TheHolyBookEnds
Well-Known Member
C. (Charles) T. (Taze) Russell? No.Did the founder know greek or hebrew?
Here is a court case, where he (C.T. Russell) testified under oath:
"... After Russell was "sworn" in, and was at the witness stand, the Crown attorney took Reverend Ross' pamphlett, and read point by point asking Mr. Russell after each point, "Is this true?" So the basic questioning went like this: "Is it true that you never attended higher schools of learning? Is this true that you know nothing about philosophy, and theology? Is this true that you are totally ignorant of the dead languages?
Russell's answers from the various points given were "No, no, no," "Absolutely untrue," "Decidedly untrue," and "That is not true." 35
According to Reverend Ross, by denying these charges in court, Russell claimed for himself a "high scholastic standing, having a knowledge of the dead languages, having taken a course in theology, systematic and historical theology, ordination, church affiliation and so on." 36
So what were the facts brought out in court on March 17, 1913? As we saw, under oath Mr. Russell was questioned by the Crown attorney. He said that all charges in Reverend Ross' pamphlet were untrue. But under cross examination, by attorney Mr. Staunton, "Pastor" Russell admitted that he had attended a public school only seven years of his life, and that he left school about the age of fourteen. Then came the question about Mr. Russell's knowledge of Greek:
Staunton: "Do you know Greek?
Russell: "Oh, yes."37
At this moment, Staunton handed Russell a copy of the New Testament in Greek, by publishers Westcott & Hort. Opening to page 447, the attorney asked Russell to read the letters that were on top of the page.
Mr. Russell stared for a moment and admitted that he couldn't read the letters. What was brought out in court was that Mr. Russell was simply asked to read the Greek alphabet. He couldn't. So, Russell was asked again:
Staunton: "Are you familiar with the Greek language?"
Russell: "No."38
Moving on to another point, because Russell had claimed to having an "ordination" that was equal if not superior to ordained and accredited ministers, Staunton decided to challenge the issue of ordination.
Staunton: "Is it true that you were never ordained?"
Russell: "It is not true."
The court at this time informs Mr. Russell that he must answer yes or no.
Staunton: "You never were ordained by a bishop, clergyman, Presbytery, council, or any body of men living."
After a considerable pause with Russell's eyes fixed on his feet in the witness box, the answer came:
Russell: "I never was."39
Russell lost his suit against Reverend Ross when the High Court of Ontario ruled that there were no grounds for libel. Instead of Mr. Russell stopping Reverend Ross, the court case ended up giving him enough fuel to write another pamphlet about Mr. Russell titled, Some Facts and More Facts about the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell (also still in print 40). Ross informed the public in this second pamphlet that "the case was thrown out of Court by the evidence furnished by `Pastor' Russell himself."41
..." - Faith & Reason: Apologetic Methods
The same goes for "Fred W. Franz" - Jehovah's Witnesses - officially known as 'The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society'