Did you read ..........THAT........book...............

by vitty 61 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  AlmostAtheist

  To this day, I haven't picked it back up (yet).

  You ought to, LSheep. It's worth your time.

  I read it only after I left the org. I would NEVER have read such a book while still a JW.

  As most probably know, JW's are not the only group that expressly forbids the reading of materials produced by ex-members. Another obscure group -- the no-name church, or "2x2"'s -- have the same policy. It's the kind of thing that SHOULD make you stop and think, but for some reason it doesn't. At least not while you're still in.

  Car salesman: "Absolutely, it is the single best car built anywhere."

  You: "I'd like to talk to someone that sold theirs because they didn't like it."

  Salesman: "Anyone that sells this car will lie to you about why they sold it! This is the only true car! If someone got rid of it, something was wrong with them."

  Dave
• 

  daystar

  Not yet. It's on my neverending list of Things To Do.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  Vitty -

  I read both of them in/around Jan 2004.

  I felt the whole range of emotions - then I read them again. Nothing has so profoundly changed my life than those two books. I entered a email exchange with Raymond after that and found him to be sincere, warm and gracious. I know that God must be happy with the work he did.

  Then came silent lambs, ajwrb, and later JWD.

  I have entered a new world of reality thanx to all of that - and all of you. Hopefully I have helped a few others to do the same along the way.

  I nearly cry when I look at my bookshelf and see those books there - knowing that Ray wrote CoC twenty years before I ever knew about it. How my life would have differed had I been able to get out of that satanic cult at 30 instead of 50. tears me up....

  Jeff
• 

  Abaddon

  defd

  You sound like a robot man..."MUST NOT READ! MUST NOT READ! HONEST I DON'T EVEN WANT TO! I AM NOT RESPONDING IN A PROGRAMMED FASHION! I HAVE FREEWI... FREEWI...FREEWI FREE-WI-WI-WI-wi-wheel. Fatal Program Error Retry? Abort? Cancel?"

  If you have the truth, how could a book change that?

  Why does truth have to hide from criticism or analysis? If is is the truth no amount of criticism or analysis will change that.

  If Scientologists are wrong to reject criticism and encourage members to not even read it, why are Jehovah's Witnesses right to do so?
• 

  mrsjones5

  I read it after I left when I was in design school living with my parents. I even got my mother to order the book for herself and I think she still has it, dont think she really read it though.
• 

  littlerockguy

  I can relate to Defd:

  While I was an active witness I knew there were anti-JW books out there and I wouldn't have dared looked at them or come to a site like this.
• 

  Candlestick02

  DEFD,

  From reading your postings (I'm a reader, more than a poster), you seem like a nice enough guy. I can respect that you're still in the organization...and maybe therefore you still feel that you shouldn't do things that the society has recommended (albeit, strong-armedly) against. However, what makes reading a book different than going to this site? From the organization's viewpoint they're EQUALLY as wrong. So, how can you reconcile one and not the other? I'm really curious.

  I say, it's just a book. A very GOOD book - but a book, nonetheless. This is just a website. What makes one 'acceptable' in your opinion to do and not the other? in either forum you're exercising your own judgment and discernment on how far you'll 'listen' and/or 'accept' what it is the author is trying to convey -- so you could just do the same when reading the book.

  I'm by no means trying to CONVINCE you, or strong-arm you... but, I just don't see the reasoning. Please explain.

  (BTW: I did read this book when I still was in the org.... I was having some doubts, and had been looking on sites like these and then I just read it. Although, I admit, I did it in secret and felt guilty at first about reading it... but, not once I started it. I couldn't put it down.)

  Candlestick
• 

  mrsjones5

  Books cant hurt you...unless someone chucks a hardback at you and makes contact
• 

  95stormfront

  I read it about three years ago. I'd disconnected myself from the hive mind long before that, but, I'd heard through murmurings that such a book existed when I was in "da troof", but it was always hush hush.

  I still, even now remember how I felt when I picked the book up at the library. Reserving it was the easy part, I did that online. But picking it up........I found myself looking into the eyes of the librarian to see if she had any glimmer of what I was up to should she'd be a JW.

  It all seems so silly to me now.
• 

  vitty

  Jeff,

  It was wonderfully written, what a lovely man he seems to be.