Facts You Should Know About Charles T. Russell
Taken from the Torchlight Series, Gospel Truths Ministries, Michigan - Jehovah's Witnesses History:
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society boldly claims to be the only organization God is using today to teach His truth and speak for Him.(1)
According to the Watchtower Bible Tract Society (WTB&TS), all non-JWs will be destroyed at Armageddon, an event of divine judgment it threatens is just around the corner. The WT Society prints over 14 million copies of its magazines every week, and has over 4 million (in 1992) Jehovah's Witnesses spreading its doctrines in 200 countries.
What follows are some essential facts everyone should know about the history and doctrine of the JWs. Charles T. Russell (1852 - 1916) founded the JW movement. As a teenager he rejected his Presbyterian roots, joined a more liberal Congregational Church, then left this group as well. (2)
He denied the deity of Christ and the biblical teachings on hell and eternal punishment. Russell had no formal Bible training, but borrowed and built upon various teachings that were popular at the time. For example, Adventism influenced his denial of hell, and a splinter Adventist group led by N.H. Barbour aroused his interest in endtime prophecies. From Barbour he borrowed the belief that Christ returned invisibly to the world in 1874, and that 1914 was the year the world would be destroyed and the Millennium would begin. In 1879 Russell started his own magazine, Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence (now known as The Watchtower), to promote his doctrines. People were drawn to Russell's sensational endtime predictions, and the organization grew.
In spite of his lack of formal training in theology or biblical languages, Russell claimed to be the only one with the truth, and he vigorously condemned all other Christian religions. As a result, ministers of various denominations began exposing Russell's false teachings and questionable character. Rev. J.J.Ross published a pamphlet that exposed Russell's false claims and doctrines. He revealed that Russell "never attended the higher schools of learning: knows comparatively nothing of philosophy, systematic or historical theology; and is totally ignorant of the [biblical] languages [i.e. Hebrew and Greek]".(3) Ross concluded that Russell's teaching was "anti-rational, anti-scientific, anti-Biblical, [and] anti-Christian".(4) Russell unsuccessfully tried to stop circulation of this damaging information by suing Rev. Ross for defamatory libel.
However, he not only lost the suit, but in the process perjured himself in court when he lied under oath about his knowledge of the Greek language. In the end Russell admitted the statements about himself in the pamphlet were true.(5) In 1906 Russell's wife successfully sued for divorce because of "his conceit, egotism, domination and improper conduct in relation to other women," and won a settlement of $6,036.(6) The court severely censured Russell and called his conduct "insulting." "domineering" and "overbearing" to a degree which made life intolerable to a sensitive Christian woman.(7)
In 1913, Russell unsuccessfully sued The Brooklyn Daily Eagle for libel when that paper exposed his fraudulent attempts to sell ordinary wheat at the exorbitant price of $60 a bushel, claiming it was "Miracle Wheat".(8) Despite these setbacks, Russell continued to attract people with his fantastic prophetic interpretations and dramatic warning that Armageddon would strike in 1914. Whe 1914 came and went, he changed the date to 1915.
According to the Watchtower Bible Tract Society (WTB&TS), all non-JWs will be destroyed at Armageddon, an event of divine judgment it threatens is just around the corner. The WT Society prints over 14 million copies of its magazines every week, and has over 4 million (in 1992) Jehovah's Witnesses spreading its doctrines in 200 countries.
What follows are some essential facts everyone should know about the history and doctrine of the JWs. Charles T. Russell (1852 - 1916) founded the JW movement. As a teenager he rejected his Presbyterian roots, joined a more liberal Congregational Church, then left this group as well. (2)
He denied the deity of Christ and the biblical teachings on hell and eternal punishment. Russell had no formal Bible training, but borrowed and built upon various teachings that were popular at the time. For example, Adventism influenced his denial of hell, and a splinter Adventist group led by N.H. Barbour aroused his interest in endtime prophecies. From Barbour he borrowed the belief that Christ returned invisibly to the world in 1874, and that 1914 was the year the world would be destroyed and the Millennium would begin. In 1879 Russell started his own magazine, Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence (now known as The Watchtower), to promote his doctrines. People were drawn to Russell's sensational endtime predictions, and the organization grew.
In spite of his lack of formal training in theology or biblical languages, Russell claimed to be the only one with the truth, and he vigorously condemned all other Christian religions. As a result, ministers of various denominations began exposing Russell's false teachings and questionable character. Rev. J.J.Ross published a pamphlet that exposed Russell's false claims and doctrines. He revealed that Russell "never attended the higher schools of learning: knows comparatively nothing of philosophy, systematic or historical theology; and is totally ignorant of the [biblical] languages [i.e. Hebrew and Greek]".(3) Ross concluded that Russell's teaching was "anti-rational, anti-scientific, anti-Biblical, [and] anti-Christian".(4) Russell unsuccessfully tried to stop circulation of this damaging information by suing Rev. Ross for defamatory libel.
However, he not only lost the suit, but in the process perjured himself in court when he lied under oath about his knowledge of the Greek language. In the end Russell admitted the statements about himself in the pamphlet were true.(5) In 1906 Russell's wife successfully sued for divorce because of "his conceit, egotism, domination and improper conduct in relation to other women," and won a settlement of $6,036.(6) The court severely censured Russell and called his conduct "insulting." "domineering" and "overbearing" to a degree which made life intolerable to a sensitive Christian woman.(7)
In 1913, Russell unsuccessfully sued The Brooklyn Daily Eagle for libel when that paper exposed his fraudulent attempts to sell ordinary wheat at the exorbitant price of $60 a bushel, claiming it was "Miracle Wheat".(8) Despite these setbacks, Russell continued to attract people with his fantastic prophetic interpretations and dramatic warning that Armageddon would strike in 1914. Whe 1914 came and went, he changed the date to 1915.
