The King's Highway

As a convert to the Catholic faith, I readily identified with Kenneth Guindon's journey. I was raised in the Mormon Church. Guindon, it appears was born Catholic but never really practiced his faith. His catechesis was weak, and thus he was easily brought into the Jehovah's Witness religion. His journey towards Catholicism had many twists and turns as did mine. I have read this book a number of times now. I can't reccommend it enough. It has something to offer anyone.

I purchased this book while in a series of discussions with some local JW's. I was looking for a popular, but honest glimpse from some "inside thinking". Ignatius Press is respectable...so I gave it a read. Guindon had quite the personal journey. This journey is what I believe to be the gem of this book. Spiritual journeys are uplifting, his is also not typical which makes it all the more encouraging to read. I believe he is sincere and honest in his assessment and descriptions of life inside the JW's and though I detect no resentment, lacking charity in his writing, I look forward to when similar tales weigh in on the subject.The JW's I know are kind, sincere, well-informed and yes, from my RC perspective, terribly heterodox. His personal relationships with other JW's may leave him with the same sentiments, but I'm skeptical of the degree to which I would make their "indoctrination" case. Many Catholics are accused of the same for their high level of devotion. To many Americans, Catholics could have the image of a sect, and maybe should. How many young Christians, ages 8-18 would go door to door. Would that Catholics have this level of conviction. I'm not saying that his claim of the JW's wanting to restrict exposure of their members to non-JW's is unfounded, only that to some degree, it can also be found in Catholicism, Evangelical circles, Ass. of God and the like. His impression of the level of ostracisement upon leaving the group or looking beyond official JW material is right on the mark. The ones I know wouldn't think of it and I'm sure are strictly encouraged there is no truth outside, only corruption. Though, again, I'm not sure it's so strong-handed...they too, have convictions. What led him out and back to the Church were the authority of Bible translations, as opposed to the NWT...and a dose of the church fathers. This, again is the gem. This book is worth getting. It didn't help me with my talks with the JW's. For that, you're better off reading the CCC, the Church Fathers, a background on Arianism and the Council of Nicaea. What it did was offer a perspective that's not available to the majority.Pax vobiscum

Guindon's story is a quick read, but not a light one. As a cradle Catholic who left the Church as a teenager and "became" an atheist, I can't relate to his stints with the Jehovah's Witnesses and Baptists--my path was to get as far away from religion as I could. However, as one who also finally found his way back to the Catholic Church after many years, I understand well the pain and soul-searching that Guindon went through, and the difficulty of having to admit that he was wrong. Reading his account of his time with the JWs and Baptists and about their beliefs made me feel claustrophobic in many ways; I couldn't wait to get to the final chapters to read about his return to the Church and experience the relief it brought to find the ancient faith. I felt myself cheering him on as he struggled through all the legalism and rigid, irrational fundamentalism found in his former churches, to finally embrace the fullness of the Church in its respect for the whole human being. His courage in search of the truth is admirable, especially considering the many years of anti-Catholic indoctrination he received and all he had invested in his churches. This book helps me to better understand the hostile, two-faced tactics used by Jehovah's Witnesses, and also the divisions that separate Catholics and some Protestants, particularly the total unwillingness of so many to even consider the Catholic position as potentially valid and true. He confirms my belief that the Catholic Church is still universally considered to be the last acceptable whipping boy for "Christians." A close, open-minded study of history, Scripture and the Church Fathers brought Guindon and his family home, as it did for me. He has written an important, prayerful, honest, and mature book.

This story reveals how families can be broken up when their children are proselyted by cultic religions. The King's Highway will show how one young man (a prodigal son) returned to his Father's house.