We’ll be updating the other articles in this same series over the next few weeks, adding expanded video galleries to each one. Please feel free to comment and let us know how you like the changes. Be sure to tell your friends to check us out.

This article was first published on April 15, 2009.  Within 72 hours prior to the June 25, 2009 update, American pop culture lost three of its entertainment icons: Ed McMahon (Johnny Carson’s sidekick and foil), Farrah Fawcett (every teenage boy’s fantasy girl from 1972-1982), and Michael Jackson (so-called “King of Pop” and walking example of really bad plastic surgery) – who happened to be one of the celebrities on our first list. Please note that this list has now been updated to reflect the passing of former Jehovah’s Witness, Michael Joseph Jackson.

The following is just a short list of famous persons in politics, music and movies that are or were Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are many more that we add over time, and eventually we’ll make a master index, but this will be our starting point.

Please feel free to let us know if you know of any others. You may use the comment area at the bottom of this article, or the contact form found elsewhere on this site. We’d love to hear from you.

Here are our first five celebrity Jehovah’s Witnesses:

• Michael Jackson (performance artist)
• Mickey Spillane (pulp fiction writer)
• Prince (performance artist)
• Jill Scott (actress and singer)
• George Benson (jazz musician)

1. Michael Jackson (1958 – ), an American pop music recording artist and entertainer. A member of the musical Jackson family,  at the age of 11 he first performed as a member of The Jackson 5. He began a solo career in 1971. Referred to as the “King of Pop” in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).  After several years of severe criticism on the part of other JWs, he was disfellowshipped sometime around 1990. There a recent report confirmed that he had converted to Islam in 2008. Jackson, aged 50, suffered cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009 and died at UCLA Medical Center.  [Status: Deceased]
2. Mickey Spillane (March 9, 1918 – July 17, 2006), famous American author of crime novels, most featuring Mike Hammer, a tough big city private detective. Nearly 250 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide and Spillane was responsible for seven of the top fifteen bestselling fiction books in America. Spillane appeared as Mike Hammer in a movie version of “I, the Jury” – one of the few times in film history when an author portrayed his own character. During the 1980s, he appeared in several Miller Lite beer commercials. Spillane became a Jehovah’s Witness in 1951 and managed to survive the often bitter criticism he received from many fellow Witnesses that his novels were “too trashy and pornographic.” He remained a JW and continued with his writing career until his death. [Status: Deceased]
3. Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson; 1958 – ) American singer and performance artist. Winner of seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and named the top male pop artist of the past 25 years in 2004. His 1984 album, Purple Rain sold more than 13 million copies in the US and was #1 on the Billboard 200 for almost six months. His Academy Award-winning film grossed more than $80 million in the US alone, and proved to be Prince’s biggest cinematic success. In 1997, Prince approached funk bassist Larry Graham about his Jehovah’s Witness faith and apparently became very interested. He was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in 2001. His album, The Rainbow Children, reportedly is based heavily upon Jehovah’s Witness religious themes. [Status: Apparently Active]
4. Jill Scott (1972 – ), American actress most famed for being a jazz and rhythm and blues vocalist. She has collaborated with Eric Benet, Will Smith, and Common, and broadened her on-stage performing experience by touring Canada in a production of the Broadway musical Rent. Most recently seen playing the lead in HBO’s series, “Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” a story of a single woman trying to run her own business in Botswana. Known for her broad smile and love of life. Won a 2005 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance for “Cross My Mind.” Raised by her grandmother from the age of 12 as a Jehovah’s Witness, she was never baptized. She reportedly does not identify with any particular religious organization. [Status: Unaffiliated]
5. George Benson, (1943 – ), American musician, jazz guitarist, and singer. Won Grammy awards for his 1978 song “This Masquerade” and for his live remake of “On Broadway.” He has collaborated with Chet Atkins, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, the Beatles and many other prominent musicians. He often appears as a guest artist on other performers’ albums. He has been described as semi-retired and living in Arizona. He apparently is still a Jehovah’s Witness in good standing. [Status: Active]

Mickey Spillane 1980s interviewed by Dick Cavett

Mickey Spillane in classic Miller Lite commercial

Michael Jackson interviewed by Oprah Winfrey

Michael Jackson's physical changes over the years

Kevin Smith talks about meeting Prince (R rating)

Prince at 50 - highlights of his career

Jill Scott and George Benson in concert duet

Jill Scott - HBO's "#1 Detective Agency"

George Benson live - singing his classic "Masquerade"

It is clear that being both famous and a Jehovah’s Witness is not easy. Some Witnesses manage to handle their association quietly and discreetly. They let their professional accomplishments speak for themselves – and otherwise stay out of the limelight. Others, however, find their fame and achievements often shadowed by their association with the religion. By far, most find that being a Witness is incompatible with being a celebrity – and then face the decision to either quit the religion or choose to leave their professional career behind.

