by proplog2 9 Replies latest jw friends
Which chapter would you want to write?
blood, UN, Shunning, Cross, Failed Prophecy, Evolution, Flip Flops, New World Mis-Translation, 607 BC/1914, Smoking, Birthdays, Flood, Door to door work, Sexual Predators, Attitude toward other religions, Organizational Hierarchy, Follow the Money, Birthdays & Holidays, Selective Service/Alternative service
Or would you just like to be the editor of such a publication.
Would it sell? Would the proceeds go to offset Simon's costs?
Just wondering.
Blood. That is my pet piss off these days.
I would like Ray Franz to do a chapter on door to door. His explanation in the books is great and slightly modified for length, it is perfect. There are some more current issues w/up to date information-scandals, coverups etc, but that is a long standing issue that he has down cold.
I'd like to be the editor. I am close enough to a JW family that it matters, but far enough in distance of time to be dispassionate enough but not TOO dispassionate. I think it would require a person sensitive (such as myself:) ) to how JWs think, but who understands that they are not quite as unified as they would like to believe. Also, knowing what is going on currently-being aware and informed of current WT trends (teehee) and ideas is important. There are JWs and non JWs who would be reading this. It needs to be accessible to both groups in a way that involves them and makes them give a damn about the book and the reason it is being written. BTW WHY is it being written? Is there a mission statement? The editor needs to understand the century we are living in, but not be obtuse about the fact that in some ways they are dealing with people who have 19th century thinking and cultic leanings. There will be a lot of resistance. The book should know where to press to break through the resistance without destroying the reader. The editor should be a reader and should have a good grasp of language.
Thats asking a lot of a book produced on a web forum, huh? Good night all!
Shelly
It is hard to write a book by group, especially a group that has no organized set up.
I don't see JWD writing a book because of that. Too many opinions and people.
Blondie
I think Simon has called a JWD group exercise as productive as herding cats. But Lady Lee has some experience, I believe, working on collaborative works. Like our cookbook.
Chapters I'd be interested in; Shunning, Birthdays, Attitude toward other religions,
Other chapters to consider: Family Life, Tips for non-JW family members, how to cope, "Unbelieving Mates", Tips for exiting witnesses, such as the proper fade, the dignified resignation, dependent/independent teens.
I'd help with editing, too, if the recipient could take the pain.
I would like to see something written about the children being raised in a faith they want no part of. How to deal with it and how to escape it. I was raised in it from birth and I witnessed many come into the JWs as teens. Many of us didn't have the ammunition to give us the courage to speak up. Sadly, we had to live with it until we were 18 and moved away from it.
Most of these issues are interesting but I would choose as my favourite the hierarchical structure theme because it shows more than anything else that what we have here with the JWs is an authoritarian cult. The Gb members take all decisions on their own without ever consulting their thousands of fellow anointed. How can that be, don't they all have inspiration and direction from the Spirit? And why don't they listen to any advice from anyone instead of saying jehovah will put it right in its due time. What is the due time to change an obviously erroneous idea or practice? Why not change it right away?
As JG said I have experience editing the two JWD cookbooks so I wouldn't mind that.
I've written a paper on the shunning practice so it would be easy to expand on that.
Sexual abuse of children, spousal abuse both would be interesting to do
But as JG said "I think Simon has called a JWD group exercise as productive as herding cats"
Editing a cookbook was easy. I just reformatted the recipes and put them in the proper section. Editing a book like this would be tremendously challenging due to so many opinions
My first thought was, "Ha! GOOD LUCK!"
Then I read the other comments posted so far, and I had an idea for a theme:
"A Community Speaks: about Jehovah's Witnesses"
Yeah, there are LOTS of opinions. What if that was embraced rather than resisted?
Each chapter could begin with a little description of the person who wrote it: their history with the Dubs and their history post-dubism. Then they could present their thesis.
Maybe the real problem would be that such a book might be gigantic!
As with any project that actually requires coordinated effort there are reasons not to do it. It just requires the desire. If it were to be done it needs someone with the respect of the group to promote the idea. I would be totally out of this for many reasons mostly because my ideas are usually too bizzarre. But we are sitting on a huge resource and there is a tremendous amount of talent here.
Natan Natas has hit the nail on the head. This IS a community speaking. The Watchtower can ignore the internet because the "old guys" still think in terms of paper and ink. But if the internet produces a well crafted expression of argument in a bound book they may have to look at it a little closer.
Some like Greg Stafford shaped his ideas in these very discusion boards.
It just seems that there is a lot of excellent stuff that hides in the pile.
Lady Lee has done a good job of best of on various topics.
Yes, Ray Franz did an excellent job with his books. But there is more to be written.
It might also create some significant buzz.
There are many books out there. No matter how big they are or the context, it always boils down to the simple, "You like it or you don't" concept. People really need to be forewarned what they are getting into and the effects it will have on them and their families from all angles, including the angles not yet experienced by anyone.
