I am working on a couple of articles on the topic. One is called "The heart of the Free Mind," and the other is "Diary of a Free Mind." Love to get some thoughts on it from exJWs. What is really standing out to me at this point is the fact that among the ex-cult community, not just exJWs, there is quite a wide array of believers in what I personally would consider crazy beliefs. Myths, urban legends, false prophets, conspiracy theories and deadly beliefs are all believed in by the ex cult community as a whole. In some cases it seems to me that people have gone from the frying pan to the fire with their beliefs, religious or otherwise. What do we make of this? Has a person really freed their mind and broken loose of mind control if they just go from one crazy religion to another? this of course is all in the eyes of the beholder. What I think is crazy is perfectly rational to someone else. But there at the same time is probably a group of beliefs that are so out there that 99.9% of the earth does not believe them.
Here's a few examples of exJWs I know personally that have some crazy beliefs, and may or may not have free minds, I'll let you decide:
One of my best all-time friends actually believes the earth is flat (kid you not) and that it is a big conspiracy that it is otherwise. I haven't checked with him on this recently, but a few years ago he told me, "Now, don't just shoot this down out of reflex..." I tiold him I could prove to him with a stick and a shadow otherwise and I wouldn't need to refer to any pictures or books. He hasn't taken me up on that one.
My brother is a born again christian. So am I. But I don't believe in the Bible at all. He believes that Adam and Eve were real people. And he gives a lot of money to Benny Hinn. He also believes that God wants him to be rich, and that by giving to Benny Hinn, somehow that is going to happen.
Randy is fond of telling me, "Love people more, believe them less." I think this is a good philosophy. But still I wonder at how invested people are in their beliefs. I see every belief I have as a liability. There is no belief I have that if I were presented with discopnfirming evidence, I wouldn't abandon toot-sweet. I see this as a good quality for my character. Others see me as faithless. Actually I am faithless. I have no need whatsoever for faith. I only believe on evidence. The more evidence, the more belief. Simple. No evidence, no belief. My belief in Christ is based on a supernatural experience that I had. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't be;ieve at all. The Bible has no influence whatsoever in my believing in Christ. In fact my personla experience with christ contradicts much of the Bible. I prefer personal experience to "book worship." But I also wonder whether many here would consider me as not having a free mind based on my experience.