This latest group of five is a mixed bunch. Some are in, some are out, some have relationships that are tenuous and limited, but they still count as having connections to Jehovah’s Witnesses at some point in their lives. You might find a few surprises on this list. Be sure to check out and enjoy our new video gallery at the end of the article. Feel free to comment.

• Jean Terrell (singer)
• Sherri Shepherd (TV personality)
• Hank Marvin (musician)
• “Xzibit” (singer)
• Rodney King (newsmaker)

1. (Velma) Jean Terrell (1944-), is best known for being a lead singer for the Supremes when she replaced Diana Ross in 1970. She’s a sister of former heavyweight boxing champion, Ernie Terrell, best known for his classic 15-round championship fight with Muhammad Ali in 1967.  Jean left Mississippi for Chicago at an early age. Her family encouraged her to sing, and for a time,  she joined her brother as part of Ernie Terrell & the Heavyweights.  When she was 24, Berry Gordy noticed her when she was performing in a club with her brother. Gordy was looking for a replacement for Diana Ross who was leaving the Supremes to start a solo career.  Ms. Terrell initially joined Motown as a solo artist, but took Ross’s lead singing duties, supported by original Supremes Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong.  After a rough and uneven career at Motown, she left to join A&M Records and released a solo recording in 1978 and an album, “I Had To Fall In Love.” However, as a  Jehovah’s Witness, she went into semi-retirement when she objected to the way the company wanted her to promote the recording.  Ms. Terrell eventually put together a one woman show made up of several Supremes songs, songs from her solo album, and covers of songs by Bette Midler, Lionel Ritchie and others. Terrell has released a biographical DVD of her life and reportedly continues to perform on occasion. [Status: Active]
2. Sherri Shepherd (1967-), is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. Since 2006, she has been one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talk show, “The View.” As an actress, she is perhaps best known for her role on the sitcom “Less Than Perfect” and her own sitcom “Sherri” on cable TV’s Lifetime network. Shepherd has branched out to film, with roles in “Guess Who,” “Beauty Shop,” “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” and “Precious.” She still performs stand-up comedy at Los Angeles area clubs like the Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory. She has also been a frequent and popular guest on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” for which she holds a record for being on the show the greatest number of times. She also has a recurring role on “30 Rock” as the character “Angie Jordan.” She divorced her husband in 2006 after she discovered he was having an affair. Raised a Jehovah’s Witness, she became an evangelical Christian after she discovered her husband’s infidelities. She earned deserved criticism for her ridiculous statements about history and religion on the “View” at various times. On the show she openly admits to having been a Jehovah’s Witness, but usually follows up with some over-the-top statement that shows her complete lack of understanding. Statements she’s made include “the world is flat,” “Christianity predated the Greeks and Romans,” and “the Greeks had Christians because they threw them to the lions.” [Status: Inactive]
3. Hank Marvin (1941 -), born Brian Robson Rankin, is an English musician, best known for playing lead guitar for the Shadows. The three-man group, which specialized in instrumental music, was originally formed in the late 1950s as the performance band for English vocalist Cliff Richard. Marvin’s unique style using a distinctive guitar sound, clean with a distinctive echo and vibrato, influenced many later guitarists. Peter Townshend and John Fogerty are among several major rock musicians who credit his influence toward development of  their own personal styles. Frank Zappa counts Marvin as being one of the major influences for the first Mothers of Invention album. The Shadows were never particularly well-known in the United States, despite several appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, but were widely known in the UK and Europe. Marvin joined Bruce Welch and John Farrar in the early 1970s for two albums, “Marvin, Welch & Farrar” and “Second Opinion.” The project was eventually terminated due to Marvin’s personal commitments, including his conversion to become a Jehovah’s Witness in 1973. After he moved to Australia, Marvin turned out for the Shadows’ annual group tour and a new studio album, while also recording albums such as “The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate,” on which he led nine famous session guitarists. In 1982, he hit the charts with “Don’t Talk” – intended initially for Cliff Richard. After working with the Shadows during the late 1980s, Marvin returned to recording during the following decade. Marvin has been a major influence for many rock guitarists during the past 40 years, but he is a legend primarily for his work with the Shadows in the 1960s. In 2004, Hank Marvin rejoined the Shadows for an enormous farewell tour.  