The Watchtower Society and Paganism

This is going to be a look at the Watchtower Society from the viewpoint of paganism.  Paganism as defined on dictionary.com:

noun

1.  (no longer in technical use) one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.

2.  a member of a religious, spiritual, or cultural community based on the worship of nature or the earth; a neopagan.

3.  Disparaging and Offensive.

a.  (in historical contexts) a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim; a heathen.

b.  an irreligious or hedonistic person.

c.  an uncivilized or unenlightened person.

adjective

4. of, relating to, or characteristic of pagans.

5. Disparaging and Offensive.

a.  relating to the worship or worshipers of any religion that is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim.

b.  irreligious or hedonistic.

c.  (of a person) uncivilized or unenlightened.

From the statements I’ve read, the Watchtower would typically go for number one, four, and five.  However, as I talked last week about the “us vs. them” mentality, it is fair to say when the Watchtower talks of paganism, they are going for the disparaging and offensive use of the word. 

Now the Watchtower says that Charles Taze Russell was influenced strictly by the Bible and “rediscovered” lost bible truths.  However, this statement was said about him and if you have your Watchtower Library, you can take a look yourself and see something differently.  It says:

In his teens Charles Taze Russell, the editor, had been a member of the Congregational Church and a strong believer in the eternal torture of damned human souls in a hell of literal fire and brimstone...But when trying to reclaim an acquaintance, an infidel, to Christianity, he himself was routed from his sectarian position and driven into skepticism.

Hungrily he began investigating the heathen religions in search of the truth on God's purpose and man's destiny. Proving all these religions unsatisfactory and before giving up religious investigation altogether, he took up the search of the Holy Scriptures from a skeptic's viewpoint, now untrammeled by the false religious doctrines of the sectarian systems of Christendom. 

The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom.  July 15, 1950 p. 212

 

So Russell went outside of God’s word and looked at various religious belief systems prior to coming back so to speak to Christendom.  interestingly, it says he looked at things from the view point of a skeptic.  I would like to say that the other heathen religions are still part of the organization and it is still embraced to this day. 

Additionally, here’s a quote from the first Watchtower issue to reinforce accepting information from any source:

 

A truth presented by Satan himself is just as true as a truth stated by God.

Zion’s Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence.  July 1879 Reprints p. 8. 

 

This is very interesting and very damning in itself since the first issue has equated a created being having the same equality with the creator.  Furthermore, the present day organization obviously doesn’t want the people to be aware of this quote since it would not agreement with II Corinthians 11:14 says the following (New World Translation):  And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light.

 

As you can see, Satan is very powerful and even though he can make something look good, it is not the case.  I submit to you that is the case with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society organization overall. 

 

So with that in mind, I’d like to take a trip down memory lane and we are going to explore paganism in the Watchtower.  Prior to getting specific events, have you stopped to consider the possibility of paganism being accepted in Watchtower Society Publications?  Or did you just assume that since it’s “God’s chosen channel of communication,” that nothing like this would be within. 

 

I’d like to start with William Miller.  He is the one who some responsibility for the mess of this organization’s creation.  He produced a chart used in part as the basis of the 1914 chronology. 

 

 

Studies in the Scriptures Cover Winged Sun Disk.  Russell used it relating to Malachi 4:2 however, it is a symbol used for the Egyptian god named “Ra.”

 

 

Although that organization owes much to Free Masonry (the parent organization) here’s a statement where the society disavows and bashes the “mother”: 

 

Would I continue as a member of the Masonic Lodge with all its mysticism, or would I quit and please Jehovah?  I chose the latter.

The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom.  December 15, 1997 p. 10

 

However Russell said the following:

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.

Pastor Russell Convention Discourses 1906-1916

 

Although he made this statement, there are various people who have said that Russell was never a Free Mason and have verified it with various Free Mason Lodges in the United States and Scotland.  I’m not here to say he was or wasn’t but here are some times where he spoke in Masonic lodges:

March 8, 1903 Fort Wayne

A meeting for interested friends will be held in Hall "Maccabees" * , 917 Calhoun St. at 10am. The meetings of the afternoon ... be held at the Masonic Temple , horn. Wayne and Clinton Sts.

Speakers Itinaries, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society from 1901 to 1916, page 96

 

1903 General Convention in Atlanta

All other meetings will be held at Hall of "Knights of Pythias" * , horn. Pryor and Unter Sts.

Speakers Itinaries, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society from 1901 to 1916, page 96

 

1904 Washington Convention

The Washington Convention will be held at Hall of "Odd Fellows" * .

