Thank you friend. Some commenters on YouTube said it was good research but too disjointed and that I wasn’t prepared enough, which is fair but I want these streams to be more of a live study session.
Live study appeals to me most, but it's all up to you what you're going for. It's refreshing in a way because some very organized streams/recordings feel a bit like a speaker in front of an audience looking down and reading from their print out. I'd guess you'd get less traffic but more quality engagement than with a more refined approach. Who knows, just a guy tuning in
I was fascinated by your video on Russell. I am a former Jehovah's Witness, and as such I was curious if there was more information about Russell's connection to Masonry. There has been a great deal of debate about it amongst the exJW community. I have never heard of the book that you referenced and I will try to find it. I, personally, am on the fence about whether Russell was actually a Mason or not. There is strong circumstantial evidence, but I have yet to see a smoking gun. That is not to say he was not heavily influenced by Masons, I do think that is very clear. In my opinion I think it is most likely that he is a second-hand Mason; he was heavily influenced by Miller's theology, and I believe it is beyond dispute that Miller was a Mason. Thus, much of the imagery and doctrine that he adopted came from the Millerite movement and was strongly influenced by Free Masonry.
I do think you are spot on with his influence on the proto-Zionist movement among Evangelicals. He was very pro-Jewish and pro-Zionist, as his talk to the Jews demonstrated. While many people today have not heard of him, his sermons were carried in thousands of newspapers across the US and Britain. While his actual group of followers was small, who knows how much influence some of his ideas had among the larger Protestant population of the time. Interestingly, his successor, Rutherford, was actually antisemetic and took the religion in a different direction after Russell died.
Also, to clarify, while Jehovah's Witnesses are most definitely a cult, they are not physically dangerous to anyone. They use high-control manipulation to control members. Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to have friends outside of the cult, so members are controlled by the threat of disfellowshipping, or excommunication. This is a very strict rule, even close family members are not allowed to talk with or have any association with a disfellowshipped person. Since JW's do not have friendships outside of the religious community, this is an incredibly isolating experience that devestates the person being shunned.
As far as a "JW mob" stalking you, or however you put it, that is total BS. If you are nice to a JW and chat with them or accept a piece of literature, then they will come back to your house to try and convert you for a long time. That is where some might call it "stalking". The best way to handle them is to tell them very clearly that you are "not interested" and "want to be put on their 'Do-Not-Call-List'". They actually keep a list of people who do not want to be bothered. This will keep them away for a while; they still might send someone "experienced", like an elder, to see if you still want to remain on the list. Get angry and tell them you asked to be left alone, and they will probably not bother you for a while. Also, put out a "no trespassing" sign, and tell them that applies to them.
Nothing is foolproof in regards to keeping them ftom bothering you, unfortunately. You're likely to get rid of roaches and rats first.
Thank you for this reply it’s great to hear from an ex JW. Many others commented on YouTube as well. I had a feeling that the stalking is BS. I think of JWs as similar to Mormons. Genuinely kind people and well meaning but deluded as any cult member (generally speaking).
Most of the individual members are well-meaning. The leadership is obsessed with control and are constantly coming up with "new light" to change doctrine to keep up with failed prophecy and expectations. I was born and raised within it, and it took a long time before enough cognitive dissonance set in for me to really question everything I had been indoctrinated in. Fortunately, my wife and two of my three sons listened when I explained my reasoning, and eventually my third son and his wife also left. The power of the fear of shunning and losing all your family and friends is more powerful than most people realize.
BTW, I could listen for it in the stream again, but if you could message me the name of the book and it's author that you referenced for Russell I would appreciate it. Like I said, I have done a lot of research on the origins of JWs, but I had never heard of that book.
Therefore, in the mid-to-late 19th century, some Zionist Christians cut Jews some slack regarding what was believed to be a Jew's 'unnecessary' profession of Jesus as the Messiah.
It is fascinating that with enough spellbound apocalyptic leaders and followers, Jews who returned to Palestine/Israel would be grafted into what(?)--a Christian-Jewish salvation. Thus, they served a necessary purpose in a millennial type of Zionism.
That get-out-of-jail-free-card, as it was proposed, struck me as the exact opposite of what some contemporary Christians --of millennial persuasion--portend will be the end for such Jews. They will get an extra 1000 years, but afterwards without Jesus as Messiah professed, these Jews would burn with the rest of non-believers.
I find this hard to write much less swallow, and I'm sure, due to my relative ignorance, I have glossed over some important seque that you offer your reader in this entry. Please excuse my ignorance. Nevertheless, I am curious due to many twists and turns in Zionism as it is professed today.
Thank you friend. Some commenters on YouTube said it was good research but too disjointed and that I wasn’t prepared enough, which is fair but I want these streams to be more of a live study session.
