Was There a Fictional Work Helped You Realize the Truth About the (T)ruth? (page 5)

Narkissos

Not really "the truth about the 'Truth'" -- it seemed completely unrelated at the beginning -- but fiction literature was decisive in making me move from the JW mindset, more generally. Actually I think it was particularly helpful because it was fiction and did not threaten my "belief system" directly: switching the fiction mode "on" switched my JW defensive mode "off" so to say.

Mostly French writers first (Giono, Camus, Yourcenar...) -- incidentally, working in English to French translation at Bethel made me sorely conscious of what I had missed about my own language and culture reading only WT 'literature' for years; then Hermann Hesse (Der Steppenwolf, Narziss und Goldmund, Siddhartha) led me to my "crisis of consciousness".

Later on I found that some movies (another kind of fiction, so perhaps not totally off-topic) had probably an even more powerful effect on me.

Lucky Calamity

Before I was dunked, I read Animal Farm, where some animals were more equal than others;

and 1984, where "big brother was watching you;"

and The Stranger (which I don't remember a word of);

and I read two other famous French social critics of the 19th and 20th centuries, one of whom I can't recall at the moment, BUT . . . recall very well Victor Hugo, whose critique of French religious and social institutions is legendary.

The year I was dunked, after spending a fruitless summer pioneering, I read Les Miserables, unabridged.

I made few connections between the repression of the Society TM and the monarchical repression and resultant chaos of French society at the time, but the cognitive dissonance must have been gradually and unconsciously settling in, for I secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) completely disagreed with and defied the Society's constant oppression of reading "worldly" literature. Every chance I got, I was reading something unacceptable to the Society TM .

I credit worldly literature with saving my life, despite the fact that at 15, I became suicidal over the cognitive dissonance that it seemed to incur; however, without the religious oppression, I doubt I would have had to endure such enormously overwhelming pain.

Books helped me to move on to live a very flawed and authentic life. I've said that before, and I'll say it over and over again.

I've had worse company than a good book. Said that before, too, and will say it again and again.

BabaYaga

Here's one that hasn't been mentioned yet, and it directly affected my "field service reports"!

The Gods Must Be Crazy.

A peaceful Kalahari Bushman village is disrupted when a Coke bottle seems to magically fall from the sky, causing jealousy and derision. The culture seemed perfectly balanced and adapted until the outside world dropped in. They were appreciative of their higher power, and even prayed to and thanked the spirits of the beasts they killed to survive.

I thought... they are doing just fine on their own. They love and are loved by the Creator. What is missing here? Nothing. What would happen if Witness Missionaries inserted themselves into that society? There would be far greater disruption than the interloper Coke bottle, that's for sure. (Sorry, JWN Gileadites!)

This literally put a serious damper on my field service. I realized that some people were doing just fine without us "saving them", and they might just be better off (even in their relationship to god) without ever reading Watchtower literature.

Heaven

I don't think there was any work of fiction that helped me. I think I've always known who I was and what I wanted out of life. What the JWs/WTS was offering didn't fit with me. I also was very good at observation. My Mom actually commented on this to me. She told me I was always a pretty good judge of things, even at a very early age.

Blithe Freshman

Clan of the Cave Bear, and it's descriptions of shunning, why & how. I was particularly struck by how Ayla thought that a person shunned ( treated as dead) would loose all will to live. I began to see the young people in the cong although disfellowshipped had weak moments after their disfellowshipping they took a downward spiral & got into much more trouble. Being treated as dead they too lost their will to live & started dangerous behaviors that could kill them.

There is also a lot about the Clans inability to learn/think for themselves over something new, just doing what they have always done etc. Shunning was also rare & done when the clan was in great fear from their superstitions or they had a bad leader. Good leaders helped each individual be a productive member of the group & valued everyone so there were not the sort of problems that ended in shunning. Everyone new to shun someone was to invite their death & life was too precious to risk anyones life over indescretions or disagreements.

BF

villabolo

I must unfortunately admit that having read 1984 did not help me get out of the JWs but once I got out I was inspired to read quite a few dystopian books most of which have been mentioned already. I would suggest to any George Orwell fan that they read Homage to Catalonia which relates his experience in the Spanish Civil War and provided the inspiration for his books 1984 and Animal Farm.

Tuesday

I guess I'm the only one that will mention a book that was a work of fiction but was directly about JWs. "Falling In Truth" by Steve McRoberts. I actually aspired at one time to write the perfect story of someone's love affair with the truth then finding out the truth about it and leaving, then I read this book and realized that that perfect story was already written.

For those who haven't read it, you can read it online for free here:

http://www.smmcroberts.net/religion/fundamentalism/watchtower/fit/index.html#contents

BabaYaga

What a great reading and watching list this is! Any more?

the real life

Lucky Calamity - I really liked your post :) I recommend the novels of Tom Robbins. They are wacky, fantastical, philosophical, epic stories with tons of characters and they often span centuries of history and include lots of quirky culture. Most of all, they taught me to say "yes" to life. JW culture says a big noooooooo to life, so it was very refreshing. I especially love Jitterbug Perfume and Still Life with Woodpecker.

OnTheWayOut

Yes. The Bible.

Best answer ever.

I am still facsinated by fictional movies and television of the type where people are forced into a society that takes away their individuality/rights/freedom. I agree with the following:

The Matrix, 1984, THX1138 (I didn't really get it, but of the same ilk), V for Vendetta, The Truman Show, The Stepford Wives, Star Trek's Borg, Logan's Run

Robert Heinlein's JOB was an awesome book that helps, along with ANIMAL FARM.

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

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