At the kind advice of so many of you (and Hassan) on this board....I ceased attempting to discuss doctrine/failures with my wife many months ago. But unfortunately that does not prevent her from grilling me from time to time. During one of our infamous "discussions" she said she was going to "investigate" this supposed "proof" that is out there regarding 587BC. To her credit she has spent quite some time researching the topic.....even reading a bit of The Gentile Times Reconsidered. Her conclusion? She looked at me and said....."I've looked at all of it...and there is no more evidence for 587BC then there is for 607". At that point, I could not help myself. I felt the need to go through each piece of evidence with her. The synchronic links with egyptian history. The fact that cuneiform documents can be found for every month of every year of the accepted Neo-Babylonian rule.....yet not one for the 20 years that the society needs for their accounting. The celestial observations. Everything. No matter what I came up with...she came up with a wild assed excuse. No cuneiform documents? Her response was they just haven't dug enough to find them. When I brought up that the documents that have been discovered have been found all over the country side over a number of decades.....and that by her logic....somehow...someway the documents that prove the additional 20 years of reign that the society needs.....must be all perfectly clumped together in an unfindable spot....she simply said "well........that is clearly what has happened".
And then it hit me. This woman has been conditioned so heavily to believe no matter what that it does not matter what information is presented....she doesn't see it. What floors me is that she isn't in willful denial....like I guessed would happen. I thought she would investigate.....find how much info there truly is supporting 587BC and then say...."I know it seems overwhelming....but my gut tells me to stick with the organization anyway". But no. She will look me in the eyes and say that the info supporting 587 to her isn't impressive at all.
In essence she honestly looks at the knife.....blade dripping with blood and DNA of the victim.....the handle covered in the fingerprints and hair fibers of the defendant and says "I don't see any connection between the defendant and the victim".
For some witnesses.....especially those that are older.....the truth about "the truth" is simply too much to handle. They see the problems. They know in their heart that it isn't the truth....but they hold on to that last shred of hope because letting go is too painful. I am not saying I agree with that POV....but I understand it. I get it. Then there are others....like my wife. Is it really possible that she looks at all the evidence and truly doesn't see it? I think the answer is yes. The control that the borg exerts is so powerful that it prevents her mind from processing the importance of evidence against their teachings. At this point I am confident that God himself could visit her and tell her that the society is full of shit.....and she would say "that was Satan posing as God.....I must not allow him to destroy my faith".
Simply........amazing