Captives of a Concept (Anatomy of an Illusion) [Paperback]

Don Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2005

Understanding the illusionary concept that holds millions of Jehovah's Witnesses captive by controlling how they think and act without them realizing it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com; 2007 edition (April 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411622103
• ISBN-13: 978-1411622104
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Down to the nitty gritty - the real problem with the Watchtower Society, September 15, 2006

By 

Mrs. Rose-marie Robinson (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Captives of a Concept (Anatomy of an Illusion) (Paperback)

Bear with me on my personal background - I will get to the point about Don Cameron's book and how influential it was for me.

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness from infancy, and walked away in disgust in my mid 20's. As a result of that action, I was in such a state of turmoil and therefore was unable to verbalize my feelings, nor my reasons why I had to leave. That is - I could not even verbalize them to myself, other than to say to myself "I have got to get out of this. Something is really wrong. I can't live this way. I can't take it any more. If I stay, I will die". Staying in the Watchtower Society, while it afforded me with "instant friends and family", was an option I could no longer tolerate, because I realized that if I stayed one second longer, I would die - not a physical death - but most assuredly an emotional death, a psychological death, an intellectual death, a spiritual death. Everything that I was and am - would perish, and I would turn into a robot like everybody else around me.

Of course I was ostracized and shunned by all my former witness associates, whose love and acceptance for me, was after all, completely conditional - conditional upon my staying in the Watchtower Society. So much for brotherly love.

As I branched out in to my new life, and if the subject of religious beliefs or Jehovah's Witnesses would arise, occasionally I would find the courage to mention to people that I used to be a Jehovah's Witness. When they asked me why I left and what it was about the religion that made me leave, I found myself unable to clearly articulate exactly what it was that made me leave and change my life so abruptly, and going through the trauma of being abandoned and shunned by everyone I knew, and starting life over again - alone.

I could not pinpoint it to any one exact thing, I could not put my finger on exactly what "it" was. I thought the "it" (or the problem) was "me", because I could not accept the way things were done within the organization. But what was it about the "way things were done" that were so anathema to me?

I resented being dragged to boring meetings three times a week. The assemblies were even worse. It bothered me that I could not ask questions that were not in the Watchtower magazine. Nobody cared about what I thought, my schooling or my education, nobody cared about ME, who I was, what my hobbies were, what I enjoyed doing, what made me tick. The only thing that mattered was that I show up to all the meetings, go out on field service every week, answer at the Watchtower study, and be like all the other young sisters whose life goal was to be a pioneer and then marry. Be a good sister, do what I was told, don't ask questions, don't stay in school longer than you need to (because of course sisters should aim to be pioneers, so that brothers will want to marry them because they are so SPIRITUAL), don't fall into "independent thinking". But how do I articulate all of these concerns to people who are not familiar with Jehovah's Witnesses?

Don Cameron's book for me, was life changing. Finally, I understood, I understood what was wrong with the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses - exactly what was wrong, that I had been unable to pinpoint or articulate.

The problem wasn't me at all. The number one problem with Jehovah's Witnesses? What is that makes them so dangerous? Yes, dangerous.

Here it is - summed up in Don Cameron's book. The Watchtower Society leadership has convinced their members, Jehovah's Witnesses, that they (this select group of men in Brooklyn, New York) are indeed the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matthew 24:45-47, and that therefore, they are God's only true organization, that they represent God and speak for him. This means that to question their authority is to question God himself. Everything else is superfluous and beside the point.

Once I understood this, an enormous burden was lifted from my shoulders. More importantly, I am now finally able to clearly articulate to others what is the number one "problem" with the religion known as Jehovah's Witnesses. It is the iron-like, Inquisition-like authority they wield over their members, controlling and manipulating them through guilt, fear, threats of ostracism/disfellowshipping, and the intimidation of group dynamics (ie do what everybody else does, do not be an individual). Everything boils down to one scripture that has been taken out of context, and arrogantly applied to themselves by the leadership at the Watchtower Society - Matthew 24:45-47. Over six million gullible, innocent, well-meaning people have been brainwashed to believe that a small select group of men do indeed speak for God, and that to go against them, to question them, to think for oneself, is "apostasy".

I am free, thank god I am free from evil, cultish mind control, manipulation and brainwashing. Thank you Don Cameron, for helping me verbalize what I was previously unable to do. I will continue to speak out and warn others about the dangers of this destructive, hateful, negative cult.

