RF and GG
The parallels between Raymond Franz and Galileo Galilei are remarkable and we can learn from them and their religious masters.
In the case of Galileo and the Catholic Church, the issue was not what the Church wanted people to believe it was: "who owns the truth about the heavens?"
In the case of Raymond Franz and the Watchtower Printing Corporation, the issue was not what the Corporation wanted people to believe it was: "who owns the truth about shunning", and "who owns the truth about what the Bible really teaches?"
No! In fact, "truth" had nothing to do with the real issue. The issue was not about "truth", but about "authority to say" what is truth, whether it is actually truth or not. This is important to let sink in and for an obvious reason. When authority trumps truth, especially when the "truth" involves what God wants from his Creation, could it ever be said under any conditions that this "authority" could come from an honest and just and truthful God? NO!
The Watchtower Printing Corporation has produced millions and millions of pages of print ridiculing the Catholic Church and its history for its old and new erroneous beliefs, and used that ridicule to contrast themselves and their "pure worship" with that of the Catholic Church.
What the Watchtower Printing Corporation has not done is acknowledge just how LIKE the Catholic Church they really are. They have the same hierarchical system, they have the same claim of being the one and only true religion, they persecute dissenters, and they believe non-members/heretics will eternally pay the price for not believing in and following them.
Of course, the Catholic Church does a number of things the Watchtower Printing Corporation is loath to do: they provide hospitals and charities giving billions of dollars for the poor and needy, regardless of religious affiliation. They provide high quality schools at a much lower price than other private schools. These schools do much more than merely teach kids how to sell books! They provide and pay for professional counseling for members and clergy who have mental issues or whom have suffered in the past because of injustices of the Church. And of course, the Catholic Church doesn't force its members to buy and sell books, and go to indoctrination and sales-training sessions or face God's eternal extermination.
But, let's look at the similarities:
Galileo produced a book called "Dialogue" which respectfully discussed the notions of a sun-centric universe versus an earth-centric Universe. He produced both sides of the debate and dispassionately proved the Church was wrong with their view.
Franz produced a book called "Crisis of Conscience" which respectfully discussed the notions of a Bible-based faith versus a Watchtower Printing Corporation-based faith. He produced both sides of the debate and dispassionately proved the Corporation was wrong with their view.
Galileo proved that the earth was not the center of the Universe, but just another planet circling around the sun.
Franz proved that the Corporation was not the center of God's favor, but just another religion circling around the Bible.
The ancient Roman Catholics and Greeks had an obsession with "Divine Circles" in describing the universe.
The "ancient" Watchtowerites had an obsession with "Divine Plans" in describing God activities.
Galileo was vilified and exiled by the Church.
Franz was vilified and exiled by the Corporation.
The Church banned Galileo’s book.
The Corporation banned Franz’s book.
Due to that banning, curiosity developed among Catholics and so the book was secretly distributed and read among Church members who would have otherwise never done so.
Due to that banning, curiosity developed among Jehovah's Witnesses and so the book was secretly distributed and read among Corporation members who would have otherwise never done so.
As so often happens, people with the old views in the Church die off and people come along and a new generation sees things differently.
As so often happens, people with the old views in the Corporation die off and people come along and a new generation sees things differently. If this is not true, then why is the Corporation's growth so stagnant, and their retention rate so small, especially with the new generation coming of age?
Five hundred years later as the Hubble sits on the edge of the universe the Catholic Church finally forgave Galileo and admitted their error.
Now for the most important CONTRAST between the Church and the Corporation:
The Church is finally started to come around to permitting questions to be asked and evidence to be produced which challenge their notions of "truth."
The Corporation forbids any questions in pursuit of truth, gives the same old answers, and believes its authority is more important than questions and the search for truth. It sits around being braindead and will NEVER encourage any quest for truth, merely defining "truth" as whatever they say it is this week.
It may have taken 500 years of arrogance, but the Church finally admitted they were wrong and forgave Galileo.
Even if it lasts that long, the Corporation will NEVER admit they are wrong and forgive Ray Franz. They will just re-write their past with lies like they've always done.
As the Catholic Church has gained tolerance and compassion over the years, the Watchtower Corporation is continuously losing whatever small amount of compassion it may have ever had.
Farkel
