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Since his departure from the group in late 1981, Raymond Franz has written and edited two detailed books about the Watch Tower Bible And Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses' organization). Raymond Franz's background Raymond Franz was born and raised into the Jehovah's Witness religion as a third generation Witness. His father was baptized in 1913 when the group were still called "Bible Students". Raymond became an active member when he was sixteen years old in 1938, and he was baptized into the religion in 1939. Raymond's uncle, Frederick Franz , had a powerful influence on the religion's teachings, development, practices, and doctrines, and was a well known Jehovah's Witness. Frederick Franz became the Vice President of the organization from 1945, and then became the fourth President of the Watch Tower Society in 1977. Raymond Franz joined the organization's Missionary School in 1944, and in 1946 he became a travelling missionary in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Isles, and the Dominican Republic. In 1957, Witnesses were banned and removed from the Dominican Republic by the dictator Rafael Trujillo. When Raymond Franz reached 37 he found his wife, Cynthia. They married, and she joined him in his missionary travels for the organization in the Virgin Isles. Later in 1961, they returned to the Dominican Republic as missionaries for 5 years, experiencing the troubles, trials and real dangers of preaching and living in a perilous war–torn country. Joining Jehovah's Witnesses' World Headquarters In 1965, Nathan H. Knorr, the Watch Tower Society's third President, invited Raymond Franz to give up missionary work, and to work and live at Jehovah's Witnesses' world headquarters (called "Bethel") in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Raymond states in his first book he preferred the missionary work, but accepted the offer at the World headquarters. One of his first assignments was to work with others on the large book called ''Aid to Bible Understanding'', an encyclopaedic book, headed subject by subject alphabetically covering all the Witnesses' detailed beliefs. He describes in his first book ''Crisis of Conscience'', in regard to his time at the World headquarters: ::What I saw, heard and experienced during the next fifteen years had a great impact on me. Whether the reaction of the reader will coincide with mine, I have no way of knowing, but one thing is certain, and that is no one could understand what brought me to a crisis situation without knowing these developments. The proverb is apt: "When anyone is replying to a matter before he hears it, that is foolishness on his part and a humiliation"—Proverbs 18:13 (''Crisis of Conscience'' p.21) Joining the Governing Body In 1971, Raymond Franz was invited to become a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses—the select few, and highest level of Jehovah's Witnesses religious world organization—much like the highest elite cardinal rank for a Roman Catholic. He accepted the position and spent many years travelling the world seeing the organization’s structure, workings, and practices on all levels in many countries during his nine years on the Governing Body. Raymond Franz states about his crossroads in his life eight years on as a Governing Body member: ::By the end of 1979 I had arrived at my personal crossroads. I had spent nearly forty years as a full time representative, serving at every level of the organizational structure. The last fifteen years I had spent at the international headquarters, and the final nine of those as a member of the worldwide Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was those final years that were the crucial period for me. Illusions there met up with reality. I have since come to appreciate the rightness of a quotation I recently read, one made by a statesman, now dead, who said: ::The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. ::I now began to realize how large a measure of what I had based my entire adult life course on was just that, a myth—"persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." It was not that my view towards the Bible had changed. If anything, my appreciation of it was enhanced by what I had experienced. It alone gave sense and meaning to what I saw happening, the attitudes I saw displayed, the reasonings I heard advanced, the tension and pressure I felt. The change that did come was from the realization that my way of looking at the scriptures had been from such an essentially sectarian viewpoint, a trap that I thought I had been protected against. Letting the scriptures speak for themselves—without being first funneled through some fallible human agency as a "channel"—I found they became immensely more meaningful. I was frankly astonished at how much of their import I had been missing. The question was, what should I now do? (''Crisis of Conscience'' 2002, pp.273–274) Inquisitions and Expulsions Franz writes in his book, ''Crisis of Conscience'' that in November 