Hank appeared with his son at the Strat Pack concert at Wembley Arena in September, 2004.  That same year he was offered an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to music, but declined citing “personal reasons” (the OBE is a governmental award – and it was also being given in honor of the Queen’s birthday). Since 1986 Marvin lived in the hills above Perth, Western Australia, but has relocated to an apartment in East Perth. He remains a committed Jehovah’s Witness and has served as an elder in his local congregation. [Status: Active]
4. Alvin Nathaniel Joiner IV – “Xzibit” (1974–),
   American rapper, song writer, and actor – probably best known for hosting MTV’s “Pimp My Ride.” An active song writer and performer, he released a new album every two years from his 1996 debut “At the Speed of Life” until his more recent “Full Circle” in October 2006. Xzibit began his music career as a member of the Likwit Crew, a loose collective of West Coast rappers which included King Tee, Defari, and Tha Alkaholiks. Dr. Dre invited him to perform on his American “Up in Smoke Tour” in 2000, which featured Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Cube, among many others. Loud Records released his album “Restless” that year, with Dr. Dre as executive producer, who also produced the single “X” . That song became his biggest hit since “What U See Is What U Get.” He has appeared in several movies including “Full Clip” in 2004. In 2005 he was in “Derailed” and the animated movie “Hoodwinked.” Later that same year, he appeared in “XXX: State of the Union,” and in 2007 he co-starred along with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the movie “Gridiron Gang.” He also played an FBI agent in 2008′s “The X-Files: I Want to Believe.” He was raised by Jehovah’s Witness parents, but that became a problem when he developed an interest in music. “My parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses and they didn’t particularly care for rap music…I would get my little headphones and sneak and listen to it at night. Every time they would catch me, they would get it and break my tapes. And I’d be mad. Eventually, I got sick of it. So I said, ‘You know what? I can rap my own stuff and they can never take that from me.’” [Status: Inactive]
5. Rodney King (1965 -) best known as the former felon/ex-convict who was the victim in a police brutality case involving Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers on March 3, 1991. A bystander videotaped the incident from a distance. The footage showed LAPD officers repeatedly striking King with their batons while other officers stand around  watching and failing to take any action to stop the brutal beating. Part of this footage was broadcast by local news agencies and then around the world, causing wide public outrage. Racial tension increased between the black community and the LAPD over police brutality and other social inequalities in Los Angeles. Four LAPD officers were later tried in a state court for the beating. All were found not guilty. The announcement of the acquittals sparked the horrific 1992 Los Angeles riots, leading to widespread destruction and several deaths. A later federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison. The other two officers were acquitted. Rodney King was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses by his mother and father. His mother, Odessa King, was described as a “devout Jehovah’s Witness” who may have considered herself as one of the “anointed class” (part of the 144,000). After Rodney King’s arrest and beating in 1991, King’s first attorney told the media that Rodney King was “a devout/devoted Jehovah’s Witness, who did not drink or smoke.” One King biographer states that Odessa King converted to the Jehovah’s Witnesses due to her husband’s drinking. However, it has also been reported that Ronald King, Rodney’s father, may have been associated with the JWs at some point and one King biographer described him as a “devout Jehovah’s Witness” until his death. Some active JWs have stated that they have seen Rodney King attending “meetings” at the Kingdom Hall, and even attending Watchtower conventions. [Status: Unknown / Probable Inactive]

Video Library

Jean Terrell leads the Supremes in a medley of hits

Supremes sing "Stoned Love" (1973)

Jean Terrell performs with FLO (1990)

Sherri Shepherd is asked if the earth flat?

Sherri Shepherd - history timeline of Greeks vs. Jesus

Sherri Shepherd Madagascar interview

Hank Marvin "Apache" guitar solo (1984)

Hank Marvin interview and "Sleepwalk"

Hank Marvin ranked in all-time top ten guitarists

Xzibit music video "Get Your Walk On!"

