Its has been almost two decades if I am correct since Ray Franz released the heartbreaking books: "Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search of Christian Freedom". Since then, many of us have been released from bondage of the WTS and set free. By the way, where is Ray Franz today, what is he doing? Does that goodman, humble and down-to-earth Dude blogs, attends this internet discussion? Besides Ray, have we ever had another 'Ray Franz' on the scene? Being an elderly and well advanced in ages, please what is the best way to provide financial support to him so that he is able to keep on his works? I do not want his to suffer any wants but be happy every day considering the groundbreaking books he has authored.
RAY FRANZ TODAY
by Scott77 30 Replies latest watchtower scandals
-
-
steve2
Actually, to be precise it's more than 25 years since Ray Franz published Crisis of Conscience; first published in 1983.
As far as his current activity is, I don't know. Perhaps some other posters will reply!
-
Heaven
I send a big heartfelt to Ray Franz! I have never met him but he has had enormous impact on my life.
My parents warned me not to read 'apostate materials'. Over the last few years I have wanted to get back in touch with my Spirituality. I had been neglecting it for years thanks to a lot of conflict within myself about the WTS and it's effects on my family. I was seriously considering studying with the Witnesses again but had screaming doubts. So I said to myself "Do your research. Use the internet." With trepidation I ventured into 'apostate land'. OMG! I watched YouTube videos, particularly Rick Fearon's disfellowshipping, Lee Marsh's video on what defines a cult, and the video of Ray Franz in Prague. None of these people struck me as being 'aspostate'. I started reading website information including Barbara Anderson's, Danny Hazard's, and Gary Busselman's experiences -- and many, many others. I was physically drained!
I purchased both of Ray Franz's books "Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search of Christian Freedom". I felt that the purchase of his books was, in some way, helping to support Ray financially. What better way to say UP YOURS, WTS! than to help support an 'apostate'. I finished Crisis of Conscience fairly quickly and was left with an enormous emotional melting pot of anger, sadness, relief, depression, concern, and empathy. I am currently working on ISoCF.
THANK YOU so much to all of you who have had the courage to break the chains of bondage with the man made WTS which has no basis in truth or love. Heaven
-
yadda yadda 2
He has a website www.commentarypress.com
He is pretty elderly now and his health is poor.
-
Mickey mouse
You can email Ray at the address given at the website quoted by yadda yadda 2. I emailed him to thank him for his books and received a lovely reply.
-
BabaYaga
Whether Dear Ray will ever see this or not, I just want to join in here and say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a brave, loving, and marvelous man. Blessings to you.
Love,
Alias Baba. -
AK - Jeff
When I first read his books [and I think I read both of them at least twice], I got in touch by email with Ray. We even made an arrangement for me to stop and visit him during our vacation - but regrettably the plans fell through. We had some very deep discussions over email. I will be eternally grateful for his books. They sit proudly on my bookshelves.
Without Ray, we would have gotten out, but likely not as quickly and cleanly.
Jeff
-
wobble
What a lovely man Ray is to be sure, I wrote to him in appreciation for his books, and knowing his age and health I said don't bother to reply,I just wanted you to know the good work your books are still doing. Even so he sent me a long thoughtfull E-mail that helped me grow spiritually.
I am amazed at his kindness, energy and true Christian love, his is an example I wish to follow,as he is obviously following the Christ, I only wish I had his ability with words!
Great Guy, may God's blessing be with him and Cynthia.
Love
Wobble
p.s Mouthy may have up to date info.
-
Xavier1
Hello, i meet Ray two years ago in Karlsruhe (Germany). I received a mail on january. Now he has 87 years, 50th years mariage and he continue to work for reedition of his two books
please find here his last mail
Dear Jean-Pierrre,
I appreciated your letter and the good news about your healthful association in France.
