by LovesDubs 7 Replies latest jw friends
I just read Diane Wilson's book "Awakening of a Jehovahs Witness" and it was a wonderful account of her experiences as a JW. There are GREAT references in here for their flip flops, their blood issue, the cult mentality (Hassan) and how vulnerable certain "types" of people are to the mind manipulating ways of the Witchtrowel! All the way through I was going thats ME thats ME!!
Does anybody have an email addy for Diane by any chance? I thought I had seen one posted here.
I don't have an e-mail address,but I just wanted to say I finished her book yesterday(read it in 2 days).I couldn't put it down because I could relate to just about everything she experienced.This is recommended reading to anyone who hasn't yet done so.
You can email Diane through her website.http://www.dianewilson.net
I am glad you loved the book. I have the privilege of knowing her personally, and she is absolutely wonderful! And so are her children!
I thought it was a great book for one of us confirmed old apostates to read. I wouldn't recommend it as a first book for a JW or someone just coming out of the borg. It is obvious throughout the book that she is angry and has an axe to grind. I think that a JW would pick up on that, and just pigeonhole her as a bitter, disgruntled person. But for those of us who are fully out - yeah, great reading!
Edited by - NeonMadman on 23 August 2002 14:54:49
Hi Neon - I am glad that you enjoyed the ;book, though I do ;have to disagree with your assessment that she has an axe to grind. Far from it, in my opinion. Understandably, anyone who has been through the experiences that she and her family have been through could easily become bitter. ; But knowing her family as I do, that is not the case. My experience was not nearly as extreme as theirs (though far from pleasant) and I can assure you that I probably display more anger than Diane or her family and I don't have much. She spoke recently at Center for Inquiry West in Hollywood and had you heard her, you would have heard a very sincere person that is far from bitter - to the point of being able to laugh at her experiences ;and make them come alive with humor and emotion for her listeners. ;Diane is very expressive and has the ability to convey her points very eloquently and intelligently. I hope that some day you are able to see her speak in person and see for yourself what a great person she is.
I'm sure she's a wonderful person, as you say. What concerns me is the tone that I picked up throughout the book. You have to remember that JW's reading "apostate" literature for the first time are hypersensitive. They have been told that this material is straight from the mouth of Satan, and they are afraid that a demon might attack them just because they have it. In addition, they usually have a lot invested in the organization, and are likely going to be looking for reasons to discount or discredit the things that are said. If they pick up the slightest tone of bitterness, or negativity, it's a very easy thing for them to simply dismiss what is being said as the rantings of a disgruntled apostate who will say anything to discredit God's organization.
For this reason, I wouldn't recommend this book as the first book to be read by a JW or someone just coming out. Almost universally, I'd recomment Ray Franz's Crisis of Conscience for that purpose, anyway. Diane's book might well be a valuable study later in their journey..
I personally enjoyed the book. I felt many of the same things that she talks about. Nice to read a book that flows easily. I too read it in a couple of days. It still amazes me to think that so many people allow themselves to follow an organization such as this, and not question it. If people would allow themselves to reason, they would find many of the answers. Problem is though, so many are afraid of what is out there. I left and found many wonderful sincere people, many who were much more Godly in their everyday actions than most witnesses. Accepting people. I adapted quite well, especially since I realized what truly was going on in the organization and realized that this is no way God's only true religion. Funny, now I look back with my busy life, both work and family, and I wonder........ how on earth does anyone (especially with kids) make time for all the meetings, field service, etc????? It was bad enough single, then married, and young, with little responsibilities. How about with kids, jobs, bills, etc? This book just was helpful in that it reminded me of many of the things that perhaps we forgot about. The little stuff. When all added up, I said "Oh yeah!" A nice conformation.
From reading the book,I sensed she did not have an axe to grind,but was being very objective in relating the things she observed and experienced.This is one reason I enjoyed the book so much.
