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Summary: The definitive book on Jehovah's Witnesses.
Review: The craft Mr. Franz polished as a JW serves him well in this tremendous book. Painful but vital reading for all former and current JW's. If only Mr. Franz turned his powers of reason on all religion we might uncover further hypocrisies.
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Summary: Once Trapped in Spiritual Ghetto, Now Sees Stars in Sky
Review: In his book Crisis of Concience Raymond Franz provides a heart wrenching account of his spiritual journey from advocate of Jehovah's Witnesses exclusivism to member of the Watchtower organizations elite and authoritarian Governing Body to finally an understanding of Christian grace. Franz break an almost century long silence on the inner workings of the Watch Tower's Governing Body and provides details on how controversial doctines were decided upon and how the history of the organization has been whitewashed by revisonists. The book is extreemly valuable to anyone in any way associated with the Jehovah's Witness movement and much of the information can not be found anywhere else. His arguments are sometimes lengthy, but always stike like thunder. Tragic, but ultimately hopeful the book is undoubtedly the best book ever writen on the controversies surrounding Jehovah's Witnesses and will provide much comfort to anyone with issues about that movement.
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Summary: Excellent, honest review of little known facts about Jws
Review: Having spent 40 years of my life as a Jehovah's Witness, I thoroughly enjoyed the uplifting information from Mr. Franz' books. I was always told "independent thinking" was wrong; after reading his books, I realize that without "independent" thinking, there is no thinking.
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Summary: An Informative, Correct and Unbiased view inside.
Review: A Real Wake-up Call on this cult! Authoriative insight on Jehovah's Witnesses. Well written without bitterness. As a Witness, can concur with what is written through own experience and research. Facts are incredible to believe but true. No longer active myself as a matter of a personal "Crisis of Conscience" between loyalty to God or the Organzitation. Chose the former before even reading the book, which is the right decision. All comments of Mr. Franz can be verifed in Organization's own literature and the Bible. Scary how an organization supposedly representing God can can twist scriptures to rip a person down in order for him/her believe what the organization says is right or wrong. A true Christian can not conform to the Organziation's teachings. Beware of Jehovah's Witnesses.
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Summary: once a false prophet, always a false prohet.
Review: mr. franz uses personal experience and cites factual j.w. literature to expose this organization for what it really is... a cult. one only has to look at all the false prophecies concerning the j.w. version of armageddon and the dates they give...1874, 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925 and 1975. check their new literature for an updated version of the end of the world. how easily they overlook the bible scripture in deut. 18:22 that tells us is a prohet is wrong one time, he is not a prophet, mr. franz gives added ammunition to anyone that wishes to defend themselves from spiritually threatening cults.
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Summary: Thought-provoking, sadly insightful.
Review: Mr. Franz has touched a chord with millions who, at one time or another, associated with the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society (the legal name of the Jehovah's Witnesses' organization).As someone who spent over 20 years of his life in or around this organization, I can attest to the accuracy of many of Franz's observations and I can recommend this book as a good read for anyone who is interested in the Witnesses or was once in the organization themselves. Franz writes from the heart as a man who is coming to grips with his experiences within the organization and his life immediately after he left the Witnesses. His account, though terribly saddening, is fascinating and written with a loving (though broken) heart. I completely disagree with the reviewers here who say that Franz is "apologetic", in fact there are absolutely to personal apologies or acts of contrition contained within the book. Additionally, I find it hard to resist the temptation to respond at length to some of the other "reviews" (see below) listed here which, according to their authors, were written by Witnesses. Basically, I have one question for these "reviewers": Since the Society (in its characteristically Orwellian manner) bans its members from reading "apostate literature", what were you people doing reading Franz's book in the first place??? Some of you call him an "apostate" (as does the Society) in your review and admonish him for not remaining loyal to the Society's directives, yet you openly admit to reading his book. As ANY Witness will tell you, this constitutes an act of apostasy. Which makes you an apostate as well. The Society is VERY CLEAR ON THIS ISSUE and doesn't leave you ANY room to back-pedal here. As many of us who were involved with Society at one time or another know, the Witnesses are now just as lost as any other religion. Sadly, the happy society of open-minded bible students that Charles Taze Russell founded around the turn of the century was effectively destroyed in the 1920's by the mismanagement, megalomania, and greed of Judge Rutherford. Ever since, it is just another one of many secretive, Orwellian, fundamentalist religious organizations that owns an awful lot of real estate and does an awful lot of back-pedaling each time one of its prophecies doesn't come to pass. However, I doubt that many of the so called "Witnesses" to post negative reviews here were even alive to witness the events of 1972 (when millions left the organization after yet another Societal prophecy didn't materialize). I doubt these same reviewers have ever even been to Brooklyn Bethel or have spent even one evening having dinner with the Governing Body members. This is a shame. If you had, you may have a decidedly different perspective on Mr. Franz's book. If you would have had the benefit of these experiences, I can guarantee you one thing. At the very least you would know that, by reading his book, you are just as much an apostate as you claim he is. As such, your statements here can be taken with no more scriptural or Societal foundation than you afford Mr. Franz. Such poetic justice could lead one to believe that Jehovah is having a good hearty laugh right about now. ;-)
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Summary: Big shot against the JW organization... and miss.
