Gary Busselman interviews the author of Captives of a Concept, Don Cameron

Gary Busselman

Gary Busselman: Don, how did you become associated with the Jehonvah’s Witness group?

Don Cameron: Back in the early ’60s I was attracted by the society’s “end of this system of things” message and especially the part about never having to die. That thought was appealing enough to inspire me to want to try to prove to myself that what they said might actually be true. And so I accepted their offer of “a free home Bible study.”

It didn’t take long to become convinced that Jehovah’s Witnesses knew the truth about God. It was what they refer to as “the basic teachings of the Bible” that convinced me. And I sure loved the thought of never having to die. And when the society pointed out everything that was wrong about every other religion it only helped assure me all the more that “there was no place else to go.” From the experiences I have read over the years it seems that my case was not unique.

But when the Governing Body failed to acknowledge their responsibility for building false expectations about 1975, I began to lose confidence in them, so much so that I tried to resign as an elder in 1978. As it turned out, they rejected my offer and deleted me on the grounds of “disloyalty to the society” instead. Since at that time I still believed that the Society was Jehovah’s organization, I felt I was being charged with being disloyal to God himself. That was scary.

I continued to suffer with feelings of guilt and “cognitive dissonance” until 1984 when I read Crisis of Conscience. Pages 296 and 297 were just what I needed to snap me out of the above conditions. That was where Ray made his observations that all Witnesses, including the men of the Governing Body, were captives of their God’s organization concept that was in fact the dominant, controlling force in their lives without them realizing it.

He explained that whether the men of the Governing Body realize it or not, “they and they alone are the organization.” And from what Ray explained on page 297 apparently the men of the Governing Body didn’t realize it while he was a member of the body. And from what I have read since 1984, they still don’t realize it.

It was at that time I began to think of writing the book Captives of a Concept. Twenty years later I finished it.

GB: Don, I’ve appreciated that the book is fair and balanced. How did you keep the tone so calm and objective?

DC: I was influenced by Ray Franz’s “fair and balanced” books. He was so calm and objective that my wife said, “I wish he would have punched someone in the nose!” But as you know, he never did. And that fact gives more credibility to everything he has to say. That was a good model for me or anyone else to try to follow.

GB: Isn’t Captives of a Concept heavily supported by documentation supplied by the Watch Tower Society itself?

DC: Yes. This is because it is the society’s own documentation (and interpretation of Matthew 24:45-47) that proves that it has never been “God’s organization”. And so it isn’t necessary to use what I or anyone else has to say in order to prove that it isn’t God’s organization. It isn’t even necessary to use the Bible to prove that it isn’t. It is only necessary to use the Watch Tower Society to prove that the Watch Tower Society is not God’s organization.

GB: How did you decide on the format for the book?

DC: I came across an instruction book one time that was formatted that way. It made sure that I was getting the points the writer was trying to make. And it was easy to locate those points when I later looked for them.

GB: How does the book deal with the assumptions Jehovah’s Witnesses make in order to willingly follow the Governing Body’s suggestions and guidelines?

DC: The primary assumption Jehovah’s Witnesses make is that Jesus was so pleased with what the society had been teaching that in 1919 he gave them the awesome appointment “over all his earthly interests” in fulfillment of Matthew 24:47. The society’s claim to being “God’s organization” now is based upon having received that appointment then.

The primary mistake Jehovah’s Witnesses have made is that they have just taken the Governing Body’s word for it. They all failed, even as Ray Franz failed for some 60 years, to carefully make the same examination their Governing Body says Jesus made in order to see if they could have passed an examination that was based on what they had been teaching “down till 1919.”

Prior to making such an examination Franz had simply assumed that Jesus would have been very pleased. But after making his own examination in 1979 he changed his mind. Now he says, “It would be an insult to Christ Jesus to say that he selected this organization on the basis of what it was teaching as of 1919.”