Xzibit - best moments from "Pimp My Ride"

Rodney King interview about beating and riots

Phineas will be making a unique documentary that will allow former Jehovah’s Witnesses to tell their own personal stories. He’s investing his time and effort into exposing the real truth about the Watchtower Society and its treatment and effects on families and individuals.

He will be traveling from his home in Massachusetts down the Atlantic seaboard to New York, south to Georgia, and maybe as far west as Tennessee and Ohio. Although he knows that there are many former and current Jehovah’s Witnesses living in other states who would love to tell their personal stories, for now he will have to limit his travels only to the eastern states.

Mr. Treptow is serving in the US Army as a combat medic. He is due to leave in mid-September for Basic Combat Training. For the moment he’ll have to limit his outreach to the east coast states because he doesn’t have the time or funds necessary to travel the rest of the country.

He hopes that his documentary will inspire additional former Jehovah’s Witnesses to step forward and speak out about how the abusive nature of the Watchtower organization has changed their lives.

“V” – well-known for his excellent videos found on YouTube.com and other popular websites (including this one), will be contributing his time and considerable talents to edit the video.

The final film will eventually be put online for anyone to watch free of charge.

Phineas is asking for donations to help cover his travel expenses in connection with the production of this video documentary. He wants to have enough funds to work with and also be able to buy a good quality HD camera to film the documentary. For him, it’s important to get these untold stories told and presented in a professional and effective way.

“I’d rather a thousand people donate $2 – than have any individuals hurting themselves financially for the sake of this documentary.”

He has provided a donation link to PayPal.com in the header of his website. PayPal is a secure online site where anyone can safely make a donation, small or large.

If you can afford to donate even a small amount to help him in the making of this documentary, Phineas would appreciate your support. But he also feels it’s equally important to help by making other families and individuals, especially anyone who has been connected with Jehovah’s Witnesses, aware of this project.

If you are a former Jehovah’s Witness living somewhere between New York and Georgia, or across Pennsylvania as far as Ohio and Kentucky, and are willing to share your experiences as a Jehovah’s Witness on camera – please e-mail Phineas at 100speakout@Gmail.com.

Link to 100SpeakOut.com

The death of Ray Franz hit me harder than I would have thought.

I had to reflect for awhile…alone…and quietly.

After all, fine people die every day and some of them are indispensable, and yet we go on…don’t we?

But, Ray Franz was someone who can only be described by the phrase “sui generis” (one of a kind).

My task was to ask myself what it was that made Ray so singular, potent, and admirable – without a trace of scandal or ill will attached to his memory.

Now, I’m ready to talk about it. Call it “venting,”  if you like. Or – “processing”…

Dedicating yourself to the finest work on Earth is noble. Ray, like the rest of us, signed on – by putting his energy and intelligence into his teaching work, no matter what the personal cost to himself.

It was in the course of research that something special in Ray’s character triggered a chain reaction.

Ray was assigned the work of writing articles for one of the Society’s new reference books. He committed himself to doing that job as perfectly as possible without a cursory “cut and paste” parroting of what had been done before. During the course of his research, Ray Franz found what amounted to evidence of dissonance in “The Truth.”

What Ray discovered amounted to doctrinal error. Immediately there was conflict between his rational mind and his religious loyalty!

The sum of a man’s life can come down to a vanishingly small moment. This was Ray’s…

What choices did he have and what would they cost him?

Would he:

• Gloss over the discord between research and Watchtower “Truth”?
• Pass the buck to somebody higher and let them bear the burden?
• Let it go and “wait on Jehovah” to correct it?
• Raise hell and fight it out with naysayers?

Or -

• Write the facts and let the chips fall where they may.

Here was Ray’s moment of sparkling integrity. Ray Franz trusted the rational mind God had given him enough to write, speak, and live what was real.

We all know what came next.

Ray lived with it…

Ray Franz never lost his temper. Ray never hurled insults. Ray fought the fine fight of the faith quietly – but as solid as a rock.

Without grandstanding – or calling a press conference – or starting a new religious movement – Ray Franz quietly walked a straight line right out the door of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ temple of human error and into…what?

The pristine flowering majesty of a clean conscience – and an ordinary life!

His former “glorious” peers, with their impeccable credentials as Jehovah’s spokesmen, scrambled to plug the dam. The Governing Body saw their first duty as far different from Ray’s: they thought only about covering their collective asses and getting a little “payback.”

They found Ray Franz “guilty” of having lunch with a disassociated person – and sentenced him to die at Armageddon.

