because - are you ready for this? -
it supposedly grew five times as much wheat as any other brand. The Brooklyn
Daily Eagle noticed the scam and published an incriminating cartoon. Once again
Russell sued for libel - and once again, he lost the case (Martin, p. 40).
Knowing full well that Russell was a
habitual liar, how can anyone trust what he asserted in his writings? On page
after page this pompous man proffers misinformation and propaganda in order to
deceive the most naive and gullible people. The following is a typical example:
"Few realize that from the time creed-making began, A.D. 325, there was
practically no Bible study for 1260 years." (Studies in the Scriptures,
Russell's foreword, p. 5).
The Catholic Church, in its Council of
Nicaea in year 325 promulgated the Nicene Creed to clarify her doctrine of the
Holy Trinity which was given to the Apostles by Christ Himself In any case,
Russell rejected the Council of Nicaea's teaching that Christ is consubstantial
with the Father; that is, he repeats Arius' heresy that Christ is only a
creature - the first one created by God the Father. 'The Church has always
taught that Jesus Christ is God - the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.
Cults Exposed: Jehovah's Witnesses Watch Tower
To affirm that there was no Bible Study from
325 to 1585 is absolutely ludicrous. Shortly after the Council of Nicaea, Pope
Damasus ordered Saint Jerome to produce a Latin version of the Scriptures from
the original languages. Known as the "Vulgate," it is recognized by the
Catholic Church as an authentic and authorized version. Moreover, Russell is an
intellectual and moral pigmy compared to the giants of Catholicism: Saint
Jerome, Saint Augustine, Origen, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Thomas Aquinas - the
list is virtually endless. The writings of just these intellectuals are
libraries in themselves. More importantly, they were renowned for holiness
during their lifetimes and eventually became great saints. Russell; on the other
hand, ...
"The testimony... of the so-called Early
Fathers," Russell writes; "has been omitted" (ibid., p.7). And we know why - the
Faith of the early Fathers is Catholicism. The New Testament writers passed on
the Catholic Faith - this is a historical fact. This is why the Catholic Church
proclaims that what the Fathers unanimously teach to be of faith, is of faith,
and what they unanimously reject as heretical, is heretical.
Although Russell praises Protestantism in
general, he voices the following criticism: "But since their day Protestants
have made little progress, because, instead of walking in the light, they have
halted around their favourite leaders, willing to see as much as they saw but
nothing more" (ibid., p. 10). This applies even more to Russell and his
followers: they slavishly echo his doctrine and his ideas; blind sheep being led
to the slaughter by a deranged wolf.
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| Jehovah's Witnesses: Another False Sect |
Despite having only a seventh grade
education, Russell boasted that he was the incarnation of truth, for he referred
to his Studies in the Scriptures as "not mere comments on the Bible, but they
are practically the Bible itself" (The WatchTower, Sept. 15; 1910; cited in
Martin, p. 46). He insisted that the Bible was not studied for over 1200 years
and that only he was competent to interpret it - completely ignoring the Church
Fathers. No wonder Mrs. Russell lambasted her husband for his "egotism and
conceit."
Like all persons who establish their own
religion; Russell set himself up as "the pillar and mainstay of the truth" (lst
Timothy 3:15). In reality, however, he was an uneducated liar who managed to
portray himself as a reformer, thus bilking (milking) many people out of
millions of dollars. He charged that organized religion is a "racket", and his
religion shows that in his case it is true.
This is very informative, thank you for taking the time to post this.
ReplyDeleteMy religion was founded by Jesus, not by a man...
ReplyDeleteGreat information! Thank you.
ReplyDelete