Something Sinister About JW Books?

by Englishman 13 Replies latest jw friends

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    When I was a little lad of 7 years old, my parents would drag me - literally kicking and screaming - to the Kingdom Hall. I used to hate it with a vengeance.

    It wasn't just the weird language that I detested, but there did seem to be something of an evil aura about the place. I recall the chap who took my parents Bible study telling them that Satan was working through me to try to stop them attending meetings.

    It was around this time that I started to become fearful of being alone or in the dark. These childish fears did not pass away completely until after I left the dubs at 26 years of age.

    The weird thing is that whenever I visit my Mother I find that the sight of her many JW books actually makes me recoil as though there was something inherently evil present. Its a very old sort of feeling to. I have heard it said that young children are very sensitive to odd atmospheres, I wonder what it was that I was detecting?

    Englishman.

    Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....

  • slipnslidemaster
    slipnslidemaster

    Perhaps your bullshit-o-meter was very developed at a young age?

    Slipnslidemaster:"The average person thinks he isn't."
    - Father Larry Lorenzoni

  • pettygrudger
    pettygrudger

    English - I understand completely!! When I was a child of 5, we had to watch Nazi movies and listened intently while the person giving the talk about the types of persecution we may face during the great tribulation. To this day, whenever there's a fierce thunderstorm (especially at night) I still want to crawl under my bed and hide (and I'm 32!).

    And the books - all those lovely pictures of mass destruction and horror. I still shudder at the images, and they still haunt my dreams at time.

    Goes to show how well into our sub-conscious these things dig in, and why support boards such as these are necessary to dig them out and rid ourselves of them.

  • CornerStone
    CornerStone

    Hello Englishman,

    Just a thought, but your feelings could be a conditioned response from childhood. You already did not like the Kingdumb hall, so you had no good feelings for it. Only other feelings left are bad ones, like fear. The org structure, like all cults, are rooted in secrecy.

    Secret meetings, restricted information, top secret info ment ONLY for a few selected drones discussed waaaaay back in the secret inner chamber santum rooms and immediate PUNISHMENT for the inquisitive.

    It's no wonder your mother's books could inspire negative feelings. You might be "conditioned" to feel that way. IMHO the simple solution to how you feel is to stay away from those books, or burn them. Either way, the less contact, the better. Take care.

    CornerStone

  • Celia
    Celia

    When I read all those testimonies of people who grew up in a JW household,I wonder how any father or mother could do that to their own children. Anyone with only an ounce of common sense and real love for their offsprings would stop and think : God, what an I doing to that poor kid ?

  • Explorer
    Explorer

    Englisman :

    "The weird thing is that whenever I visit my Mother I find that the sight of her many JW books actually makes me recoil as though there was something inherently evil present. Its a very old sort of feeling to. I have heard it said that young children are very sensitive to odd atmospheres, I wonder what it was that I was detecting?"

    Boy, I must tell you it does not take a certified psychiatrist to understand how deeply affected you were. I mean..."inherently evil books"?...come on. Don't you think that feeling is WAY OUT of proportion? I respect your thoughts, and feelings thought, but still have the feeling you should look for help regarding those.

    Pettygrudger :

    "And the books - all those lovely pictures of mass destruction and horror. I still shudder at the images, and they still haunt my dreams at time."

    I wander if you let your kids, or let yourself even to watch the night news, since the pictures of destruction and death seems to afect you so much. It is pretty hard to find anything on the movies or TV that does not reflect destruction, don't you agree? How do you do about that?

    Conclusion :

    I think there is a lot more solid ground to criticize the Org. than those "evil books" or "sordid images" of "mass destruction". Don't you think?

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    Eman

    The last few years i was in i got to hate the illustrations in the wt, even the beautiful scenery paintings. It seemed there was something...maybe sinister, but certainly unnatural. The smiles seemed more like grimaces. Compare one of those with say a monet, maybe people would see what i mean. Christians certainly think the wt has a lot of demons.

    Satan

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    Explorer et al:

    Nope, I dont think I need help because WT books give me the creeps, its much easier to keep away from them. Its not as if its a phobia that affects my life to any degree and besides, I'm quite happy to listen to my innermost warning signals and stay away from them.

    Now that you have raised the point, I think that when my parents became involved in 53, Rutherfordism was still pretty rife, I would go so far to say that there was alomost A "Secret society" feel to the dubs back then. Since leaving the dubs, I have become involved with the Royal Anti-Diluvian Order of Buffaloes which is a bit like the Masons but with humour too. Some of the rituals do have a semi-occult feel to them, which is similar to what I was picking up at the KH.

    Hey, so I'm psychic! Be happy for me!

    Englishman.

    PS I didn't use the phrase "Inherently evil books". Check it out, you are placing emphasis incorrectly.

    Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....

  • pettygrudger
    pettygrudger

    Explorer - as far as mass destruction & horror on t.v. - simple, let them watch things as they're old enough to understand. I certainly wouldn't let a 5 y.o watch a horror movie, and I most certainly would not drum into him over & over again that was reality & his fate. Evening news - not watched in our home until jr.'s gone to bed. The 14 y.o. - news makes interesting conversation.

    There's plenty of things on T.V. that Do not depict destruction - just a matter of being careful about what you let CHILDREN view.

  • DazedAndConfused
    DazedAndConfused

    Englishman, I am so glad that this is over for you. I do remember all the things in my past that caused great fear in me as a child so I know exactly how you feel. May God be with you.

    explorer, the major difference between what we have heard at the Kingdumb Hall and what we watch on the news is vastly different. At no time have I EVER heard Peter Jennings (et al) saying that this is being told to us so that we can prepare ourselves for things that are sure to happen to us one day. I remember being traumatised as a child myself. A Brother in the '70's what "preparing" us for our resolve in the near future and asked us to imagine the our worst fears, and because Satan knew us so well he would KNOW what we are afraid of and that is what will happen to us. He also went on to tell us not to say our worst fears out loud because even if Satan at this point didn't know what would get us, he definitly would after we voiced it. But, as usual, no one heeded that counsel. I remember sisters and brothers sitting around speaking about horrific things that they would be afraid of. The one that I heard, that effected me most, was the one about a cage put around your head and a hungry rat being locked inside so it could eat upon the flesh. As a child under 10, it was very frightening and I had many a nightmare over that.

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