Sit back a moment a think hard on that.

Jesus taught us that The Good Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to rescue the one that strays. On the other hand, the Governing Body “Shepherds” had other ideas, motives and means. They shot an arrow through the heart of their stray sheep – and then left him to die alone.

Shakespeare said it best:

“There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”

To their everlasting shame, the Governing Body bound themselves in the shallows and miseries. Ray sailed on – in the fair breeze of a clean heart.

Ray wrote Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom without rancor or hysterics. Unlike books written by many Ex-JWs, apostates, or so-called “Evil Slaves” – Ray Franz wrote calmly, assuredly, and with total commitment to fact. (No personal animus!)

The drip, drip, drip of powerful reality burning holes in Watchtower doctrine is where Ray Franz’s words have their immortality!

He threw a lifeline into the flood, while his fellow truth seekers grappled with error and confusion. Many grabbed hold of Ray’s words and pulled themselves to safety.

The power of reality is blast of pure white light! Ray Franz flipped the switch on a beam of light that would shatter Watchtower darkness once and for all.

We stand blinking into that light…even today. And for that bright knowledge revealing our entrapment – what we owe Ray is beyond value.

The Watchtower Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses is no longer the “Eden of the Truth” we once held it to be. Ray Franz exposed it as a “Tar Pit of Extinction” that the unwary wander into – only to find themselves stuck – and then preyed upon.

The calm, unwavering solidarity of total faith based in reality, as opposed to unquestioning obedience to authority, is Ray Franz’s legacy.

We could all do a lot worse than to learn his lesson and walk his path. We can close our eyes on that final day knowing we’ve left this world a better place than we found it.

Ray, I salute you! I am in awe.

May the True God, whom you sought to serve, have mercy and loving kindness in store for you.

And may each of us find our own way…into that peace.

Now – each of us must face our own quiet moments of decision every day we are alive. Remember Shakespeare’s words…

“On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”

Some Additional Thoughts

The “tone” of Ray’s writings could only be described as modest and real.

The character of the person in the words really comes through. I think even the most rabid apostate-hater could see this if they took the trouble to read even one paragraph of either of his books.

Emotionally, Ray was solid because his personal values were clean, honest and without puff.

So rare!

Terry Walstrom, Texas resident and frequent contributor to several Jehovah’s Witness discussion forums and websites, was kind enough to allow us to republish his comments about the passing of Raymond Franz on June 2, 2010. Terry is quite prolific and writes with a deeply honest and sincere style. We hope he will allow us to publish more of his essays here at Ex-JW.com in the future. Here is the link to the original version of the above article.

Living down here in the backwoods of Alabama, we were privy to very little of what was going on in the Watchtower world. Most of us never heard about the shake-up at headquarters during the 1980s. I read and dismissed the Time article about Ray Franz, although I heard and dismissed whispers from one local elder about “certain apostate happenings up there in Gadsden.”

I knew that he was a nephew of Fred Franz. One time I went up to Tuscaloosa to hear Ray speak, and I knew that a lot of Jehovah’s Witnesses thought the world of that uncle of his. What I didn’t know at the time was the extent to which Fred Franz had promoted 1975 as “the end of a system of things.” [watch video] Fred was also instrumental in driving his nephew out of the Watchtower Society’s headquarters.

I learned all of that from reading Ray’s book, Crisis of Conscience. I also learned about the Malawi/Mexico conundrum, the alternative military service fiasco, and the non-allowable bedroom intimacies debacle.

I wept at Ray’s confession that he regretted not having children, raged at the Governing Body’s callousness toward the suffering of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Malawi, and recoiled in horror at their duplicity in allowing Mexican JWs to bribe officials to avoid military service.

I applauded Ray’s frankness in confessing that it was hard for him to maintain celibacy while living at a missionary home surrounded by female JWs. I was also impressed with the fact that he stressed that he and his wife Cynthia always practiced stringent birth control so as not to interrupt their full-time ministry.

Throughout his book, Ray Franz’s love for God, justice, and Christian freedom shines brilliantly. My prayer is that the God he loved so much will remember him always.

“Snowbird,” the contributor of this brief memorial to Mr. Franz, lives in Wilcox County, in the heart of Alabama’s “Black Belt.” First contacted by Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1970, she was baptized in 1974. She left the organization after many years because she felt “the Governing Body was usurping Christ’s position.” She is a frequent contributor to forums discussing Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can read her original post here.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0axx-av7ZRc

A fine and fitting tribute to Ray Franz made by “V” with the help of many people who took the time to record a brief message about what Ray Franz meant to them.