Live study appeals to me most, but it's all up to you what you're going for. It's refreshing in a way because some very organized streams/recordings feel a bit like a speaker in front of an audience looking down and reading from their print out. I'd guess you'd get less traffic but more quality engagement than with a more refined approach. Who knows, just a guy tuning in
I was fascinated by your video on Russell. I am a former Jehovah's Witness, and as such I was curious if there was more information about Russell's connection to Masonry. There has been a great deal of debate about it amongst the exJW community. I have never heard of the book that you referenced and I will try to find it. I, personally, am on the fence about whether Russell was actually a Mason or not. There is strong circumstantial evidence, but I have yet to see a smoking gun. That is not to say he was not heavily influenced by Masons, I do think that is very clear. In my opinion I think it is most likely that he is a second-hand Mason; he was heavily influenced by Miller's theology, and I believe it is beyond dispute that Miller was a Mason. Thus, much of the imagery and doctrine that he adopted came from the Millerite movement and was strongly influenced by Free Masonry.
I do think you are spot on with his influence on the proto-Zionist movement among Evangelicals. He was very pro-Jewish and pro-Zionist, as his talk to the Jews demonstrated. While many people today have not heard of him, his sermons were carried in thousands of newspapers across the US and Britain. While his actual group of followers was small, who knows how much influence some of his ideas had among the larger Protestant population of the time. Interestingly, his successor, Rutherford, was actually antisemetic and took the religion in a different direction after Russell died.
Also, to clarify, while Jehovah's Witnesses are most definitely a cult, they are not physically dangerous to anyone. They use high-control manipulation to control members. Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to have friends outside of the cult, so members are controlled by the threat of disfellowshipping, or excommunication. This is a very strict rule, even close family members are not allowed to talk with or have any association with a disfellowshipped person. Since JW's do not have friendships outside of the religious community, this is an incredibly isolating experience that devestates the person being shunned.
As far as a "JW mob" stalking you, or however you put it, that is total BS. If you are nice to a JW and chat with them or accept a piece of literature, then they will come back to your house to try and convert you for a long time. That is where some might call it "stalking". The best way to handle them is to tell them very clearly that you are "not interested" and "want to be put on their 'Do-Not-Call-List'". They actually keep a list of people who do not want to be bothered. This will keep them away for a while; they still might send someone "experienced", like an elder, to see if you still want to remain on the list. Get angry and tell them you asked to be left alone, and they will probably not bother you for a while. Also, put out a "no trespassing" sign, and tell them that applies to them.
Nothing is foolproof in regards to keeping them ftom bothering you, unfortunately. You're likely to get rid of roaches and rats first.
Thank you for this reply it’s great to hear from an ex JW. Many others commented on YouTube as well. I had a feeling that the stalking is BS. I think of JWs as similar to Mormons. Genuinely kind people and well meaning but deluded as any cult member (generally speaking).
Glad you got out of there.
Most of the individual members are well-meaning. The leadership is obsessed with control and are constantly coming up with "new light" to change doctrine to keep up with failed prophecy and expectations. I was born and raised within it, and it took a long time before enough cognitive dissonance set in for me to really question everything I had been indoctrinated in. Fortunately, my wife and two of my three sons listened when I explained my reasoning, and eventually my third son and his wife also left. The power of the fear of shunning and losing all your family and friends is more powerful than most people realize.
BTW, I could listen for it in the stream again, but if you could message me the name of the book and it's author that you referenced for Russell I would appreciate it. Like I said, I have done a lot of research on the origins of JWs, but I had never heard of that book.
The Watchtower and the Masons by Fritz Springmeier
TY
I quite enjoyed this live bibliography.
Therefore, in the mid-to-late 19th century, some Zionist Christians cut Jews some slack regarding what was believed to be a Jew's 'unnecessary' profession of Jesus as the Messiah.
It is fascinating that with enough spellbound apocalyptic leaders and followers, Jews who returned to Palestine/Israel would be grafted into what(?)--a Christian-Jewish salvation. Thus, they served a necessary purpose in a millennial type of Zionism.
That get-out-of-jail-free-card, as it was proposed, struck me as the exact opposite of what some contemporary Christians --of millennial persuasion--portend will be the end for such Jews. They will get an extra 1000 years, but afterwards without Jesus as Messiah professed, these Jews would burn with the rest of non-believers.
I find this hard to write much less swallow, and I'm sure, due to my relative ignorance, I have glossed over some important seque that you offer your reader in this entry. Please excuse my ignorance. Nevertheless, I am curious due to many twists and turns in Zionism as it is professed today.
Thanks for show and information presented, very interesting revelations.