Terry's book: I WEPT BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON (page 2)

edmond dantes

Well done Terry I knew you could do it.

I hope it gets a lot of publicity and is read by all newcomers to the Watchtower and those within the Watchtower Org.

Terry

Apparently it takes weeks to get on Amazon!

Well, lah-dee-dah!

Thank you, TEC for the kind words.

As many of you already know, I have been trying to write this book for a long time. But, the main obstacle was the emotional "scar-tissue."

I had buried these things and couldn't speak about them in other than a superficial way.

I even tried to do it as a novel and fictionalize myself! But, thankfully, I had a hard-drive crash way back when.

This time around, I was determined to do it right.

The only way I could tell the story was to take it from the beginning. But--on two levels.

Part I walks the reader through the entire indoctrination process of becoming a JW from the very first conversations through Bible study, meeting attendance, door-to-door and baptism. Then, the Draft Board/FBI interview phase, Attorney conference and county jail. Finally, I get into the actual prison experience and the horrifying and humiliating physical assault I suffered.

Part II gives the reader a context in history by going from Rome up through and including Vietnam demonstrating the contrast between so-called Early Church Fathers and Reformation era sects, cults and denominations whose Christian conscience is different from Jehovah's Witnesses.

After the reader sees how many other denominations have handled the induction and military service problem I start to grind away at fradulent interpretations and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses under their leaders/Governing Body.

I tried to make the Watch Tower Society OWN their human rights violations--especially during the Nazi era--and lay the deaths of faithful believers under Rutherford to feckless and bogus polices, interpretations and awful/illegal advice.

The tone of the book is, I think, reasonable, factual and relentlessly NON-PREACHY!

The main thrust is HOW I FELT AND NOW FEEL.

I aim about a third of the book at the fence-sitting, double-life-living active JW's.

I try to "put it to them" in a non-theological way, but rather based on human decency, kindness and historic Christian love for one's fellow man.

If any of that sounds like your cup of tea I can promise you no disappointment. It hurt like hell to write most of this. I mean--it opened up a really bad place and the bats flew out!! Maybe now I can finally heal.

Thanks for your interest everybody.

The book is available in 6x9 trade paperback and e-book.

For a KINDLE version I can provide a PDF if you contact me: [email protected]

Direct purchase: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/m0rtslaw

Terry

Update...

I bumped into the District Manager of a book chain that I knew and we chatted for awhile. He asked me what I was up to.

I told him I had finished a book I had been writing for a long time.

One thing led to another and he sounded actually interested in setting up a book signing.

Now, I didn't think it was such a great idea because who the heck has ever heard of a nobody? Well, nobody.

Who would want nobody to sign a book about conscientious objection, Jehovah's Witnesses, prison, etc?

I just don't want to be sitting alone at a table with the sound of crickets around me--ya know what I'm sayin'?

I told him I'd think about it and get back to him.

Any thoughts?

donny

I think you do the signing. I have ordered the book and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.

compound complex

Congratulations, Terry!

All the best.

CC

Marvin Shilmer

Terry,

Thanks for writing this book. It testifies to details other writers have overlooked. Keep up the good work!

Marvin Shilmer

LongHairGal

Terry:

I wish you the best of success with your book.

Even though it might not be a topic that everybody in the population can relate to, I hope your story gets noticed and makes a difference!

life is to short

Marked

slimboyfat

If you list it as an e-book it should appear on Amazon within a day.

Terry

Thanks to all for encouragement and support.

I remember the very first book I read that was not pro-Jehovah's Witness. It was 30 Years a Watch Tower Slave!

The funny thing about this I will now explain to you.

It was being passed around from Witness to Witness!

The Brothers and Sisters were openly talking about it back then (in the 50's) and pointing out to each other all the "errors" and "lies."

I had just started associating with a family that had converted from being Baptist into JW's and the gleefully offered me the book to read.

So, it was with a sense of openess I picked the book up and read it.

The first thing I noticed was the TONE.

I didn't like the tone. It had a moral superiority to it and not much humility.

Secondly, I recall the writer suddenly defending classic born again theology as though he had jumped from the frying pan.

"Too convenient", it seemed to me.

So, I did not want that tone in my book.

I had to be ruthless on myself. I just was not interested in religion per se.

I was in it for the friendship and sense of family at the beginning and not much else.

My book had to demonstrate how the very things that jam sideways in your throat when you first encounter JW teachings begins--with time and exposure--to seem normal and finally...superior.

When the imprisonment got to be overwhelmingly dangerous I "turned to Jehovah" inside my head to protect my sanity.

I was driven in to a condition of "true believer" as a result.

Then, my entire sense of who Jehovah was and what His promises to me were--was TESTED. And that is the fulcrum of the story.

How can you have a DISconfirming test and still go on as if nothing had happened??

I trust that any active JW's who read about this will be able to identify some part of it inside their own mind and heart.

I hope, anyway.

Terry's book: I WEPT BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON

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