Posted by R. A. Johnson on February 17, 2008, 11:56 pm, in reply to "Re: COPY OF EMAIL SENT TO RICK CROSS..."
28 years since I escaped the cult referred to as the "Truth", the "Way, and a couple of years since I explored the message boards on the subject. Seems that nothing has changed much- the defenders are still there, still clinging to their fears of eternal damnation, and the victims - still suffering from anxiety, perpetual shyness, loss of self-esteem, non-achievement - all brought on by the constant indoctrination as children. The unrelenting talk of giving all to Christ, being humble, being invisible, being meek and lowly.
Oh yes, many have overcome that, in fact many still manage to achieve success in business or career, but they are exceptions. Most remain on family farms, work at manual labor, or other honest professions behind the scenes. No sin in that...kudos.
The crime is not in being a member of this group. Indeed, it is a true miracle for adults who find no happiness in the world today, the lonely, the lost. Even though the message is based on falsehoods, it is comforting to be a part of a small group of like souls who gather to sing and listen to hopeful words at a gospel meeting, or Wednesday night bible study, or Sunday meeting at Aunt Emily's house.
The crime is in coercion of the children, brainwashing by workers of young people, encouraging relationships and marriages between "those in the Truth", even though the two are terribly incompatible. The crime is in convincing an 8 year old that their bodies will be consumed by fire and pain for eternity if they wear tight jeans, or cut their hair, or wear bellbottoms. The crime is in trading the maternal or paternal love of a child for the love of a church. The crime is in lying to everyone that this church came from Christ himself - not from two vagabond bible thumping preachers just a few decades ago. The crime is having your father check your fingers after school each day for pool cue chalk - just to make sure you didn't stop at the local pool hall, full of dying, sinners and souless young people.
The crime is in taking away all the joy of religion, its security and consolation in times of duress, from those of us who now can have no part of religion, because it nearly destroyed us as functional individuals in our childhood.
The crime is the lack of compassion when someone in the truth no longer attends meetings, even if for health reasons. The crime is seeing my mother who give her life to this sect, who sacrificed her love for my sister and me for the love of the workers and the "way" after we left the church. I forgive her for that. She was brainwashed, coerced, lied to and then forgotten by all those good church-goers in her last years when health issues prevented her from attending meetings. Even at her funeral, a worker standing within inches of her casket used the moment to "warn" me that here are the wages of sin. I almost hit him in the mouth.
Listen to a sermon at a "truther's" funeral. No talk of the person, the person's achievements, their love of life, their kindness, their family - nothing, just pure exploitation of the pain and suffering in the room. Oh yes, on a personal sidebar, don't be late to your parent's funeral arrangement session, or all the plans will be made before you arrive.
Those on this thread who praise the merits of this sect and defend it above all the dirtiness associated with cults - dig a little deeper. Look a little further - they are all the same. They use fear and intimidation to bolster their ranks. They use expulsion or the threat of it to enforce their rules. They answer few questions (why are there no dinosaurs in the bible?)
The greatest sin of all is that they rip parents from their children, children from their parents, lovers from each other, sisters from brothers - all in the name of Christ. Ask how many families in the 'truth' are still intact. Ask how many gather at family reunions, weddings, birthdays - only funerals - and then they sit on opposite sides, believers on one side, sinners on the other - exchanging glances, checking clothing, jewelry, hair style, the smell of cigarettes. Then they smugly feel comfort. They are close to the dead and they are right. You are close to the dead and you are going to hell.
It may have worked 100 years ago in rural America, where isolation and boredom made believing in something or anything worthwhile, but you cannot strangle a child with doctrine in the modern day world. They are too smart now...they are not meek, they are not lowly, they are individuals, with dreams, with talents to explore, with loves to be won and lost - and above all, they are your children -to be loved above all else. ALL ELSE.
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