by lilacia 24 Replies latest jw friends
Try reading some philosophy, getting viewpoints on "What is God?" "Is there a Soul?" "Ethics" to see how some of the ancient and modern thinkers tackled these topics. You may have already done this in college.
One book I have is called "20 Questions", and it is just that. A compilation of essays by many different philosophers, from Aristotle to French, Sojourner Truth, etc. divided into 20 chapters, each chapter being a question. Really gets you thinking!
talesin
Wow lilicia,
Another goofy JW family story. Each one posted here is just as twisted as the next in it's own right.
I'm glad that you finally feel free to explore your spirtual side, it is something all of us should address to be Interdependent with Humanity.
Whether it is through X-tianity, Jewish, Islam, Budism, Nature, Pagan, etc..., each path is best determined by the enlightened individual.
BTW, can you break up your posts into paragraphs? I almost went into seizures squinting trying to read your last post
Plus, you'll get more repsonses as people will be more inclined to read a post properly formatted.
Best,
Paul [Winston.]
Sorry about that :/ I just went *blah* and spouted all my feelings and I forgot about my presentation. Thank you all again for your suggestions. I have another question to those that were long term JW. Knowing how hard it is to present JW with an alternative belief, what made you open a book that *gasp* had apostate views? I was never baptized, but I do know how it is pounded into the mind of a JW to NOT open, read or listen to anything offering an individuals freedom of mind. I have long since thought my sis and her husband will never allow themselves to see spirituality in a different light, then I read the history of some of the fellow posters and am so relieved that there still is a chance for them.
Q.:
what made you open a book that *gasp* had apostate views?
A.:
The position taken by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society is intellectully dishonest. I'm not claiming any special mental prowess, but I was raised as a JW, and eventually, in the fullness of time, it didn't quite jive anymore, dig?
The Watchtower exhorts everybody else to "examine their religion."
Well, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
They couldn't pass their own tests.
The first book we read was sent to me by my older sister who had already, unbeknownst to me in another part of the country, made her break. It is:
WHEN GOD BECOMES A DRUG (Breaking the chains of Religious Addiction and Abuse), by Father Leo Booth.
Being a lifetime JW myself, and dealing with an elderly zealot of a JW dad, this title spoke volumes to us. It dealt with the fear, guilt, and shame issues that so many need to confront. A great read - we then went on to C of C and many others already mentioned. We have never read so much in our lives - now, we actually have some time to do so without the hectic pace we'd kept up for so many years. The organization wants you to remain ignorant, and unread to keep control of you.
Sorry about that :/ I just went *blah* and spouted all my feelings and I forgot about my presentation. Thank you all again for your suggestions. I have another question to those that were long term JW. Knowing how hard it is to present JW with an alternative belief, what made you open a book that *gasp* had apostate views? I was never baptized, but I do know how it is pounded into the mind of a JW to NOT open, read or listen to anything offering an individuals freedom of mind. I have long since thought my sis and her husband will never allow themselves to see spirituality in a different light, then I read the history of some of the fellow posters and am so relieved that there still is a chance for them.
Hi lilacia! I am a long time JW and what made me finally open a book (which was Crisis of Conscience) was because I had been posting on a JW board on AOL for many years, and I got tired of the back and forth arguing from other witnesses, calling Ray Franz an apostate, and acting like they knew what the book contained, although they hadn't read it, and the non-witnesses who did read the book, and challenge the witnesses saying "how can you put Ray Franz down when you haven't even read the book." So I decided to take up the challenge, bought the book and read it. However, I must say that I always read books my whole life--usually gothic novels, or suspense/mystery, science fiction--never any of those silly romance novels, but novels that were brainy--and a few non-fiction books, and I never felt the need to run to an elder for anything, because I didn't think it was none of their business; I felt pretty free in my own world of being a JW and free to think what I wanted, yet not committing any sexual sins and trying to be a good JW without drawing attention to myself. I didn't like attention--so my way of dealing with it was to just be a quiet person and live in the world of my mind, thinking of all kinds of possibilities which I figured I wouldn't be able to fulfill until the "new world," and so on and so on. This was also during a time when I was trying to "convert" atheists (on an atheist board) to at least start believing in God again. Boy, did I get spanked there! But then, after I started really listening to their questions about God being invisible and how can you prove he exists, questions about a snake talking Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, etc., and about the whole thing of being a believer vs. being a non-believer (because to an atheist those are the only two categories of people that exist)..I thinking about my own beliefs as a religious person and realized that they made lots of good points. And I also made friends with a girl who said she was an atheist but is now agnostic (and we only live an 1hrs. drive apart so we visit), I have expanded my mind and attempting a fade out of the congregation, but you know, fading is very hard. Now I'm not an atheist nor an agnostic, I still feel like I'm a spiritual person and that God will always be in my life, and more and more, I realize the Bible is more complex than what the society or other religions who claim to be Christian would have you believe. So now, I'm finding all kinds of little treasures there that I never saw before and understand things apart from the society's explanations, and I find it quite refreshing. Sorry this was a book, but just wanted you to see the process I am in now. BTW I'm 56 yrs. old and was baptized at age 11 1/2-----waaaayyyy to young!
These are my choice for top three:
After that, these are needed to 'round out' your awakening:
All are available from Freeminds at http://www.freeminds.org/sales/menuframes.htm
Enjoy!
Cheers, Ozzie
" Blood On The Alter " By David Reed
I really, really, really want to tempt an XJW to read this book for their opinion. This book is on my list of life-changing works, I will never see my world or my fellow human beings the same again.
Becoming Human by Jean Vanier, House of Anansi Press
The best things to read are the Early Church Fathers. The Didache (c. 100 AD) is also an invaluable resource. Here's a website with pre and post Nicene writers:
