Reply to: “Charles Taze Russell founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses was a Mason”
This is in reply to a video that appears on YouTube entitled “Charles Taze Russell founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses was a Mason”. Our replies on YouTube never seem to appear, so we are responding here.
We have already shown many times that Russell was not the founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor did he ever believe in such an authoritarian organization. Although the video is directed toward “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” Russell himself was never a member of that organization, nor were his teachings the same as that organization.
See:
http://tinyurl.com/rl-russellfounder
Is Charles Taze Russell’s tomb a pyramid?
The video opens with the false statement that Charles Taze Russell’s tomb is a pyramid. There is a pyramid in the center of the plot area owned by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in the United Rosemount Cemetery; that pyramid, however, is not Russell’s “tomb”. As far as we have been able to determine, Russell had nothing to do with the construction of this monument, although Joseph Rutherford made the claim that it was Russell’s wish for that pyramid monument to be built. The works of Russell, however, would seem to indicate that such a flamboyant usage of the Society’s money would have been out of character for him. On the other hand, Rutherford was known for his flamboyant character, and it is known that he many times misrepresented Russell.
At any rate, the implication is that this pyramid is some kind of proof that Russell was a member of the Freemasons’ organization, which, of course, is nonsense. Rutherford had the pyramid monument built as a minature reproduction of the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Russell’s only interest in the Great Pyramid is that it corroborates the Bible; the Great Pyramid itself has nothing to do with the Freemasons’ organization, nor does the fact that Rutherford had a pyramid built in the center of the Society’s plot have anything to do with the Freemasons.
See:
Russell and the Great Pyramid
http://ctr.reslight.net/?p=48
The Greater Pittsburg Masonic Center
We are next misinformed in this video that next to the alleged tomb is the Greater Pittsburg Masonic Center. The Masonic Center is, in fact, not next to the tomb, but all the way across the street from the cemetery. Evidently, the idea that is wished to be impressed is that there is some connection between where the pyramid monument and the Masonic Center, and that this is supposed to be some kind of proof that Russell was a Mason. However, no connection is ever offered or presented to connect that Center with Russell, which Center, as best as we have been able to determine, was constructed after Russell died, other than the fact that it is there.
A Knight’s Templar Symbol on the Tomb?
The picture is presented of the pyramid monument, which is misrepresented as Russell’s “tomb,” and the statement is made that we can see a “Knight’s Templar” symbol on the “tomb.” Actually, there is no Knight’s Templar symbol at all on the monument. What is being falsely paraded as a Knight’s Templar symbol is the cross, crown and wreath symbol. Yes, the Knight’s Templar does use a similar symbol, although the Knight’s Templar symbol is not the same as the one on the pyramid. The Knight’s Templar, a Masonic organization for Masons who profess Christianity, say they adopted their symbol from traditional Christian usage. The symbol itself is not Masonic, and certainly the symbol used on the pyramid monument is not a Masonic symbol, and even more certainly does not show Russell to have been a member of the Freemasons’ organization.
See:
Masonic Symbols?
http://ctr.reslight.net/?p=170
An Older Tomb of Charles Taze Rusell?
We are presented with a picture of Russell’s grave, and the statement is made that this is an “older tomb” of Charles Taze Russell. We cannot be sure what is implied with the thought of “older” tomb. The thought we get from it is that the speaker is implying that this was once Russell’s tomb, but it is not now his tomb. In fact, it is the only place that Russell has ever been buried. It is not an “older” tomb of Russell; it is the only tomb of Russell. Russell was never buried in or under the pyramid monument.
See:
CTR Gravestone
http://ctrussell.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/ctr-gravestone/
A Free and Accepted Mason
We are next given a picture of the Herald website, and are taken to an discourse by Brother Russell entitled “The Temple of God.” The comments of Russell are taken out of context, and it is claimed that Charles Taze Russell makes it “very clear” that he is a freemason, and Russell was “admitting that he was a freemason.” What can we say about a person who would misuse a quote in such a manner? Certainly, God’s holy spirit would not lead one to present such a deception. Evidently, the speaker had the context, and should have known that Russell was not referring to himself a member of the Freemasons’ organization, but rather of what he was calling “Bible Masonry,” which he distinguished from the “Masonry” of the Freemasons’ organization. In reference to the Freemasons’ organization, in that very same discourse, Russell plainly stated: “I have never been a Mason.” The person presenting the video had access to this, since it is in the very pdf file that he wished for others to download. He either did not read the context, or else deliberately sought to be misrepresent Russell.
The video states that Russell presented this sermon before Freemasons in a Masonic Lodge. Actually, we highly doubt that there were many, if any at all, Freemasons present at the convention; there may have been some, but since most Bible Students do not join organizations such as the Freemasons, there would not have been many. We could not verify the speaker’s claim that this discourse was given in a Masonic Lodge, but even if it was, it was not a discourse to members of that Lodge, but rather it was a discourse to the Bible Students present in the convention that could possibly have been held in a Masonic Lodge Building.
We have the entire discourse on this site at:
http://ctr.reslight.net/?p=233
The Name, Watch Tower
The claim is that the name Watch Tower is a play on the Masons is nonsense. Russell obtained that name from the Bible; that name has nothing to the with the Masons. — 2 Chronicles 2:24; Isaiah 21:5,8; Habakkuk 2:1.
While the video presents several insinuations in which one may use imagination and twist what is presented so as to leave the thought that there is proof that Russell was a Mason, no actual evidence was presented, for there is none, since Russell spoke the truth when he said, “I have never been a Mason.” The tens of thousands of pages of his works that have been printed offer conclusive proof of the truthfulness of Russell’s statement that he was never a Mason.
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