Review: This book is trying to proove that the author was unjustly removed from the JW organization. The conclusion is that if the JW remove good Raymond Frantz then they are evil. I agree with the decision of JW. Raymond Frantz was acused of apostasy. And he was guilty. He started to spread teachings opposite to Governing Body's. Every JW knows that it is the Governing Body who decides what to believe in. It freely admits that some of its teachings might be wrong but as a whole it will allow you to live forever. Old Testament people knew much less than we do, yet some of them found God. Raymond Frantz wanted the freedom of preaching of what he had found in the Bible by himself. If JW allowed Raymond to do it other would do the same. Soon JW would divide into many disputing fractions. Raymond found a few small imperfections in the organization and decided that he can't live with them. His friends and family always was JW so he never known how many problems is fixed by the biblical rules given by the JW organization. When he describes the faults of the organization it is like he was describing errors on the exam with 98% mark. For me this book is a big argument for becaming JW. If JW from the very top can find only so little dirt on the organization then count me in.
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Summary: The author seemed apologetic for the misconduct of others
Review: I've been associated with JW's for 21 years. In this duration of time I've personaly seen the same problems within the small congregations, mostly of rural locations. Mr. Franz has been a part of the problem, but I feel this book will do what he intended to do, and that is apologise for the harm he and others in this mindcontrol organization have caused others. I only wish that others in power could follow his example, however alas absolute power corupts absolutly.
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Summary: franz on the defensive
Review: This book is well written with many insights into the ways in which a large organisation are run. However, I am afraid that is where the commendation ends... For a start, a person who leaves a religion and attempts in his own mind to justify himself by writing a so-called expose is kidding himself. What seems even more disturbing is that Franz appears to believe in a God still. Maybe this is his problem? Maybe his weakness is blaming a religion which did not satisfy him personally? He must realise that a God created the universe. That science bows to this fact? Prime number order in the universe, light cones, order in a seemingly chaotic void. It goes on... Really, Franz must have been what is known as a 2.4 Jehovah's Witness. In that, he looked forward to building a house in the new system, playing with lions, travelling the earth meeting people with a smile. Oh dear dear... The emmense complexity of this universe, of our human bodies, of this world we live on! ! is tremendous. To put another way, the amount of atoms/neutrons.electrons in the universe number approx 10 to the power of 24.(10000000000000000000000000). An incalculable figure! But...as one R. Dawkins recently stated after research, "the chance of life evolving in the perfect state it is, works out as 10 to the power of 200,000. I won't bother writing the noughts down!!! The impossibility of evolution. Put this togother with the irreversible situation of R Franz (1) The political world on the verge of banning religion. Cults numbering into their tens of thousands. Deputy administrator to the UN declared in a leaked memo to 2 senior staff that if "the one unified government is considering total ban on formal/informal religion...it must be on a blanket basis." In other words, all religion whether it be cults, christian, uslim etc.. (2) The imminent release of once hidden documnets proving the existance of Noah that will send a shock wave through the world ! ! of Geology and Archeology. Quite literally they have been l! ooking in the wrong places in the wrong time periods. Still, this is fodder for Mr Franz I expect. He has turned into someone of who he used to preach to others, "keep away..beware..." An aposate. He has grieved the spirit I fear. Mr Franz...my comiserations.
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Summary: Accurate, Informing. Reveals unknown activities for members
Review: This book is most informative for the average JW. Most are unaware of the inner-workings of their religion. This book is most revealing and accurate. It is also, for the most part UNBIASED. The accounts mentioned can be confirmed. This is a must-read periodical for any J.W. who can examime his self and his religion objectively.
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