Russell’s Alleged “All or Nothing” Statements
The Internet is filled with misinformation, misquotes, quotes out of context, false accusations, insinuations, and outright falsehoods about Charles Taze Russell. One website that quotes various religious leaders under the heading: ALL OR NOTHING STATEMENTS (from those that have “the truth”). Some other sites have the same material: [1][2][3][4][5] It becomes clear from many of the quotes given that by saying “all or nothing” the editor of the page means that the one being quoted is supposedly claiming that he or she is to be considered the only channel being used by God to communicate with men. Russell never made such a claim.
Click Here to search Russell’s writings for the expression “only channel.”
CLICK HERE to search Russell’s writings for the expression “only authority.”
We first present the caption above the quote:
Charles Taze Russell – Founder of Zion’s Watchtower Tract Society (today known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society or Jehovah’s Witnesses)
As has been shown many times, Brother Russell was indeed the primary founder of Zion’s Watchtower, but he was never associated with the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” organization, nor was he founder of a such an organization. Russell never believed in such an organization all the days of his life. After his death, however, Joseph Rutherford, through deception and legal trickery, did indeed gain control of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and used that legal entity as a basis for former a new organization, and his followers he later called “Jehovah’s Witnesses”.
After the above caption, we find the following quote from Brother Russell:
“I said that I had been in conference with the Great Master Workman, the Lord himself, and I have secret information through the Holy Spirit and guidance in respect to what the Bible says…”
This is what Brother Russell said as part of a convention discourse in 1913 with the title “The Temple of God”. The words are recorded in a book entitled Pastor’s Russell’s Convention Discourses, page 359.* The words are indeed, his words, and he is not misquoted. However, he is quoted out of context.
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*This book is available as part of the Bible Students Library CDs:
http://www.heraldmag.org/cdromad.htm
It is also available online at:
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/contents/bsllinks/Russell.htm.
To download the PDF file:
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/contents/russell/crs.pdf
The words were said at a convention that was held in a building that belonged to the Freemasons, and evidently many of the Freemasons were in the audience. We know that the Masons do have their “secret” rituals, etc, that no one else is supposed to know. Let us quote some of what Russell said in context.
So I am glad to address delegates especially here from the Bay cities, and also including some thirty-five states represented in the excursion party. I am very glad to have this particular opportunity of saying a word about some of the things in which we agree with our Masonic friends, because we are speaking in a building dedicated to Masonry, and we also are Masons. I am a Free Mason. I am a free and accepted Mason, if I may carry the matter to its full length, because that is what our Masonic brethren like to tell us, that they are free and accepted Masons. That is their style of putting it. Now I am a free and accepted Mason. I trust we all are. But not just after the style of our Masonic brethren. We have no quarrel with them. I am not going to say a word against Free Masons. In fact, some of my very dear friends are Masons, and I can appreciate that there are certain very precious truths that are held in part by our Masonic friends.
I have talked to them at times, and they have said, How do you know about all of these things? We thought nobody knew anything about these things except those who had access to our very highest logic. I said that I had been in conference with the Great Master Workman, the Lord himself, and I have secret information through the Holy Spirit and guidance in respect to what the Bible says, and that contains all the truth, I believe, on every subject. And so if we talk to our Masonic friends about the Temple and its meaning, and about being good Masons, and about the Great Pyramid, which is the very emblem they use, and what the Great Pyramid signifies, our Masonic friends are astonished. One who had been a Mason a long time recently bought a lot of books that had the Great Pyramid discussed, and sent them to I am sure a thousand Masons. He paid for them and sent them out at his own expense. He wanted the Masons to see something about the Great Pyramid. He knew they were greatly interested in that.
Those who know the Bible should know that there is nothing at all wrong in what Brother Russell said. Every true Christian can say the very same thing. In fact, if one claims to receive the secret things of the Bible from any other source than through Jesus, the holy spirit and the Bible, then such is actually a false Christian.* The quote given on the website, however, taken out of context, and placed in the context as it has been done on the website examined, makes it appear that Brother Russell was saying something other than what he intended. Seen in its proper perspective, we can see that there is nothing at all wrong with what Brother Russell stated, and indeed, this same statement could be said by any true Christian.
What about the phrase “all or nothing”? Surely, we can say that Russell did believe “all” the truth revealed is done so by the Lord through the holy spirit in the scriptures. Praise Yahweh! (Hallelujah!)
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*See our study on “Understanding Kingdom Mysteries”
Another similar site page URL:
http://www.adishakti.org/_/all_or_nothing_statements.htm
While the page does not say “All or Nothing”, the URL contains that thought. On that page Russell is referred to as:
Charles Taze Russell – Founder of Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society (today known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society or Jehovah’s Witnesses)
And the following quotes are attributed to Charles Taze Russell:
“There is only one organization on earth today fulfilling the righteous requirements outlined in this commission from the Lord. The Society, represented by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, is the only one.” “We should not expect more than one organization doing this work.”
Nevertheless, look as one may, one will not find the above statements in the writings of Russell. A search of his writings for the expression “one organization” reveals that he never used that phrase in sentences as are falsely attributed to him above. Perhaps the writer is confusing things that were written after Russell died as having been written by Russell, when, in fact, Russell did not make such statements.
Another site that repeats this error: [1]
Updated November 19, 2009.
