PHILIP SIDERSKY
vs.
WATCHTOWER SOCIETY
********************* *********************
CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL'S "SECRET SERVICE" BODYGUARD
"Secret Service" Man
W. S. McGregor, a "brother" in the [International Bible Students] Association from Brooklyn unguardedly allowed the news [-- mutilated --] that he is a "secret service [-- mutilated --]. I'm a Federal man,'' he (said) [--mutilated --] "One shrill blast (from my whistle) and 15 men would assist [Philip] Sidersky out of this hall." McGregor explained that the [International Bible Students] Association has gathered into its fold men of all callings and that aside from detectives who are followers of "Pastor" Russell, there were men present who were phrenologists, and that they had given Sidersky's head the "once over" and could certify to his mental and other deficiencies ... . -- Asbury Park Press, June 29, 1914, edited.
In 1914, "detective" was a much nicer label for a "bodyguard", who in those days often were for-hire thugs. Only three weeks earlier, in one of only a few newspaper advertisements found which announced one of his IBSA sermons, WatchTower "Pilgrim" W. S. McGregor had been identified as then living in Boston.
Philip Sidersky was a physically and verbally non-threatening, yet unafraid, prominent Jewish-Christian opponent and active exposer of "Pastor" Charles Taze Russell, who sometimes attended public CTR lectures and passed out exposing literature. Sidersky only increased his activities from "pen" to "presence" after CTR slandered Sidersky in the press. Sidersky initially filed a defamation lawsuit, but when that went nowhere, the Jewish Sidersky took on CTR face-to-face. Sidersky's mere presence at WatchTower meetings and conventions highly disturbed CTR and his sychophants that anyone would have the audacity to personally challenge God's "faithful and wise servant".
**************** ****************
Pastor Russell's "Christ" Is Not the Christ of the Bible (edited)
Out of thine own mouth will I judge you, saith the Lord. -- Luke 19:22
By Philip Sidersky (1915)
During the month of May, 1911, "Pastor" Russell conducted a very extensively advertised meeting for the Jews in Baltimore. A large sum of money which had been provided by "Pastor" Russell's followers and supporters was expended very liberally to advertise that meeting among the Jews.
Ten thousand copies of a Yiddish newspaper published by "Pastor" Russell containing an advertisement for that meeting were distributed among the Jews, while large posters with "Pastor" Russell's face on them were conspicuous on all the theatrical bulletin boards, advertising that meeting for the Jews, under the subject of "Zionism".
In his address to the Jews, "Pastor" Russell declared that the great error of Christendom is that they think that the Messiah is an individual. The Messiah is not an individual, declared "Pastor" Russell, but a "class", taken out from among the Jews and Gentiles. Continuing, "Pastor" Russell said, "I do not say but what Jesus will be identified with that class."
The following quotations are taken from various issues of "Pastor" Russell's official organ, "The Watch Tower":
God has provided a new mediator who has already given His life a redemption price -- Jesus, the Head, and the Church, the Body, finish of the sacrifice is in sight. -- Watch Tower, 1909, page 46, Col. 1. (Com- pare with 1 Tim. 2: 5.)
It is the merit of Jesus ... which must be sacrificed again by us His members -- what is to constitute eventually the ransom price of the whole world of mankind. -- Watch Tower, 1909, page 379, second col- umn. (Compare with the doctrine of the mass, as shown in Scripture Studies, Vol. 3, page 103, paragraph 2. See also Heb. 9: 25- 26, Diaglott.)
It was, therefore, primarily our Lord's blood or death which was necessary to the sealing of the New Covenant, but by divine arrangement the blood or death of His Church is also made necessary. -- Watch Tower, 1909, page 13, Column 1. (Compare with Heb. 10: 10.)
The sacrifice of Christ, Head and Body, has progressed for over eighteen centuries -- when the High Priest ... shall have finished the sacrificing He will apply, beyond the vail, the blood, His own blood -- the blood of His members -- on the mercy-seat on behalf of "all the people." -- Watch Tower, 1909, page 52. (Compare with Acts 3: 18; Heb. 9: 12, 10: 12.)
