Blond-moment says,
Even tho I no longer believe anything the WT has to say about anything, but my issue isn't about most of the doctrine.
The more I learned about mind control, the less I could believe anything they said, and eventually broke free of all that WT induced fear guilt shame etc.
It is the MIND CONTROL I have issue with. They are a descrutive mind control cult, that's the issue.
Exactly. Very few Witnesses join for doctrtoonal reasons, as they wouldn't need to. Just believe the 5th grade theological arguments and stay at home. People join, and people leave, because they want a family and hope and assurance of future security. They join and leave for primal reasons. What I need, and what can they do for me? No different than many churches. I know from 30 years of experience and speaking in hundreds of churches and kingdom halls.
We want to believe that God is speaking to us personally. Not allowable with the "great crowd" pernicious invention which started with Russell. (Two classes, righteous and not so righteous). According to the WT, the Bible was only written to the "anointed," which is a direct slam on the Holy Spirit according to Paul in Romans and Galatians.
Sick demented and isolated men in Brooklyn invented all this crap to keep the organization alive. Here's one of many shockers:
By the way, be sure and read the article in my Armageddon Okie e-letter just sent out, regarding Fred Franz as the originator of the blood policy, and his REAL motives behind it. Here is the sample quote:
After the Judge's death, as World War II was ending, and persecution against the Witnesses began declining, along with the attendant drop in news-media publicity, Hayden C. Covington told the author that Fred Franz saw the prohibition against blood transfusions as a way to accomplish two things: to continue to publicize the religion, and to create an uproar in the community. This reaction would convince the membership they were being "persecuted" and "suffering for righteousness sake," a sure sign they were "in the truth."
Before the hysteria began over adapting Scriptures pertaining to animal blood and applying them to human blood, the Watch Tower Society had acknowledged these Scriptures pertained to animal blood only: "The law of Jehovah God is against the intermingling of animal matter with any human blood, as it is stated in Leviticus (chapter 17)." This is proof, using their own literature, that the Scriptures in both the Old and the New Testaments, used by the Watch Tower Society in the blood issue, were formerly understood to be references to the improper use of animal blood.
But Woodworth, joined by the unpredictable Fred Franz, thought nothing of applying all animal blood verses to human blood, and especially in the modern life-saving technique of blood transfusions for humans.
The first statement in which the new blood position was implied (that position originated by Woodworth, supported by Fred Franz, joined still later by President Knorr, and still perpetuated today by the Watch Tower leadership) was prepared by Fred Franz and published In the Watchtower of July 1, 1945.
"Seeing, then, that the Most High and Holy God gave plain instructions as to the disposition of blood, in harmony with his everlasting covenant made with Noah and all his descendants; ... therefore it behooves all worshipers of Jehovah who seek eternal life in this new world of righteousness to respect the sanctity of blood and to conform themselves to God's righteous rulings concerning this vital matter." - The Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society, p. 75
Author Edmond Gruss interviewed Knorr's right-hand man who was beside him for years, and he knew all the hidden policy stories during Knorr’s reign. None of them contradict what some old-timers at Bethel already knew. I could see all the sick politics firt-hand with Fred and Knorr. ANY Bethelite with half a brain and who knew the inner circle could. Not so those outside of Bethel, who didn't live and work with the codgers. The Witness that Mr. Gruss interviewed formally posted often on the JWD discussion board before he got too ill... Gruss interviewed him just in time. I proofread the book "The Four Presidents" for Gruss right before it was released, and was amazed to find Fred Franz’ motives in developing the blood transfusion doctrine – what a story that is!
If any Witness actually got the point, it would shake them up pretty bad. But it is only one of many similar stories from Rutherford and Knorr’s reign over the Watch Tower organization contained in the book. One would have guessed it was Knorr or Rutherford who were really the worst leaders of all. Evidence now reveals it was Fred Franz, and for all the wrong motives, none of which had anything to do with the Bible! It was about manipulation to bolster the mighty ORGANIZATION.
My advice: why argue blood from a doctrinal perspective? Would you argue with Charles Manson over his philosophical ravings? It is only an attempt to hide the origin of the policy, like most fundys do, through their clever yet erroneous interpretation of the 66 books we call the Bible.
Fred Franz was responsible for the death of perhaps tens of thousands of JWs, all a sacrifice to increase persecution on the poor Witnesses and keep them reactive in their opposition to the churches and the Red Cross. Collateral damage control!
Where would he rate on a scale of one to ten in the most evil of cult leaders to you?
I thoguht Knorr was the most evil in my six years at Bethel... yet like most Bethelites I was entertained by the old preacher style antics of Fred Franz. Most of the young Bethel boys liked him, because he was kind of anti-Governing Body. But he was a little too friendly with the Bethel boys, whereas Knorr had nothing but contempt for the young men who volunteered to serve at Bethel for $14 a month.
As investigation continues, Franz may have been far worse. I think I will do a series on this.
From the "Four Presidents of the Watchtower" by Edmond Gruss, page 75:
I quote below from page 75 of this book you have to read. The blood doctrine had no originality in scripture - so don't argue it from scripture. Argue it from the history of the Watch Tower and F.W. Franz.
After the Judge's death, as World War II was ending, and persecution against the Witnesses began declining, along with the attendant drop in news-media publicity, Hayden C. Covington told the author that Fred Franz saw the prohibition against blood transfusions as a way to accomplish two things: to continue to publicize the religion, and to create an uproar in the community. This reaction would convince the membership they were being "persecuted" and "suffering for righteousness sake," a sure sign they were "in the truth."
Before the hysteria began over adapting Scriptures pertaining to animal blood and applying them to human blood, the Watch Tower Society had acknowledged these Scriptures pertained to animal blood only: "The law of Jehovah God is against the intermingling of animal matter with any human blood, as it is stated in Leviticus (chapter 17)." This is proof, using their own literature, that the Scriptures in both the Old and the New Testaments, used by the Watch Tower Society in the blood issue, were formerly understood to be references to the improper use of animal blood.
But Woodworth, joined by the unpredictable Fred Franz, thought nothing of applying all animal blood verses to human blood, and especially in the modern life-saving technique of blood transfusions for humans.
The first statement in which the new blood position was implied (that position originated by Woodworth, supported by Fred Franz, joined still later by President Knorr, and still perpetuated today by the Watch Tower leadership) was prepared by Fred Franz and published In the Watchtower of July 1, 1945.
"Seeing, then, that the Most High and Holy God gave plain instructions as to the disposition of blood, in harmony with his everlasting covenant made with Noah and all his descendants; ... therefore it behooves all worshipers of Jehovah who seek eternal life in this new world of righteousness to respect the sanctity of blood and to conform themselves to God's righteous rulings concerning this vital matter."
This organization is doomed.
Randy
