Ray Franz Comments on Y.M.C.A.

by compound complex 27 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  compound complex

  Ray Franz states that, according to Governing Body decisions on matters of faith, fault found with certain of a religion's teachings makes said faith, in its totality, unacceptable to God. Therefore one's association in that religion renders one unclean. As a consequence, a Jehovah's Witness would be disfellowshiped for joining the Y.M.C.A. Or an individual wishing to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses could not retain his Y.M.C.A. membership. [The Watchtower, January 1, 1979, pp. 30, 31.] Franz's clear and fair-minded reasoning seems so at odds with the prevailing arrogant and judgmental WT mind-set:

  "The fact that I think there is something unchristian in a religion
  hardly gives me the right to judge all its members as totally
  unacceptable to God. This is following the principle of
  "guilt by association," a principle that was used against
  Jesus by religious leaders. (Compare Matthew 9:11; 11:19.)
  Following this principle, it does not matter what kind of
  person THE INDIVIDUAL [emphasis: RF.] may be, what his
  personal beliefs are, how much devotion he personally shows
  to God's Word, how high the standards are by which he lives.
  Unless he ceases affiliation with any of such religious groups -
  and takes up membership with Jehovah's Witnesses - he will
  be destroyed by God at the time of the "great tribulation."
  
  Franz concludes with the old JW standby - 'wait on God.' If individual Jehovah's Witnesses find some of their faith's teachings unscriptural or practices unchristian, they are warned to be neither critical nor expecting perfection. Stick with the organization. No matter what.

  [IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM, Ray Franz, Legalism- Opponent of Christian Freedom, p. 271.]
• 

  Pahpa

  compound complex

  I think you may have misread Ray's comments. He is not advocating staying in the organization and "wait upon God." Rather he pointing to the PARADOX of the Watchtower's reasoning on this matter.

  "Paradoxically, when inidividuals associated with Jehovah's Witnesses find some of their own organization's teachings to be unscriptural or its practices to be unchristian, they are told that they should not be overly critical, should not expect perfection, should stick with the organization, 'waiting on God' eventually to clear matter up."

  This is the mindset of the Watchtower....not Ray Franz.
• 

  drew sagan

  This was something that really aggrivated my wife when she was still going to meetings. Sometimes their rules become some weak that their true purpose can be revealed.
• 

  blondie

  Yes, I think you must have misread Ray's comments. He doesn't expect JWs to stay in the Borg and wait on God...his example is proof of that.

  Blondie
• 

  compound complex

  Dear Pahpa and Blondie,

  Thanx for the clarification; I realize that the wording made it appear to be R.F.'s thinking. Of course, it is not. He concluded his comments by revealing the WT's stance on the matter - not his own. "Ray Franz concludes his comments by repeating the old JW standby [not his viewpoint] - 'wait on God.'" [too late to edit the original text]
  I appreciate your bringing this to my attention.
  
  Thank you again,

  CoCo
• 

  M.J.

  In any case, thank you for providing that quote.
• 

  compound complex

  Greetings M.J.,

  You're very welcome! Have a great day and thank you for responding.

  CoCo
• 

  M.J.

  I've been meaning to read that book but never have gotten around to it. I think I may just have to order it.
• 

  Pahpa

  M.J.

  I think you'll really enjoy "In Search of Christian Freedom." I'm sure Ray's books will remain as classic rebuttals to the Watchtower's propaganda. It is because Ray has treated the subject with kindness and compassion that makes it so appealing to many of us who have left the organization. It's too bad that JWs still villify this literature without ever having read it. They would be surprised of how forgiving and tolerant he is of an organization that treated him so poorly.

  CC

  I know how embarrassing it is to make an error. But we all do it. In my case, my fingers outdo my brain...haha
• 

  compound complex

  Thank you, once again, Pahpa .......
  
  You are very kind; no wonder they took me out of proofreading at Bethel and put me in shrink-wrap! The department, that is.
  Actually, when one turns in one's 30-day notice, one is demoted to the nether regions. Oh well! Met a lot of nice inmates in the dungeon.

  Gratefully,

  CoCo