finally read Crisis of Conscience

by A.Fenderson 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  civicsi00

  I honestly cannot see how anyone could read it and still maintain that they believe in the WTS religion--have any of you ever known someone to read it and actually still believe and be happy with the JW religion?

  About a year and half ago, I set out to free my aunt's mind from the tentacles of the WTS. She had been disfellowshipped without a Kangaroo Court back in '93 and never really made an effort to get back in (I have yet to fully understand why but it has something to do with her mother, my grandmother). I felt really bad for her because she told me that ever since then, she has asked Jehovah to bless her with a quiet death and let her go in peace. She does not feel worthy of His love and is perfectly fine with dying and never resurrecting. So far, I have failed in bringing her to see how evil the WTS really is. She still believes the GB are God's spokesmen on Earth and that "The End" is coming really, really "soon". Right...

  Anyways, I was able to acquire a spanish copy of COC after searching for months and left it for her the last time I saw her. I explained to her who Ray was and all that jazz, but she didn't really take much interest. She left the book lying around and my cousin's husband, when visiting, saw the book and read it. Twice! Now this guy, even though he has read the book through twice, went hardcore and now defends the WTS to the extreme. Don't ask me how or why, but he is loony when it comes to defending the WTS, coming up with irrational reasons and nonsensical gibberish. I've exchanged a few emails with him and more than anything, I enjoy just reading his responses to some of my questions (I could care less about freeing his mind). He also believes the Holy Spirit is dwelling within him and he thinks he knows more than the GB. He thinks one day he'll be able to be a member. He criticized Ray Franz and Ed Dunlap for not being patient with the WTS, and also said they weren't being "humble enough". He also told me that he doesn't consider the GB prophets (which while the GB does NOT right out and say they ARE, they do claim to have "revealed" knowledge, which in the end is a matter of semantics) and a bunch of other nonsense.

  So yes, I know somebody that has read COC and still believes in the WTS. But he became a hardcore WT apologist afterwards. Strange, eh?
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  Mad Sweeney

  So yes, I know somebody that has read COC and still believes in the WTS. But he became a hardcore WT apologist afterwards. Strange, eh?

  Not so strange, really, if he didn't read it with an open mind. Every point Ray Franz makes that shows the Borg in a bad light can be chalked up to Ray's biased memory or bitterness about being overruled on votes or anger at being forced to resign from the GB by someone who is afraid to face cognitive dissonance and deal with facts and evidence.

  Most people who read CoC are already questioning the divine authority of the GB/FDS and so are in a frame of mind to take the evidence at face value and make a rational judgment. Your cousin-in-law wasn't prepared to do that and so didn't accept any changes of mind that believing the book's evidence would have induced. So reading it with a closed mind, and knowing in the back of his mind that this evidence is in there, he had to squash it more strongly than ever.
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  Lozhasleft

  I loved the book...it shook me up and distressed me but only because of what it exposed in such an honest fair way. I'm into his second one now and its heavier going/deeper but so so valuable ...another must read...

  Loz x
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  brotherdan

  I've got pdfs of "Crises" "Christian Freedom" and "Captives of a Concept" if anyone would like these.
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  A.Fenderson

  He also believes the Holy Spirit is dwelling within him and he thinks he knows more than the GB. He thinks one day he'll be able to be a member.

  That certainly does sound like a unique case--it takes a very singular person to take the name Jehovah's Witness and defend the religion vehemently while simultaneously maintaining that he knows more than the divinely-appointed leaders whom he shall one day join (or replace?).
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  brotherdan

  I read CoC while I was a strong JW. So I don't understand how you could read it and not come to the conclusion that the org is not what you thought it was. But everyone has to remember that we are not just dealing soley with human logic here. We are facing people that are blinded by a supernatural source, Satan. There was a point brought out at the meeting last night that was so telling, and made me feel like there are others that will eventually come out.

  The discussion was how we are not "once saved always saved", but we have to have "endurance to the end". But a brother raised his hand and asked "Where does endurance come from? Does it come from within ourselves?" He then read Romans 15:5 that shows that we don't supply our OWN endurance. It's a GIFT from God. What a good point!

  I'm not sure if this brother knew what he was saying, but he's on the right path. We can do NOTHING on our own. We think we are earning our way to everlasting life. We think we are making God happy because of our works? We can do NOTHING of our own initiative, just as Jesus couldn't. It's ALL ALL ALL a gift from God.
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  Olin Moyles Ghost

  Brotherdan, I'm curious--as a strong JW what prompted you to read CoC?
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  brotherdan

  That's a good question. I just remember hearing about Ray Franz since I was a little kid. Anytime there was "new light" there seemed to be a newspaper article about him that my mom or dad, or someone in the congregation commented about. In my house growing up, there was never anyone as evil as Ray Franz.

  But after being in bethel and seeing the "human" side of things, that sacred cow disappeared. As soon as I had the opportunity, I read the book. It wasn't until a year or so ago that I was able to read it. But when I did....wow. Look out.
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  Truthexplorer

  I read the book about 6 years ago and it still has an impact on me today, as it did the first time I read it. I continue to attend meetings , but with a completely didfferent outlook. I worship God in spirit and truth (not a group of men); and will always follow the direction of the holy spirit according to scripture and leadership of Christ. I will not allow myself to follow every whim that comes out of Brooklyn. For the time being I keep my views to myself and will wait untill the time comes when all things are straightened out. Yet Right now, I feel very spiritual and have peace of mind.

  C of C was a great book, because hopefully the men yieldeing great power at Brooklyn will take note of what was written and where things are going wrong for them; as well as take note of other books and internet forums such as this one that highlight the errors and unloving legalistic rules of the society.

  It is unlikely, they will change, and it will take divine intervention for this to happen; but I have faith that whatever wrongs that have happened and are happening, will be made right when the time comes for Gods household to be judged first.

  TE
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  tornapart

  I read it in 3 days.. I went from having some doubts about stuff over the years I've been in (I'm in my 50s and a born-in) to knowing the whole thing is totally wrong. I went on to read in Search of Christian Freedom which I read in 2 weeks. The thing that upset me most was that I'd never heard of either Ray or his books before (I came across him in Wikipedia when I was looking at some stuff on JWs) and then I found out he'd died last year. I so wanted to thank him for showing me the REAL TRUTH!! Even though I am not physically free, I am now free in heart and mind and thought.