(Admin. Note: George was an excommunicated worker…….he would have been in the work as early as 1908 or 1909 ………how long he was in the work is unknown at this time. When George had a slight nervous breakdown, some of the "friends" put him up on a homestead on "Rattlesnake Ridge" east of Pueblo, Colorado. It was totally undeveloped, but he was supposed to "develop the land." He lived in a cave - no electricity - only light from the opening. He even lived there in the wintertime and was caught out in a blizzard once - luckily, he found the fence and followed it back to the cave. It was during this time that he did a lot of his really good Bible studies while stuck alone in the cave.
Years later, (Click HERE to read Article)
, written by George, became known to Eddie Cornock and other small-minded workers……….they were furious and wanted this article burned. George was extremely intelligent and as someone who knew him put it,
“He was overqualified for the work intellectually. 50 to 70 years ago, his high IQ would not have been well accepted among workers, who were by and large pretty much the opposite.”)
George's letters and fragments of letters follow this condensed tribute to him written by C.M.W.
"George encouraged all to attempt to approach Jesus' ideal of the true disciple. He admonished all to be patient in their honest search for truth. He testified to all that man, in his human frailties, could only expect to garner a small measure of Heavenly Culture at one time or at one moment of his lifetime. The price of acquiring truth comes in the "PERSISTENT SEEKING" of the true pathway to the Truth of God, each day of our lives. A disciplined, reasonable, orderly "method of search" must ever be our "well-sharpened tool" to unlock the true meaning of the message of the Bible.
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise a serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)"
In this passage, Jesus seemed to be saying that, "False leaders - - religious leaders - - you see on every hand. They are leading my flock astray by their teaching. Therefore, be not like them but study my words, meditate upon them and pray for the possession of the true wisdom and knowledge of "My Way," which is the pathway to God and the very foundation of the Kingdom of God."
Mr. Roszell deeply sensed this responsibility of rightly dividing the word of truth, for he had personally experienced during his lifetime, the terrible damage, the misconceptions, the falsity, the ugliness that wrong teaching - - poor leadership - - could produce in the lives of sincere seekers for truth. He said again and again that if the leadership is "FALSE," the leaders and their followers would both fall into "THE DITCH" and that no community can rise morally above the leadership which it accepts.
His approach to the understanding of the Scriptures is unique. This approach is underlaid with a calm reason and kindly discipline that can only be maintained by one who loved Jesus and His Gospel. His discoveries of meanings - - diamonds of truth - - were his compensation for a total lifetime pursuit of them, an industrious never-ceasing pursuit. How willing and pleased he was to share these discovered truths with those who were perplexed, searching and doubting - - but nevertheless searching. He possessed in his being none of the selfish ulterior motives, deceits or guile - - for honors, power or glory - - in this life. He was motivated by his love for Jesus, his responsibility as a minister of the Gospel to rightly divide the word of truth for those who trusted him and needed a firm focus and a belief on which they could construct a foundation, a meaning, for their lives.
During his entire lifetime, he had little else of this world's goods but the "coat on his back," yet he had more treasures than most of us - - a measure of insight into the very mind of God, through continuous study of the Gospel of Jesus and the Scriptures.
After listening to his quiet voice, observing his poise and balance, and noting that his approach to the study of the Bible, and the unlocking of its sometimes hidden meanings, was beautiful, simple, reasonable and without the atmosphere of "I HAVE THE FINAL TRUTH" didacticism, _ _ _ I was deeply influenced and impressed. He was not naive about the "goings and comings" of the world about him. He was practical and could work with his hands in the fields. He knew, first hand, the problems men face in this world. In fact, he spent his lifetime mingling with men and women of all walks of life. He admired scholarship and the discoveries of science and the importance of pragmatism and logic. But he was almost impatient with the many religious leaders of his day, who lacked mental accuracy and symmetrical balance in their thinking - - men to whom tradition seemed always more precious than reason.
Wise and learned men stumble over simplicities, yet the greatest truths are couched in simple words - - most certainly those words of Jesus.
