I’ve been a JW for all my life, not active for the last 5 years. I do not go to meetings anymore, do not preach… I feel free now, have time for my children, time to enjoy a little bit. It has not been easy to leave an organization you’ve belonged for all your life. Only a JW will know what I’m talking about, all the psychological issues and dependence. My so called “brothers” and “sisters” do not even say Hi to me anymore, and you’re labeled as if you were inferior. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to get informed and do an intense research on the Watchtower Society, thanks to my husband. What I’ve found out is painful. I’ve received answers to the questions I never dare to ask because I was afraid to be labeled as “apostate”. This is why the WT constantly warns against the Internet; any source of information other than the WT’s is demonic. I compare it to a communist regime. As a Witness, you’re not supposed to question any of their teachings, and your knowledge is limited to what the WT literature has to offer. They do not divulge the WT past, nor they talk about the WT settlements for child abuse cases, or how they handle these cases. I’m reading Diane’s book, and it was like revisiting part of my own life, the one I’ve decided to leave behind for good. The psychological damage is worse in kids. No Holidays to get together with friends, no gifts, no prom… How much I regret having half of my life wasted! Please, do not let your kids go through this!

While reading this one thought would not leave me….I wonder if he was not so advanced in age and still here today, would it all have turned into the same. A following, a sect, an organization, a body of people, who soon form structure. One made from man, flesh.
Russell from the beginning was given the truth. Spirit to speak the truth. R. Franz, was given the truth, spirit to speak the truth. In our desire to speak the Word, a desire not of our own, one of Spirit, it is very easy to give into the fleshly desire of self-importance. It is very easy to develop a ‘following’. Afterwhich, it is very easy to want to please this following. It is also very easy for this following to want to please us.
The bigger the following the more to please. Which makes it easy to say, I will just please self. Jesus taught in many places, many temples. He told the truth and moved on to the next place. They either believed or not. He had no house, no temple, no building, no regular meeting place. He printed no pamplets, no scrolls.
The Scriptures have a beginning and an end. The appointed ones wrote. Mass production by any means of The Word other than whatever is already written, and any interpretation of them printed is a re-writing of the Word of God.
All Praise and Glory to the Father for opening their eyes and unplugging their ears. Knowledge, Truth, is from Him alone through Christ.

@otto marconi
Otto, I am not and never was a Jehovah’s witness. Im just a believer in the God of the Bible that you deny and despite so much.

I really dont know why you are insulting me. Just because you disagree with me? I guess given the content of your insults, that must be the logical and rational way in which someone “with a brain” defeats the faulty arguments of an opposer…

And if this is just a childish matter of proving that we have a brain, I guess that having immigrated from the third world to Canada after having been accepted in the University of Toronto (after I rejected an offer from Columbia University in NY) with a full scholarship to pursue graduate studies in computer science, having already finished a MSc and being about to finish my PhD, should be proof enough on my side.

Have a good life, Otto!

@otto marconi
“invented by the those pranksters at the vatican”. Otto, if you are going to have a particular position on a subject, at least base it on historical facts, but not just on some unfounded and uninformed ideas. And Im NOT discussing here if Jesus was a historical figure or not. Im just pointing out that if the story of Jesus was made up, then it was forged centuries before “the vatican” ever came into existance, or even before the roman emperor Constantine declared christianity the official religion of the empire in the early 4th century. If Jesus never existed, then a very large number of early church fathers from the first and second centuries must have all conspired together to invent this character. Funny that a vast majority of them chose to give their lives for this made-up Lie…

@D. Wizzle
D Wizzle,
God is not angry with you! On the contrary, He loves you and understands your suffering. (Heb 4:15 “For we have as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in all respects like ourselves, but without sin”)
The Truth is not an organization but a Person: Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)
No other person or organization is between you and the Father, but Jesus: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5) He lovingly tells you: “Come to me, all YOU who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh YOU. Take my yoke upon YOU and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and YOU will find refreshment for YOUR souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

As far as Ray Franz goes, I grew up knowing his name. I was born in 1980 and my mom was baptized in the same year.

If you read either of his books, you would know what his stance is on salvation and Jesus Christ (I assume the “Z” was a type-o”)

Anyway, we don’t need to research every person that publishes anything. Do you know the full story of Isaac Newton? Why, then, do you accept gravity as a physical LAW of the universe? Do you know everything about Albert Einstein’s life? No, you know that what they say is truth because of how it compares to unchanging laws that are not up for dispute (i.e, gravity, speed of light, circumference of the earth, temperatures, etc…)

Ray Franz is the first person that I have believed to say the truth after growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was taught to never read anything or listen to anything that was contrary to what I already believed. After college I began to realize that to learn and grow in intelligence and to grow as a person you need to have a critical eye.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught to never read anything contrary to what is not “present truth”. I guess reading the old Studies from the Sciptures is just as bad as ready apostate stuff, right?