1979 there was "gossip" according to Grant Suiter (a Governing Body member) in the world headquarters about some senior members in the Governing Body and Writing Department, who had alleged "dissenting views", mainly questions about the dates 1914, and 33AD, and when the 'Last Days' began, the number of those going to heaven (Witnesses believe there are only 144,000) and the rightness of this literal interpretation, and the two classes of Christians Witness believe in, earthly or heavenly destinies if faithful. Franz describes this "gossip" eventually leading to a paranoid conspiratorial air in the Governing Body and at the world headquarters, and a witch-hunt-like mentality developing towards the alleged questioners, instead of any scriptural discussion, it was a blanket ban on discussion, with the accepted doctrines reinforced over and over, as Franz describes, there was no tolerance or explanation offered towards anyone with non-conforming ideas, or even questions. In March 1980, Raymond Franz and his wife decided, due to his ill health at the time, and his concerns about the organization, to take some time out on leave of absence from the world headquarters. From 24 March – 24 July 1980 they had arranged to stay with an old friend and Witness called Peter Gregerson. While on their leave Franz describes how information came to him via phone calls that members of the headquarters were being targeted for "inquisition, interrogations, and removal as apostates" based solely on third hand gossip of alleged private conversations they'd allegedly had in someone's home about the scriptural basis for the Witnesses stance on the date 1914, the 144,000 and two classes of Christians, beginning of last days, and other pivotal Jehovah's Witness doctrines. On 22 April 1980 Albert Schroeder (a Governing Body member), informed Raymond Franz by phone that the "judicial machinery of the organization was in operation and moving rapidly against these ones". On Friday 25 April 1980 Cris Sánchez, and his wife Nestor Kuilan who were long time members at the world headquarters were disfellowshipped (excommunicated), and René Vázques (he worked many years on the Service Department) and his wife were also disfellowshipped for alleged "apostasy". Raymond Franz described his dismay as he only heard the news via others not involved, even though he was a Governing Body member, the Body didn't bother tell him, but they did announce it to over 5000 others working at the world headquarters. On 8 May 1980, the Governing Body Chairman, Albert Schroeder, phoned Raymond Franz to inform him that he had also been implicated according to gossip circulating. On 19 May 1980, Raymond Franz returned to the headquarters in New York, and found a pack of documents on his desk with legalistic terms about what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. On 20 May 1980 he met with the Chairman's Committee, and was played a taped interview from a Cuban Witness couple who spoke about alleged rumours of private meetings of Witnesses who were discussing various of the Society's teachings and second, third and fourth hand gossip about alleged conversions. Franz describes that the entire tape of two hours was filled with no spiritual help for the couple being questioned, but just leading questions and pressure to produce information that did not exist in any objective form except rumours of rumours, and third and fourth hand gossip. On 21 May 1980, Raymond Franz was called for a Governing Body session and it was taped. He describes how he was asked various questions about the organization and its teachings, rather than any of the gossip that had been circulating and had lead to others being disfellowshipped (excommunicated) under charges of alleged "apostasy". The questions pertained to the 144,000, the last days, the anointed, and the role of an organization etc. He gave his answers, and not satisfied according to Franz, the Body questioned him more. Franz describes how the majority of those on the Body made no comment and asked no questions, they just sat and listened. After three hours, he was told he could go. The next morning he was asked to make more comments on tape about a new tape played regarding other Witnesses' hearsay and gossip about other members, he states that he declined to comment on the unsubstantiated material. (''Crisis of Conscience'' p.331) Franz's Resignation On 22 May 1980 Chairman Albert Schroeder came to Franz's room and informed him some on the Body wanted him disfellowshipped, regardless of the lack of evidence against him, and had failed to persuade the majority, so there was no majority vote for expulsion. He was told it would be best if he resigned. Raymond Franz chose to write a letter resigning, and also refused an offer of going on an 'Infirm Special Pioneers list' that had been offered. Raymond and his wife also chose to leave the organizations' headquarters. Before they left, a few days after Franz's resignation, they met Ed Dunlap, a long-time member of the Writing Department, and according to Franz, had