Speakers Itinaries, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society from 1901 to 1916, page 240

 

February 9, 1908, Paterson

The morning session will be held at Masonic Hall.

Speakers Itinaries, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society from 1901 to 1916, page 383

 

October 11, 1908, Chicago

's morning meeting will be held at the Drill Hall, Masonic Temple in 10 hours.

Speakers Itinaries, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society from 1901 to 1916, page 320

 

Assuming he wasn’t a Free Mason, why is he buried in a Masonic cemetery near Pittsburgh, PA? 

 

Also here are some other things that the Free Masons used that he incorporated into Watchtower Publications:

Cross and Crown

 

A broken pillar at his feet.  The symbolism is here at this site:

http://web.archive.org/web/20020617195936/http://www.yorkrite.com/RAM/365.htm 

 

Just prior to his death, he asked to be wrapped in a Roman toga as seen in the following quote:

Toward morning he had me make a robe for convenience sake by pinning a sheet inside of a blanket, wrapping him in it like a robe and fastening it under his chin. He stood up on the floor for this purpose, and then lay down on the couch instead of returning to his berth. I therefore sat on his bed while he lay before me. After several hours his robe proved to be rather inconvenient, because the sheet and blanket could not be kept together. It was then that he stood again and said, "Please make me a Roman toga.”

Zion’s Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence.  December 1, 1916 Reprints p. 6004, 6005

 

Rutherford was known for promoting strange ideas.  One of the more odd ones pertains to the calendar.  The Gregorian calendar that we use today is based upon the Roman mythological gods.    The usage of the Gregorian calendar lead to the creation of the “Jehovah’s Calendar” that was presented for the March 1935 Golden Age issue for the 13th.  Here is a quick list of the months and days:

First month-Redemption

Second month-Life

Third month-Visitement

Fourth month-Freedom

Fifth month-Vindication

Sixth month-Hope

Seventh month-King

Eighth month-Peace

Nineth month-Order

Tenth month-Logos

Eleventh month-Jehovah

Last month-Temple

Sunday-Lightday

Monday-Heavensday

Tuesday-Earthday

Wednesday-Starday

Thursday-Lifeday

Friday-Mansday

Saturday-Godsday

Here was the rationale behind the calendar:

Does it not seem a very wonderful thing, a gift from Jehovah God, that Jehovah's people may now have a perfect calendar of the Lords life, knowing, for example, in terms of the Gregorian calendar, with which all are familiar, the exact days of the week, month, and year when, as a boy…”

The Golden Age.  March 13, 1935 p. 355

 

 

However, this perfect gift, given by Jehovah was rejected by the subordinate angels.  Remember they rejected it because I said last week that the holy spirit wasn’t active starting in 1932 when the publication “Preservation” was released. 

Here are the articles for the calendar: https://archive.org/details/theCalendarOfJehovahGod

 

Then I would like to address paganism in Watchtower art.  However, this is the art that is typically not seen: subliminal imagery.  Here’s a quote to set the stage:

In the late 1950’s, James Vicary claimed to have conducted a study in a New Jersey, U.S.A., movie theater in which the words “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Eat Popcorn” were flashed on the screen during the movie. The messages appeared for only a fraction of a second, too briefly to make an impression on the conscious mind. Yet, according to Vicary, they resulted in an increase in the sale of Coca-Cola and popcorn. This claim led to widespread belief that advertisers could motivate people to buy things by projecting “unseen” messages. After reportedly signing contracts for $4.5 million with America’s largest advertisers, Mr. Vicary vanished without a trace. The advertisers had been the victims of a scam.

Subsequent study debunked Vicary’s claims. Said one longtime advertising executive: “Subliminal advertising doesn’t work. If it did, we would have used it.”

Awake!  August 22, 1998 p. 6

 

I will contend that the Watchtower does utilize subliminal advertising and imagery.  I will mention some examples here:

 

 

I’ll let you decide but here are my thoughts:

Life at Bethel is very monotonous and boring.  Perhaps there have been people wanting to pull pranks.

The problem is that it is a deliberate effort to put this information in the Watchtower publications.  So we have a problem, would God’s chosen organization allow this? 

This actually had to be addressed by the organization in part with the following: September 1, 1984 Watchtower, page 20 (quoted in part):

Even the Watchtower Society’s publications have been the subject of rumors—for example, that one of the artists had secretly been introducing pictures of demons into the illustrations, was subsequently found out and disfellowshipped!