Relating this, Mr. Roszell would tell, especially his young listeners, that unless your religion or the teaching of your religious leaders leaves you with a feeling of purity, wholesomeness and the motivation to discover personally, the "EXCITEMENT" of the discovery of the gem of truth, and the experience and knowledge of a new loveliness, beauty and peace - -then the spirit of Jesus was not present there."
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
Denver, September 12, 1957
Dear _ _ _ _ _,
The greatest discovery any man can make in the region of religion is the discovery of whether he is being affected by external agencies or forces - - such as emotions, feelings, instincts, sense perceptions, society mores - - or by REASON. It is REASON alone that removes anxiety from the human mind and points out the way to abiding security. The ultimate principle of reality is REASON. It is REASON alone that can enable man to meet any situation successfully by proper behavior adjustments.
FIRST among the basic topics of a rational study of the Scripture is the topic called DISCOVERY. It is the DISCOVERY of the difference between taking our religious direction from our emotions or taking it from REASON. It is the discovery of how to make REASON the guide of our religious thinking. This DISCOVERY is made by subjecting the rhetoric to scientific or grammatical analysis. In other words, the DISCOVERY is made by means of a morphological treatment. No kinks, nor wrinkles, nor inaccuracies can escape the eyes of morphology. When REASON is not permitted to be the guide of man's religious thinking, immediately his mores and his emotions take over, and he will be forever bewildered. (All that is melodramatic belongs to the emotions.) Without REASON man cannot keep himself upon the sensible middle ground which lies between two extremes. One or the other of these extremes will always plague and wreck every attempt for religious balance when man's emotions are make the guiding factors of this religious life.
The SECOND basic topic of a rational study of the Scripture is ETHICS. ETHICS implies courtesy, civility, politeness, propriety, probity, proper conduct. It is ETHICS alone that will dispel the indecency of disorder. "Let all things be done decently and in order." It was the want of ETHICS that made this statement necessary. When ETHICS or courtesy is applied to, propriety is the natural result. ETHICS is the harmony producing ingredient of the gospel. There is not a book in either the Old or the New Testament that is not glowing with ETHICS. Even the Doom Songs of the prophets are freighted with it. The proof of the genuineness of this statement is the saying of Jesus, "Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you, for this is the law and the prophets." The rule of ETHICS teaches no more than "Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you" Moral justice is the basis of all the others virtues. Love is the firmament in which all of the virtues reside; all of the virtues are included in love. ETHICS is the God-given ingredient of the gospel for the preservation of harmony, and there will never be harmony as long as men disregard the power of ETHICS. Our society is torn by intestine strife.
The THIRD basic topic of a rational study of the Scripture is METHODOLOGY. METHODOLOGY simply teaches the art of being METHODICAL in our thinking and in our conduct rather than being accidental, fragmentary, and hodgepodge. METHODOLOGY will secure a speaker from that wandering, random, ragbag futility, which is so common. The function of METHODOLOGY is to develop a keen observation of the orderly arrangement of materials used in a composition. METHODOLOGY instructs our minds to refuse as well as to accept. METHODOLOGY teaches the art of classification and subordination, without which no man can present truth properly, for he is not in a position to distinguish between a collateral and a central idea. METHODOLOGY insists upon consecutiveness and continuity, without which it is impossible to discern bathos and climax.
The FOURTH basic topic of a rational study of the Scripture is SYMBOLOGY. SYMBOLOGY is the art of using visible objects to teach spiritual lessons. SYMBOLOGY points out the four directions from which all symbols are drawn. SYMBOLOGY discovers the rule that governs the formation of symbols, and also those rules that govern the analysis of them. All of the SYMBOLS that have ever been used have been drawn from one of the four realms: namely, mineral, vegetable, animal and human - - including their firmament.
The FIFTH basic topic of a rational study of the Scripture is the FIGURES OF SPEECH - - allegory, erotesis, ecphonesis, etc. Without some knowledge of these language tools or literary devices, which were used by the ancients, it is impossible to understand all the forms and functions of Hebrew literature, because the figures are embedded in the very thought patterns.
