What has the Watchtower reading material done to YOU?

by The Rebel 23 Replies latest jw friends

  • The Rebel
    The Rebel

    The reason I ask is because I realise I couldn't go on reading Watchtower material. I have discovered it did something to my mind no other literature has done to me before. It had turned me in to a person without a heart, or soul, and made me in humane and distant from other humans who didn't share the W.T world view.

    I now feel ashamed of my childish behaviour, and I have learnt :-

    A) I must search reading material that produces softer feelings and a more positive world view,

    But perhaps most importantly:-

    B) I have learnt, reading means CRITICAL THINKING, it requires discipline, and feelings and thoughts that are my own and not other people's.

    Anyway I would love to hear your thoughts on;-

    A) What W.T printed material did for you?

    B) If / why you still read it? ( personally I couldn't bring myself to read poster Blondies review on the latest W.T)

    The Rebel.

  • vinman
    vinman
    Your words: Ditto for me. What I thought was deep Bible study, now looks shallow and uninviting. Not much to meditate on. No flexibility when it came to real conscience matters. At times I flip through the newer magazines and realize that it truly was mind controlling. It speaks to a very shallow group. Since then I have found an abundance of bIble scholars, scientists, historians, that give me something to really chew on.
  • Wasanelder Once
    Wasanelder Once
    There is no intellectual honesty or generous attitude in WT literature. It promotes mass destruction and self righteousness. I too, saw only what they told me to see. Condescension substituted for personal interest. Self promotion subbed for humility. It was one big Stockholm syndrome publishing hell. I cannot stand to even look at the pictures these days. Even they speak volumes about manipulation.
  • The Rebel
    The Rebel

    Thanks for the reply vinman and Wasanelder Once.

    vinman:- " Your words : Ditto for me"

    The Rebel :- The only thing we are not Ditto on, I wrote " I now search for material that produces softer feelings and a more positive world view" I say this because of your thread " Ray Franz was an idiot", whilst I believe exposing the cult requires high intelligence.

    However like you I no longer believe in a higher power,

    Anyway everything has a beginning, a middle and an end, and we are all at different stages of our journey. But the advantage of this forum is we can voice our thoughts and gage if our option is valid as we get the viewpoints of others. It often takes great courage to voice those viewpoints.

    The Rebel.

  • jhine
    jhine

    The Rebel , just in case you don't know , I've never been a JW but a long time member of the Anglican Church ( yes one of them lol ! ) . I know JWs who leave me literature sometimes and I just cannot read for more than a few minutes before being " creeped out " . As already said the teaching is so shallow , but there's something else about all of it , the illustrations particularly that's just not right . Hard to put my finger on it but I can imagine someone reading this stuff for years really being affected in a negative way .

    Jan

  • Sabin
    Sabin
    I don't read it, nearly all of my books were boxed up & put in the attic the spares were thrown out, i cant stand the new bible (silver sword). I did like the animal/cultural/historical stuff though. Everything to me now is a contradiction & an insult to Jesus & what he represents. We went out to get a dvd & I saw the JW.Org sign it actually made me feel nausea. The W.T. what a joke, they write the article, they ask the question & they tell you what to answer.
  • The Rebel
    The Rebel

    Thanks Jhine, and glad you have a faith that is important to you.

    Sabin:- " what a joke, they write the article, they ask the question & they tell you what to answer" That is so triue, what a joke, and deep down I always new I should have known better. It's so funny that as soon as you open your eyes these things become so glaringly obvious.

    The Rebel.

  • SecretSlaveClass
    SecretSlaveClass
    It's made me laugh.
  • Sabin
    Sabin
    I know, they say put your hand up to answer. What for, we just read it, it`s in the bloody paragraph.
  • The Rebel
    The Rebel

    SecretSlaveClass " it made me laugh"

    I guess for a long time I regarded my indoctrination as something shameful and ridiculous, now I am almost at the stage I can laugh at my stupidity and move on.

    The Rebel.

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