"Our expectation for Adam as a man of the world class, 'all people,' is that his sin will be atoned for in the end of this age." -- Watch Tower, 1909, page 316. (Compare with Rom. 4:10, and the comment on this verse in Scripture Studies, Vol. 5, pages 25 and 26, new edition, unrevised, or old edition, page 26, beginning, "The same apostle, etc.")
Adamic sin -- "It was for that one sin, and that only Christ the Head and Body pays the penalty. -- Watch Tower, 1908, page 321. (Compare with 1 John 2:2.)
St. Paul declares there is one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. Should we understand this one Mediator to refer to the complete Christ, Head and Body? We admit that such interpretation as the question suggests has considerable force, and much could be said in its favor. -- Watch Tower, 1909, page 312. (Compare with Acts 4: 12; 1 Tim. 2: 4, 6.)
Rather the sacrificing was allowed to continue on a larger scale -- a sacrificing of the Church, the members of His body being counted as a continuation and a completion, of our Lord's own personal sacrifice. (Compare with Heb. 10: 10-12 Diaglott. Acts 3: 18; John 19: 20.)
Thereafter the great High Priest, head and body, in glory in the Most Holy, will offer His second sacrifice, namely His ransom price passed sacrificially the Church, His body ... thus at the end of this age Christ will offer to justice (represented in the mercy-seat) full satisfaction for the sin of the world -- the Adamic sin -- Watch Tower, 1909, page 310. (Compare with Heb. 7: 27, Diaglott; Heb. 9: 26. See also Watch Tower, 1891, page 18.)
So Jesus has continued the offering all through this gospel age. He will finally complete this as one sacrifice. -- Watch Tower, 1911, page 25. (Compare with Heb. 10: 10.)
Grasping this mystery, it shows that the first advent of Christ in the flesh -- for the suffering of death ... has been in progress for nearly nineteen centuries. -- Watch Tower, 1903, page 140. (Compare with 1 John 2: 2, Diaglott. See comment on this verse in Tower of 1906, page 138, proving that the tense in the Greek shows that advent "in the flesh was completed in the past, nearly nineteen centuries ago." Why was this reference deleted from the New Watch Tower Bible Helps, yet it is found in the old, or first edition?)
Not only does no mediator stand between us and God, but no mediator brought us to God. The Father Himself called us and our Advocate. -- Watch Tower, 1910, page 189, column 2. (Compare with 1 Tim. 2:5; John 14: 6; 1 Peter 3: 19; Heb. 7: 25.)
When all the members of this mystical body shall have suffered "with Him" -- and when He as the great antityphical High Priest shall have offered up not only Himself, but us, as His adopted members, then justice will have all that it ever demanded, and much more. It will have the one great valuable sacrifice of Jesus, and additionally the sacrifice of his members.-- Watch Tower, 1908, page 313, second column, first paragraph. (Compare with the picture of Jesus blindfolded holding the balanced seal, often referred to by The Watch Tower.)
One of "Pastor" Russell's publications, "The Bible Students' Monthly", contains the following statement of "Pastor" Russell: "God's plan for the salvation of the world is much greater, much larger, than any of us would have suspected -- that it include; first of all the selection of the Church of this gospel age as members of the body of the great Christ, under Jesus, the Head."
From the above quotations from "Pastor" Russell's official organ, "The Watch Tower", it proves that the system of Russellism denies that Jesus is "the Christ", "the only Redeemer."
One of my leaflets, under the title "Recent Developments of "Pastor" Russell", of which over ten thousand copies have already been circulated all over the United States, England, and Canada, containing the following statements:
Do you know that "Pastor" C. T. Russell is raising up a false Christ that is offering up a sham sacrifice?
Do you know that "Pastor" C. T. Russell denies that Jesus Christ personally is the world's Redeemer?
Do you know that "Pastor" C. T. Russell teaches that the world's Redeemer is a class and that Jesus Christ is only a member of that class?