come under attack and harassment from other members of the Writing Department and the Governing Body who were making trouble for him, because he preferred to guide others to the scriptures rather than to the Watch Tower Society's literature. Ed Dunlap was now called in for questioning. Not long after he was disfellowshipped for alleged "apostasy" as he put more emphasis on the scriptures than the Society's literature. Ed Dunlap had given his life to the organization and served it faithfully for over forty years, and was a long standing respected sixty-nine year-old Witness, and one of the "anointed". After Ed Dunlap's excommunication, he and his wife were told to pack and leave immediately. Leaving New York and starting a new life Raymond Franz left Jehovah's Witnesses' world headquarters, went to live in a small town in Alabama, and started a new life there. He continued his meeting and membership attendance with Jehovah's Witnesses East Gadsden congregation, and found employment from an old Witness friend, Peter Gregerson, who owned a grocery business, and also rented out some accommodation for Raymond and his wife on his land. In the August 1980, edition of the monthly paper called ''Our Kingdom Ministry'', sent to all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses, the front page contained the statement that five persons in the Bethel family, and also a number of others had been disfellowshipped (excommunicated), and then the article immediately spoke of "apostasy" and "promoting of sectarian divisions" directly implying that those excommunicated were apostates, although the article was careful not to mention names due to slanderous implications and libel. Later on 1 September 1980 a letter to all Circuit and District overseers was sent out by the Governing Body stressing the additional teaching that anyone who now merely disagrees in thought with any of the Watch Tower Society's teachings is committing apostasy (Witnesses teach this is 'antichrist/anti-God rebellion') and is liable for disfellowshipping (excommunication), even if they do not actually teach or spread any contrary beliefs. The written official policy stated: "Keep in mind that to be disfellowshipped, an apostate does not have to be a promoter of apostate views. . . Therefore, if a baptized Christian abandons the teachings of Jehovah, as presented by the faithful and discreet slave Body of Jehovah's Witnesses , and persists in believing other doctrines, . . .then he is apostatizing. Extended kindly effort should be put forth to readjust his thinking. . if he continues to believe the apostate ideas and rejects what has been provided through the 'slave class' Body then appropriate judicial action should be taken." (Letter to all Circuit and District overseers, 1 September 1980) (''Crisis of Conscience'' copy of letter , p.341-342). Raymond Franz's commentary on this apostasy policy: :The letter presents an official policy. It actually says that a person's believing—not promoting, but simply ''believing''—something that differs from the teachings of the organization is grounds for taking judicial action against him as an "apostate"! :The letter makes no qualifying statements limiting such differences of belief to fundamental teachings of God's Word, such as the coming of God's Son as a man, the ransom, faith in Christ's shed blood as the basis for salvation, the resurrection, or similar basic Bible doctrines. It does not even say that the person necessarily disagrees with the Bible, the Word of God. Rather, he disagrees with "the teachings of Jehovah, ''as presented by the faithful and discreet slave''." Which is something like saying that a man's accepting and obeying a King's written message is no guarantee that he is loyal; it is his accepting and obeying what a slave messenger claims the ruler meant that decides this! :The symbol at the top of the September 1, 1980 letter ("SCG") identifies the composer of it as Leon Weaver. But it should not be thought that this "thought-control" policy was the thinking of one individual, nor was it some momentary off-the-cuff expression of extremism which a person might make and afterward feel ashamed of as a rash, harsh and utterly unchristian position to take. The composer was a member of the Service Department Committee whose members, such as Harley Miller, David Olson, Joel Adams, Charles Woody and Leon Weaver, were all longtime representatives of the organization, with decades of experience behind them. They were agents of the Governing Body in supervising the activity of about 10,000 congregations and the activity of all the elders, Circuit and District Overseers in the United States, where nearly one million Jehovah's Witnesses live. They were in regular contact with the Service Committee of the Governing Body and were supposed to be thoroughly familiar with the Governing Body policies, attuned to its thinking and viewpoint and spirit. :But this only adds to the appalling aspect of the position the letter took. As I know from years on the Service Committee, any letter of this