by punkofnice 179 Replies latest jw experiences
I'm not sure the GB knew they were scamming people.
I think Fred Franz really believed his chronological speculations.
In CoC, Ray Franz indicates that after 1975, the GB was scrambling to figure out what went wrong.
I think the GB thought Fred was a real Bible scholar and trusted him implicitly.
Frederick William Franz (September 12, 1893 – December 22, 1992) served as President of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania , the legal entity used to direct the work of Jehovah's Witnesses . He had previously served as Vice President of the same corporation from 1945 until 1977 and as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses before replacing Nathan H. Knorr as president in June 1977. [1]
Franz was born on September 12, 1893 in Covington, Kentucky . He was baptized in the Lutheran Church, but attended Catholic services as a child as a matter of convenience, before later attending the Presbyterian Church. [2] He graduated from high school in 1911 and attended the University of Cincinnati where he studied liberal arts and later (for two years) Biblical Greek , [1] [3] with the intention of becoming a Presbyterian preacher. [2] He learned German and could read Latin and Greek and in later years learned Spanish, Portuguese and French and a basic understanding of Hebrew. [3] His association with the Bible Students began after he read some of the literature of Charles Taze Russell . He was baptized as a Bible Student on either November 30 1913, [4] or, according to Franz, April 5, 1914. [5]
In 1920 he joined the Watch Tower headquarters staff in Brooklyn , New York [2] and in 1926 became a member of the editorial staff as a Bible researcher and writer for the Society’s publications. Franz was the Society's leading theologian [6] and has been named as a leading figure in the preparation of the Witnesses' New World Translation of the Bible . [7] [8] His nephew and fellow Governing Body member Raymond Franz resigned from the Governing Body and was subsequently disfellowshipped in 1980 during F.W. Franz's presidency. [9]
Franz died in Brooklyn , New York in 1992 at the age of 99 [10] and was succeeded by Milton G. Henschel .
I started elementary school that fall.
Even with going to all the meetings, I still didn't know anything at all about 1975 or even any JW things, except for a few of the larger characters and that we didn't salute the flag or celebrate Christmas.
I didn't know people celebrated their birthdays until a kid did it in class.
So much for learning right along side the parents, huh?
I'm not sure the GB knew they were scamming people.
I think Fred Franz really believed his chronological speculations.
In CoC, Ray Franz indicates that after 1975, the GB was scrambling to figure out what went wrong.
I think the GB thought Fred was a real Bible scholar and trusted him implicitly.
If Fred Franz was the leading bible scholar around and leading up to 1975 as one of GB members,
he most likely created this weakly speculative date to further his own personal position in the organization,
taking into acount that he became the President after Nathan Knorr died.
You would logically think if a person had erroneously created a date which had no factual strength wouldn't be
further appointed upward to be the presidency of the organization. But as in all cases where there is a greatly acknowledged
perceived power at hand, people will push themselves up toward the highest obtainable level by using means which might
only be described as being corrupt and disingenuous.
Franz looks like a baptist preacher in the above picture. I'd bet his ass was so tight he could crap diamonds.
In CoC, Ray Franz indicates that after 1975, the GB was scrambling to figure out what went wrong.
Its worthy to note that Ray was one of those men who supported this this erroneously made up doctrine along with his brother,
being that so, its not not too surprising that he would white wash things up bit, in doing so intensionally making himself look
a little bit less guilty of the affair.
I find hard to believe that all those men would put so much trusting faith in to the bible scholarship on one man alone, without some
thoughtful scrutinizing of the information put forth by Franz. Nathan Knorr most likely had the final approving say on what was being printed
before it was sent to the presses being the President at the time. I think they were all in cahoots into the established doctrine knowing well
it would heighten the proliferation of the Society's literature. The accountable guilt was somewhat revealed by Ray himself but not completely.
Taking some reflection on the matter of 1975 , its worthy to realize that many people were DFed or Da for questioning the organization about this
doctrine including elders at the time.
The personal damage created by this disingenuous corrupt doctrine is still talked about to this day in how it effected the
acting JWS years after.
Not to mention the loss of those young people's lives who committed suicide and how that situation effected those families.
But like they say there is corruption in high places even it is in a religious organization posthumously proclaiming " The Solemn Truth "
I only turned three that year so I don't remember squat. My Mom was studying with the JWs at the time (and Dad was giving her hell for it). Mom didn't get baptized until four years later but she's now as indoctrinated as ever. Dad is as unbelieving as ever. I'm afraid to ask Mom what happened that year. Maybe I should ask Dad?
V665
Apparently we got an apology from the GB that 1975 didn't bring the big 'A' and it's laughable, what scum suckers, it's an insult, it's not an apology it's MY fault for believing the JW leader's LIES.............
Watchtower of March, 15, 1980, in the article “Choosing the Best Way of Life “the following:
“ In modern times such eagerness, commendable in itself, has led to attempts at setting dates for the desired liberation from the suffering and troubles that are the lot of persons throughout the earth. With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man’s existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation alreadyinitiated.”
I had my daughter that year in December, so I was preggers most of the year. I don't remember being very afraid of "The Big A", it wasn't something I thought a lot about. It's not that I wasn't as brainwashed as everyone else, it's just my personality, I was more focused on my day to day life and having my baby. I guess that's why I was never a very good JW.
it's not an apology it's MY fault for believing the JW leader's LIES.............
This statement and others is not surprising since the organization had stated many times that its the one truthfully guided organization,
unlike those evil wrongly inspired religions out there.
If that statement was published in 1980 then that was written by no other than Fred Franz himself.
He was white washing his own guilt, but thats typical of this cult and that is people not taking responsibility for their actions no matter how
egregious their actions were.
There is power in the published word and when your running a world wide organization you can expect the people at the top
are going to be faithfully protective to the organization that has created these men's power and personal stature.