"Pastor" Russell himself has never made any attempt to contradict these charges. But, "Pastor" Russell's agents have endeavored to take me to task by claiming that "Pastor" Russell did not teach such serious heresies. However, through the kindness of a former follower of "Pastor" Russell's, who has furnished me with "Pastor" Russell's official organ, "The Watch Tower", for a number of years back, as well as other literature issued from "Pastor" Russell's headquarters, I have been able to verify -- as seen from the above quotations -- my charges against the blasphemous propaganda of Russellism. What think ye of "Pastor" Russell's Christ?
***********
Pastor Russell's False Prophecies (edited)
By Philip Sidersky
1915
Two features in "Pastor" Russell's propaganda have been very conspicuous and have been the means of his gaining world-wide following. One of them was his misleading and deceptive publicity through the newspapers, and the other was his prophecy that the end of this age would take place in 1914, and that the earthly phase of the kingdom of God was to be established in 1914.
Five years ago (1910) the writer was led of the Lord to take "Pastor" Russell to task about his underhanded and deceptive publicity among the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, and as a result of it many of "Pastor" Russell's deceptive publicity schemes have been exposed, and his inroads among the newspapers have been checked in a measure.
During the past five years the writer has made a special study of "Pastor" Russell's writings and predictions, as well as his deceptive publicity schemes, and is now led to expose the second feature in "Pastor" Russell's propaganda, his false predictions and prophecies.
Just now, "Pastor" Russell's paid agents are very active in putting forth the claim that for years "Pastor" Russell has predicted and prophesied about the present war. Now this is a claim which cannot be verified from "Pastor" Russell's own writing.
The strongest authority of "Pastor" Russell's predictions and prophecies is his "Berean Bible Teachers Manual", which is "Pastor" Russell's own commentary on the Bible. This was published and copyrighted in 1908 by "Pastor" Russell's own Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Since this "Berean Bible Teachers Manual" is "Pastor" Russell's own commentary on the Bible, he is responsible for every word in it. This "Berean Bible Teachers Manual" also is bound in the back of Bibles that are sold from "Pastor" Russell's headquarters. It takes the place of the Concordance that is usually found in the back of all ordinary Bibles.
Part four of this "Berean Bible Teachers Manual", under the title "Difficult Texts Explained", and spurious passages noted on page 15, under the sub-head, "Twenty Time Proofs", contains the following:
"That the reign of evil will cease and the earthly phase of the kingdom of God will be established in 1914-1915," and the following re some of "Pastor" Russell's claims:
Ezra 6: 15, completion of rebuilding of he temple, 517 B. C, 586 years prior to srael's overthrow, typified Christendom's verthrow in 1914.
Ezra 7:7, dedication of the temple, 467 B. C, 536 years prior to Israel's overthrow, ypified Christendom's overthrow in 1914.
Neh. 2: 8, Nehemiah's commission, 454 B. 3., 523 years prior to Israel's overthrow, typified Christendom's overthrow in 1914.
Second Chron. 34: 3, the beginning of Josiah's seeking after God, forty-five years before Zedekiah's overthrow foreshadows Christendom's overthrow in 1914, forty-five rears after the editor of "Zion's Watch Tower" began the search for what is now "present truth" (Russellism).
Second Kings 22: 3, the finding of the Book of the Law, by Josiah, thirty-five years before Zedekiah's overthrow, foreshadows Christendom's overthrow in 1914, thirty-five rears after the founding of "Zion's Watch Tower" magazine ("Pastor" Russell's official organ).
Ezek. 21: 25, the overthrow of Zedekiah, 3,520 years after the fall in the garden of Eden, foreshadows the complete wiping out of the fall, 3,520 years later in the year 2914 A. D., and since the Millennium is a period of a thousand years' duration, this proves that the Millennium proper begins with the close of the year 1914.
