I just read CoC

bluebell

I borrowed it from my local library, it was very interesting. The one I read was written in 1983, has any updated copy been released at all?

needproof

Yes, the latest versions are inclusive of United Nations info.

nvrgnbk

And?

Whatchathink?

Yes. There are updated editions with important additional information.

I thought it was very good - it wasn't what I had expected. I had expected it to be very bitter but it was quite dispassionate which made it so much easier to read. I would have been 4yr old in 1980 and so cannot remember any rumblings at all. And of course it was never discussed, so jwd and especially newboys stories of bethal then were the first i ever knew of it.

I thought the historical perspective was very good too - how it all got started and where some of the beliefs come from, also the different ways the presidents affected the org and then how the GB got more influence. I never ever gave a thought to it when I was in and was very much under the impression that the GB were very involved in the production of and read all the literature. I certainly thought everyone writing would be annointed.

It really highlighted the lack of love too. How no-one approached the individuals concerned but went on an inquisistion type apostate/witch hunt, threatening ones with d/f if they didn't cooperate.

AK - Jeff

You can get the updated version on Ray's site; http://estore.commentarypress.com/ Jeff

nvrgnbk

Excellent review bluebell!

I agree wholeheartedly with your comments.

drew sagan

A very good book. The last update was in 2004, it had some of the UN stuff in it as well as other things.

Amazing how unexpected that book can be when your are coming out.

Swan

I found the most amazing thing to me was that the Governing Body acted more like the Board Members of a company I used to work for. I had always been taught from the earliest age that these "anointed men" were pouring through the scriptures and praying for God's direction to make the right decisions based on the "accurate knowledge" found in the Bible. I thought of them more like monks studiously laboring over manuscripts and tomes for the insightful truths to lead Jah's people down the true path. I thought that once a truth was revealed, and prayed about, these men would reach a unanimous consensus.

Instead, this book described very political boardroom-like meetings with some decisions being made without much deliberation or afterthought, such as the question of oral and anal sex between marriage partners. Other decisions were made based on a two thirds vote, and some decisions were hotly debated and just barely passed. Factions existed, with many of the more passive members currying favor by voting for the same things Nathan Knorr or Freddy Franz were voting for. Some of the GB sounded like real control freaks, seeking glory for themselves, rather than glory for God. It also reinforced my view of Knorr as a real asshole, which I had held ever since I met him at an Anchorage assembly when I was a little kid.

It was a very eye-opening book, and reaffirmed my instincts years ago that something was very wrong with the organizational direction we were receiving and the adoration, reverence, and idolatry practiced by many rank-and-file toward those men.

Tammy

dawg

Swan, You mean I wasn't supposed to be having oral and anal sex? Damn!

38 Years

This book changed my life. Ray Franz was so sincere. I don't know if he had any idea how much his writings would mean to Witnesses who were trapped and didn't know how to help themselves. My family started studying in 1967 and like everyone else we were in awe of Knorr and the other members of the Governing Body. How we really believed and were moved by the teachings, hanging on every word, every tidbit from Brooklyn. If we only had this insight into what was really going on while we were being so faithful, giving all of our energy and emotion to the "Organization". I was shocked to learn how pathetic they were when making decisions. They truly did not care. The WBTS of Pennsylvania was a business under the curtain of being a religious movement.

After reading CoC, it was the icing on the cake with my other research on the Internet. I would walk away from the Witnesses and never look back. I felt like a heavy object had been lifted from me and I could really think clearly. I was free to explore my beliefs without any more fear or guilt.

I would love to hear more from others on their experiences after reading CoC.

38

I just read CoC

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