Interesting thread. It took me a while to read through all the responses. By simply reading a book can any JW be automatically converted? I hope not! We all have working brains, I hope. I have heard a few cases where loved ones were given the book and there was no discernable effect.
I haven't read CoC, as I was never a JW. But I have heard from non-JW's that it does not have the same impact on them as it apparently does on JW's. Corruption? Scandal? Double-standards? Hypocricy? Yeah, yeah. Any ageing, large organization with an appointed leadership with no accountability will have the same skeletons. So what is the big deal?
The big deal is that this organization claims to be God-appointed. They claim all other organizations are corrupt, and that they are not. Members are told they face certain death if they do not follow every word that comes out of their mouth. Higher claims, higher standard of accountability.
ljwtiamb, if I were to give any advice, I would ask you to help me reconcile these two standards. If the organization is "not that bad" and does a lot of "good", why don't they end the charade, admit they are a publishing empire only, admit themselves in to the human race, and stop claiming inspired leadership? As long as members face certain death for doubting, I have a big problem with this organization's internal problems.
As for slimboyfat, I have not heard a reliable word from his mouth since he came here. I think he spins words like spiderwebs for his personal entertainment. That is too bad, since it is impossible to have a genuine conversation with him any more. Ah, well, if he prefers cardboard people over real, that is his loss.