It will be seen from the above quotations from "Pastor" Russell's own commentary that we are now supposed to be in the Millennium, and that all Christendom should have been overthrown before this. Not a single reference or an illusion had been made in "Pastor" Russell's prophecies and predictions about the present war, and yet his paid agents are very active in deluding and deceiving Russell's followers by claiming that he predicted this present war, while they are keeping silent on his failed predictions that Christendom would be overthrown before this, and that we should be in the Millennium now. "Pastor" Russell and his agents are very busy changing and denying his previous predictions, and diverting the attention of his deceived followers from these serious facts by publishing editorials in recent issues of "The Watch Tower", in which he alleges that the Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, etc., and even former Russellites are persecuting him.
************************* ***************************
THE B'NAI B'RITH MESSENGER
Rosenbloom Vs. Watchtower
By David Horowitz (edited)
August 27, 1971
UNITED NATIONS (WUP) -- The World Union Press Bureau here has received a communication from David Rosenbloom, who resides in Santa Monica, in which he enclosed a photostatic copy of a WUP article which appeared earlier this year in the B'nai B'rith Messenger, under the heading "Watchtower Founder Hailed Zionism, Followers Do Not" -- and correspondence he has had as a result, with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
The article which disturbed Mr. Rosenbloom charged that "the world-wide movement had betrayed" Pastor Charles T. Russell, its founder, who upheld Zionism as being prophetic, and who stated that Theodor Herzl was "raised up by Providence as a leader of the Jewish people."
In an attempt to find out whether it was true that the Jehovah's Witnesses today are indeed anti-Zionist, and that they had violated Pastor Russell's interpretations of the Scriptures respecting the return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. Mr. Rosenbloom decided to write the Watchtower Society at the Brooklyn headquarters. Citing the WUP article in question, Mr. Rosenbloom stated, in part:
"Since I have done extensive reading on the Jehovah Witnesses ... not once have I come across where the Jehovah Witnesses have made a statement of the present-day [Jehovah's] Witnesses as to the recognition of Israel as the Homeland of the Children of Israel. ... I would greatly appreciate a statement from you as I would like to present it to our Synagogue in view of the many misleading statements I have heard concerning the [Jehovah's] Witnesses."
In reply, Mr. Rosenbloom received the following letter from the Society confirming the [Jehovah's] Witnesses anti-Zionist stand:
"... The first president of the Watch Tower Society, C. T. Russell, had an understanding of certain Bible prophecies that is held today by some religious organizations. That understanding is that Bible prophecy foretells the return of the Jews to Palestine. ...
"Since his day, however, we have re-examined these prophecies and have seen where "that conclusion is a misunderstanding". While it is still possible for Jews as individuals (mazel tov) to receive God's favor the same as anyone else, it can no longer be said that the Jews as a whole are God's chosen people. This has been evident since 70 C.E. when God allowed the Temple at Jerusalem and the genealogical records to be destroyed ... That this was to be was indicated by the words of Jesus Christ at Matthew 23:37 when he looked upon Jerusalem. ...
"So the hope of the Jews is not in the political movement of Zionism," the Watchtower spokesman declared, "but in the kingdom of Jehovah God by His Messiah that will rule the entire earth in justice and righteousness. ... ."
Enraged at this official reply, Mr. Rosenbloom took the pains in replying with a lengthy letter in which he cited prophecy after prophecy pointing to the return of the Jews to their ancient homeland.
"In effect, what you are saying," he wrote the Watchtower [Society], "is that Pastor Russell's divine inspiration snd teachings are subject to question. He was aware of the same resources at your disposal and yet he arrived at totally different conclusions. On this basis, one can argue the validity of any of his doctrines, and your entire organization is possibly nothing more than a delusion. ..."
In his accompanying, note, to the World-Union Press, David Rosenbloom said that "the Jehovah's Witnesses have constantly mounted campaigns toward the conversion of Jews on the basis of misinterpretations of Scripture, falsification of historical facts, and plain deceptive advertisement.
"They deserve to be exposed for what they are -- fabricators of the truth and peddlers of hate and showing malice towards the Jews. ... ."
**************** ****************
DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES UNIQUE TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS EMPLOYEES