Please feel free to add your own comments or memorial messages below…

Ray Franz struck me as the kindest of souls - a truly honest, incorruptible, and humble man. He was faithful to his conscience and to the God he served.

Without his books, the real truth about the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society would have been more difficult to uncover because those facts would still be hidden under layers of bitterness, revenge and animosity. Ray’s candid writing about his disbelief, disillusionment, and eventual disassociation from the Watchtower organization, made a lasting impression on all who have had the courage to read it.

Sure, the Watchtower leadership blacklisted him and tried their best to cover up what happened. But you’ll notice that “God’s Organization” filed no charges -- nor did they take any legal action -- to clear their name of the “slander” they accused Ray Franz of dishing out at them. Doing so would have been even more extensively damning to them. They knew he was right and went into their standard-issue damage control mode, casting both Ray and his wife out of the organization -- as well as anyone else who befriended them.

To start over again at his age (in his late 50s) with basically nothing to his name -- save his conscience and moral ethics -- was one of the most courageous things I’ve ever seen. Think for a minute how difficult it has been for many of us who left the WBTS -- our pain and suffering, the loss of our family and friends, not to mention an entire way of life suddenly being gone.

Raymond Franz tells his own story…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c6I0fjiYNU

Ray knew the resources the Society had at their disposal. He knew he could not financially afford the expenses to defend himself. But what he had was all the defense he needed -- the truth about the Watchtower. Once he had a chance to let the dust settle, his conscience continued to plague him, leading him to pen two volumes that would change the lives of thousands of wondering, wandering Jehovah’s Witnesses.

I sincerely hope his widow will find some comfort in the words of support written by people like us -- through our letters, emails and online communities. Our love and gratitude for their sacrifice and honesty runs deep and has been expressed as freely and openly as his was. This must have brought them both a great deal of happiness -- maybe not financially, but morally and spiritually.

We’ve all lost a member of our family, our patriarch. May we continue to help others with the same spirit of selflessness that Ray Franz demonstrated. That was his most wonderful gift.

The author of this article has asked to remain anonymous, but she is known as “watersedge2009″ on several Jehovah’s Witness discussion forums. [Link to original posting.] When “Watersedge” gave me permission to republish her thoughts about Mr. Franz on Ex-JW.com, she added the following comment:

“Like so many, his writings had a profound effect and enabled me to check out of the Hotel Watchtower much more easily. The title of the book [Crisis of Conscience] does such justice to it’s contents and to Ray’s motivation and intent.”

We agree…

It’s a sad day – sad because we have lost a great man. He was a man who was a defender of common sense and justice, someone who stood up for the truth and fought against imposing lies on naive people. He was someone courageous enough to go up against a powerful organization who manipulates millions of people by intimidation and fear.

A few years ago, while serving as an elder in a local congregation, I started reading Ray Franz’s book, Crisis of Conscience. I realized that the anomalies that I saw locally were not unprecedented and that the patterns and contradictions came from the very same world headquarters. I realized that corruption, lust for power, envy, personal conflicts, political games, and nepotism also take place within the Governing Body. That’s not exactly what most of us expected from the place that claims to be “guided by the Holy Spirit.”

I sincerely thank Ray Franz for his courage and the sacrifice he made when he decided to leave a very comfortable life as part of the nucleus of power as a member of the Watchtower’s Governing Body. He left a life where he got preferential treatment, surrounded by blind sheep serving “supermen” who claimed to be directed by the Holy Spirit of God.

He quit being a “rock star” in the world of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and became a shunned man – accused of being an apostate! The Watchtower Society did everything possible to discredit, defame, and accuse him. But he responded by continuing his fearless campaign to help others discover the falseness of the Watchtower Society.

Being vocal in expressing his views and defending the truth cost him dearly. He was removed as a member of the Governing Body, a special group of men who often implied that they were infallible and instruments of God’s Holy Spirit.  And yet these were men who dictated rules that have cost the lives of many people willing to serve God.

Ray left everything behind, and continued his fight for justice. He confronted and uncovered the contradictions of the Watchtower organization until the end of his life. He will be remembered not as a coward, but as a fighter for truth, someone willing to take a stand and to fight against a false prophet, an organization that has usurped the place of a mediator of God.

