...Well except for the appendix. I felt I didn't need to!
This book is unbelievable!!!!!!!!! I thank the guy (I think he was from the UK) who suggested that I read it. I tells you everything. My mind has opened up to other possiblities. I don't feel (any longer) of having a bad conscience. Ray explains everything.
But... what I found really disturbing was this review on amazon.com! He reckons it's caused hatred and violence in Russia! Quite honestly, I wish I didn't see all the reviews now. But I love to hear what people say. Anyway here it is:
from: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0914675230/ref=cm_rev_next/002-6364422-6848061?%5Fencoding=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate&n=283155&customer-reviews.start=31&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER
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12 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
Used to Promote Violence and Bigotry, June 29, 2001
Reviewer: H. Schmitz (High Point, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Reviewer Kristina Gonzalez claims this book saved her life, yet daily we are receiving reports from those in Russia of the atrocities performed Jehovah's Witnesses, especially in the Georgian province. Interestingly, in order to fuel the cycle of hate and violence against Jehovah's Witnesses there, Ray Franz's polemic "Crisis of Conscience" has been translated into Russian and posted on the internet for free viewing. Franz claims to want to "help" others with his book...but instead it is being used in a most hateful fashion. I hope you can live with yourself Ray. I hope you can sleep at night, knowing your book is helping to destroy lives of your former brothers in Russia and turn the fight for religious freedom back to the dark ages. Frankly, I couldn't live with myself if I was in your shoes. If Kristina thinks Franz book promotes Christian Freedom, the facts speak otherwise. This goes for others also, like Ron Rhodes, James White, Rob Bowman, Walter Martin etc. If you only knew how your writings are being used to incite hatred, you might think twice.
Was this review helpful to you? YesNo (Report this)
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I am sorry, maybe you think I am stupid, but I was really upset after reading this review!!! IT'S SO ARROGANT AND CLOSED MINDED!!! Other people suffer too you know Heinz...
How would you people deal with reviews like this? I am sorry this is another stupid thing to say I know. I am just curious...
I think people would hate JW's anyway! Look what happened to them in Malawi, Germany and Australia. I didn't realize until recently that the JW activity was banned in Australia too. All these events took place long before this book was written.
I don't like this guy. I have looked at his site: http://www.geocities.com/yhwhbible/main.htm... I haven't looked at everything, but I think it's ok, but I have contacted him a couple of times and he is so arrogant!
I think he must of read Crisis of Conscience and couldn't come to terms of how bad they were and are (because he is bloody brain washed) so he just takes it out on those who tell the truth -- like Raymond Franz.
I think the JW's bring about hatred on themselves due to their high leve of arrogance!
Just read Crisis of Conscience!
by inquirer 14 Replies latest jw friends
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inquirer
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bebu
Happy that you liked that book! Good for you!
...But that was one idiotic book review!! Someone's just grumpy because they couldn't really argue with Ray, so they blame him for an alleged crime. AS IF all the people in Russia are reading that book online (and we don't know if it is even online) and then beginning a pogrom of sorts because of it. What horse manure.
Anyway, why don't you register that you didn't find the review helpful, and then write your own?
bebu
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talley
YES! YES! YES!
~ I don't feel (any longer) of having a bad conscience. Ray explains everything.
That is exactly what I thought after reading and then reasoning on the content of CofC! It felt as if a great weight was lifted from my shoulders, a weight I was not really aware of, but a weight that was dragging me down nevertheless. Ray's book was a real 'end game breakthrough' for me.
As to the review, I recall many bragging statements from the platforms and magazines about how JW's have suffered persecution going back to the time of Christ, which, by the way, was long before Ray's C of C.
talley/Judy
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68storm
I wouldn't give that review a second thought. Obviously that guy is either demented or is a fanatical JW.
I have read that book twice and found that Ray's forgiveness of what that religion did to him very frustrating. If it were me, I am afraid that I would have done something that would put me away for a very long time.
I am a nominal Catholic and feel that my religion has failed in my case. I have met Ray in person and you could not find a gentler soul.
I don't know how he has managed to remain so forgiving after the way the wts has treated him. All the malicious rumors, putting him in the pasture at the age of 57, no severance pay (even though he gave them a lifetime of unpaid service, oftentimes dangerous and extremely unhealthy).
