If only there were another GB member like Ray Franz

by tornapart 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • tornapart
    tornapart

    I'm just rereading Crisis of Conscience and was thinking if only there were others on the GB like him. Maybe things could change for the better. For instance when he felt troubled that a woman couldn't get a divorce when her husband cheated on her with another man.

    His response was this:-"The emotional upset I felt moved me to make a study of the original language terms (in Greek) used in Matthew, chapter nineteen, verse 9."

    He ended up researching it, then preparing a 14 page resume' which he presented to the other members and was received well and he wrote the necessary articles explaining the 'new understanding'.

    A sister wrote a letter saying how she had divorced her husband for having sex with an animal. She went on to remarry and was disfellowshipped as it was an 'unscriptural' marriage. Upon reading the articles she wanted to know if she could 'clear her name'.

    This is what Ray went on to say about it:-" I could only write her that the articles published were themselves a vindication of her course. Though again it had been satisfying to prepare the material acknowledging the organization’s erroneous view and rectifying it, the sobering thought remained that this could never undo whatever harm the previous position had caused over decades of time and—only God knows—to how many people."

    Unfortunately, when good men like this try to do the right thing, they are thrown out like Ray was.

  • Londo111
    Londo111

    Amen.

  • NewYork44M
    NewYork44M

    I am sure there are GB who know TTATT. However these ones saw what happened to Ray and see what they will have to give up. The conclusion is thanks but no thanks. And who can blame them.

  • redvip2000
    redvip2000

    I'm pretty sure that most of the GB members are conflicted with the idea that this is God's organization. When you are a R&F JW, you look at the people up the chain as if they have special insight. People look at the level above them and figure they have a special connection to God.

    But i'm sure that once you make it to the GB body and you look around, and see the way business in conducted ( arguing, debating, voting), you realize that the shroud of mystery that surrounds the GB, is totally unfounded. You probably realize that there is no red phone to Jehoober. It's just another group of corporate leaders trying to plug holes as best they can just in like any other organization.

    And what do you do when you realize this? Well nothing of course. Keep your mouth shut and go through the motions; lest anybody find out. The last thing you want is to lose a nice cushy easy job, where everything is paid for you till the day you die, and 7 million people think of you as a representative of God on earth. What's better than that?

  • blondie
    blondie

    Ray Franz did not set out to reform the WTS, merely adhere strictly to the scriptures...which got him in trouble, studying only the Bible. He was asked to leave and given some money. He settled in the Atlanta area and was hired by an elder in that area and attended that congregation. That elder saw the light from personal study and da'd himself. Ray and his wife (neither da'd or df') had a meal with him (still his employer) and his wife (not da'd or df'd) and the WTS retroactively df'd Ray, not his wife though.

    It was after that time he started writing and documenting his experiences. So if the WTS had left well enough alone, would Ray have written his books...perhaps not.

    Paul said that even an angel from heaven preached something other than what Christ did, not to follow them. Ray never wanted people to follow him but to make their own inspection...and he merely gave them some place to start.

    When I read his book, I saw myself on every page, had my observations confirmed, saw the bible free of WTS contamination.

    Blondie

  • tornapart
    tornapart

    Yes, I agree redvip... for most of them it's probably true. The difference with Ray is that he had a consience and acted on it. It would be interesting if this happens again with one of them.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    We won't see another Ray Franz on the GB; by the time a cadidate is ready, he's been thoroughly vetted for organization loyalty.

    The WT heirarchy will never, ever make that mistake again.

  • NewYork44M
    NewYork44M

    Great insightful post Blondie. Thank you.

  • flipper
    flipper

    One can only dream and hope

  • Magnum
    Magnum

    redvip2000: I'm pretty sure that most of the GB members are conflicted with the idea that this is God's organization. When you are a R&F JW, you look at the people up the chain as if they have special insight. People look at the level above them and figure they have a special connection to God.

    But i'm sure that once you make it to the GB body and you look around, and see the way business in conducted ( arguing, debating, voting), you realize that the shroud of mystery that surrounds the GB, is totally unfounded. You probably realize that there is no red phone to Jehoober. It's just another group of corporate leaders trying to plug holes as best they can just in like any other organization.

    And what do you do when you realize this? Well nothing of course. Keep your mouth shut and go through the motions; lest anybody find out. The last thing you want is to lose a nice cushy easy job, where everything is paid for you till the day you die, and 7 million people think of you as a representative of God on earth. What's better than that?

    I've often wondered about that - whether any of the GB know TTATT. I wish I could know for sure. I agree with what you said about making it to the GB and looking around and seeing the way business is conducted. I also agree that if any of them do know TTATT, they ain't going to say anything. They have a choice of continuing to be idolized rock stars who travel the world with many perks or being window washers, so I think they all choose the former. They lack the balls to speak up for truth.

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