Birthdays & Masons
This is in response to an article appearing at:
http://jesus-messiah.com/html/birthdays.html
The article is addressing the Jehovah’s Witnesses belief concerning not celebrating birthdays.
First, let us say that we are not in disagreement with much of what is stated on that page. We are mostly addressing some errors concerning the references to Charles Taze Russell and the allegations being made against Russell.
The statement is made:
“They [Jehovah's Witnesses] will not confess that this doctrine came from the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Charles Taze Russell got it from his Muslim studies as a member of the Masonic lodge.”
(1) Charles Taze Russell was never associated with the organization known as “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. Russell did not believe in such an organization, and preached against such a sectarian organization until the day he died. After Russell died, Rutherford, reportedly by means of deceit and legal trickery, gained control of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, and used that legal entity to develop the sectarian organization that is now called “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
http://tinyurl.com/2b3k3c
(2) Charles Taze Russell never promoted a belief in not celebrating birthdays, thus he never got such an idea from any studies he might have made concerning the Muslim religion. In fact, the “Daily Heavenly Manna” book that was published by the WTS in Russell’s time carried a page for recording birthdays opposite each date. Today, The Dawn Bible Students Association continues to publish this book with the same format.
http://dawnbible.com/dawnpub.htm
While God never prohibited the celebration or observance of birthdays; there are, however, many of God’s laws that prohibit the mimicking of the idolatrous rituals that are often associated with such celebrations, in this case, that of making wishes upon a cake and/or candle.
http://idolatry.reslight.net/?p=1
http://rlctr.blogspot.com/2008/03/was-russell-founder-of-jehovahs.html
(3) Charles Taze Russell was never a member of the Masons’ organization. If he had been, he certainly would not have spent most of his hours proclaiming a message that goes contrary to the Masonic philosophy.
Russell and Freemasonry:
http://reslight.net/forum/index.php?topic=151.0
Some of Russell’s comments on the freemasons:
http://reslight.net/forum/index.php?topic=314.0
Regarding Springmeier
http://clearblogs.com/ctr/Springmeier/
Free and Accepted Mason?
http://reslight.net/forum/index.php?topic=337.0
Those who are well-acquainted with the writings of Charles Taze Russell find all the proof they need within those writings that attests that Russell was never a member of the Masons’ organization, and we have no reason to question his statement when he said: “I have never been a Mason.” — Sermon: “The Temple of God,” 1913.
Additionally, I have never seen anything amongst the Masons that suggests, as an organization, that they do not celebrate birthdays, or that they hold, as an organization, to any kind of doctrine that one should not celebrate birthdays.
See also:
http://ctrussell.wordpress.com/
Click Here to comment on this.
See also:
http://idolatry.reslight.net/
[...] Birthdays & Masons [...]