Publisher's Synopsis
Western society is inundated with political, religious, and commercial entities vying for control of our thoughts. We know we are being manipulated. But do we know the extent?
Faithful Slave offers an entertaining ride with a mix of memoire, self-help, and thesis elements. It not only tells a story but provides a mechanism for empowerment. Personal experiences are blended with meticulous research focusing on belief systems. We learn how systems are developed, and how they are strategically altered.
Using Jehovah's Witnesses as a paradigm for authoritarian organizations we quickly learn the value in that model. The religion embodies and often amplifies the rough edges of Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. It simultaneously reflects the qualities and tactics of spurious cults, draconian government, and powerful, oppressive corporations. The insights open a window to the minds of both slaves and their masters.
JWs have flown under the radar as the media sought bigger fish and thus retained the primitive, and rugged nature of old religion. JWs combine Christian writings with the strict monotheism of Islam. It is the smallest religion in your community, yet it is in every community. They out-perform Scientology in efforts to appear most wholesome. They out-preach Mormons in door-to-door ministries. They out-publish Times, Forbes, and Reader's Digest with their magazines. They are just like every other religion. Only more so.
Conspiracy theorists, partisan politicians, spurious cults, and abusive partners seem to develop extraordinary skills for enticement and coercion. How can we help our otherwise intelligent friends recognize the hooks which draw them in? To assist in such an endeavor, this book compiles reams of academic data, sorts through the most relevant and helpful, and polishes the collection with emotional narration only a once-heartfelt-believer could deliver. You will also find fresh and fascinating theories on the origins of the Bible.
Religious dissidents face a difficult path. Being labelled as disloyal and deserving of death, that ideology is combined with various biblical concepts to create a self-loathing and self-destructive internal programming. This book effectively assists them with identifying that programming and with neutralizing it. It guides them through crossing the threshold from a dogmatic mindset to one that is healthily post-dogmatic.
