JW Hostages: Ray Franz

compound complex

To this day, in all countries, any persons among Jehovah's Witnesses who find they cannot conscientiously support fully the organization's teachings or practices live in a climate of fear, feeling they must constantly be on guard as to what they say, what they do, what they read, with whom they associate, from whom they receive letters, not feeling any sense of freedom even when among personal friends or close relatives if these are also Witnesses. As stated, in my personal experience I have had people phone who were afraid to give their name or who felt it necessary to use a fictitious name, some who even felt it necessary to take out a special post office box to be able to correspond without danger of their correspondence with me or other former Witnesses being discovered. They face a form of "hostage" situation, produced by the organization's authority. The only way to avoid this is to meet the terms the organization lays down.

IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM, Ray Franz, pages 383, 384

Broken Promises

Yes, sometimes you have to just bite the bullet... and leave.

Leave for your own sanity, for your emotional and physical health, and for your freedom.

There may be consequences, but the rewards are so much greater!!

clarity

Thanks for the reminder about Ray's words.

I have the "Crisis" book but not "In Search of Christian Freedom" ... think I'll wander into Chapters books tomorrow!

c

jonathan dough

Raymond Franz was a former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses for nine years. Born in 1922, Raymond Franz recently passed away on June 2, 2010 at the age of 88 of a brain hemorrhage. He was the author of two books written subsequent to being disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses for apostasy, and was regarded by many as the most influential and well-known ex-Jehovah's Witness in the world.

The first book authored by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, was an epic, groundbreaking expose of the inner workings of the Jehovah's Witnesses ruling governing body, and his life experiences as one member of that secretive, powerful group of select men. With an eloquence and sense of caring that continues to reach out to thousands of former Jehovah's Witnesses, Ray Franz exposed the ugly, sad underside of this high-control false religion. He tells of hypocrisy practiced with respect to blood transfusions, political affiliations, and the Society's ad hoc approach to the development of core doctrine like the alleged destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C., and much more. Raymond Franz also describes his personal dealings with the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses and the manner in which he suffered mistreatment in various forms at their hands during the latter part of his tenure.

Crisis of Conscience and his second work In Search of Christian Freedom are essential reading, not only for those seeking to discard the Jehovah's Witnesses' shackles, and for those who have broken free and wish to put the experience into proper prospective, but it also serves as a valuable tool for anyone thinking of joining the Jehovah's Witnesses' religion, or organization, as it describes in lucid detail what's really going on in there.

Ray Franz was far from perfect, and as an active member of the Jehovah's Witnesses' Governing Body he invariably was responsible for damaging teachings and practices himself, many of which he subsequently repudiated. For those seeking an answer to the question "Where do I go from here?" some feel his answers were, and continue to be, inadequate as he tends to distance himself from organized religion and their authority. Nonetheless, Raymond Franz will continue to be missed and remains in our hearts, beloved. His kindness and compassion, and his brave commitment to exposing the truth about the Watchtower Society will never be forgotten.

http://www.144000.110mb.com/directory/Raymond_Franz.html

Quendi

Leaving this hateful religion is easier said than done, and I speak as one who finally has severed my ties. The emotional cost alone is enormous. I still have friends and family trapped inside for whom I have the deepest love and with whom I have had no contact in years. I will always miss them but have resigned myself to being without their friendship. So I can understand those who choose to "fade" or slowly become inactive, staying on the inside as it were. They can't bear the searing pain of losing family members and dear friends. Some would risk disinheritance. Others would suffer loss of home and livelihood. The WTS practices a most pernicious form of spiritual blackmail and extortion against any and all dissidents. So anyone contemplating leaving the religion must carefully count the cost of this drastic and irreversible action.

Despite that high cost, I am glad that I am now out. I have absolutely no desire to ever set foot inside a Kingdom Hall again for any reason whatsoever. I never thought I would have such sentiments while I was an active Witness and that shows just how far I have traveled in my spiritual journey. Ray Franz, whom I met many years ago, was a man who finally realized that there could be no further affiliation between him and the WTS. And I agree with jonathan dough that he does bear some responsibility for the harm this religion wrought on others. Still, he tried his level best to make up for that in his writings and associations in the years that followed his being disfellowshipped.

Thanks, CoCo, for sharing the quote from Ray Franz. It proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the "spiritual paradise" the WTS claims is its domain is nothing more than a spiritual police state. Fear and suspicion are growing among the ranks of Jehovah's Witnesses. Their "New World Society" more closely resembles the political society that the old Soviet Union had, or the fictional Animal Farm George Orwell wrote about. I now live in the hope that this cult will eventually collapse and that I will still be here when it does to help my loved ones emerge from its rubble.

Quendi

blondie

I remember that I too was a member for over 45 years and that I convinced several that jws had the "truth." I wonder what kind of damage or hurt I caused at that time. I also knew Ray and like me he was a true believer during his time associating with the WTS. Now if you knew it was a lie but still kept on............

compound complex

Thank you, Dear Friends, for your heartfelt commentary on life on the outside.

I recall that in Time magazine [the issue published upon his departure from the WT] Brother Franz was quoted as having said that there is no life outside the Organization. If memory serves, the inference was that, FOR HIM, there was no hope of a meaningful life as a disaffected JW; however, I believe that he subsequently denied thats being his perspective. For the rank and file of true-believers, there is no where else to go.

I am very grateful for your posts.

Love,

CoCo

Stealth

When I heard about Ray Franz first book , Crisis of Conscience I wanted to read it but felt the 'climate of fear' on just even what I read. I was in such fear that instead of checking out the book from the university library, for fear of there being a paper trail that I check out 'apostate books', I went to the library during my work lunch period and read a portion of the book in a back corner of the library everyday for a month.

Today, I am so glad that I took those first steps that eventually released me from those who held me hostage!

PSacramento

The emails that I saved from Ray are priceless to me.

While COC is crucial for understanding the Gb and the WT, I believe his In Search of Christian freedom is far more relevant and important.

So many times we feel that we must be part of something "tangiable" and "bigger than Us" and we don't realize that when we accept Christ into our hearts, we already ARE part of something far greater than ANY earthly "organization" or organized religion.

wobble

Dear Ray, an eloquent, if sometimes wordy writer, but what a force for good he was, and still is through his writings.

Any who are just leaving the WT need to read the two books, after reading you are a different person.

His kindness and hard work on behalf of lost souls who have had the rug pulled from under them were unbelievable. When very unwell he would still write as much as he could, trying to reply to all who contacted him, his love of man was palpable.

When the WT got rid of him, and crapped on him, they shot themselves in the arse, they were never the same after that, up until then there was the chance of reform and improvement, ever since they arrogantly decided not to pay attention to people like Ray they have gone downhill fast.

Fools.

JW Hostages: Ray Franz

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