One side note: The only negative thing about this book was that I was disappointed over the number of typographical and grammatical errors in this book, which suggest careless and sloppy proof reading. I would like to see these corrected and the book reprinted.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The heart of the matter, July 20, 2005

By 

M. Peterson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Captives of a Concept (Anatomy of an Illusion) (Paperback)

Many who have encountered the Watchtower organization can become bogged down in confounding doctrinal issues that could take years to unravel. There are many "ex-jw" sources of information out there, but they can be just as complicated as anything you will get from the Watchtower, and sadly, to their discredit, they are often very bitter.

But really that is all unecessary, because there is only one fundamental question that needs to be answered; "Is this God's one true religion?". If it is, then all the questions about all the other doctrine is just a matter of you needing to learn it. If they are not, well that might be to painful for many to contemplate. And at that point all their other doctrine is reduced to mere commentary.

This book attempts to deal with this fundamental teaching, and it does so quite effectively. It only uses the Watchtower's own material, so it is in no way "apostate", and free to be discussed with witnesses. There are even tips for bringing this info to a witness' attention.

The basic line of reasoning is that for the Watchtower to have been chosen by Jesus in 1919 as they claim, Christ would have looked at what they were teaching THEN. There are many things that were taught then, that are not taught now. So by the Watchtower's own admission, it is implied that these 1919 teachings were false. He goes through a list of some particularly relevant teachings, that do make it hard to believe that Christ could have chosen them as they claim. After reading this book you will likely conclude that, at a minimum, the Watchtower needs to revise this particular doctrine. At the most, you might even conclude that they truly aren't the "one true" religion. I will leave it to you to decide what then they are, and "where then should we go?"

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and presented, July 31, 2006

By 

Richard L. Deem "Rich Deem" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Captives of a Concept (Anatomy of an Illusion) (Paperback)

Don Cameron, as a former member of a Body of Elders of Jehovah's Witnesses has much experience with the Watchtower Society. According to Cameron, "The concept that still holds millions of Jehovah's Witnesses captive is their belief that the Watchtower Society is God's chosen organization to teach them what he wants them to believe; that all of God's directions to mankind comes through this one 'channel of communication.'" Don Cameron writes in a very authoritative style, with references listed for all important assertions. As such, Captives of a Concept is quite a scholarly work. Cameron begins to unravel the Watchtower Society by showing that their own interpretation of Matthew 24:45-47 (which is supposed to authorize the Watchtower Society as God's organization) does not correspond with the organization's history.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus' Second Coming occurred invisibly in 1914, and then in 1918 began to make an examination of all religions, finding that only the Jehovah's Witnesses were being faithful to the true teachings of the Bible. Therefore according to their theology, He appointed the Watchtower Society as God's organization. Cameron then goes on to show that numerous teachings of the Watchtower have changed since 1919, therefore making the basis upon which they were chosen as God's organization (their "correct" teaching) to no longer be valid.

For example, the organization had proclaimed that Jesus had returned invisibly in 1874 up until 1943, when the date changed to 1914. Even their own publications refer to this change of dates. The book continues by describing 48 teachings that have changed since "Jesus appointed the Watchtower Society as God's organization." If Jesus really had selected the Watchtower on the basis of their teaching down till 1919, then He would be very upset that they have subsequently changed all those 48 teachings.

A large section deals with many of the false teachings and prophecies that the Society has promulgated. Although admitting they were not true, the Watchtower never refers to them as "false" but simply as "errors", "mistakes", "misunderstandings", "inaccurate concepts", etc. Besides pointing out these "mistakes," Cameron provides specific examples where the Witnesses' religious leaders have been less than honest in order to cover up their "errors."

Of course, even with overwhelming evidence that the Watchtower is not God's organization, members are unwilling to even examine this evidence for fear of being disfellowshipped. However, Cameron suggests a way to get around their unwillingness to examine the evidence. Since Jehovah's Witnesses take pride in teaching, one way to get them to examine the evidence that the Watchtower Society is not God's organization is to ask them to teach you about the history of the organization. Since they have little or no information in this regard, they will have to do some research to "help you out". The primary source of information about the Society's history is contained in their current 750-page book, Jehovah's Witnesses -Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Surprisingly, this book contains all the information needed to allow a Jehovah's Witness to teach themselves the truth about the Watchtower Society, if only they knew what to look for and where to find it. Their 'student'' who does know what to look for and where to find it may be able to help the Witness teacher discover what that book is willing to teach them about their religion.

This witnessing approach is probably the best I have seen, since it is probably the only one that will allow Witnesses to examine the evidence without prejudice. A highly recommended resource for Christians who want to lead Witnesses out of their bondage to the Watchtower Society.