At this point, the consensus opinion (and I agree) is to NOT release my 200 page letter to my wife and overwhelm (damn. That's a lot of man hours wasted dividing into categories and subdividing into actual handy little chapters)
Many of you suggested talking calmly (perhaps revealing one topic at a time....slowly....leaving lots of time to discuss/reflect/investigate)
Any suggestions for an ice breaking topic?
I've done research on just about everything (587, blood, disfellowshipping, 1914, generation, light getting brighter, failed predictions, 1975, education/careers, faithful slave, baptism, birthdays, holidays, salvation, pedophiles, preaching work, 144,000 vs great crowd, cult like tendencies, edition date changes, superior authorities, blood issue in bulgaria, malawi/mexico, quotes taken out of context, rhetorical fallacies)
I know many of these topics I don't want to touch with a 10 foot pole right now....but I at least want to let you know what I am equipped with.
As logical as it seems to discreetly try to plant seeds of doubt via Steven hassan methods or watching a Mormon Documentary or anything similar....I just don't think in my heart that it will work. My wife could read about cult control and be in disbelief that people allow it to happen. She could watch a documentary about it and feel the same way (of course not making any connection). But I promise.....as soon as I get involved....whether it is asking an innocent question or simply mentioning something from a book I once read about cults/mind control......THAT is the moment in time that she'll make the connection. And I truly don't believe she'll make the RIGHT connection. The connection she'll make is "I can't believe he has the audacity to insinuate that I belong to a cult". If she were to read about cult control on her own accord....I think I could sneak some seeds of doubt in unnoticed. If she were to watch a show about it on her own accord I could do the same. But anything brought up by me or initiated by me (even if I were to watch a documentary about high control organizations by myself without asking her to) will positively be met with immediate skepticism. That's why I want to stay away from any cult-type notion for now. I truly believe that if she makes any connection that I am insinuating cult involvement....it will be UGLY.
That's why I need a good ice breaking topic that is non-controversial (as non controversial as it can get).....where I can ask just a few questions that she won't know how to answer and will hopefully lead to questions in her own head and prompt some research.
I like the idea of sincerely wondering about the true date of the Memorial. But before I go there.....anyone know why Numbers 28:16 seems to indicate that the passover did actually happen on Nisan 14 and not 15?
Any other ideas?