by Tina 62 Replies latest jw friends
Greetings All!
I'm interested in finding out what everyone is reading these days.
Or what books have had an impact on your worldview since leaving the org.
What have you found helpful in re-constructing and broadening the way you think and feel?
What have you found to be particularly enlightening on 'your journey?'
Thanks in advance,luv to all.Tina
'Boycott Shampoo! Demand the real Poo!
Tina,
These are the books that have had the greatest impact on me so far.
First I read the Bible from cover to cover instead of the JW way.
Then I moved on to,
Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz
In Search of Christian Freedom by Ray Franz
Steven Hassen’s “Combating Cult Mind Control”
Age Of Reason by Thomas Paine
A History of God by Karen Armstrong
Releasing The Bonds by Steven Hassen
Ranchette
After years of reading self-help pop-psychology books which promised all sorts of miracle results, I'm now reading "How to Lose Friends and Infuriate People", by Jonar C Nader (an Australian, in case you haven't guessed) :^)
Hi Tina,
Or what books have had an impact on your worldview since leaving the org.
Good question.
I have been out of the WT for some decades now, and have read probably thousands of books. Many have had a profound effect on my life. In the WT you were discouraged from reading books, or going to orginal sources of information. Even before I was evicted I came to realize that there is Joseph down in Egypt storing up the food. But in the WT their is a dire famine. Many, many solutions to mankinds problems are already stored in the works of many creative, original thinkers and freely available in the world's libraries.
Just recently I have read two books, that were recommended by someone on this discussion board. They are two books on archeology written,by David Rohl, their titles, A Test of Time and Legend, A Genesis of Civilization Rohl is not a Biblical archeologist, yet he has unearthed fascinating information from the past that shows the origin of many Biblical subjects.
belbab,
Hello Tina,
Thank you for an excellent choice of ‘threads’.
I read in triples. A present I am reading Laurie Lee’s ‘A Moment In War’. Lee is a poet who fought in the Spanish Civil War and the book follows his foot journey over the Pyrenees from France into Spain on his youthful way to war. This is my fourth time reading it and I am still struck by the simplicity and beauty of the language.
I am also reading William Gerhardie’s ‘Pretty Creatures’. Gerhardie wrote in 1920’s London as part of the Bloomsbury Set. I much prefer his ‘Of Mortal Love’ a very moving tale of lost love, rather like Andre Gide’s ‘Straight Is The Gate’, or Joni Mitchells anything! . His books are romantic and witty, both qualities being absent in my own repertoire, at least according to my wife.
Roger Hazelton is the third. ‘A Theological Approach To Art’. I have been fascinated for many years at how constructive and destructive religion can be simultaneously. This book attempts to quantify and understand the creative urge.
As to historical influences. Herman Hesse whom I read before becoming a JW in the late 60’s always stayed with me and filled me with continual doubts about the exclusive rights of any religion over another. ‘Siddhartha’ is the classic, though ‘Narziss And Goldmund’ was arguably the more committed. William Godwin, an C18th anarchist and E.M.Forster have also stayed with me throughout it all.
Now talk of music! I should thank Laura Nyro and Bert Jansch as they bought me to music and music to me, but that is a tale for another day!
Thanks again Tina -- HS
Crisis of concience - Helped me a LOT!!!
Harry Potter books - (why you ask yourself) to relive my chldhood!
Hey Ranchette, now I know why your hubby and I get along so well!! We have read the same books!! Out of all those you read, I have only not read "A History of God".
I have read some great novels this year too, most by Robin Cook, thanks to Venice and her vast collection. Chromosome6, Acceptible Risk, Vektor, and some Michael Crichton too: Timeline especially. The Cobra Event scared the pee-waddin out of me.......biological warfare. Yikes!! A real possiblity. Elixir, about an herb that reverses aging, and keeps you young indefinitely.
Also a GREAT book by Phil McGraw, Oprah's favorite PhD, called Life Strategies (something more there, but can't remember). This one is one every ex JW should read, because it shows you how to move on. I haven't gotten into it very far, but he helps you to deal with the "unfairness" of things, and how you have to accept things that happen and "get on with it".
Marilyn (a.k.a. Mulan)
The Grapes of Wrath
UNIX- Unleashed!
Been reading a lot of Ken Wilber books, started Eye to Eye and read Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa before that. Quotes from both in my quote-o-rama thread found under the Mental Health thread.. Incidentally Integral Psychology is another good one by Wilber.
mysteries, mysteries, mysteries, old and new
