by vitty 28 Replies latest jw friends
I am desperate to get the book CoC into the hands of my daughter and her husband, just trying to find a way.
It got me thinking I wonder how many active JWs could read that book and still stay in the org ?
It had such an impact on my life and others I know. I had never even heard of such a book
Do any of you know someone who HAS read the book and is still active in the org or not?
Do any of you know someone who HAS read the book and is still active in the org or not?
No, I don't, but would like to, because this is what I'd like my j.w. daughter to read, too.
We are in the same situation.
I bought the book, and to my surprise, my wife is reading it. She was never a j.w. either, but seeing it's a pretty big book, I never asked her to read it. She is finding it very interesting. My sis-ter-in-law wants to read it next.
Hope you get a lot of answers to this question. Good post.
Hubert
This is an interesting question. To my knowledge, none have survived.
However, this is a "chicken vs egg" issue.
Does a JW read CofC (or the like) and then weaken his/her programmed resistance to apostacy, or...
Does a JW first weaken his/her resistance to apostacy so that he/she will read the book.
I've never quite figured it out.
For me believe the "weakening" was first, then the book. I also know that, without reading the books, most active JWs will fight tooth & nail to counter second-hand accounts from such literature (witness Mexico vs Malawi, 607 credibility, GB vs Franz, UN NGO, etc)
I agree...no active JW that is very faithful will give the book more than a 2 second look at the cover...then scream "Satan, get behind me!" and run out the door.
I had already left when I read it, but it was an eye opener.
A good book to recommend those just starting to study, although some of it may be confusing to those not very family with "the truth".
Job A Comedy of Justice was more disturbing and life changing for me...and that was fiction.
"Job A Comedy of Justice was more disturbing and life changing for me...and that was fiction."
That book has also had an impact on me. It's influenced me to wonder a bit about what makes God, God. Because he says so?
I read it as a JW. I enjoyed the references to JW's in the book.
I know of a Sister who has read CoC and is still faithful. Her sister is an apostate, and she has discussed points from the book with my brother (DA'd), but is not bothered by the contents and still faithful.
When I personally read it it didn't have that much of an impact on me, it just reinforced what I had already thought and seen for myself.
The books that really made me think were George Orwells 'Animal Farm' and '1984'. The book that really blew me away was Steve Hassans 'Combatting cult mind control', I only read this a few months ago after being out for over 2 yrs. I've since ordered a few more books on group dynamics and am considering going on to study it properly.
Paul
Oh crap, Paul I thought you were a chick all this time (sorry if you get this alot).
Anyway, my SIL has supposedly read it (not sure if she finished it) and is still studying with the JWs. She's not fully assimilated yet but her emotions are bound to the group. She's still studying. I hope that something eventually clicks with her.
I get the feeling that a lot of what is in the book was unfamiliar to her, being just a study. I think that perhaps it wasn't as effective as it could have been since she probably read it with a very critical eye (having been already hooked by the JW message) combined with not really having the background in the JWs to identify with what Ray was talking about.
Steven Hassan's second book, "Releasing the Bonds," is pretty good for deprogramming your mind from all the little "time bombs" that the Watchtower plants over the years. You can find these books mentioned at: http://www.freeminds.org/sales/books.htm or there are also some pretty good articles related to this at: http://www.freeminds.org/psych/psych.htm
Randy
I really dont' see how someone could read the entire COC and still stay in..
I'd give it to my mom but I know she'd read just the cover and destroy it..
Someone on this board (JW) claimed to have read it and stayed in - said it made him stronger in the org. But there were definately clues that he had not truly read it. But I would not call him a liar unless I was sure.
BTW - thought you meant Captives Of a Concept