His fight and his legacy does not end with his passing. The search for justice continues against a false prophet who has deceived millions by using scare tactics and manipulation to control the blind herd.

Thank you, Ray Franz, not only for your books, but also for the fine leadership you’ve provided us for more than 30 years.

Raymond Victor Franz, 1922-2010

It was announced this morning (June 2nd) that Raymond Franz passed away due to a stroke injuries he suffered on May 30, 2010.

Mr. Franz was a much-loved and respected Christian all of his life. As active and dedicated Jehovah’s Witnesses, he and his wife served for over 40 years in various assignments, primarily in the Caribbean and at Watchtower headquarters in Brooklyn, NY. He was a former missionary and member of the Watchtower Society’s Governing Body. Since the early 1980s, after leaders of the Watchtower Society excommunicated him, he lived privately and quietly in the southeastern United States.

Franz spent much of his time writing about his experiences as a Jehovah’s Witness, publishing Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom. These two books are among the most widely read personal essays on the history and teachings of the Watchtower Society.

According to sources close to his wife, Cynthia, Ray requested that there be no funeral or memorials. We will publish further announcements and links to other sites as more information becomes available to us.

Excellent tribute to Ray Franz at Freeminds.org

Wikipedia’s biography of Raymond Franz

Editor’s Note: With his kind permission and great generosity, Joel Gunz, one of the principal organizers of Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses of Portland (OR), has agreed to let me republish some recent articles he has written for his blog. Joel presents his point of view in a manner that most former Jehovah’s Witnesses can easily understand and relate to. Please click the link at the end of the article to go to Joel’s blog. Here’s a link to the original article.

Now that I’ve left the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I’m frequently asked about what I believe now. Do I go to another church? (Not at this time.) Do I hate The Watchtower and Jehovah’s Witnesses? (No, I’m just very disappointed.) Do I celebrate Christmas? (Hell yes!) How do I feel about the Bible? (Inspired, at least in parts — as were the writings of the Buddha, Adyashanti and Bill W.)

Watchtower publications offer an answer for almost every question a person might have about religious doctrine, morals and conduct. For people who need that kind of direction (and there are many who do), they provide a valuable service. Yet, almost everyone I know who has left Jehovah’s Witnessism did so because they no longer needed that kind of religious micromanagement. They found that their (God-given) thinking abilities and common sense were adequate for guiding them as they went on to lead a successful post-Witness life.

They found that it was possible — actually, an improvement — to trade in the flawed certainty of religious fundamentalism for the exhilarating uncertainties that go along with creating from the ground up a life of their own choosing.

Jehovah’s Witnessism teaches that when you “turn your back on God’s organization,” it’s only a matter of time before you’ll become hooked on drugs, adopt a morally profligate lifestyle and contract H.I.V. or have some other disaster befall you. Here’s what, in most cases, actually happens:

With apologies to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, let’s call it the Four Stages of Life After Witnessing:

1. You’ll leave of your own accord, or you might be disfellowshipped. Sometimes it’s a clean getaway and you can walk away from The Organization with your head held high. Many times, though, it’s a messy affair, accompanied by anger, resentment and confusion. Our religion can seem to have us in a choke-hold, and it’s understandable that our escape may take nothing less than manic energy.
2. Once free, it’s quite possible that you will want to catch up on the things you’ve been missing, which might include experimenting with sex or drugs. It can be a really topsy-turvy time — and not all that pleasant to watch. I was a virtual train wreck when I made my break. You don’t have to do those things, but that’s often how it goes.
3. Once you’ve gotten all those pent-up desires and curiosities out of your system, you’ll likely return to an equilibrium that works for you. If you were a decent, honest person when you were a Witness, you’ll probably be that way after you leave and get back on your feet again.
4. You’ll find a path that works for you. It might involve Christianity in some way or it might look at other traditions, such as Eastern philosophy. Or, having had your fill of religion, you might decide to take a break from all that. When I asked my cousin, Sean, why he joined a Catholic monastery after being disfellowshipped, he said that he needed a place where he could enjoy some much-needed peace and quiet.

The point is, leaving the Witnesses is like having the rug pulled out from under you. When that happens you have the opportunity to get yourself up, brush yourself off and start over.

The ex-Witnesses I know were often among the most sincere members of the congregation. Now they are productive members of the community and living decent lives while they follow fascinating life-paths that are as unique as they are.

Visit and read more at Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses of Portland…