The beginning of the Jehovah's Witness religion can be traced back to Russell who was a men's clothing manager. Russell was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1852, was raised as a Presbyterian, but later changed to the Congregational Church. Russell was unhappy with many church teachings, especially predestination and eternal punishment, so he left the mainline churches for good and at the age of 18 began his own Bible class consisting of six people. By 1876 his small group of followers elected him as "Pastor" and the title stuck. Russell's following began to grow in 1879, when he first founded and published a magazine entitled, "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence," which is now known as "The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom." Through this magazine Russell was able to preach doctrines he really believed in, such as Jesus was not God in the flesh, but rather Michael the archangel created by Jehovah; the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) doctrine was Satan- inspired; Christ was not raised bodily from the grave, just spiritually; there is no hell of eternal suffering; Jesus' second coming will not be in the flesh and visible; and the Holy Spirit is not God. Some of Russell's other teaching included: Negroes were degraded according to Gen. 9:22, 25 ("Zion's Watch Tower," 8-1-1898, pp. 229-230); he declared, "Some have a strong desire to worship God, others have a weak desire, and others have no desire at all..." due to the shape of their heads ("The Watchtower," 3-15-1913, p.84, 667). Russell's passion for date-setting the end of the world and Armageddon was reflected in his use of the ancient Egyptian pyramids as his source. |