After reading “Crises” and then more importantly “Christian Freedom”, I realized that whether what Ray said was right or wrong, I need to take more responsibility to what I REALLY believed. Now I do.

I still feel disappointed in myself because I stay with the organization. But I CANNOT CANNOT CANNOT lose my family. My parents would never talk to me again and I’d lose my wife (and hence…2 sons). I am willing to give up everything. I know that is pathetic to say, but it’s true. I’m sure God is not happy with me for this. I just don’t know the alternative.

@sparky
This man spoke out about wrong doing in the WT society….then you go on about hius stance with God?????? Jehovah does not require an organization….look up things before you comment with such a lack of education in this subject….the WT is extremely rich…..is that what Jesus would have looked well apon. I doubt it. And we don`t need magazines tellinbg us over and over the same things…costing people money many can ill afford. THAT is not Godly…..the WT regardless, is a successful money making machine. Endorsed by Jehovah…time will tell.

Sad, very sad, brainwashed imbecile resorting to innuendo and vague scriptural threats – wake up and smell the coffee – Ray F saw the light – the WT Society “went apostate” long ago when mans rule replaced Gods

re:john, vancouver

it looks like a case of can’t see the woods for the tree’s.

check out the brouchure Jehovah’s Witnesess – who are they?

on page 12 & 13 look at the section “what do they believe?”

could there be something holding you back, something you are embarressed about? is it fear of man?

ann,
before you leave consider this. when the jews left egypt how many wished to see the promised land? all of them. how many actually did? some died at the hands of Jehovah but others through the inescapable fact we are all slaves to sin and death.

was the faith of those ones like moses, aaron, miriam dimmed in any way by the fact they did not see the fulfillment of the promise? did they moan that they had been lied to? or that they had been sold short?

do you want to go back to worship idols, saints or men?

i have with the org since 1969. i remember when ray franz went apostate. is this what you want? to listen to apostates? who provided the ransom? physically it was jesus but who asked him to do it? Jehovah. therefore it is to him you should stick to and not to a man who will tickle you with words and offer nothing except you believe him.

and where will that take you. remember Gen 3.15 has not been completely fulfilled just yet. even ray knows that so what will happen to him l wonder and to you?

Dear Brother, I too am wondering which way to turn. I have never been baptized, but have been associated with JW’s all my life. My wife and children are baptized witnesses, my three sisters are babitzed witnesses as is my 86 year old mother and all her family. My grand mother was a witness for 80 years and 8 of her 11 children are witnesses and all there children and all there children. Hence my whole extended family are witnesses. I have tried discussing issues with my sisters however they ignore the facts concerning Pastor Russel, 607 1914. they truly believe that they have the truth, as you must have as well.
My children are 12,16, & 18. The younges studying for baptism. How can I try to tell them about the ” society” without being branded an apostate and loosing all contact with them? An impossible situation.

Thank you Brother Franz for the books you wrote. I wish I’d known about them when they were first published. They provide food for thought and make honest people examine themselves as Jehovah’s witnesses. After being associated with the organization since 1988, I realize it’s time to leave now. For the past 15 years, “I’ve been waiting on Jehovah.” Now I know, shattered hearts must go to Jesus because he saves us from false doctrines and harsh shepherds.

This is a year later to your posting and I have not read the book by franz as of yet, but I intend to. I am in a dilema. I have been a witness for about 30 years. I am 50 and my faith has been shattered by unloving men “Elders” who have mistreated him horribly with false allegations. They removed him unjustly as an Elder and their Presiding Overseer. It is a long story and I do not wish to go into it right now. I myself have been mistreated for many years by the same men and now my father is the brunt of their attack. I have been an elder up to just recently in another congregation, I removed myself. I am wanting to know where shattered hearts go after being a witness. I do believe that many of the beliefs are right. there are some that I do question but need to know where to go. I am in the hopes that Franz has started something. I do have the society to thank for much of my knowledge but I fear that they have drifted away from really helping the sheep and are playing to much politics within the organization. To many wrongs are left for “Jehovah to work out in his own time”. This I feel, is their way of not looking into things that may cause them legal problems.

dear brother Franz ,
Hope you are keeping well IV just read you two books and all i can say is wow! thank you for your honesty and your fairness in the writing of the two books.thank you for your deep insight on the going ons within the organization of the wittiness’s helped me and my best friend to find the true truth of how to worship our loving father Jehovah god .thank you thank you once Brother in faith.
yours sincerely.
frank

Excellent book..

Fair in its approach and outlook..

An in depth study of the Watchtower Societies history…showing all the mistakes of its past and wrong teachings it still administers to its followers..

In a “Fair World” they would read it and they would be shocked at what they found….