Bought 'True Believer" and 'Illusions' (page 2)

acsot

I just finished reading True Believer twice. The minute I finished it the first time it was back to page 1 and I started over again. I found it fascinating and also rather liberating, in that I could understand the how and why the WTS became what it became. Great read.

Sara Annie

Illusions is one of my all time favorite books. It summed up the way I feel about God, the universe, and my relationship to both. I can't recommend it highly enough. A thoroughly enjoyable read, it manages to present the most profound ideas through the deceptively simple story line. Whenever I hear someone loudly touting a nebulous belief as a fact, I remember the last words Richard read in the Messiah's handbook as it fell, open, to the ground.

If you haven't read it already, do so. And then you'll understand why even, all these years after I first read it, I still lay out on the back hill trying to make clouds disappear...

DanTheMan

Mystery:

My mom is Catholic. My becoming JW was in part a rebellion against her, she is very controlling and neurotic.

Matty

I bought 'illusions' by richard bach on the recomendation of mimilly (come back sweetie, I miss you!) and a great read it is too! I bought "True Believer" ages ago and I still haven't gotten round to reading it yet - I'm gonna grab it now and start tonight!

wednesday

I just ordered the true believer from Amazon, ordered it used. very much looking forward to reading it.

btw, my husband has been basicaly shunning me due to this board. i finally appealed to his love of history and he is agreed to read COC.I will have to leave it to him to see how he feels. i feel so shamed in my own home. he is talking to me as little as possible and says "I have changed the rules'. wow, people change and grow in a marriage.The rules do change.

I'm feeling very sad tonight. jws are truly a bunch of nazis.

it's hard for me to belive my husband would treat me like the jws do. My ptsd is kicking in and i feel like a worthless piece of shite.

How i hate those people.

Navigator

Saint Satan

I knew that you would enjoy Illusions. It is one of my all time favorites. I often go back and read the preface and excerpts from the Master's Notebook contained therein. One of my favorite snippets is:

" The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.

Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. "

Another is:

" Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, teachers."

berylblue

it's hard for me to belive my husband would treat me like the jws do

Wednesday, I am so sorry. If you would like to talk, please email me.

Rosemarie

[email protected]

Satanus

I'm back, and w a new isp.

Sara
I agree.

Wednesday
That's terrible. We should be able to change rules sometimes. Maybe reading COC will help him understand.

Navigator
Sure did.

Interesting part in 'the true believer'. Hoffer says that people who feel that their lives have been hopelessly ruined find selfserving to be anethema. They totally give up on securing a good life for themselves. This nonmaterialistic self renunciation is sometimes mistaken for spirituality.

SS

free will

thanks for the tip. i just ordered a copy of illusions on amazon.

larc

An interesting fact about the author of the True Believer. He wrote one of the finest pieces of sociological research, ever. Yet, had no degrees in Sociology. He was a long shoreman on the docks, who did his analysis and his writing after hours. Eric Hoffer's work is brilliant.

Bought 'True Believer" and 'Illusions'

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