I will reach 87 on May 8 and find it discouraging to realize how much my strength has abandoned me. On Saturday, February 28 Cynthia and I reached our 50th wedding anniversary. It was sadly preceded, on February 24, by the death of our dog Muchacho who had been a treasured companion for close to 15 years. Our young Russian friend Andrey Zorine kindly came over to dig a burial site for him. I realize that for many “a dog is a dog is a dog.” But a relationship can develop between human and animal that is in itself unique. That was the case with the man in Nathan’s story related to David—after David’s adultery with Bathsheba about a man for whom a little ewe lamb became as a “daughter” to him. (2 Samuel 12:1-6) Even though this was a story, it must have been a “true-to-life” one or it never could have produced the impact Nathan sought the account meant to bring home to David how cruel his selfish act had been. David, former shepherd that he was, could feel with the man when his surrogate “daughter” was wrenched from him and slaughtered by a wealthy man. David did not say, “Well, it was only an animal.” He burst out with, “The man that did that deserves to die!” Not because he had simply killed an animal, for David himself ate lamb, if at no other time then whenever Passover was celebrated. His intense feeling was instead because the insensitive man had robbed the other man of a beautiful relationship, one that had a beauty that could not be replaced. At any rate, like the lamb, our dog was somewhat of a “surrogate son” for us—a sort of “child” of our older age and a companion for me each day—and we limited our traveling because we would not have felt good about leaving him with other persons when he was in need of daily care. He is beyond that now. One Sunday in February Jim Penton, the Canadian author of Apocalypse Delayed and former university professor, and his wife visited us along with a couple from Tennessee. They also went to the home of a couple, Dan and Debby Dykstra, east of Atlanta where we have a Bible discussion group. A few Sundays ago at our home we had a group numbering 14, including one African-American sister and also Andrey Zorine, the young brother from Russia. We’ve been having a chapter-by-chapter consideration of the Letter to the Hebrews and have completed Chapter 10.
I agree wholeheartedly with you that we should not engage in negative attacks against Jehovah’s Witnesses or others. Many who write express appreciation of a kindly approach. One person wrote:- Thank you for your tone. You told the whole truth about an authoritarian and legalistic religious organization, while refusing to become bitter and nasty about it.
A man from England recently wrote:
I'm currently an "active" Witness from England, and I just wanted to say how absolutely relieved I was to read your books ("Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search Of Christian Freedom"). I must confess, reading them was nothing like I expected. My only contact with ex-jw's has been through browsing the net, and to be honest, a lot of what's written doesn't merit much by way of consideration. A lot of sites are so absolutely blinded by bitterness, that even the truth they do provide is soured and unpalatable.
Another wrote:
I wanted to take some time to thank you for your clarity and honesty. Reading your publications helped me immeasurably. Your kind words and obviously loving attitude to everyone, including Jehovah's Witnesses, really came through and enabled me to read your books in a positive frame of mind.
From Scotland:
Are there any Ex JW web sites you have come across that are helpful for those letting go of the organisation as I am doing; not the ones who have become bitter and twisted through their experience of the organisation, but those who have remained a rational moral footing? This information would be helpful in acting as a surrogate community for my wife and myself in the future.
From a man who spent four years at the Brooklyn headquarters;
Crisis of Conscience goes out of its way to be kind to people, including to NH Knorr. A lot of events from Bethel have slipped from my memory. Pages 74-75 understate, in my opinion, how bad Knorr acted. One day his speech (at lunch time I think) was so long we were an hour late to work. The only person who would talk about it (Peter Hollingworth) said, "I hope he doesn't fall out of the Truth." I think Bethelites were baffled and traumatized by how he acted. I don't know if it was the same occasion when Knorr said something to the effect that if the "letter-writers" would just leave Bethel it would be a better place, or something like that. When he railed against the letter-writers, I thought of my own letters and certain other ones written by conscientious Bethelites. But he was probably thinking of IMPORTANT letter-writers, Bethel elders, like those who led to the Black Thursday confrontation, and those who wrote the letters to the governing body in 1975.
I had some correspondence with Didier Fougeras some years ago but have not heard from him since. If you have communication with him please give him my regards and best wishes. The same for Nabil Jaafar
Warm regards, Ray -
mouthy
I called him a few weeks ago
He like I are feeling our age.
He is still swamped with letters e-mails ec
He truly is the most humble man I ever met
I will call him today & tell him about all your lovely comments/
I owe him my life