Ray Franz was the nephew of Fred Franz—the 4th President of the Watchtower Society. He was a member of the Governing Body for about ten years. He left the organization in the early 1980's because of his not seeing eye-to-eye with the Watchtower Society on numerous issues. Later, he wrote a couple of books about his experience; expressing his personal views on what is wrong with the Watchtower from an insider's perspective. 

Basically, it seems that Ray Franz was stumbled by some of the wrong attitudes and teachings of the organization. Franz is a tragic figure, in that, while he obviously had a keen mind for the nuts and bolts of the truth, he did not seem to possess very much faith in Jehovah. As a result, he was unable to reconcile what he saw as deficiencies in the truth with his own meager faith. Hence, he experienced his so-called crisis in conscience.

Ironically, Ray Franz has developed somewhat of an "anti-cult" cult following. His writings strike a chord with many disaffected Jehovah's Witnesses. He is hailed as a great Christian martyr by the Jesus-is-God crowd.

Of course, the opinions of men, mine included, have no bearing on Jehovah's exalted judgment. God's is the only opinion of any consequence. So, what is God's view of such men? Are they apostates? The 50th Psalm seems to precisely reveal Jehovah's judicial decision on this issue.

Our God will come and cannot possibly keep silent.
Before him there devours a fire,
And all around him it has become exceedingly stormy weather.
He calls to the heavens above and to the earth
So as to execute judgment on his people:
"Gather to me my loyal ones,
Those concluding my covenant over sacrifice."
And the heavens tell of his righteousness,
For God himself is Judge.

The Psalm describes Jehovah God breaking his long silence, coming in a storm wind to judge his people. After issuing a call for his loyal ones to step forward, those in a covenant with God, Jehovah then proceeds to speak his judgments to them. After rebuking his people for their ingratitude, God next turns his attention to the disloyal hypocrites who presume to teach God's word, saying to them:

But to the wicked one God will have to say:
"What right do you have to enumerate my regulations,
And that you may bear my covenant in your mouth?"

Unquestionably, Ray Franz has presumed to enumerate Jehovah's regulations by presenting himself as a knowledgeable Jehovah's Witnesses and expert on matters having to do with Christ's kingdom covenant. In reality, though, men like Franz can only see what is wrong and cannot impart any fresh faith-strengthening spiritual insights from God's Word. That's why Jehovah goes on to say:

"Why, you—you have hated discipline,
And you keep throwing my words behind you.
Whenever you saw a thief, you were even pleased with him;
And your sharing was with adulterers."

Instead of accepting his internal crisis of conscience as Jehovah's means to refine his faith and discipline him, Franz, and men like him, become partners with thieves and adulterers in two ways. One, they give Jehovah's Witnesses who are involved in wrongdoing justification for their own defection from the truth. And secondly, they equip our religious and secular enemies with ammunition to use against Jehovah's Witnesses. God's rebuke goes on, saying:

Your mouth you have let loose to what is bad,
And your tongue you keep attached to deception.
You sit and speak against your own brother,
Against the son of your mother you give away a fault.

In my opinion, much of Franz's writing is little more then tabloid gossip. Should he be admired or applauded because he betrayed the trust of his high office by giving details of private conversations he had with his trusting brothers at Bethel? He even published confidential memos that he had access to because of his position. Jehovah despises such perfidy. Some might suppose he was doing Jehovah's work as some sort of anointed whistle-blower. Not so, as God goes on to say:

These things you have done, and I kept silent.
You imagined that I would positively become like you.
I am going to reprove you, and I will set things in order before your eyes. Understand this, please, you forgetters of God,
That I may not tear you to pieces without there being any deliverer.

Although hailed as a great cult liberator by many ex-Jehovah's Witnesses and Trinitarian evangelical-types, Jehovah has a completely different perspective on things. According to the Bible, eventually Jehovah is going to sanctify his name before the world. Jehovah's Witnesses have been and will yet be a central feature of God's purpose. Obviously, Ray Franz and his disciples have completely forgotten what Jehovah's purpose is. While not denying Jehovah's existence outright, Franz would have us believe that Jehovah does not have an organization and that God is incapable of setting things straight among his people. As the Psalm also implies, Franz seems to have mistaken the long silence on God's part for Jehovah's tacit approval of his work. That would appear to be a fatal error in judgment on his part.

The key to understanding the prophecy of the king of fierce countenance is recognizing that it takes place during "the time of the end." In the 17th verse the angel related: "O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end." The following verse states: "Here I am causing you to know what will occur in the final part of the denunciation, because it is for the appointed time of the end."

