Ray Franz has had a stroke (page 21)

ohiocowboy

I am so sorry to hear this news. So many people were touched by Ray and his wife Cynthia. I will mourn his loss today.

Lady Viola

Rest in peace dear Ray...

Thank you for everything.

purplesofa

When I first started posting here my nickname was Thinking.

As I read CoC I was deeply moved, awakened, sickened, grateful,

empowered, and freed.

I changed my name to purplesofa at this site.

Reading Rays book gave me the courage to not hide.

Thank-you Ray Franz, forever a soft spot in my heart.

My heart goes out to his wife, Cynthia and all those that

were close to him.

When I think I Ray, I smile peacefully.

an excerpt from my first post as purplesofa at this board.


I am on Chapter 4 of the CoC book. My stomach turns and my head hurts. I am not ashamed of who I am or my presence here at this site. If anyone I know comes here I would be shocked, and if they get far enough into the site to find me then we probably got some talking to do. I am sorry for any confusion as I will no longer be using Thinking as a nickname here. This seems so dramatic but under the circumstances.......I think I will be grieving alot of my life as a JW for a period of time. I do not wish to be grieving who I am on top of that. So this is me on the world wide web......purplesofa. When I would the nick Thinking it is just not me. I mean it is but .......you get the drift! Greetings to all. Since you all gave me a nice warm greeting already. It's not really necessary to do it again. I am gonna be around. this book is fascinating........ciao

I am on Chapter 4 of the CoC book. My stomach turns and my head hurts.

I am not ashamed of who I am or my presence here at this site. If anyone I know comes here I would be shocked, and if they get far enough into the site to find me then we probably got some talking to do.

I am sorry for any confusion as I will no longer be using Thinking as a nickname here. This seems so dramatic but under the circumstances.......I think I will be grieving alot of my life as a JW for a period of time. I do not wish to be grieving who I am on top of that.

So this is me on the world wide web......purplesofa. When I would the nick Thinking it is just not me. I mean it is but .......you get the drift!

Greetings to all.

Since you all gave me a nice warm greeting already. It's not really necessary to do it again. I am gonna be around.

this book is fascinating........ciao

flipper

Ray deeply touched my life as well having been a born-in JW and also exiting the witnesses relatively late in life at age 44. I can never thank him enough for the freedom of mind he gave me with access to the information he so graciously shared with all of us. My wife Mrs. Flipper and myself send our love and deepest sympathies to his family and friends at this sad time. Sincerely, Mr. & Mrs. Flipper

wannaexit

Flipper, as you I feel Ray also touched my life. After I read his books in 2002------Everything made sense. I cried on and off for days. I cried for the years of waste and I cried for the liberated inner me.

I spoke with him on several occasion. Today I was very saddend to hear of his passing. What will I remember Ray for? He was a wonderful christian role model. One thing in particular that I appreciated from Ray was his love for the brothers and sisters. He never spoke abusively about others in the organization----not even the ones that did him so much harm. He was focused in his quest for truth and a better understanding of the Christ.

His legacy will go on even after watchtower is gone. Rest in Peace my dear dear friend!!!!

TastingFreedom

Today is a sad day, because we have lost a great man. A man who was a defender of common sense and justice, someone who stood up for the truth, and fought against imposing lies on naive people. Someone who was courageous enough to go against a powerful organization who manipulates millions of people by intimidation and fear.

Three years ago, while serving as an Elder in a congregation, I started reading his book "Crisis of Conscience" and I realized that the anomalies that I saw locally were not unprecedented and that the patterns and contradictions came from the very same world headquarters. I realized that the corruption, lust for power, envy / conflicts, political games, nepotism, etc. also take place at the World Headquarters with the Governing Body. Not exactly what most of us expected from the place that claims to be guided by the holy spirit and God's organization on earth.

I sincerely thank Ray Franz for his courage and the sacrifice he made to leave a very comfortable life as part of the nucleus of power in the Governing Body. He left his life where he got preferential treatment, which consisted of blind sheep at the service of super men who claimed were directed by the Holy Spirit of God. He quit being a 'rock star' in the world of Jehovah's Witnesses, and became a shunned man, accused of being an apostate! The Watchtower did everything possible to discredit, defame, accuse, but he continued his fearless campaign to help others discover the falseness of the Watchtower Society.

Being vocal and expressing his views defending the truth cost him dearly, as he was removed from being a member of a special group of men who often implied that they were infallible. Men who claimed to be instruments of the Holy Spirit of God and who dictate rules that have cost the lives of many people naively willing to serve God. Ray left everything behind, and continued his fight for justice, confronting and uncovering the contradictions of the Watchtower organization until the end of his life. His life will be remembered, not as a coward, but as a fighter of truth, someone willing to take a stand and to fight a false prophet, an organization that has usurped the place of a mediator of God.

His fight and his legacy does not end today. The search for justice against a false prophet who has deceived millions of people using scare tactics and manipulation to control the blind herd moves on. Thank you Ray Franz for your books and the fine leadership exerted for more than 30 years.

We will always remember you!!

mouthy

Very sad loss! I remember when they had me to their home...
They entertained us Royally..
I truly loved them both as you all did. We have lost a very dear,
dear honest friend..Rest in peace Ray!!!! You losened the bonds for
hundreds of those who were trapped in mind control.
Now your HOME!! No pain ,no tears, no suffering....

tooktheredpill

All:

I am very saddened by this loss. I had the opportunity of meeting Ray and Cynthia in their own home aprox. 2 years ago. At that time I was really confused, because I was "awakening" while I was an Elder in a congregation. I sent Ray an email asking for advice, and he answered it with a 7 page-long message. He even invite us to meet him!

He answered all my bible questions using different bible versions. Everything in context. Never noticed any bitterness towards the WT.

Ray and Cynthia demonstrated with their own lives what a "real christian" should be.

We'll miss you, Ray. Thanks a lot for your support.

TTRP & AD.

Ray Franz has had a stroke