by irondork 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I'm about halfway through Crisis of Conscience. Some pretty extraordinary stuff in there.
Wondering, aside from telling people not to read "apostate material", has there been any official denial or refutation of the books contents by the Watchtower society, official or otherwise?
Side note: Franz is a wonderful writer, if a bit repetitive in places. Upside, you walk away with a thorough understanding of where his head is.
No denial to my knowledge; how could they? He had the documents, and was an authority on the matter.
This is all it takes for most JW's to run from Crisis of Conscience and IN SEARCH of CHRISTIAN FREEDOM:
Dear Brothers:
No doubt all of you are concerned about whether there are any of our brothers and sisters among the more than 115,000 Cubans who have recently arrived in the United States as refugees. Yes, about 3,000 of our brothers and sisters were taken to the different camps in this country and they are being processed by the immigration authorities. More than 1,000 of our brothers were among the many thousands transported to Miami, Florida, where the Orange Bowl football stadium was used as a temporary site for the refugees. The rest are distributed in other camps set up by the government. Efforts are now underway to register and settle our brothers.
The Society immediately sent some funds to be used to aid the brothers. Additional contributions have been provided to benefit them. Congregations from Tampa to the Florida Keys have contributed some 15 tons of clothing and more than two tons of food have been donated locally in the Miami area. Our brothers from Cuba are in good spirits and are using every opportunity to spread the good news among others in the camps. Reports tell us that their conduct has been exemplary. Many have suffered much persecution in Cuba, but they are of good courage and are determined to continue walking in their integrity.
We are saddened to report at this time that five members of the Bethel family, and a few others in the New York city area have recently been disfellowshiped. There has been some apostasy against the organization and the promoting of sectarian divisions in some of the congregations of God’s people. (Titus 3:9-11) Living as we are in times difficult to deal with, it should not be surprising that such things occur. The first-century congregation also experienced deviations as we well know from our reading of the Holy Scriptures.—1 Tim. 1:20; 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:17, 18; 1 Cor. 15:12, 13; Acts 20:29, 30.
It is our hope that such ones will come to their senses, repent, and return to Jehovah’s organization which would be to their everlasting benefit.
To conclude, we hope all of you who may have already attended the "Divine Love" District Convention have enjoyed it to the full, and that those of you who will yet attend will find it spiritually stimulating and upbuilding.
Your brothers,
GOVERNING BODY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
*** km8/80pp.1-4BranchLetter***
As far as I know, neither the Governing Body nor its representatives has ever mentioned Ray Franz or his books. I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of "gag order" had not been issued to elders as well as circuit and district overseers to that effect. When Ray Franz was banished from Bethel, I do remember an annoucement to that effect in Our Kingdom Service (as it was then called), but no reason was given.
That isn't surprising. If the Society had discussed Ray Franz, Ed Dunlap, and their writings, that would have drawn attention to them. Witnesses who wanted to learn more about the issues they raised would have not only read those writings, they would have discussed them among themselves and in their congregations. That would have given these dissidents the kind of credibility the Society was most anxious to deny them.
So they adopted the time-honored strategy of throwing a cloak of silence on the entire affair. Think of it as the WTS version of "don't ask, don't tell". In this way, the WTS wouldn't have to answer questions and explain not only its actions with Ray Franz but also why it felt it necessary to get rid of him. The Society's actions in this regard remind me of the way the old Soviet Union handled dissent. Some agitators were sent into internal exile in the dreaded gulag camps. Others were deported. Still others were executed. None was ever mentioned in the country's official news media and government publications again unless it was to excoriate them for being "anti-Soviet hooligans". The official silence that descended on them meant that many Soviet citizens never heard about these people or their cases.
I don't doubt that news of Ray Franz's death was greeted with joy by the Governing Body. Their most persistent and best-known critic was finally out of the way. I don't know if Ed Dunlap is still alive, but his death will be regarded in the same way. But the Society will still keep its silence about both men for fear that their reach into the hearts and minds of rank-and-file Witnesses will extend beyond the grave.
Quendi
The silence is deafening, and simply means that every part of his books is spot on and true, you can bet your life if the WT had any way to show just one bit was wrong they would have been all over that like a rash. To show one error is enough for the average numb-nuts witness to dismiss a whole tome, the WT could not, so have been silent for nearly thirty years.
Their silence on Ray's books means they have no moral right to be loud and pontificating in other areas.
It would be awesome if the WT Society would encourage every single person to read Crisis of Conscience and then provide a detailed rebuttal.
I asked my husband and the elders if the things in Ray's book and on websites like JWFacts were twisted slander why not sue for defammation of character.
They said the slave has better things to do than to address troublemakers. I countered but the public we preach too has access what if they won't listen to our messsage because of this? They said Jehovah has not dealt with the reproach on his name so the slave is imitating him.
I thought of a comeback later I wish I had thought of it at the time. I thought to myself don't we teach that the issues are under trial now like an ongoing court case. So that means Jehovah did address the slander to his name.
Blind leading the blind
The rumors that have spread regarding Ray is he was inciting the spanish congregations to apostasy. They say he got an entire spanish cong to partake @ the memorial.
I pray that all JWs and WT/GB will have a crisis of conscience and do the right thing.
Yeah and stay the hell away from Pentecostals
designs - yes that would be the right thing.