The SIXTH basic topic of a rational study of the Scripture is RELATIONAL LITERATURE. RELATIONAL LITERATURE is that form of literature in which relation to another topic is clearly shown but not expressed. RELATIONAL LITERATURE is the literature of implication. It implies something not expressed. An example is the whole Sermon on the Mount, a sermon which exposes the capitalistic and hypocritical spirit of the Sanhedrin, or the leadership of the nation of Israel. But the language used is euphemistic; and the literary form is that of RELATIONAL LITERATURE.
The SEVENTH basic topic of a rational study of the Scripture is GNOSTICISM. There were numerous bodies of GNOSTICS. Twenty-six of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament discover to us the subtlety of the operations of those heretical bodies during the lifetime of the Apostles.
Men who refuse these basic topics of a RATIONAL study of the Scripture will be found forever belligerent, scornful and intolerant of all that does not agree with their native bigotry. Their arguments will be full of elements - - shifting inconsistencies - - not satisfactory to REASON.
In spite of their blustering pretension, it is easily discovered that they are guided solely by their instincts and sense perceptions. Their society has forged the fetters from which they cannot be released. They will be forever found quarreling among themselves about who shall be greatest, the result of which is that they always tumble headlong into a pit of false logic. Never having conditioned themselves to anything but random speaking and hodgepodge exhortation, they have recourse only to their native instincts and their misguided prejudice.
Love and best wishes,
George W. Roszell
Men and Their Manners
April 5th, 1947
My Dear _ _ _ _ _ _ _,
You remember, _ _ _ _ _ _ _, that I told you I would give you some of my observations upon certain men, their manners, their vanities, and their temptations - - men who think of themselves as great, who seem eager for positions above others, and who, without either merit, virtue, or reason to guide them, labor to possess influential offices.
(And, as truly as we are here, "REASON" should always be the guide of life.) One could hardly make such observations as these without noticing the social damage men of this order do to themselves, and also to many others who, being unfortified, are unfortunate enough to be subjected to them.
To begin with, it is easy to see that such men do not aim at keeping themselves in countenance by innocence, but rather by a many-sided, inexplainable shamelessness. They are not ashamed to infringe upon the social rights of others, intruding into the most intimate matters. They seem to mistake their eagerness and their self-assertion for ability.
When two persons have to remain long together, they have great difficulty in putting up with each other, because each one loves the pre-eminence, and reaches the full length of his arm to seize the rising glory. Thus each one sits heavily upon the other, and neither one can bear restraint upon his ambitions. No envy is more bitter than that aroused in one such man's brain toward the other, when he thinks that the other is receiving glory and attention that he covets. They cannot bear to see life manifesting itself in another without antagonizing that other person. Thus, we have the saying: "Rising glory occasions the greatest envy."
These men are always ill at ease if they are not the center of attention. Such men as keep themselves in countenance - - in the limelight - - by this artificial means are always thrown out of countenance when provocations arise. One distinguishing badge of such a creature is that he, when found to be in error, will always vehemently justify himself. He will never admit the finding, nor will he accept wholesomely that he was in error. If his error is so glaring as to be evident to a child, He will certainly try to recover himself by treating it as if it were a joke. If he is pressed, he will show evidences of anger rather than an eagerness to be secure and right. By this conduct, his mind becomes habituated to inconsistencies; and as truly as I tell you, _ _ _ _ _ _ _, being inconsistent in any department of life is one of the gravest errors of mankind. An inconsistent and implacable mind cannot possibly think daylight thoughts. When once a mind has habituated itself to inconsistencies, economical balance in thinking and symmetry of judgment are lost. When these two things go out, the very foundation of genuineness and solidity is gone.
When inconsistency is given the room that only reason should occupy, there are certain evils that cannot possibly be avoided. This family of evils is large, but I'll mention only two of them: PARTIALITY and INTOLERANCE - - INTOLERANCE of any notion but what is born in one's own mind. These two things cannot be avoided by an unskillful mind.INTOLERANCE is the chief factor in the strangulation and suffocation of all of the charities. Not one of the charities or virtues can possibly thrive in the sinful soil of INTOLERANCE and PARTIALITY; and whenever it is impossible for the graces soon become pale-faced. Thus we trace the long chain of improprieties that lead to so much mental and social damage. Degeneration has always followed a general corruption of masters and manners. When leader's become violent in their notions and manners, followers also soon become violent. Like begets like in every department of life. Intolerant and partial men always attempt to level, but they never learn how to equalize.
