Originally posted by dj2beckerAnyone who questioned the rules of this church were excommunicated and everyone in the church believed they were going to hell and shunned them like lepers.
Highlight the part where I said that I personally had threats hanging over me.
Were you not part of "everyone in the church"?
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Originally posted by dj2beckerSo you left before your parents?
I didn't think the rules were stupid at the time because I didn't know better. I have always gotten along with my parents and I always knew they would never disown me. Once I was self sufficient I could leave and my parents followed soon after.
Did you lead them out of there?
edit: Thanks FMF
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Originally posted by FMFYou have to understand the dynamics of the community. It is a large Mission station with more than 1000 people living there permanently. The mission is self sufficient everyone that lives there feels they were called there by God and the rules that were made were also given by God. When the leader speaks people think that he hears directly from God. Whatever he says becomes the law. Everyone that lives there does volunteer work and are paid minimum wage but they get free accommodation and free food. Hundreds of visitors visit the place on a daily basis, to the outside world it looks like heaven on earth. Most of the people that live there are happy to follow the rules and don't receive the abuse I was referring to.
The psychological abuse being discussed was laid out in the regime you described. The regime you described presumably applied to everyone in the cult and not just a minority. Whatever "covered up" stuff that happened is irrelevant to our discussion.
Originally posted by dj2beckerThese things wen on under cover?
This was a general description of what went on under cover.
not allowed to talk to the opposite sex,
not allowed to watch tv,
Women in our church were not allowed to wear trousers or jewelry, and
you weren't allowed to be romantically involved with the person you wanted to marry.
You had to marry someone from the same church.
You had to 'hear from God' who the person was that you were going to marry
you weren't even allowed to talk to them before you got married.
These were all 'secret' rules that were "under cover" that you only found out about after you left at the age of 24?
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Originally posted by FMFNo the excommunication, shunnings and disownments were under cover.
These things wen on under cover?
[quote]not allowed to talk to the opposite sex,
not allowed to watch tv,
Women in our church were not allowed to wear trousers or jewelry, and
you weren't allowed to be romantically involved with the person you wanted to marry.
You had to marry someone from the same church.
You had to 'hear from God' who th ...[text shortened]... et' rules that were "under cover" that you only found out about after you left at the age of 24?
Originally posted by dj2beckerAs I have said, I am not interested in other stuff that you didn't know about. Your 220 words describes psychological abuse.
You have to understand the dynamics of the community. It is a large Mission station with more than 1000 people living there permanently. The mission is self sufficient everyone that lives there feels they were called there by God and the rules that were made were also given by God. When the leader speaks people think that he hears directly from God. Whatev ...[text shortened]... le that live there are happy to follow the rules and don't receive the abuse I was referring to.
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Originally posted by FMFYes but I never questioned the rules while I was there. Very few people did.
[b]Anyone who questioned the rules of this church were excommunicated and everyone in the church believed they were going to hell and shunned them like lepers.
Were you not part of "everyone in the church"?[/b]
Originally posted by dj2beckerHow does this statement square with this earlier statement of yours: "Anyone who questioned the rules of this church were excommunicated and everyone in the church believed they were going to hell and shunned them like lepers." ?
No the excommunication, shunnings and disownments were under cover.
Once again, were you not part of "everyone in the church"?