The Watchtower, of course, teaches that we have been in the "time of the end" since 1914. Is there any way we can ascertain whether that is correct? Yes, by reasoning on a few facts we may determine whether or not that is true. Consider that the word used in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew text, which has been translated into English as "time of the end," is syntelia. That is also the word Jesus used that the NWT has translated as "conclusion," as in "conclusion of the system of things."

In the 13th chapter of Matthew, Jesus used two different illustrations to show us that the conclusion is a time of complete separation of the righteous and unrighteous. The 49th verse reads: "That is how it will be in the conclusion of the system of things: the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous and will cast them into the fiery furnace. There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be."

The Watchtower supposes that the prophetic illustration has already been fulfilled simply because Jehovah's Witnesses are separate from Christendom. If that is the case, however, how do we account for the prevalence of so many wicked individuals among Jehovah's Witnesses? The Watchtower is apparently completely disconnected from reality when it boasts of being an organization of spiritual and moral purity.

Jesus indicated that the separation will be total, just as in Noah's day: "one will be taken along and the other abandoned." Since it is glaringly obvious that Jehovah's angels have not intervened to sift the righteous from the wicked, it is also evident that the concluding time of the end has not begun yet. That being the case, the prophecy of Daniel awaits a future realization.

Yet, how may we "situate ourselves in history," as you say?

One way to find our place relative to the outcome is by considering what the enlightening angel told Daniel in the 12th verse, where he said: "And an army itself was gradually given over, together with the constant feature, because of transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success."

The Watchtower teaches us that the "transgression" is on the part of the offending king. However, that self-serving interpretation does not take into account the rather large body of prophecy that charges Jehovah's people with transgression and foretells of a future trampling of a spiritual holy place. For example, as discussed elsewhere, the 29th chapter of Isaiah is a parallel prophecy that clearly applies to a future trampling. It is evident, therefore, that the transgression is on the part of the Christian army of God. That being the case, no doubt the Watchtower's NGO compromise and other underhanded, worldly dealings, along with the idolatrous glorification of the Watchtower itself, constitute "the transgression causing desolation."

How might the desolation come about? According to the angel's further explanation of the prophecy, the king of fierce countenance not only brings the holy ones to ruin, but also the so-called "mighty ones" as well. Daniel 8:24 reads: "And his power must become mighty, but not by his own power. And in a wonderful way he will cause ruin, and he will certainly prove successful and do effectively. And he will actually bring mighty ones to ruin, also the people made up of the holy ones." (For more detailed consideration see essay: A King of Fierce Countenance.)

So the ruination of the sons of the kingdom occurs concurrently with the ruination of mighty ones of this system. Who might these "mighty ones" be who are also destined to be brought to ruin?  Apparently they are the democratic rulers, as well as many of the financial and commercial institutions that make the present capitalistic system of things. The king fierce in countenance will likely impose some form of a global totalitarian regime similar to communism.

Few people seem to realize just how vulnerable the present system is to being brought to ruin. Consider a few relevant facts:  In the decades since Hiroshima and Nagasaki were obliterated with atomic bombs, nuclear war was generally considered to be unthinkable simply because it would be too destructive. However, since 9-11, the Bush administration has called for the development and use of so-called mini-nukes. Some political observers fear that the development of mini-nukes will have a dangerous de-stabilizing affect on the world. Until this past week, the US Congress had forbidden their development, but that law has now been repealed; opening the way for the eventual production and use of such weapons in the war on terror. Fighting a war using nuclear weapons is no longer unthinkable but is actually part of the America's new policy.

On the other side of the coin, the United States is extremely vulnerable to a terrorist attack using WMD. But, suffice it to say that the use of nuclear weapons by any party would change the world in incalculable ways.

On the financial side of things, the United States is running up an enormous, unsustainable trade deficit and national debt approaching a combined trillion dollars per year. Not only that, but corporate and consumer debt are at all-time highs as well. Personal bankruptcies are also at an all-time high. Since 9-11, the Central bank of the United States has lowered borrowing interest costs to near zero in an effort to keep the dollar-based global financial system from collapsing. But, obviously with rates near zero it would appear that the bankers are down to their last bullet. Some economists in the UK recently warned that a financial collapse is inevitable once interest rates are raised.

Given the precarious nature of the financial system, and the astronomical growth of bets known as derivatives, which now exceed world GDP by a factor of five, an unexpected assassination of a prominent leader, a terrorist attack, or the use of WMD by the US or Israel, or any number of unforeseen events, would almost certainly detonate a chain-reaction collapse of what has become an increasingly unstable, precariously balanced mountain of debt and speculation.

As a multi-million dollar publishing corporation, the Watchtower has become increasingly dependent upon the continued economic viability of the present system in order to accomplish its work. It is a very real possibility, though, that the United States is going to be plunged into an economic depression far outstripping the devastating Great Depression of the 1930's.  That could very well be the means by which the holy ones are brought to ruin by an emerging king fierce in countenance.

