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Wednesday, July 11, 2018

An extract -

Yes, I know this is detached from its setting. But I'm posting it as is anyway. We would like your comments. This is a temporary post.

This post has been deleted.

2 comments:

roberto said...

It is interesting to note that although the conduct of individual clerical representatives was indeed blameworthy, Russell preferred to identify the decadence of traditional churches in their teachings, which contradicted the love, wisdom, and power of God.
People went away because they found church teachings in contrast with God's personality.

This implied, on the part of true Christians, a total commitment in time and resources, just as highlighted in the following passage: "The implication is that Nominal Zion was spreading a false message. If the message spread by churches was compromised, their adherents need a clear message leading to uncompromising holiness."

This message had to be preached from everyone - "all of our people are preachers, from the least to the greatest of them" sayd russell - with words and conduct: "We hope we did not overstate the matter when we said that all who believe this way make preaching the chief object of life – preaching by word, preaching by letter, preaching by dress, and manner, and looks, and deeds."

I think it is interesting that Russell did not dwell on the reprehensible conduct of individual members of the clergy, but focused on the need to preach the good news to everyone. An individual duty for every single Christian.

Andrew said...


Thanks for posting this. I like how you help your readers follow how you develop your conclusions, rather than just stating the conclusion without providing any insight into how you got there. And I like how you let the people in the narrative speak for themselves. It makes it easier to draw a conclusion about someone's thinking and motives if you have their exact words. Simple, but profound.

Under the subheading "Response to Opposition", in the first sentence, should the word "article" appear after the word "long"?

Andrew Grzadzielewski