Ray Franz.

by Englishman 43 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  mrsjones5

  I remember it being announced at a circuit convention hall in Fremont California around 1980, I was about 15. I didn't know who the hell the man was, but it did cause a slight stir in the audience. I don't recall my parents ever saying anything about it and I dont remember it ever being mentioned at the hall.

  But I do remember a book that he had written being mentioned at the convention, not the name of the book mind you, just that he had written an apostate book and no one was to read it.

  That stuck in my mind and when I was able to I found that book.

  Maybe that brother on stage should have kept mum about the book, ah? lol

  Mrs Jones
• 

  JustTickledPink

  Question: I recently have been exchaning emails concerning the WTS and the UN and mentioned Franz, my mother came back with this

  That one member of the governing body was DF'd because of
  unlawful activity similar to that of Annanias & Saphira. Greed can lure
  an unfaithful person right out into the open for all to see what they
  really are. There was a report in the Miami Herald about his illegal
  activity. Secular authorities charged him, the accusation did not
  originate from the Watchtower. I remember reading that report in the
  early 80's. He did like Judas and Achan. I never thought you'd fall for
  such sensationalism & their lies and intrigue and deceit. And you would
  defend such defectors and deceivers?

  Has anyone ever heard of this? I am about to start a google search on it, but I have no idea what she is talking about and want to email her back some facts... the TIME article is perfect, I am sending her that for sure.

  Thanks.
• 

  NeonMadman

  That one member of the governing body was DF'd because of
  unlawful activity similar to that of Annanias & Saphira.

  Franz was disfellowshipped for the "unlawful activity" of having lunch with his employer, Peter Gregerson, who was disassociated.
• 

  JustTickledPink

  I went to find the article she mentions, but she never has any facts to back up her claims... anyways, the Miami Herald only has archives online back to 1982.

  There was nothing in all the articles I searched relating to him.
• 

  Mary

  ? This is a notification that Raymond Victor Franz is no longer a member of the Governing Body and of the Brooklyn Bethel family as of May 22, 1980.

  Translation: This is a notificatio that Raymond Victor Franz was kicked off our exclusive board, because he found out that alot of our doctrines are nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

  That one member of the governing body was DF'd because of unlawful activity similar to that of Annanias & Saphira. Greed can lure an unfaithful person right out into the open for all to see what they really are. There was a report in the Miami Herald about his illegal activity. Secular authorities charged him, the accusation did not originate from the Watchtower. I remember reading that report in the early 80's. He did like Judas and Achan. I never thought you'd fall for such sensationalism & their lies and intrigue and deceit. And you would defend such defectors and deceivers?

  This is bullshit. Ray Franz was never charged by secular authorities on anything. This is just another "seek and destroy" campaign that the rest of the GB and their scumified lawyers put out to try and justify their actions. Ask your mother to provide the documentation from the Miami Herald to back up her claims. Did she look into this herself? Or did she just accept without question what the Organization has told her. How does she KNOW that Ray Franz lied? Did she actually look into what he was saying? Or did she once again, just accept the official line of bullshit that came out of Columbia Heights?
• 

  minimus

  I was an elder when Franz got kicked out. ALL the Society men demonized him as a bad person, evil apostate, etc. It made me want to know more about him ESPECIALLY after I realized he was the major researcher for the AID book.
• 

  BluesBrother

  There was not a lot of reaction on this side of the Atlantic. We heard on the grapevine ,perhaps later, that he had been d/f'd . A little later came a whole series of WT articles about the need for Unity , the dangers of independant thiking and the fact that the Org was being sifted from within .everybody just marvelled that Satan had been able to reach right into the Organisation

  The grapevine word was that Ray Franz had left to start his own church, using the techniques and methods he had learned at Bethel.. Of course I now know that to be untrue

  BTW. Those end-of-service-year announcements still send a shudder to this ex secretary
• 

  fleaman uk

  I think im right in saying that about a Year after he was Disfellowshipped that horrible WT article came out about the need to treat disfellowshipped/disassociated Persons with the utmost severity.Before that Article came out,things were fairly civil regarding D,fed ones(could at least say Hello etc).That soon changed.

  I imagine they didnt want another embarassing Ray Franz on their Hands.

  I vaguely remember as a Kid that announcement in the Km,because my Parents were really shocked about it .That was a topic for discussion and intrigue for quite a while after.
• 

  Joyzabel

  I remember when that article in the Times came out. We had left Bethel in 1976 to start a family. There were other Bethelites that were dismissed (df'd) at the same time, friends of ours. We, of course, could not get any truthful answers from our remaining bethel friends at the time. But Ray's leaving sure did leave a question in our minds like : "WTF was going on!"

  Ray was the breath of fresh air as a governing body member while we were at bethel. He emphasized bible reading and not organizational rules. While we were busy raising our family, we would hear rumors that Ray had written 2 books. We also heard that if people read those books they would ?leave the Truth? *gasp*. While we tried to be good dubbies our curiosity was raised as to what Ray had written about.

  So yes Mike, his leaving caused a stir in the US but it seem to die down and the WTBTs went forward with their organizational rules, poor treatment of their R & F and the continuing of smoke & mirrors about their doctrines.

  It is interesting to re-read that article and remember that a multi-million/gadzillion dollar industry only gave Ray $10,000 when he left. He was a 3rd generation JW, raised a jw, went into full time work right out of high school and was kicked out at 59. So about 40 years of devoted service and he gets ten thousand.
• 

  Joyzabel

  can't get the sentences that are missing stay put on this site. oh well.