MW: "I'm Perfect, You're Doomed" by Kyria Abrahams
Kyria Abrahams is brilliant.
I haven't read her book, but I have watched several of her videos on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL8xVBWJLbw
And Kyria as Cynthea
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
MW: "I'm Perfect, You're Doomed" by Kyria Abrahams
Kyria Abrahams is brilliant.
I haven't read her book, but I have watched several of her videos on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL8xVBWJLbw
And Kyria as Cynthea
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
MuddyWaters: She mentioned Schnell, who wrote "Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave", which I have also read, but it was a little hard going at times. He gives insight into the mind of Rutherford and the goals of the early days of the organization, and the DELIBERATE campaign to get rank and file members jailed or persecuted in order to gain publicity.
MW, it took me years to track that book down and read it - or, I should say...get up the nerve to read it. I first saw it - just the cover - when I was about 12 years old. It had been published in 1956 and was one of the hot apostate books of its time. We had a family friend who was a JW that was close to my mom and dad. I remember him showing up at the house one day with that book and another one. He tried to get my mom to read them but she adamantly refused. I read it years later.
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
Stan: in fact--i wonder if C of C had been available in free public libraries whether all this copyright fuss could have been avoided.
That is true. I did a search in both the university and public library system locally and CofC isn't available in either.
Once the book is in legitimate hard copy circulation, it would be a good idea to go to the library systems and get them to purchase a copy. Libraries have purchasing budgets for patron requests.
Both of Penton's books are available in my local public library system.
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
kate: Penton does not sell an electronic version.
An electronic version is available here for $31.16 Canadian*:
https://books.google.ca/books?id=W1X2BgAAQBAJ&dq=apocalypse+delayed
*which means that it is pretty inexpensive right now...our dollar is in the toilet
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
Kate, keep looking for the book. It is a very good resource for "ripping the veil" from the WTS.
Are you able to access a public library or a university library? It would definitely be available there.
I don't have the money to buy books, either, but I use the public lending systems a lot. Even if some books haven't been available through the libraries, I have had them order the books I want.
The issue is not just about money, though, Kate. It is also about authenticity.
And besides, I totally support Penton's retirement fund. He worked hard for it...really hard and he, and his family, deserve every single penny that is made from the sale of his work. The money gives his work, and him, credibility and value.
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
talesin: Dr. Penton's earlier book had the greatest influence on me.
Me too, Talesin.
I had first read his book "Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship" that was published in 1976. It was in the public library on the shelf right beside Bottings' book about 1984, and I checked it out at the same time. When Penton wrote that book, he was an active JW and I was a bit disappointed in his proJW stance in it, but it was useful background.
Then, when I heard that Penton had written another book in response to being allowed "inside" of the Watchtower (actually hired by the WT to write a book about the history of the org) and finding out stuff that caused him to question the WTS and get disfellowshipped, his book became a must read for me.
James Penton is a Canadian and I was so excited one day, back in '87, when he was the guest on the local radio talk show. I got up my nerve and phoned in to the talk line...and got to talk to him! I was so stoked...he was very nice and I asked him on air if there were any support groups for exJWs. He said there was little support that he knew of, only a few Christian exJWs, and I was resistant to that notion. I replied that I wanted "just a group of people who didn't care about all the God stuff"...I was interested in just getting better. He replied that maybe...someday, maybe, that would be possible. And he sent me a letter. By the time I received it, I had already ordered his book from the local book store.
Yep, Penton was, and still is, one of my heroes.
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
slimfatboy: Orphan forgot to actually mention it in the OP, but reading between the lines, I think the implicit point of the thread is to highlight books other than CofC and ISoCF
You are right, sfb. CofC was a later book that I read, and to be honest, it was a good book but did not have the scope that Penton, for example, covered in his research.
kate: Having an ex member that was on the GB is a great resource. Do any of these other book offer such valuable information?
Yes. James Penton uses Ray's book as a source for some of his material and Ray is mentioned several times in his book. Penton's book is excellent for revealing "what exists behind the curtain".
blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the jws.. i will start.. i left the jws way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.. one of the first books i read was "the orwellian world of jehovah's witnesses" by gary and heather botting.
canadian exjws from calagary.
an excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today.
Blondie suggested someone start a thread with a list of books that are valuable to read when exiting the JWs.
I will start.
I left the JWs way back in the early 70s and didn't actually deprogram until into the 80s.
One of the first books I read was "The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses" by Gary and Heather Botting. Canadian exJWs from Calagary. An excellent book and one that still resonates with young people today. With anyone, actually.
And I read James Penton's book "Apocalypse Delayed" when it was hot off the press back in 1985. I haven't read his new editions. Penton's book was my bible for many years. I had a lot of respect for the book and for Mr. Penton. Still do.
There were other books - the public library had some 'apostate' books. Schnell, I think? I read several more but just can't think of the names at the moment.
a new letter was posted in jw.org to the elders who are under the brazilian branch:.
january 25, 2016to all bodies of eldersref .
: clap when given a readmission addear brothers:we would like to inform you about a recent adjustment.
mephis: Lovebombing reinstatement video out soon then?
Haha! I was thinking more along the lines of a Caleb video.
a new letter was posted in jw.org to the elders who are under the brazilian branch:.
january 25, 2016to all bodies of eldersref .
: clap when given a readmission addear brothers:we would like to inform you about a recent adjustment.
steve: Verfiication of the letter is needed. The letter cited a Watchtower from May 2016 - is that issue even out yet?
Until verification received, we need to think in terms of this being a parody and not actual letter...
This is the letter that is circulating on facebook. I have no idea if it is authentic.