Russell died in 1916, leaving his followers doubting and disillusioned by his predictive failures. Joseph Franklin Rutherford then took control of the organization. Rutherford (1869-1942) also used the threat of Aramgeddon to intimidate JWs. He published The Finished Mystery, a book which predicted that in 1918 God would destroy churches and millions of their members, and claimed that by 1920 every kingdom would be swallowed up in anarchy.(9) Rutherford taught that the only way to escape the impending judgment and destruction was to join the Watchtower organization. Fear of Armageddon motivated Witnesses to work hard selling Rutherford's books and other Watchtower Society literature.
When the 1918 and 1920 predictions failed, Rutherford set a new date in his book titled Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1920). It taught that the millennium would start in 1925 and that Old Testament saints like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David would come back to life. The WT Society even built a luxurious Spanish mansion called Beth-Sarim (House of Princes), supposedly to house these patriarchs. In the meantime, however, Rutherford convenient moved into the mansion. He also drove an expensive new car throughout the Great Depression, while rank and file JWs sold Watchtower books and pamphlets door-to-door, and worked at Bethel headquarters for $10 - $15 a month.(10) Six years after Rutherford's death in 1942, the Old Testament saints still had not arrived, so the Society quietly sold "Ben Sarim," thus closing an embarassing chapter in their predictive history. (11)
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Notes:
1. Consider the following quotes from recent Watchtower literature: "Jehovah is using only one organization today to accomplish his will. To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it." (The Watchtower, February 15, 1983, p.12) "Thus, when direction comes from Jehovah's organization, we can wisely submit to it, knowing full well that Jehovah will only lead us in a way that will be to our everlasting benefit." (The Watchtower, November 1, 1990, p.30)
2. Fritz Springmeier, The Watchtower & The Masons, (1990) p.11.
3. Rev. J.J.Ross, Some Facts About the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell, reprint by Witness Inc., n.d., pp.3,4.
4. Ibid, p.7.
5. Rev. J.J.Ross, Some Facts and More Facts about the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell, Witness Inc. reprint, p. 16-19. In Russell's denial of the pamphlet, he did admit, "The item about the miracle wheat might be said to have a particle of truth, just one grain of truth in it, in a sense."
6. Walter Martin and Norman Klann, Jehovah of the Watchtower, pp. 15-17.
7. Rev. J. J. Ross, Some Facts and More Facts... p.20
8. Ross, p.6. Average market price for whear during that time was $1.00 a bushel. Phone call from Michigan State University Kent County Extension Service (October, 1991).
9. The Finished Mystery, Peoples Pulpit Association, 1917, p.485, 258.
10. Rev. Edward Lodge Curran, Ph.D., Judge - "for four days" - Rutherford, n.d., Witness, Inc. reprint, p.7,; Literary Digest for May 2, 1936, cited by Charles P. Windle, The Rutherford Racket, reprint, n.d., p.11.
11. Fred Franz, current president of the WTB&TS quoted Rutherford as saying regarding his own predicitons: "I know I made an ass of myself." Cited by Raymond Franz in Crisis of Conscience, p.137.
12. Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, footnote p.50.
When the 1918 and 1920 predictions failed, Rutherford set a new date in his book titled Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1920). It taught that the millennium would start in 1925 and that Old Testament saints like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David would come back to life. The WT Society even built a luxurious Spanish mansion called Beth-Sarim (House of Princes), supposedly to house these patriarchs. In the meantime, however, Rutherford convenient moved into the mansion. He also drove an expensive new car throughout the Great Depression, while rank and file JWs sold Watchtower books and pamphlets door-to-door, and worked at Bethel headquarters for $10 - $15 a month.(10) Six years after Rutherford's death in 1942, the Old Testament saints still had not arrived, so the Society quietly sold "Ben Sarim," thus closing an embarassing chapter in their predictive history. (11)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
1. Consider the following quotes from recent Watchtower literature: "Jehovah is using only one organization today to accomplish his will. To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it." (The Watchtower, February 15, 1983, p.12) "Thus, when direction comes from Jehovah's organization, we can wisely submit to it, knowing full well that Jehovah will only lead us in a way that will be to our everlasting benefit." (The Watchtower, November 1, 1990, p.30)
2. Fritz Springmeier, The Watchtower & The Masons, (1990) p.11.
3. Rev. J.J.Ross, Some Facts About the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell, reprint by Witness Inc., n.d., pp.3,4.
4. Ibid, p.7.
5. Rev. J.J.Ross, Some Facts and More Facts about the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell, Witness Inc. reprint, p. 16-19. In Russell's denial of the pamphlet, he did admit, "The item about the miracle wheat might be said to have a particle of truth, just one grain of truth in it, in a sense."
6. Walter Martin and Norman Klann, Jehovah of the Watchtower, pp. 15-17.
7. Rev. J. J. Ross, Some Facts and More Facts... p.20
8. Ross, p.6. Average market price for whear during that time was $1.00 a bushel. Phone call from Michigan State University Kent County Extension Service (October, 1991).
9. The Finished Mystery, Peoples Pulpit Association, 1917, p.485, 258.
10. Rev. Edward Lodge Curran, Ph.D., Judge - "for four days" - Rutherford, n.d., Witness, Inc. reprint, p.7,; Literary Digest for May 2, 1936, cited by Charles P. Windle, The Rutherford Racket, reprint, n.d., p.11.
11. Fred Franz, current president of the WTB&TS quoted Rutherford as saying regarding his own predicitons: "I know I made an ass of myself." Cited by Raymond Franz in Crisis of Conscience, p.137.
12. Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, footnote p.50.
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