What if Fred Franz had never existed?

by Magnum 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Magnum

  What if Fred Franz had never existed?

  Those of you who weren’t around in the days when he was the oracle of JWdom or who at least aren’t familiar with the deeper publications he was responsible for probably won’t be able to comprehend the significance of the question. I believe he influenced JWdom greatly, and the whole feel of JWdom would have been different without him.

  During the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s (not sure about 50’s), he was considered to be almost superhuman by some (a lot?) of JWs. He was the guru, the oracle, the sage. He was the scholar. He was the visionary, the prophet. Tales of his feats and abilities abounded in JW land. About ten years ago, I was conducting a Book Study and there was another elder assigned to my group. He was probably in his late seventies at the time and was very familiar with the Franz era. He made a comment indicating that Franz was flying to another country to give a talk in the language of that country and that he (Franz) learned the language on the plane flight so he could give the talk.

  Many of us who were around during Franz’s heyday remember how JWdom was then. It was not shiny and shallow as it is now. Yeah, it was wrong then, too, but it was still different. It was deeper. It had a scholarly feel to it. It was bold and there was more dignity. Individual JWs and the org loved doctrine and deeper discussions back then; they weren’t scared of such as are individual JWs and the org of today. There was excitement in the air; the end of the world and our deliverance were imminent. JWdom attracted some really smart, stable people. I was there; I saw it. I remember the deep, exciting poolside discussions after district convention sessions. The look and feel of JWdom were just so different back then.

  But what would it have been like if Franz had never existed? What would the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s have been like? What would the literature have been like? Would there have ever been a New World Translation? What about doctrine? I assume there would not have been a 1975 debacle. Would JWdom have had the momentum that it did in that period if Franz hadn’t been in the picture? What would have been the look and feel without him?
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  Finkelstein

  Answer = another pretentious corrupt bullshitter would have taken his place as the head theologian ie. (N. Knorr) of the WTS, noting that climbing JWS get their bible theological training from the WTS itself.
  
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  Magwitch

  Without Fred and his wild prophecy, we may never have had the great apostasy that Ray and associates started.
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  Simon

  The more hardline disfellowshipping policy seems to have come out of his exit, as a way to silence him. They must have really seen him as a threat to their power.
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  Magnum

  Finkelstein, I wondered about that, but I just don't know that anybody else had the right mix of qualities (or lack thereof) to fit the role that Franz had. He seemed to be sort of odd, quiet, and reserved. And he did have some education and intelligence, though he wasn't the great scholar he was made out to be. I think his oddness added to the mystique about him and fed the legend.

  I'm not sure Knorr was bookish or nerdy enough to have been what Franz was.
  
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  Simon

  Oops, I answered about Raymond Franz !
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  Magnum

  Simon, I realized what you were referring to. I had to keep checking myself to make sure I didn't mix the names up. And, I think your comment is valid about Ray.
  
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  Finkelstein

  Reflecting back to Rutherford's aggressiveness in taking over the WTS. there was most likely a few steadfast devoted followers who would have taken over that position in the WTS hierarchical structure.
  

  Mind you some of those old doctrines propagated by Franz may not have come forward for example the two times he used the 6000 years of mankind's existence from Adam as he did in 1941 and again in the early 1970's to create 1975. Which was actually taken from C T Russell back in the early 1900's.............. Aww the corruption is useful is it not ?
  
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  Magnum

  Finkelstein: "Reflecting back to Rutherford's aggressiveness in taking over the WTS. there was most likely a few steadfast devoted followers who would have taken over that position in the WTS hierarchical structure."

  I'm leaning towards agreeing with that. I did think about Russell and Rutherford. I suppose there might have been somebody else in the shadows who could have assumed a role like Franz's, but I wonder how different it would have been under another person. How would the publications and doctrine have been different? Would there have been some publications similar to the deeper ones produced by Franz?

  What about the NWT? Would it have been produced? If so, how different would it have been?
  
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  OUTLAW

  What if Fred Franz had never existed?

  Another WBT$ Idiot Would Take His Place..
  

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  .......................................

  There Is No Shortage Of Idiots In..

  WatchTower World..