i love the book lists on amazon; i get lost in them for hours.
recently someone asked me for book recommendations, and i thought it would be fun if we shared our lists of top ten books that helped us think our way out of the jw dogma.
im putting aside the obvious ones, like crisis of conscience and apocalypse delayed.. heres my list, in the order i discovered them as best i can recall.. ginny.
Anything by Bill Peet He's a childrens author, used to do animation for disney and his childrens books are the best! He wrote the Whingdingdilly which is my fave kids book.
Wuthering Heights <I know, cheesy but what can I say *grin*> "Nelly...I AM Heathcliff!" lol
The color purple
Does my Scrabble dictionary count?
Books by Dean Koontz and Patricia Cornwell
The Dune Series
I'm sure there are more I can't think of right now but my brains are scrambled courtesy of 5 year old twins
Eyes
god i hated it..every living breathing minute of it.
it was pure hell for me, and based on the pace i see the jws all over the world moving, they aint so fond of it neither.
the persecution that the jws feel they get is from irritated householders who know nothing about their religion except that they hit people over the head with it and then judge them because they dont like being hit over the head with it.
Oh boy did I hate it! I am by nature a rather reserved, shy person and for me going to complete strangers doors to try and tell them something I didn't really deep down believe in was sheer hell. I remember going out in field service when I was younger with an elder from our hall. This brother was a very tall somber older man who resembles sam the eagle from the muppet show, lol. He has been a JW forever and actually went to prison for several years during the 40s for witnessing. He has a very dry Bob Newhart type sense of humour and I would tell him I didn't want to talk at the door but none the less when we would get there and the householder would answer the door, This brother would then proceed to say "Hello there! My friend <turning to me> Has something she would like to share with you today! And of course I would stammer some nonsense out and try to offer the mags. Talk about humiliating. Then there was the time the aforementioned brother and his wife picked me up for service but on the way home they dropped me off about 2 miles from my home asking me if I would mind walking the rest of the way as they were late for an appointment! Yesiree they actually asked and like an idiot I said...uhhhh. ok. And I did trudged home 2 miles in my dress and semi-flat heels. And it never got any more fun than that. The only high points I can recall were the coffee breaks
Eyes
way to go simon--jehovahs-witness.com was given the "cool site" award from netscape open directory!.
congrats to simon!.
--java...counting time at the coffee shop
YAY! wtg
Eyes
...my husband just got laid off, again.
the big job the company had been promised fell through.. this is the second time in three months, but this time they said that the company will most likely.
fold within weeks.
Hey Es,
So sorry I don't have any wise words, just that our thoughts are with you and hope things get better real quickly.
{{hugs}}
Eyes
so i get this envelope in the mail.
i know it's, like, apostate stuff.
because it doesn't fall to the floor after coming through the letter box.. inside is an invitation:.
rofl! that was tooo funny Thanks for the laughs expat!
Eyes
why does it matter if j/ws are clssifyed as a cult or not,sure thay are.but wasnt the foundation of cristianty a cult,12 following one man?
I love that song stephen! Haven't heard it in a really long time. Thanks for posting the words.
Hey Hannibal. I know exactly what you mean. It has taken me a long time to get here. I too had a great deal of trouble worrying about what direction my life would take now that the *organization* wasn't there to organize me any longer It is scarey and confusing wondering which way to turn. I finally had to force myself to STOP thinking about it <and am still in the process of doing so> I think it shall continue to be a struggle, but it no longer seems to be a losing one...I think I'm getting up over the edge of the hill and starting to see daylight! I hope that all that are in our situation can eventually do so and not let human based religions/cults/sects/superstitions rule our lives forever.
{{hugs}}
Eyes
why does it matter if j/ws are clssifyed as a cult or not,sure thay are.but wasnt the foundation of cristianty a cult,12 following one man?
I don't think that a belief in God and a belief in the Bible have to go hand in hand. To me I have found more spirituality, grace and beauty listening to Mozart, looking at a sunset, or cuddling a newborn baby and smelling the sweetness of its hair than I ever have found in any bible scripture or religious service. God meant for us to enjoy such small wonders while here...not to struggle each moment wondering which religion is right, which holy book is right, etc. People get so caught up worrying about the *next life* they forget to relax and enjoy without guilt the gifts God/Gods/Goddesses have given us THIS time around. This is my new philosophy in life and I have never been more at peace.
Eyes
.........without smacking anyone!!!.
but man!
it was tough!.
And then one day her JW world crumbled -- while in field service she was in a car accident, more scared than hurt, and this led to an epiphany: she was living a fake life, serving something she didn't believe in and hadn't believed in for years
I think that there are proably many, many witnesses who are simply going through the motions just like your mom. I know that is what I did for all of my witness life. None of it ever felt real to me or seemed right, but I went through the motions, not wanting to make waves because my mind tried to tell my heart...well look at all these other people, who I know to be good people and THEY think it's the truth, and look how happy THEY are. There must just be something wrong with ME. That's why I have vowed to not let this happen to my children. I want them to grow up and be able to look at the world with a mind unclouded by indoctrination of men. I want to raise them to be responsible, caring people who are able to think for themselves!
They are good boys and seem to have inherited their daddies easy going nature <thank heavens> *grin*
Eyes
tonight, i would have attended the memorial, if my witness daughter had asked me to go.
during the two previous yearly occasions, i was inactive, but i went with her because it seemed to mean a great deal to her.
she has either given up on me, or the event does not mean what it once did to her.. i was thinking about another memorial, one i would rather celebrate.
That is so sweet wasa!! I had tears in my eyes reading about the love you have for your mom. She sounds like she was indeed a beautiful person. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Eyes
my wife has just left for the memorial.. just before she went she asked me to come...this was the second year in a row that i declined.
i hated seeing her so sad, i almost agreed to go just to cheer her up but that would betray her in a very real sense.
to go to the memorial would be an admission in her eyes (and other jws) that i still believe deep down that it is the truth.
Hey All,
My husband, my boys and I did not go! We were called on a few days ago by a few folks who encouraged us to go. When the one elders wife asked me if I was going to go I said "well, probably not" She looked so flabbergasted you'd think I had just hit her upside the head :) I kinda wish I had left it like that, but being somewhat newly into the breaking away thing I had to add "yeah, I haven't been feeling well this week. I'm just getting over a cold" <which is true, I did have a cold...untrue that I'm not feeling ok now though> Boy how I wish I could lay my true thoughts and feelings out for all to see...but you know how that goes :( This is the first year since we've been married that we haven't gone at least to the memorial, so that's something at least. My mom didn't even ask if we were going, I think she was afraid of the answer. If I click my heels together three times and say there's no place like home, can I get out of this WTBTS induced quasi-nightmare land? lol...someday.................
Eyes
