Hello!
When I first was beginning to see the light, I wrote this allegory as a spin on the old "what if you found a house in the middle of a desert" illustration Witnesses use all the time. I wrote it to explain in non-threatening terms to my Witness friends the way I was seeing the universe. Just thought I'd see what you all think....
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The Twelve Brothers
Twelve boys, brothers, lived in a large country house. The house stood in a remote location; the boys had never seen another person, or even another house. The house they lived in was well stocked with food and water, activities to keep them entertained, and even tools to build and repair things.
The one thing that bothered the boys was that none of them, not even the oldest, had any recollection of how they had come to dwell together there. For each one of them, their earliest memory was of the whole group living together as they were now. Judging from the conditions of the house, many of the boys inferred that they must have a father, but they had never seen nor heard from him.
Each boy took a different route in trying to determine their true identity and purpose. One compiled detailed measurements of the inside and outside of the house. Another boy began to study the animals he found. Yet another took up asking his brothers to relate their dreams, so that he might understand how their minds work. One boy looked inward by sitting daily in quiet contemplation of his thoughts and feelings. Some of the boys did not have an interest in such hard work, so instead they spent their days in play. Still another boy created a rudimentary form of worship designed to give honor to their father, whom he assumed must be interested in their welfare even though he had never directly revealed himself to them.
One day, one of the older brothers produced a handwritten letter and declared to the surprise of all that he had had direct contact with their father. He explained that the father had written this letter in order to give the boys guidance in life. In the letter, there was a brief history of the house, some beautiful poetry, and many rules and principles. The letter revealed an intimate acquaintance with the details of the house and household. Why, a few of the boys were even called by name! Could this letter really be from the father?
The reaction of the boys was mixed. Some immediately began to try to live by the contents of the letter. Some dismissed it as a fabrication of the older brother. Regrettably, some of the boys who believed it to be the word of the father broke off association from those who did not agree. For a time, a few of the boys even tried to use it to rule over their fellows. Meanwhile, a good half of them had never even seen this letter for themselves.
Many years passed. The boys grew older, and some gradually died. The brothers that believed in The Letter, as they had affectionately come to call it, claimed that the father was due to arrive at any time. The affairs of the house were, after all, getting worse. The food was being depleted. The house needed difficult repairs. They clearly needed their father?s help.
The brothers that did not believe in the imminent arrival of the father decided that it was their responsibility to look after the repairs and food situation, however ill-prepared they might be for such a task. Meanwhile, from a moral perspective, some of the brothers became selfish and mean, whereas some from both the Letter and non-Letter groups tried conscientiously to deal justly and with love to their fellows.
This is the account of the history of the brothers. Today there remain the younger nine of the original twelve. What will tomorrow bring? Ask each of the brothers and you will get a different answer. What will the father expect of his boys if he does come for an accounting? If he never arrives, what will determine whether the boys lived good and full lives? Which of the surviving boys can say with certainty what the true nature of their existence is? Which has the right to insist that he is correct, while his fellows are wrong?
Which boy are you?