Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002, Page 78
previous Watchtower president. A now half-century-old example in which less than full
honesty is self-evident is the following exchange between Franz and the prosecutor:
Prosecutor: Have you also made yourself familiar with
Hebrew?
Franz: Yes …
Prosecutor: So that you have a substantial linguistic apparatus
at your command?
Franz: Yes, for use in my biblical work.
Prosecutor: I think you are able to read and follow the Bible in
Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, German,
French.
Franz: Yes. ..
Prosecutor: Can you, yourself translate that into Hebrew?
Franz: Which?
Prosecutor: That fourth verse of the second chapter of
Genesis?
Franz: No.
(Cross Examination of Fred Franz. Pursuer‘s Proof of Douglas Walsh v. The Right Honorable
James Latham, Clyde, Scottish Court of Sessions, Wednesday, November 24, 1954, p.7,
pars. A-B. and p. 102, par. F.)
Another example is the testimony by Hayden C. Covington, a former vice president and lead
Watchtower attorney, who stated that Witnesses must accept a ―false prophecy‖ as true.
Prosecutor: … A false prophecy was promulgated?
Answer: I agree [to] that.
Prosecutor: It had to be accepted by Jehovah‘s Witnesses?
Answer: That is correct.
Prosecutor: If [a] member of Jehovah‘s Witnesses took the view himself that
that prophecy was wrong and said so he would be
disfellowshipped?
Answer: Yes … Our purpose is to have unity.
Prosecutor: Unity at all costs?
Answer: Unity at all costs …
Prosecutor: And unity based upon an enforced acceptance of false prophecy?
Answer: That is conceded to be true.
Prosecutor: And the person who expressed his view … that it was wrong, and
was disfellowshipped, would be in breach of the covenant if he
was baptized.
Answer: That is correct.
Prosecutor: And as you said yesterday expressly, would be worthy of death …
previous Watchtower president. A now half-century-old example in which less than full
honesty is self-evident is the following exchange between Franz and the prosecutor:
Prosecutor: Have you also made yourself familiar with
Hebrew?
Franz: Yes …
Prosecutor: So that you have a substantial linguistic apparatus
at your command?
Franz: Yes, for use in my biblical work.
Prosecutor: I think you are able to read and follow the Bible in
Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, German,
French.
Franz: Yes. ..
Prosecutor: Can you, yourself translate that into Hebrew?
Franz: Which?
Prosecutor: That fourth verse of the second chapter of
Genesis?
Franz: No.
(Cross Examination of Fred Franz. Pursuer‘s Proof of Douglas Walsh v. The Right Honorable
James Latham, Clyde, Scottish Court of Sessions, Wednesday, November 24, 1954, p.7,
pars. A-B. and p. 102, par. F.)
Another example is the testimony by Hayden C. Covington, a former vice president and lead
Watchtower attorney, who stated that Witnesses must accept a ―false prophecy‖ as true.
Prosecutor: … A false prophecy was promulgated?
Answer: I agree [to] that.
Prosecutor: It had to be accepted by Jehovah‘s Witnesses?
Answer: That is correct.
Prosecutor: If [a] member of Jehovah‘s Witnesses took the view himself that
that prophecy was wrong and said so he would be
disfellowshipped?
Answer: Yes … Our purpose is to have unity.
Prosecutor: Unity at all costs?
Answer: Unity at all costs …
Prosecutor: And unity based upon an enforced acceptance of false prophecy?
Answer: That is conceded to be true.
Prosecutor: And the person who expressed his view … that it was wrong, and
was disfellowshipped, would be in breach of the covenant if he
was baptized.
Answer: That is correct.
Prosecutor: And as you said yesterday expressly, would be worthy of death …
