share your reaction after reading CoC and ISoCF

by suavojr 42 Replies latest jw friends

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  suavojr

  After reading CoC and ISoCF I cried, I was in shock, disillusioned, angry, and afraid… anyone wants to share their experience?

  I would like to see what you think about these questions when compared with your account.

  · Why people from different backgrounds feel similar reactions? (CANNOT BE A CONPIRACY)

  · Why after reading these books from a (supposedly apostate) we feel closer to Jesus and God? (Shouldn’t this be the wrong reaction)

  · Why do we get the desire to read more the from Bible?

  · Why do we draw closer to our loving father?

  · Why do we see Jesus closer and special?

  But maybe I am wrong, Did anyone loose their faith in God and the Bible, after reading these books?

  I would like to see your answers and thoughts. This can definitely help me and other lurkers re-evaluate what we have been trained to believe….
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  whathappened

  Ray's book was so credible, it was quite a life changing read. When I read how the governing body isn't unanimous when making decisions, and how they vote on doctrinal changes, it was all over for me. This book showed that the Watchtower Society is just as bad as all the others. It also drove home the fact that the WBTS drains people of their life's blood and discards them like trash.

  No wonder they don't want you watching those vampire movies, the simularities are obvious.
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  Satanus

  As i was reading coc, and realising that the wt was faulse, i was shocked, felt like throwing up, then was relieved at the weight lifting. I too, delved into the bible and christianity deeply, after that. I think that that closeness to jesus/bible/god is because the wt taught us that they are of such high value. However, the wt always blocked us in some ways in fully accessing them. Many people, myself included move out of that phase after a while. It's a remainder of wt indoctrination. For me, after a couple of yrs of christianity, i saw the flaws in the bible and i regretfully had to leave it, as well. That was very depressing. I was also dissappointed that there was no biblegod. I was angry that i had been influenced, scammed, really, into believing in the biblegod.

  S
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  Indian Larry

  Those two books were life changing for me. The society had always said that "apostates" were hateful and spewed out half truths and lies. They were accused of "beating" their former brothers. Ray was the exact opposite of all those charges. He did not denigrate the WT, he did not spew out lies and hate. He used the bible, and the societies own words to show their errors.

  There is a reason that Brooklyn does not want anyone reading CoC or ISoCF, because anyone reading these two books can not remain in the organization and be honest to themselves. Period.

  On another note, I am not pointing fingers at those who do lie about the borg or tell half truths, I understand the anger almost hate that you can feel when you found out that you have been lied to all your life about the most important part of your life. It sucks. However I truely believe that if you really want to hurt the BORG the best most productive method is to follow the example set both in these books and on Pauls site JWFacts.com.
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  insearchoftruth4

  Ray Franz left beneficial knowledge and helped my family to leave the WT cult of which I'm grateful. Though I came to the realization a few years before that the Bible which does have Divine revelation had been altered and interpolated patched and pasted e.g. Isaiah 37 and 2nd Kings 19. Who did this? No one knows. Other scriptures as well, it was a real blow to my faith hard to explain, I wept. But I really believe in One God who created everything and thats where I found some Peace and contentment.
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  Indian Larry

  insearch> That is interesting about Isaiah 37 and 2nd Kings 9. What is the WT explanation for the duplication?
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  insearchoftruth4

  Indian Larry, actually 2 and 1/2 chapters starting with 2nd Kings 18 vs 26, and Isaiah 36 vs 11. WT has no explanation. And haven't found it in outside sources as well.
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  Fernando

  Personally I had come to similar conclusions long before reading parts of the books.

  In fact I had walked out and resigned permanantly many months before before reading the books.

  I imagine Ray would "turn in his grave" if he knew how many read CoC and get it, without reading ISoCF and getting it too. I imagine it would disturb him so much that he would withdraw CoC and leave only ISoCF remaining.

  Still they remain invaluable monuments and a legacy of a brave and articulate man who was willing to stand up for the truth no matter how unpopular - my kind of person all the way.

  If Ray were alive and younger I would ask him to also write and publish condensed versions of the books too. At any rate if one searches "legalism" in the wt library an article comes up that reads like a summary of ISoCF (g79 6/8 pp. 27-28 Why the Emphasis on Christian Freedom?).
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  happy@last

  I had already stopped believing in a loving god despite being an elder and was suffering nervous exhaustion due to trying to help people follow the bible and not the rules laid down by the GB, I stopped attending meetings and FS. Then I read CoC properly (I had read snippets years before but just said 'theres 2 sides to every story') and it just confirmed what I had already suspected about WTBTS.
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  dozy

  Reaction - disillusioned , annoyed , hacked off that I hadn't read them years ago.

  I found the books fascinating - they really filled a lot of the blanks in for me. There is no doubt that Franz demolishes the WTBTS premise that they are the one chosen true religion pointed to from the bible. I have to admit that there are a few eye opening accounts in the books regarding the duplicity of the WTBTS that really staggered me as my working assumption was that for all their faults they were a well meaning and essentially honest organisation , albeit misguided.

  While he makes a fair argument for much more of a personal Christianity , to me there just are too many discrepancies in the scriptures and lack of tangible verifiable input from God / Christ to make me become a religious person outwith the JWs. Franz tends to skirt around these areas - in fairness , it isn't the purpose of his books. Maybe a third book should have focused on these - it would have been helpful to see Franz make a defence of some of the more difficult bible passages & events.