Did HWA's Binitarianism Come From the Watchtower?

HWA stole many of his doctrines from the Jehovah's Witnesses. There are many similarities.

As I wrote in an earlier entry:

Why would some people believe that HWA was influenced by the Jehovah's Witnesses? It might just have something to do with the fact that the Jehovah's Witnesses, like HWA, 1) forbid celebrating Christmas, 2) Easter, 3) and birthdays, 4) do not believe in an immortal soul, 5) believe in an unconscious death (soul sleep), 6) believe that most believers will remain on the Earth when they are resurrected, 7) that Jesus in His incarnation was only a man with no divinity in Him, 8) deny the Trinity, 9) that the Holy Spirit is only an impersonal force, 10) that only they have access to the truths of God, 11) in 1921-1952 vaccines were forbidden, 12) ex-members are to be shunned (they even use the same word 'disfellowshiping') etc., etc. The link is quite clear.

I have also commented on how the very early Watchtower Society (here and here) seemed to hold doctrines quite similar to HWA's God Family doctrine.

Another possible similarity is HWA's binitarianism. HWA taught that the Father and the Son (and not the Holy Spirit) are God.

The Jehovah's Witnesses today are like classical Arians and teach that only God the Father is God and that Jesus and the Holy Spirit and not to be worshiped. That position is quite different from HWA's.

But this article from JW Facts.com tells us it was not always like this in the Watchtower Cult. This article argues that until 1954 the Watchtower Society actually worshiped Jesus and prayed to Him.

They seem to have done this even though they seem to have taught the heresy that Jesus was created by the Father, which they still teach to this day.

Now the Watchtower has been staunchly anti-trinitarian ever since its founder, Charles Taze Russell decided to reject the doctrine of the Trinity.

So if JW Facts.com is correct this would mean that the Watchtower Society in the 1920s and 1930s, when HWA was starting up his religion, taught an understanding of the nature of God very similar to what HWA taught. This coincides with the early years of HWA when he developed his beliefs.

HWA taught that the Father and Jesus alone are God.

The Watchtower Society taught (till 1954) that the Father and Jesus alone are worthy of worship.

So perhaps this is where HWA got his binitarianism.

Although they seem to have differed over whether Jesus always existed (HWA) or was created by the Father yet still worthy of worship (pre-1954 Watchtower).

So much of HWA teaches can be found in the Watchtower Society. But it wasn't until just now that I realized even his binitarian concept of God may also have come from the Watchtower Cult.