Did you share in spreading any such stories? If so, you were—perhaps unwittingly—spreading an untruth, since they were all false. Certainly, the rumor concerning the Society’s publications was harmful, as well as slanderous to the zealous Christians who work long hours producing artwork to make the magazines, brochures and books so attractive. This was as ridiculous as it would be to say that God, in creating celestial bodies, deliberately formed the appearance of a ‘man in the moon.’

The quote I just read was from 1984.  The art quotes are a sampling of what’s after.  There are more and people still find it today. 

 

The most relevant and powerful tool that the organization uses today to pressure those “on the outside” back in is the use of disfellowshipping.  The Watchtower of Knorr’s day wouldn’t allow this.  Ironically, the organization that now embraces disfellowshipping as a “loving provision” has a solid root in paganism.  How do we know?  The Watchtower said so.  Here’s some of the statements from the January 8, 1947 Awake! article title, “Are You Also Excommunicated?”  This article is condemning the Catholic church.  (Excommunicate is the Catholic equivalent) Let’s read some of the statements. 

 

 

 

All those belonging to such lodges as the Masonic, Fenians, Independent Order of Good Templars, Odd Fellows, Sons of Temperance, or the Knights of Pythias, are also excommunicated. 

This is “canon law” which the Roman Catholic Hierarchy seeks to enforce on the pretext that is God’s law.  The authority for excommunication, they claim, is based on the teaching of Christ and the apostles, as found in the following scriptures: Matthew 18:15-19; 1 Corinthians 5:3-5; 16:22; Galatians 1:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:20; Titus 3:10.  But the Hierarchy’s excommunication as a punishment and “medicinal” remedy (Catholic Encyclopedia), finds no support in these scriptures.  In fact, it is altogether foreign to Bible teachings.-Hebrews 10:26-31.

Where, then, did this practice originate?  The Encyclopedia Brittannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence, “and that its variations cannot be adequately explained unless account be taken of several non-Christian analogues of excommunication.”

Further this article says: As the pretensions of the Hierarchy increased, the weapon of excommunication became the instrument by which the clergy attained a combination of ecclesiastical power and secular tyranny that finds no parallel in history.  Let’s contrast that with the organization today:

The April 2015 study edition has an article entitled “Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision.”  In short, so long as this organization equates disfellowshipping to being loving, the organization is loving pagan influence.  I highly doubt this will change anytime soon… 

This is the case where the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has tried to do one thing, gain power.  It is drawing from pagan sources for power and authority.  Are you going to allow your eternity to be dictated by an organization that like Russell, accepting truth that regards Satan and Jehovah as equals or reliance on God’s word alone? 

 

The most relevant and powerful tool that the organization uses today to pressure those “on the outside” back in is the use of disfellowshipping.  The Watchtower of Knorr’s day wouldn’t allow this.  Ironically, the organization that now embraces disfellowshipping as a “loving provision” has a solid root in paganism.  How do we know?  The Watchtower said so.  Here’s some of the statements from the January 8, 1947 Awake! article title, “Are You Also Excommunicated?”  This article is condemning the Catholic church.  (Excommunicate is the Catholic equivalent) Let’s read some of the statements. 

All those belonging to such lodges as the Masonic, Fenians, Independent Order of Good Templars, Odd Fellows, Sons of Temperance, or the Knights of Pythias, are also excommunicated. 

This is “canon law” which the Roman Catholic Hierarchy seeks to enforce on the pretext that is God’s law.  The authority for excommunication, they claim, is based on the teaching of Christ 

and the apostles, as found in the following scriptures: Matthew 18:15-19; 1 Corinthians 5:3-5; 16:22; Galatians 1:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:20; Titus 3:10.  But the Hierarchy’s excommunication as a punishment and “medicinal” remedy (Catholic Encyclopedia), finds no support in these scriptures.  In fact, it is altogether foreign to Bible teachings.-Hebrews 10:26-31.

Where, then, did this practice originate?  The Encyclopedia Brittannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence, “and that its variations cannot be adequately explained unless account be taken of several non-Christian analogues of excommunication.”

Further this article says: As the pretensions of the Hierarchy increased, the weapon of excommunication became the instrument by which the clergy attained a combination of ecclesiastical power and secular tyranny that finds no parallel in history.  Let’s contrast that with the organization today:

The April 2015 study edition has an article entitled “Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision.”  In short, so long as this organization equates this to being loving, the organization is loving of pagan influence.  I highly doubt this will change anytime soon… 

This is the case where the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has tried to do one thing, gain power.  It is drawing from pagan sources for power and authority.  Are you going to allow your eternity to be dictated by an organization that like Russell, accepting truth that regards Satan and Jehovah as equals or reliance on God’s word alone?