I enjoyed your piece on JWs and skepticism. I’m writing a book very much along these lines. It’s good to hear all the arguments resaid by someone else, and interesting to see that the same exact concerns could arise in someone else, and be resolved through the application rational thought and unbiased research.

My book is basically your paper expanded to about 400 pages. I really go in-depth about the workings of ouija boards, the origin of life and the universe, the failed prophecies, meme distribution and the evolution of JW’s, plus the offshoots that have been spawned by them.

All the parts are fascinating by themselves and deserve books, but the trick is getting it all into one book and have it not be longer than the bible.

Plus, there’s a balance in how to write it – for witnesses? for drifting witnesses? for non-witnesses? its a fine equilibrium between not talking down to drifting witnesses, not beating their religion over the head too much, not sounding too simplistic or dumbed-down if a skeptic or scientist read the book… and all the while tempered by the thought that hardcore JW’s might chance to read it, and making sure I don’t make them feel bashed over the head also.

Anyway, it’s great essay, again – and it struck every cord with me. I could almost have written it myself, but you did a better job.

Keep it up.

To answer Tom, they are warned very strongly with regard to it, but this is as near to an non-official command as you can get from the organisation.

In the same way that due to legal reasons, the organisation is not allowed to impose religious sanctions on JWs for the use of blood. However I would be very suprised if the non-blood commandment is still presented as a suggestion; it certainly wasn’t in my time.

Also, there is a flaw in your analogy Tom. If you say to someone “you can do this if you want, but you will die”, like a cigarette warning, that is just the same as a commandment not to do from the point of view of the JWs. For further proof of this, consider all other warnings which carry the penalty of death for JWs: adultery, homosexuality, offending the holy spirit, refusing to repent, etc etc. It is hardly “suggested” that JWs don’t do these things…

Cigarette packages contain strong warnings about smoking. But that’s not the same as telling people not to smoke.

I too wish that more professed Christians lived by the actual teachings of Jesus, however even some of these are outdated and useless in the real world (hellfire??).

There is nothing good Jesus said though that others didn’t say before him, and that we couldn’t come up with on our own.

Treat people like you want to be treated is excellent advice, so why all the Christianity mumbo-jumbo that goes with it? Because if it wasn’t for that you’d just have common sense, and religions would be out of business.

But this is exactly why we don’t need religion or faith. If you choose to believe and live a good life that’s good for you, all I’d point out is that we can do just as well, if not better, without religious teachings.