Some men have a continual carnival in their bosoms through no means other than their own ignorance. Some men keep themselves in countenance by no means other than always subordinating their fellows. Some men in their attempts to emerge as distinguished individuals always make the other fellow "BACKGROUND" for their picture.
They seem to have no means of showing their strength except by curtailing the independence of others.
They labor unceasingly to place others in a subaltern position. They try to exercise an overpowering importance which they foolishly suppose indicates strength of character. This vanity, of course, always defeats itself in the end, and demotes them in the eyes of sensible people.
These men are always ill at ease if they cannot be first in "ALL" companies and prominent in "ALL" conversations.
If they cannot hold that position, they immediately become uneasy and inattentive, and they will not hesitate to offer almost any kind of incivility. They seem satisfied only when they can keep everybody else in livery to them. The slightest evidence of independence or of individuality provokes them, because they have no sensible way of meeting it, or conversing with it, or competing with it.
Their conversations are always heavily larded with themselves. They have the habit of making very frequent use of the first person pronoun singular.
They know nothing about the word coordination.
They can live and thrive only while they can reduce others to the order of serfs.
Every operation of their minds seems to be for the extension and promotion of their own glory; and woe unto him who attempts to restrain them, or even reason with them.
These men, never having taken to themselves a respectable intellectual weapon with which to support and defend their opinions, always us the tearing, haggling method. Nothing is ever clean cut and well-fortified with them. They go at every great matter in the most confused sort of way. They seem to know the correct science of nothing. When they attempt to be dynamic, they leave the matter they are handling more in disorder and more involved than when they began.
Upon every great and laudable question, their minds prove to be little and muddled.
They do not know the difference between investigating a matter and snooping into it. They seem neither to understand nor to take any pleasure in fortified statements.
In most cases they have only a faraway, unskillful and confused mode of communicating their notions. They seem to fear being close and warm and generous and easy of access lest, by so being, they should lose their prestige. They interpret civility and gentility as being an evidence of weakness, and trust for survival to brawn instead of brain.
They are eager to make excursions over the world, but they laugh at the idea of making excursions into the world of DISCERNMENT.
What an objectionable, deplorable climate they live in and what an immense distance they must travel before they reach the summer-land of good sense.
Now, _ _ _ _ _ _, I would not encourage in you an aversion to mankind, even if it is found that by contact with him, there is very little to enrich or improve our lives. He seems to be a creature to be put up with rather than to be cherished and enjoyed. The better we become acquainted with him, the less necessary he seems to be, and consequently the less to be feared.
This picture of mankind is unpleasant, I admit; but I know that your experiences prove to you that it is not far from the truth.
Adieu for this time.
Love and best wishes,
George W. Roszell
Grand Junction - March 10th 1953
Bits and Pieces gleaned by George from varied letters he wrote over the years:
The gospel is a compound: not a single substance, element, cord or ingredient. God has suited an ingredient of it to every department of human life; and though some ingredients are basic, not one is independent of all the others.
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Love in its widest sense covers everything: "God is love." But in its common use, it is simply the name of a movement of the mind accompanied by a related act. Heart is only the name of a movement of the mind. Courtesy is the name of a movement of the mind. Courtesy cannot appear before our understandings without the notion of an agreeable, inoffensive act accompanying it. In common life, I might be courteous to you, and never offer you an offense, without actually loving you.
But if I love you, I certainly will not, knowingly and purposely, offer you the offense of a discourtesy. We do not embarrass, humiliate, browbeat, be discourteous to and show contempt toward those we love.
Now, if courtesy, in common life, puts such agreeable restraints upon us, and makes the going smooth and inoffensive, what could it not do in our ruffled, prickly, self-assertive community if it were given a room in our religious structure?
But, I am sure it will never be given that room, except by individuals. It will always have to live on the doorstep - - where men scrape the bottoms of their shoes!
