by codeblue 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Anyone here read that book?
I borrowed it from my neighbor last week (not a JW). There seemed to be a quote in it that she thought applied to both of my JW sisters throwing THEIR conscience on me and judging my spirituality.
I am half way thru this book and find it EXCELLENT. It has been a huge help in understanding the spiritual abuse I have received from elders and family members.
CodeBlue
Codeblue! I'm so glad you're reading that book! It should be very helpful to you in dealing with many people.
I have a copy of that book too... excellent book and a must-read for any JW or ex-JW.
That's a great book CB. I read it about every 6 months. What I like about it is the 2 authors are not ex-JWs and they focus on Christian religions in general not just the WTS. It helps because you could get out of the pan and into the fire, you know what I mean.
Blondie
I think it's a good book to try to get JW's to read (though I don't ever talk to any JW's these days!) since, if I recall correctly, the book doesn't mention them, but the dynamics of the abusive churches that the author deals with are remarkably similar. High control fundy crap is all the same.
What I find truly amazing about this book, is that you would think the authors were ExJW's (but they are not and they don't address the spiritual abuse to any one religion in particular)............you would think they were writing about personal experiences found withing the WTBS.
I keep saying "wow" with every new chapter that I read....that's exactly what is going on in the WTBS!
Blondie, I can see why you keep re-reading this book!!!
Great book, very healing. As is "When God Becomes a Drug". I read both back in the early 90s, and it really helped me. My only problem then was I just couldn't believe myself, that the Witnesses were abusive. That would take another few years to accept.
I dug this up, it helped me back then:
THE TWELVE STEPS FOR RELIGIOUS ADDICTS
(TWELVE STEPS TO RELIGIOUS ADDICTION)
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our dysfunctional religion or beliefs -- that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Spiritual Power WITHIN OURSELVES could guide us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to this Spiritual Power as we understood this Spiritual Power.
4. Made a searching and fearless inventory of our dysfunctional religious beliefs and behaviours.
5. Admitted to our Spiritual Power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of those behaviours.
6. Were entirely ready to work with our Spiritual Power in replacing all those old behaviours.
7. Worked with our Spiritual Power to help replace our dysfunctional patterns.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we made mistakes, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with our Spiritual Power, as we understood Spiritual Power, praying only for knowledge of that Power's guidance and the willingness to carry it out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
I haven't read it, but my wife has been reading to me some very interesting things, sounds like exjw's wrote this........amazing!
