Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, Did the Books of Raymond Franz Help to Free You, & What If They were Never Made?

Hi,

To be honest, I'd already found plenty of reasons to break off my association with the Witnesses before I read Ray's book. However, it's quite likely that 'Crisis of Conscience' would have done the job of opening my eyes all on its own. It really does show very clearly (often using the Society's own literature) that the JW emperor isn't wearing any clothes.

And I know exactly what you mean about the ingrained fear (caused by phobia indoctrination) of reading this kind of material. I had exactly the same feeling - along with the feeling of utter shock and disbelief which lasted a day or so afterwards, as it slowly all sank in. I can see now why it's often compared to taking 'the red pill' from the film The Matrix.

Anyone interested in reading Crisis of Conscience can download the pdf for $7.95 at:

http://www.commentarypress.com/

I would agree CONUNDRUM: Over 1 million Witnesses have left up to now 15 years. There is not any information on the children born to Witnesses and not ever received baptized or the "Bible studies" that on no account advanced to baptism. Incidentally, a fact no JW can deny and all ex JW's will affirm, is that the overwhelming quantity of people who start studying the Bible with the Witnesses don't get baptised and in outcome reject the religion. Additionally, the intent a lot of humans did not follow Franz is that those of us who were Witnesses when he left didn't recognize whatever about him, his guide or why he left. The Society does now not publish these forms of small print. If that they had, would quite a few Witnesses have left? Sure but, commonly not correct away. The threat of disfellowshipping and shunning is very robust. The man at Bethel who invented that acquired a enormous bonus.

In the early 1990s I'd not been active for many years, but I still had JW friends and family associated. I considered becoming active again and was about to start attending local meetings. By chance I happened to see a "Crisis of Conscience" book at Barnes & Noble. I knew that there had been a scandal at Watchtower HQ after their disastrous 1975 prediction failed, but had no idea that an even bigger scandal had taken place. I called my father and asked him about it.

"One of the governing body brothers tried to take over the Society. I guess he had a lot of supporters and they were teaching their own doctrines and preaching against Jehovah," he told me.

After reading "Crisis of Conscience" and other books about those horrible days in the early 1980s, I discovered the truth about what happened. Ray Franz had absolutely no desire to "take over" the Society, but he did have some problems with the unequal treatment of some foreign JWs and the almost complete lack of real Bible study among the Bethelites and the Governing Body members. Ray had thrown his support behind a growing group of local JWs and Bethelites who would gather and just read the Bible together and then discuss what they had read. There was never a real movement to change the Society, but the other Governing Body members felt threatened and began a wide purge. Ray was never a leader in that group, but some how the Governing Body felt he was behind the movement.

He took a leave of absence to allow them to finish their investigation and to give himself a change of scenery. While he was gone, they built a case against him and then disfellowshipped him for having lunch with his boss and landlord, a disassociated former elder. At the time, there was no rule with associating with "disassociated" members, only those who had been "disfellowshipped." "Crisis of Conscience" details all of those events.

Recently I met a disfellowshipped former elder who still believes that "Ray Franz tried to take over the Society" and won't read "Crisis of Conscience" "because it's all lies." It's good account of what really happened and will open your eyes to what goes on behind the closed doors of Bethel HQ. It's an amazing source of history and background to the inner workings and undercurrents within the Watchtower Society - especially during the 1960-1990 time frame.

Who were the prominent members of the JW’s that we guilty of homosexuality, wife swapping and child molesting as reported by the WT$?

Not long after Ewart C. Chitty and Leo K. Greenlees resigned from the Governing Body of the WBT$ the following was published:-

“Shocking as it is, even some who have been prominent in Jehovah’s organization have succumbed to immoral practices, including homosexuality, wife swapping, and child molesting.” (w86 1/1 p.13)

How could two supposedly anointed men be guilty of such activities?

I started with "Kingdom of the Cults" and read Crisis of Conscience a few years later

Thank Jehovah for Dr Martin and Brother Franz and their wonderful books

they were the beginning of a long deprogramming process

I'm not a JW, I am a Christian, but I will buy this book in case I ever get a chance to share. I pray for all JW's here that hey may know the true Jesus Christ, and will be saved. God Bless~

I have actually not read them yet, but I want to. I have them but I have not gotten the chance to sit down and read them.... But from reviews and source citations, if they had never been written, then I expect there would be much information that would not be known.....

I read it after. Can't remember how I came across it.

pray for the jw's. They are under the influence of a fallen angel.