importance ''must'' be submitted to the Governing Body Service Committee for approval before being sent out. Objection by even one member of that Committee would have resulted in the letter's going before the entire Governing Body for discussion. :Whatever the case, the letter and its policy—which evokes memories of the position of religious authorities in the Inquisition—had to have been approved by a number of headquarters representatives, including several Governing Body members. Since people's friendships, family relationships, personal honor and other life interests were all at stake, it should be presumed that these men gave long, careful thought to that statement of September 1, 1980, before approving it as an official expression from the "faithful and discreet slave" of Jesus Christ. What they there said was no light matter to be explained away later by saying, "Well, we really didn't mean it exactly the way it sounded." As the facts show, people, many persons, were actually disfellowshiped and continue to be disfellowshiped solely on the basis of this very thought-control policy sent out. The denigrating label of "apostate" is placed on their name simply because in their own hearts, they cannot accept all of the Society's interpretations. ''Crisis of Conscience'' pages 342-344 Peter Gregerson's disassociation While Raymond Franz and his wife were attending the local congregation in Alabama, the Elders there wrote to the Watch Tower Society requesting that he be appointed as an Elder. The Society wrote back and refused adamantly, and said he should not even be made a Ministerial Servant (equivalent to a deacon), and no reason was given. Franz describes in his book account how these were the first signs of a campaign orchestrated against him, in literature and within the organization, and with many articles on 'Apostasy' being published one after the other and directly linking him to them (although carefully not in name due to being libel). He describes the attitude and writing style in the Society's literature turned inquisitional and repeatedly negative, and constantly emphasized 'how to identify apostates', based on the new premise that anyone who "thinks an independent thought not completely in line with all of the Watch Tower Society's teachings and interpretations is an apostate", they did not have to teach or discuss these thoughts, but to merely have them was enough for the charges of "apostasy" to be made. At the same time, according to Franz, his employer and landlord, Peter Gregerson, was being harassed and interrogated by elders, as someone had conveyed a private conversation that Peter Gregerson had about the 15 August 1980 ''Watchtower'' magazine, where it supposedly misused a Greek term ''Naos'' instead of the word ''Hieron'' in regard to the temple where Jesus threw out the money lenders, and whether the resurrected 'Great Crowd' are in heaven or on earth, as ''Naos'' is used for them in the Bible, and for the 'Most Holy of Holies' where God dwells. The point was relatively minor, but due to the Society's new policy on independent thoughts, and Peter Gregerson being Raymond Franz's employer and landlord, the matter was not dropped, but was accelerated and intensified according to Franz's and Gregerson's accounts. On 18 March 1981, according to Peter Gregerson, due to stress and constant badgering and intimidation, he submitted a letter of resignation from the organization, as those disassociated were still allowed normal and friendly contact with their fellow Witnesses, friends and family. He describes he could not tolerate the constant harassment and unchristian manner he was being targeted for, regarding a private conversation about the ''Watchtower'' article using the incorrect Greek word for the location of the 'Great Crowd'. Soon after his resignation, the Watch Tower Society rapidly changed its policy for those "disassociated" and reversed it to a previous stance, and classed them now the same as those "disfellowshipped" (excommunicated), this being a much more serious condition. Those disfellowshipped (excommunicated) were then routinely classed in the same ranks as "wicked sinners, antichrist, anti-God, fornicators, idolaters, drunkards and extortioners", as were also any who were guilty of the crime in the Society's eyes of "independent thoughts" as stated in the Society's 1 September 1980, letter to all Circuit and District overseers. Franz's Excommunication Once this reversed policy about those who had disassociated themselves from the organization had become fully functioning, Raymond Franz was then in line for what he describes as interrogation. Elders organized by the World headquarters were sent to deal with Franz, and he was accused of the serious crime of "eating a meal" in a restaurant with his employer and landlord Peter Gregerson and his wife. Franz asked the elders if they really thought that Peter Gregerson was "wicked and antichrist" as they had read out scriptures to Franz implying that he was. Franz described their total silence and no reply from them. According