Have any of you Jehovah's Witnesses read Franz's Crisis of Conscience?

Question

If so, can you give an opinoin...Please comment if you have read the Book in its entirety.
>>>>>>".Governing Body decided that certain conduct between husband and wife in bed would be grounds for divorce and disfellowshipping (formal excommunication and shunning). After the edict was issued (The Watchtower 12/1/72, pages 734-736) numerous marriages broke up as a result. Then, seven years later, the Governing Body changed its mind and reversed the policy. >>>>>>>

In the same way, the Governing Body was legislating other personal matters for Jehovah’s Witnesses: medical treatment, family relationships, etc. Rank-and-file J.W.s accepted the Governing Body’s decisions as “God’s law”, but Ray Franz knew that each decision was a mere product of the human whims, opinions and prejudices of his peers as they tossed ideas around and put them to a vote. Franz called to mind Jesus’ words to the Pharisees: “Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition…their teachings are but rules made by man.” (Matthew 15: 6,9 New International Version)

Like Quakers, Mennonites, Seventh Day Adventists and others, Jehovah’s Witnesses have long refused to bear arms as soldiers. But, unlike these others, the Witnesses have also refused civilian “alternative service” work in hospitals. (Witnesses tell the judge that their decisions are the result of personal conscience, but, in reality any Witness not following the organization’s instructions would be “disassociated” — cut off from friends and family the same as if disfellowshipped.) This practice came into question in a series of Governing Body meetings in 1978.

A motion was made at each one of those meetings to allow J.W.s to accept civilian hospital work. In each meeting a majority of the Governing Body (Franz names them) voted in favor of the change. But the resolution never passed because a two-thirds majority was required. So, young men among Jehovah’s Witnesses continued to refuse civilian work in hospitals — and thus faced jail sentences —

— even though a majority of the Governing Body felt there was no objection to such work.

Another “conscience” issue for Witnesses involved political party membership cards. When the ruling element in the African country of Malawi demanded that citizens purchase “party cards”, the Watchtower Society took a stand against it. In adhering to this position Malawian Witnesses faced imprisonment, beatings and severe mistreatment at the hands of government loyalists.

Meanwhile, in Mexico Witnesses were in the habit of bribing officials to obtain cards identifying them as members of the reserves who had fulfilled a year of military service. Not having the cartilla would result in some inconvenience, but not the sort of suffering Witnesses faced in Malawi


.

Franz relates in detail how Watchtower headquarters gave its approval to both policies leaving African J.W.s to face brutal persecution while permitting Mexican Witnesses to buy cards ‘under the table’. This caused much suffering in Africa. And it helped cause the “crisis of conscience” Raymond Franz experienced as a member of the Governing Body whose votes enforced these contradictory rulings.

The final portion of Crisis of Conscience is devoted to the events surrounding Ray’s removal from the Body and subsequent expulsion from the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. If it were not for the modern setting and doctrinal issues peculiar to J.W.s the story would sound much like any ‘heresy’ trial from the medieval Inquisition. Or, again, the evidence based on rumor and hearsay could have been taken from the Salem witch trials of colonial Massachusetts.

True, the Inquisition’s victims were burned at the stake, and the “witches” of Salem were hanged, while Raymond Franz was merely deprived of his livelihood, publicly disgraced, and cut off from family and lifelong friends. Still, one is left with the feeling that the only reason why Franz is an author today, instead of a corpse is that the Watchtower Society can not administer capital punishment. From the standpoint of Jehovah’s Witnesses, though, Franz is a dead man

Crisis of Conscience will be of particular interest to J.W.s—the few who dare read it. But it gives all of us food for thought about our personal relationship with God and our attitude toward men who claim religious authority.

Moises you are a true @%$#& Franz is still alive..do you know nothing? You are epicly uneducated.

Answer 1

Yes I did shortly after it was published.

I was left with the impression that the author was another disgruntled individual throwing a tantrum because things didn't go his way.

Otherwise I was unimpressed.

Added October 2nd, 2007

Used to be... PediC

"God Bless Ray Franz for telling The Truth."

Well to be accurate you should have said his version of the truth, because that's what it is his version.

"It's just something JWs don't want to believe as true and certainly not true from someone who made the rules for them for so long."

Turn this around and ask yourself why YOU believe him? Why do people automatically assume that Ray Franz is telling the truth ?

Could it be blind hatred of Jehovah's Witnesses that cause you to accept this as "truth"?

To me this book read just like those written by unhappy children, the so called "Tell All" books about their parents and their siblings. It's just sad.