Peter Gregerson expressed it this way: “There is no possible way that Christ Jesus as a judge could have looked at this information [from 1876 to 1919] and have given the authority that is claimed by the Watch Tower Society.” I feel the same way. I suspect you do too.

The June 15, 2009, Watchtower study article “The Faithful Steward and its Governing Body” is based on the assumption that the society is Jehovah’s organization because of receiving that Matthew 24:47 appointment. I try to explain how it works in the chapter “The One Mistake All Jehovah’s Witnesses Have Made.”

GB: Did you write an insider’s view of the traditions, superstitions, and conditioned mind-set of the Witness people in “Captives of a Concept”?

DC: I think “conditioned mind-set” is the key to understanding how Jehovah’s Witnesses think and therefore act. Their conditioned mindset is the illusionary concept that “the Society is God’s organization”, that all of God’s direction to mankind comes only through this one “channel of communication.”

They realize that the foundation cornerstone of the Christian religion is that “Jesus is Gods son.” But they don’t realize that the foundation cornerstone of their religion is that “the society is God’s organization.” For example, the reason they so willingly follow the Governing Body’s suggestions and guidelines is not because they believe that Jesus is God’s son or even that Jehovah is God. But rather it is because they believe the society is God’s organization. I try hard to establish this fact in the book.

GB: How can Captives of a Concept be a learning tool for friends and relatives of the Jehovah’s Witness people?

DC: Hopefully it will help the reader better understand the Witnesses’ “God’s organization” concept way of worship and why it is so difficult for them to let go of it. I have some suggestions that may help some Witnesses begin to teach themselves the truth about their religion. But I emphasize over and over again that according to what Paul told Timothy something more than evidence is necessary for most Witnesses to be able get the sense of what has happened to them. In a paraphrased version of 2 Timothy 2:23-25, he said:

“A slave of the Lord does not need to fight Jehovah’s Witnesses, but needs to be gentle towards them, instructing them with mildness as perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of the truth about the Watch Tower Society and they may come back to their proper senses.”

The following comments come from page 121:

“Although it is good to have evidence that Jehovah’s Witnesses need to know (like that found in Chapter 3) and to be able to present it in a mild and gentle way, whether or not they will be able to get the sense of it ultimately depends on what God does. Notice that it isn’t the evidence that will lead them to an accurate knowledge of the truth about their religion. It is God giving them repentance that will do it. And according to what Paul said previously, it appears that God only gives it to those who “accept the love of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10,11)

“It is not possible to force anyone to accept that kind of love or to change a Witness who isn’t ready to face the truth into one who is. But it may be possible to help some kinds of Witnesses notice some of the interesting things their Proclaimers of Gods Kingdom book is willing to tell them, and then leave it up to God to enable them to get the sense of what it all means.”

GB: Where can the book be purchased?

DC: It can be ordered at any bookstore. Amazon.com seems to be one of the primary places from which the printed version is ordered. The most current printed and e-book download editions can be ordered at Lulu.com. See CaptivesOfaConcept.com. The book is also available in German and Russian.

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Captives of a Concept by Don Cameron

Gary’s post-interview comments:

The tone and the quality of the book Captives of a Concept by Don Cameron can’t be beat. It’s the best work on the topic in the world.

The book is fair and balanced, heavily supported by documentation supplied by the Watch Tower Society itself. The book is plainly written in a friendly style that takes an objective look at the assumptions Jehovah’s Witnesses make in order to willingly follow the Governing Body’s suggestions and guidelines.

Captives of a Concept is especially valuable to friends and relatives of the Jehovah’s Witness people because it offers an insider’s view of the traditions, superstitions, and conditioned mind-set of the Witness people.

I endorse the book as a personal favorite of mine and I endorse Don Cameron as a personal favorite author of mine.

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We wish to thank Gary Busselman and Don Cameron for allowing JWRecovery Magazine to publish this interview.
Visit Gary Busselman’s blog at www.freeminds.org/blogs/gary-busselman
Visit the website for Captives of a Concept at: www.captivesofaconcept.com

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