to Franz, the harassment continued with constant phone calls, to him and his wife at all hours of the day and night threatening actions against him for eating a meal with his employer, as associating with a "disassociated person" was now strictly banned under all circumstances. Raymond Franz made no apology, and pointed out Peter Gregerson is a Christian and kindly person, and that he felt there was no scriptural reason that he should not have enjoyed a simple meal with his employer. Raymond Franz was soon after disfellowshipped (excommunicated) from Jehovah's Witnesses organization on 31 December 1981 for eating a meal with his employer, who was disassociated. After several appeal letters (all documented in his books), these were all ignored; he was informed that the disfellowshipping stood. After this Jehovah's Witnesses' teaching takes action, he was immediately group classed as all others who are disassociated or disfellowshipped, as "wicked sinners, antichrist, anti-God, apostate, fornicators, idolaters, drunkards and extortioners" and all communication and association with them is strictly forbidden under threat of excommunication for anyone who breaches this organizational rule. Jehovah's Witnesses routinely use the scripture at 1 Corinthians 5:11, among others, to justify not associating with ex-members, regardless of whether none of the sins mention are actually applicable to the one they are rejecting and shunning. The Watch Tower Society forbids the right for those accused and excommunicated, or those who have chosen to disassociate to make a public defence for themselves, or to communicate with other Witnesses under any circumstances, except for direct family emergencies only. Critics point out that this has inevitably broken up many thousands of families and friends, where parents are forbidden from speaking to children/grandchildren, and vice versa, that do not live in the same house, and friends, relatives, are all wiped out of the active life of the one disfellowshipped or disassociated. Even letters they write in their defence are banned, and often labelled "apostate (antichrist) material". Critics point out that this creates shields for the Watch Tower Society in not having to deal with any criticism, or negative information, as critical material is immediately classed as "apostate, antichrist, or evil" and rejected as worthless, and critics claim these ignoring and shunning actions also breach the Human Rights of the individuals who have been expelled. Aftermath and Future Life Since Raymond Franz's excommunication for eating a meal with his employer, he has written two books about his experiences, both books are highly documented and very detailed accounts of events in Franz's life as a Jehovah's Witness, a Governing Body member, and his experiences throughout the organization’s levels the world over. Due to writing critical researched, and documented material on the Watch Tower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses' organization), he has been infamously labelled in the society's literature, and by some Witnesses as an "apostate" (which means antichrist/anti-God to Jehovah's Witnesses), although the Watch Tower Society is careful not to name him or other ex-member due to libel. This grossly pejorative label then forbids any Jehovah's Witnesses from reading Franz's books, or any other ex-Witness' books, or letters of defence and their side of events, and also from speaking to them, even saying "hello" in the street is forbidden towards one who is disfellowshipped. Also forbidden is finding out the facts as Franz saw and experienced them, and his side of his life, events, and experiences as an ordinary Witness, then an International Missionary, and then member of the Jehovah's Witnesses' world Headquarters for fifteen years and a Governing Body member of Jehovah's Witnesses for nine years. Raymond Franz currently lives in the USA with his wife, Cynthia, and lives a quiet life. He reports that he has received thousands of letters, and correspondence from all over the world (some contained in his books) from Witnesses, their family members, and ex-Witnesses, thanking him for telling his story and experiences of the organization in his books. Many Witnesses describe finding relief from the isolated hopeless feelings they were having, as many testament letters verify very similar experiences to Franz's documented in his books, and their feelings of encouragement after with their faith in God and Jesus renewed and strengthened, rather than faith in fallible human leaders or organizations. BOOKS BY RAYMOND FRANZ
:Sample chapters: : TABLE OF CONTENTS : Chapter 1 : PRICE OF CONSCIENCE : Chapter 9 : 1975: 'THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR GOD TO ACT' : Chapter 10 : 1914 AND "THIS GENERATION" : Chapter 11 : POINT OF DECISION : Chapter 12 : AFTERMATH
:Sample chapters: : Table of Contents : Chapter 1 : The Search For Christian Freedom : Chapter 9 : Blood and Life, Law and Love RELATED LINKS SEE ALSO |
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