Freddy Franz, One of the smartest men of his day???? (page 5)

Half banana

To me Fred Franz was the last true JW Adventist preacher. He retained the reedy declamatory tones which could have been heard at the end of the nineteenth century. He was fixated on his own interpretation of the outplaying of “end times” events and I’m pretty sure he saw his role as the final instrument which Big J was using to declare it. It must have come as a great surprise for him to find himself alive in the year 1976 without Armageddon.

Most JW leaders were narcissist, egoist, sociopaths or a mixture of these. From listening to Fred Franz close up, I got the impression of a personable individual, benign in intent, self deprecating but perhaps fixated to a psychotic degree. Barbara obviously has been able to give a more considered appraisal, and indeed the journalist may have even got to the heart of the matter!

I heard him declare at the UK Bethel extension opening in 1984 wistfully saying how in the future we may be able look back and find out just how the year 1975 fitted into the scheme of things. He could not let go of his supreme error or admit it to be wrong. I’m sure he felt it was to have been his glorious swan song. The Watchtower however never apologises for error since it would appear as if God was not leading them.

Imagine how much of the thinking and life decisions of JWs throughout much of the twentieth century had been determined by this one man Fred Franz. He had persuaded not only the rest of the hierarchy of his eschatology but all of the readers of the Tower. Like all his predecessors he just cried wolf when there was no wolf...he had no divine inspiration and nor has any JW ever given the slightest demonstration of divine insight...not even a scrap!

Just think though; how many millions of lives have been miss-spent on the strength of the words of this lunatic Fred Franz?

He may have had some education but in this regard he was only a one eyed man in the land of the blind.

JWs will believe anything if it is written in the Watchtower or if it enhanced the power and glory of their leaders...what a futile life it is to be a Jehovah’s Witness?

Fisherman

Just because you didn't see him doesn't mean that he didn't

Spark, I never said that he did not use notes. I only said that I never saw him use them. I also qualified my statement : or he would just give any talk without any notes even at the assembly.

That is what I observed, what I saw- not what I heard from others- and I saw him up close give more talks than most JW. I did not realize this on my own, it was pointed out to me and then I took noticed when he would go up to the platform with just the Bible. I also saw him read from the song book but that does not mean that he could not sing the songs without reading them. I never heard that he was a Savant or had photographic memory but I I did see him give a lot of LONG talks without notes. So the point is that: He could and he did give talks without notes and I saw what I saw.

Spark, the photos you posted do not establish that BK was reading from his notes. He could have been reading some letter for example or some announcement -or maybe as you imply,his notes. I do not know but they they not seem like notes to me. Seems to me as if he is reading something ,not referring to his notes.

Londo111

It has been speculated by those who knew him that he was on the Asperger's spectrum. He had a hard time relating to people for understanding what was socially appropriate. He dressed in an outlandish manner. From what I understand, he made a total mess when eating. He would evidently become fixated on a point and zone anything else out. And he did seem to have a photographic memory.

Fisherman

He (Franz) did not use notes.

He did not uses notes, or rather, he did not need them for his talks

Spark, you only quoted part of what said. I explained the part that you quoted with the rest of my statement. BA also claims that she saw BF give a talk at the assembly without notes and that shows that he could and that he did.

The photos that you posted show BF reading something at an Assembly but it does not establish that he was referring to his notes. At an assembly, speakers are sometimes required to read something to the audience word for word. He may have been doing that or he may have been reading from his notes. But BA and myself have already stated what we claim is case, and that is, that FF could give a talk without notes even at an assembly.

These are no myths. He was not an ordinary man. He was a brilliant remarkable man, yet he had his shortcomings and failures like everybody else. I honor and respect him -but that is just me.

Fisherman

He dressed in an outlandish manner

I never saw that. Seemed to me that he blended with everybody else. At least I do not remember noticing. And that was never pointed out to me. Maybe in his much younger years or while he was traveling if that was the case,

redvip2000

here was a lot of myths about his so called brilliance, university educated , multi lingual including Hebrew, including being an actual scholar in Hebrew,

I think it was greek if i'm not mistaken, and this supposed knowledge was marginal, I guess just enough to come up with the NWT, probably by copying from other bibles as well.

Finkelstein

He was a brilliant remarkable man, yet he had his shortcomings and failures like everybody else. I honor and respect him -but that is just me..

This is the guy who drew out some old doctrinal proclamations like the 6000 year dating chronology to make up 1975 from old WTS. publications from C T Russell days.

Actually he did it before in 1943 in one his books and then again in the late 1960's, I guess he forgot about his old lies from the past.

This guy was a crook and con man portraying himself to be a academically trained bible scholar but was just a idealistic amateur who took on the position of one of the leading writers for the WTS.

He embraced the portraying role of pointing out main stream Christendom's faults but in the process made a bunch of his own faults.

He was also mainly responsible of creating the no blood doctrine which has killed thousands and still kills people to day , this is the guy you so lovingly respect Fisherman ?????

dropoffyourkeylee

I'll make an assertion which will no doubt find diagreement.

The JW religion exists as it is due to the influence of three persons:

William Miller

Charles Russell

Fred Franz

sparky1

"Here we go round the Mulberry bush, the Mulberry bush, the mulberry bush........................."

"He (Franz) did not use notes, or rather, he did not need them for his talks but neither did NHK (Nathan Homer Knorr). Never once did I see NHK (Nathan Homer Knorr) refer to his notes, or he would just give any talks without any notes even at the assembly."

So what is your contention? That they DID not use notes ever? That they had said notes but never referred to them? You can't have it both ways. It is obvious from the photos that they are both reading something and in the case of Fred Franz it does not appear that he is reading a bland announcement about attendance numbers or announcing the next speaker. (Since I was not present, this is only conjecture on my part.) A more elegant way to make your claim would have been to state: 'Fred Franz and Nathan Knorr had very keen minds and knew their subject well. They were capable of giving some of their talks without notes and could even quote portions of the Bible verbatim. I have seen this myself on many occasions.' I am not somebody's fool nor did I just fall off the turnip truck. I was raised in the religion from infancy starting in the middle 50's and have seen Knorr speak up close and personal. It is true that many times he DID NOT use notes. However, I have seen him speak and also use notes. As a Bethelite, I witnessed it both ways. I do not deny that either man was an accomplished speaker and could give a talk from memory. In my teenage, pioneering years, I copied Knorr's rambling, folksy style myself and rarely used notes for my Ministry School assignments. That makes me neither extraordinary, brilliant or remarkable.

That's one hell of a handful of announcements that Brother Knorr has to make at this assembly. Perhaps he is carrying them for Brother Percy Chapman.

sparky1

At an assembly, speakers are sometimes required to read something to the audience word for word.

"Brothers and sisters I have an announcement to make: YOU ARE NOW DISMISSED FOR THE NOON MEAL!!!!"

Freddy Franz, One of the smartest men of his day????

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