Was There a Fictional Work Helped You Realize the Truth About the (T)ruth? (page 4)

boyzone

Another George Orwell classic, Animal Farm, and The Truman Show.

Watching and reading these was like a lightbulb going on.

Odrade

Dune and Chapterhouse Dune. Reading of the machinations of the Bene Gesserit was like reading the Watchtower. How bizarre.

1984 made me think, so did a tv show called "the Prisoner". Don't know exactly why that one did, other than it made me think about more mental kinds of prisons that are hard to escape from. Mindsets. Some would call the Bible fiction:) However, whatever you call it, it was my deciding to be baptised and preparing by boning up on the doctrine that kept running me into things that I couldn't believe-not in the Bible, but recognizing that the WT was not in harmony with the scriptures, either in fact or even in the spirit of it.

JWdaughter

There was a lot of childrens fiction that did make me think, the ones where kids live in a mind/body/thought controlled society and are trying to be raised up in the way that someone thinks they should go. . .Much of the fiction I read though was related to the holocaust=trying to prepare myself to survive one of my own if necessary. I got some great tips from "Escape from Warsaw" which I do remember vividly. In later years, after I left, I have reflected a lot on my fascination with such literature. But I think it led me out indirectly. I read The Hiding Place and the Diary of Anne Frank and many others of people who resisted evil. Can't read those without recognizing that others-chrisitans and non christians alike have experienced persecution and performed heroically christian acts -and their faith was in God or even just humanity itself- and their dedication was there-not in loyalty to an organization nor were they willing to die for the right to sell magazines.

BabaYaga

I love you all, thank you for these amazing responses! You know, we are actually getting a bit of a "reading and watching list" out of this thread, too, there are several that I want to look into.

JeffT, I meant to congratulate you on your book! WOW... this is very exciting. I wish you all the best. Keep us posted!

Love,
Baba.

daniel-p

Various dystopian novels such as 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale, all were great for me to crystalize the mind control aspects of the organization. In fact, I wrote a brief booklist on the topic here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/117282/1/The-Dystopian-Novel

BluesBrother

May I join the bandwagon? and name the 2 most popular choices :

1) Animal Farm, George Orwell's tale of dumb animals led into a revolution of thinking in the belief that they had independence and then finding themselves exploited by their masters, the pigs.

The way that the ruling body kept changing the rules, then denying that the past had been what it was, seemed just so familiar to me.. and the silly sheep who accepted every change hook line and sinker................

2] 1984, it has been said before , but the way that an all powerful ruling party exploit and mislead the faithful...???

A none fiction work that made an impression - Crisis of Conscience - Ray Franz. A man from the G/B for goodness sake ! The book so detailed and meticulous in showing his sources and references, a book so free of personal gripes or angst . It was so different from the "rabid apostate" that I might have expected. Thank you Ray.

BTW I have also read "The Diary of Anne Frank" and one cannot help but wonder at the courage and love shown by non christian people (not that that should be a surprise) but it certainly gives the lie to the myth that real love of neighbour is limited to dubs. The spirit of humanity shines through like a beacon.

BabaYaga

Yes, Daniel!

Various dystopian novels

I have been thinking this, too. Isn't it funny how every "Utopian" scenario is actually a "Dystopian" one! Disturbing, no? This might be a discussion on its own... is a Utopian society even possible... even for those who believe in an omnipotent god and redemption?

daniel-p

This might be a discussion on its own... is a Utopian society even possible... even for those who believe in an omnipotent god and redemption?

I think that if a lot of religiously-inclined people think things through to their ideal end--really imagine how a world would be run with only people like themselves--they'd realize the stark nightmare waiting.

It all comes down to mental freedom. Anything that discourages that--whether it be consumerism, religion, politics, or whatever, is insidious and harmful to the human race.

hopelesslystained

i am an avid reader and have read most all the books mentioned so far and watched the movies. yes, they are all eye opening.

from about the 8th grade, movies and the many books i read depicting some form of unconditional love made me realize it did not exist in the jw world and least of all it didn't exist in my family.

Was There a Fictional Work Helped You Realize the Truth About the (T)ruth?

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