We will keep on the watch.

You are mistaken in several respects. First, Jeremiah did not separate himself from the Jews. As a priest and prophet to the nations, Jeremiah was very much part of the Jewish system. In fact, he delivered most of his inspired messages directly to the Jewish kings and priests, often standing in the temple courtyard or the city gates.

Rather than separating himself, Jeremiah pleaded with his countrymen to listen to Jehovah's message and so escape the looming judgment. For instance, at Jeremiah 26:12 we read: At that Jeremiah said to all the princes and to all the people: "It was Jehovah that sent me to prophesy concerning this house and concerning this city all the words that you have heard. And now make your ways and your dealings good, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God, and Jehovah will feel regret for the calamity that he has spoken against you."

Please, notice, that in the above-quoted verse, when speaking to those against whom his prophetic denunciations were issued, Jeremiah referred to "Jehovah your God." A covenanted relationship with God, which the Jews were in at that time, is not automatically dissolved just because one of the parties fails to hold up their end of the contract.  Jehovah was still the God of the Jews at the time of Jeremiah. Jerusalem was still the city of Jehovah even though the Jews had corrupted their worship of him.

Jeremiah did not separate himself from the Jews. Jeremiah stayed in Jerusalem even during Nebuchadnezzar's siege. Further, Jeremiah's prophecy gave hope to the Jews, foretelling not merely the awful destruction that God was going to bring upon them, but also how Jehovah was going to redeem a repentant remnant. Consider Jeremiah 31:1, which reads: "At that time," is the utterance of Jehovah, "I shall become God to all the families of Israel; and as for them, they will become my people."

The same pattern is destined by prophecy to be repeated, whereby Jehovah allows his organization be become desolated and thereafter he restores a faithful remnant who accept his discipline.

Secondly, you are wrong in the assumption that God withdraws his spirit from an entire congregation or organization simply because of the unfaithfulness of some. There is, of course, such a thing as communal responsibility, but Jesus also judges us individually. That is apparent from Jesus' letters to the congregations in Revelation. Jesus told the congregation in Thyatira, which was plagued with the immoral and corrupt influence of a Jezebel-like faction from within: "And her children I will kill with deadly plague, so that all the congregations will know that I am he who searches the kidneys and hearts, and I will give to you individually according to your deeds."

The Bible encourages us to use the faculty of a sound mind. It is unreasonable and unwise to jump to conclusions that we must separate ourselves from the congregation and organization simply because things are not quite right. We are tested as to our faithfulness in connection with Christ's congregation, not apart from it.

Yes. The illustration of the slaves being entrusted with the master's minas is basically the same illustration that Jesus used in the 25th chapter of Matthew regarding the silver talents. The point of both illustrations is that there is a judgment day when the anointed are called to account. That is when the evil or wicked slaves will be cast out and the faithful ones rewarded. That it applies to the anointed is evident by the fact that the master rewards the faithful slaves by giving them rulership over a certain number of cities.

And, incidentally, the account in Luke the 19th chapter proves that the faithful slave was not appointed over all the master's belongings back in 1919 because the reward and punishment of both classes of slaves comes immediately before the end of the world. That is evident from the fact that Jesus' concluded his illustration by saying: "Moreover, these enemies of mine that did not want me to become king over them bring here and slaughter them before me."

Quote: “I hereby officially dedicate this website to Jehovah God-The One Who Causes to Become.”

What exactly is this supposed to mean or confer upon the website, as though Jehovah needed anything dedicated to him; as he owns everything?

It seems a little sanctimonious and almost delusional. I fear that you may be becoming wrapped up in your own propaganda and self righteousness and may begin to believe that you are the savior of the world. Remember Ceausescu of Romanian fame, who began to believe his own propaganda? And look what happened to him! Humble yourself a little for Jehovah hates a haughty heart.

Christians are not bound by an extensive list of do's and don'ts, as were the Jews living under the Law. Instead, we are given principles to live by. Colossians 3:5 states: "Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of those things the wrath of God is coming."

Although not mentioned specifically, isn't it true that masturbation goes directly counter to the above counsel? Instead of deadening sexual appetite, self-abuse excites a person's passion. The Scripture also says that God's wrath is coming on account of these very things. Masturbation is classified as "uncleanness."

Even though masturbation is very common and considered natural by most people, God does not approve of such practices. After discussing fornication, uncleanness and obscenity, Paul went on to exhort us not to be deceived in this matter, saying at Ephesians 5:6-7: "Let no man deceive you with empty words, for because of the aforesaid things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partakers with them."

So, instead of finding fault with the Watchtower's pointed counsel on how to combat the desires fallen flesh, we would do well to recognize that self abuse runs counter to Jehovah's Will for us.