Answer 2

Yes, I did, and now I'm an ex JW. People should also read 'In Search Of Christian Freedom', again by Ray, who is very much alive and kicking. What comes across in his books, which actually surprised me, as I was still a JW and expected bitterness and anger, was the fact that there was none of this. He displays nothing but compassion and love for his former brother and sisters, despite the terrible way they treated him. His writing and attitude is clearly that of a true Christian. As for Moises-froise, or whatever his name is, the society should severely reprove him because if he is an example of a true 'Christian Witness', then they are onto a loser. And, for his information, the numbers of new recruits is cooked up, and if they dared publish the numbers of those who willingly left it would almost negate those recruited. If there is a letter going about from Ray, then it is undoubtedly false, like the figures they produce.

Answer 3

I haven't (not a jw) but it's on my list! Tons of good stuff!

Mosies I have a SINGLE tattoo that I got before I was saved and even now WE AREN'T BOUND BY LEVITICAL LAWS!

You are a guy who is spiritually discerned, deceived, and headed straight to the lake of fire. Satan has devoured you. You need to repent of your false religion and believe in the God of the Bible which is Jesus! The Bible shows the errors of the watchtower, so do other ex-jw's who are now Christians and Christians as well. IF you end up in the lake of fire there is NO way that you can say we didn't try to help you. Think about that long and hard!

Answer 4

this story was far from "disgruntled" in tone. It's just something JWs don't want to believe as true and certainly not true from someone who made the rules for them for so long.

It's worth a read if you've been in, are in, or have family in their clenches. God Bless Ray Franz for telling The Truth.

Answer 5

ROFL...Moises F> must be hitting the rum again. Wrong information again per usual. I would like to get a copy of that letter and show it to Franz, HE would get a kick out of it.
Moises, did you ever READ what the comments were? Didn't think so!


Moises you give the same dumb answers to her questions. Why don't you man up and preach your junk on your won questions? OR Know what you are talking about. OR at least answer somewhere in the area of the subject at hand.
It is no ones fault that there are many who are deceived by the WBTS Cult dogma, that is Satan's plan.

Answer 6

I am no longer one of J.W.'s, but I clearly remember the events you referred to, as I was driven to the brink of sanity by them. As a devout Witness, I was torn to pieces.
I had grown to trust the Fellowship and Its Governing Body by inches to feet to yards to acres- painfully and slowly (as we all did)
The reasoning I vividly remember was that 'homosexuals practiced it', so God deplored it. And I soon reflected on homosexuals holding hands and kissing, dancing, hugging, and all manner of things freely done without condemnation when done as a man and wife.
Before the next year's end I had begun smoking cigarettes again and ceased meeting attendance, began getting drunk and smoking pot. I was quickly disfellowshipped and my wife and I were divorced the following year. I fell in with an outlaw motorcycle club and got covered with tattoos. When I read in a Watchtower about the flip-flop of the Governing Body's viewpoint on oral/anal sex between man and wife, I then looked for any manner, form or fashion of anything at all resembling...An Apology. (there never has been as far as I know)
But it hardly mattered anymore. The bike club disowned me for being just plain too crazy even for them. I struggled through many years of mainlining hard drugs and then becoming a chronic alcoholic before returning to sanity in Alcoholics Anonymous, a fellowship which imposes no 'laws' at all upon its members. The only requirement for membership is a Desire to Stop Drinking. I hope I'm never stupid enough to try and 'please God' in any way again, ever. I am what I am, and He f****n' well knows it. But one thing is for sure- I haven't had a drink in many years, and I'm no longer suicidally insane.

Answer 7

i have not read the book, but when there's change in any teachings/belief from the Society, we must be willing to accept it. here's an explanation from one of our publications:

The sun’s light gets brighter from dawn until “the day is firmly established.” Similarly, spiritual light gets brighter for Jehovah’s people as time goes on. As we draw much closer to events, our understanding of the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes becomes clearer. Divine prophecies open up to us as God’s holy spirit sheds light upon them, and as they are fulfilled in world events or in the experiences of Jehovah’s people. Thus their ‘path gets lighter and lighter.’

Lesson for Us: Displaying true wisdom and complying with divine commands will safeguard us against pursuing a foolish course that may lead to an early death. For instance, those ignoring Jehovah’s commands against sexual immorality may contract sexually transmitted diseases that could result in premature death. So let us act in harmony with God’s requirements, for then wisdom will be “a tree of life” in our case.—Proverbs 3:18. (w87 5/15 p. 28 Fear Jehovah and You Will Be Happy )

Answer 8

"Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. He that does remain in theis teaching is the one that has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works."
2 John 10, 11

Answer 9

Always the Same people answering

Nina (born again)
exJW#144,001 ( an apostate)
Christian Soldier ( a guy with tatoos ha ha ha)
Moises Frias ( a handsome and funny man )

come on don´t you realize that nobody care about us and your negative comments and none of us are going to fall in your wrong arguments?

by the way I was verifying about your father cause once you mentioned and the congregation and was interesting what I found.

Answer 10

Since March 14 until now near of 150,000 people became Jehovah´s witnesses and are preaching good news of God´s kingdom around the world, if Hitler couldn´t stop us, do you really think you can do something more than receiving answers from the same people?