I am not sure wether there is a God! but if there is all of the leaders of this sect will surely have a rude awakening.
68storm
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toladest
Shouldn't that reviewer be thanking Ray Franz if he thinks Ray caused those crimes?! I thought that JW's THRIVED on being persucuted.
It's a bunch of Bull**** anyway. It's like saying that Jeffery Dahmer was only killed in prison because the courts and newspapers told people he was a canibal! WELL, IF HE HAD NOT BEEN A CANIBAL NO ONE WOULD HAVE REPORTED THAT HE WAS! Should he have never been exposed and thrown in prison because he may later be persucuted for it?!
The WTS is responsible for it's own crimes and THEY are the one responsible for their followers being persucuted. Just because Ray made their crimes public does not make him responsible for their crimes. He has made his apologies for his part. He is trying to make it right.
Laurie
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ithinkisee
I just finished reading Crisis of Conscience too.
But I tell you what, the book that is really amazing me is his second book - In Search Of Christian Freedom.
I skipped meeting to read it. After Blondie's overview of today's watchtower it would have made me nauseous being there.
I'm only on chapter 4, but the logic about the governing body and their supposed divinely appointed authority is so clear and to the point that I just read it with my jaw dropped.
Where Crisis Of Conscience was more about his experiences as a GB member and his expulsion, In Search of Christian Freedom seems to focus on the FACTS & FACTORS contributing to the illegitimacy of the Watchtower and the Governing Body. That's what it seems to be right now anyways.
The stuff about the evolution of the first-century congregation after the apostles was amazing, and something I had always wondered but never had the chance to research - because alot of that information is just so friggin hard to find.
If the first few chapters are any indicator, I think I will like In Search of Christian Freedom even better.
-ithinkisee
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sf
Ah yes, 'Hector':
http://profiles.yahoo.com/yhwhbible [ photo submitted ]
http://www.geocities.com/yhwhbible/main.htm
Name: Heinz Schmitz
Nickname: hector3001
E-mail: [email protected]
Reviewer rank: 16562Real Name: H. Schmitz (High Point, NC United States) Interesting that these are on his wish list:
Items from Heinz Schmitz's Wishlist - See all items on Heinz Schmitz's Wishlist
Why We Lie : The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind by David Livingstone Smith Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament by Jason Beduhn, Jason David Beduhn Happy trails!
sKally
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Bryan
If you only knew how your writings are being used to incite hatred, you might think twice.
That's like writing a letter to Smith and Wesson and saying, if you only knew what your guns are doing.
Guess what... people will use what they wish to achive their own objectives. This person, in the above quote, in my oppinion, is a witness simply trying to keep those, who need it, from reading it.
Edited to say: Okay, maybe he's not a witness. Though, obviously a fanatic. Pretty much the same thing.
Bryan
Have You Seen My Mother
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Bonnie_Clyde
I had a hard time putting the book down. I couldn't believe it how so many things that he talked about I remembered. Example--when the Watchtower announced that now the brothers in Mexico were free to practice their religion openly, I said to Clyde, "I didn't know the brothers in Mexico were being persecuted. How come we weren't writing letters of protest like we did for the brothers in Malawi?" Then I found out what really happened.
I wondered why even in the years before 1975 we were getting so many conflicting articles--first an article promoting 1975, then another that said we weren't serving for a date. Clyde, even back then, said that there was had to be conflict in Bethel even though he had absolutely no firsthand knowledge. After reading Ray's book, we found out that there absolutely was all kinds of conflict at Bethel.
I remember a sister back then saying back in the 1970's that her brother-in-law at Bethel lamented that one of their biggest problems for Bethelites traveling to foreign countries was the blood issue, because it was required that they be vaccinated with vaccines that contained blood fractions. I think it was in 1978 that the Society lighted up on the fractions saying it was a matter of conscience. I wonder if that was a reason why fractions were suddenly OK.
I remember looking at history books when I was in highschool about the fall of Jerusalem, trying to find the 607 B.C. date and couldn't find any corroboration, but finally concluded that they just didn't have the insight that our Organization had. Thanks to Ray I now know the truth about that.
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GetBusyLiving
I really liked In Search of Christian Freedom too. Especially his explanation of why the whole 'Faithful and Discreet Slave' interpretation by the WTBTS is complete bullshit.
