Rocky

I just saw this today on Amazon. In this award-winning memoir, Alexandra Amor shines a light on cults so that others might learn from her heartbreaking experience. Amor gracefully and sensitively explains how ordinary and intelligent people get seduced into joining cults, why they stay despite the emotional and psychological abuse, and what the long process of recovery looks like once someone leaves a cult. I haven't read it, but the narrative sounds intriguing.

Reaping the consequence of refusing to learn lessons of life from anything outside the tiny little box of their orthodox interpretation of Wierwille writings and practices, conspicuously labeled within the cult system as The Word of God. But many of those practices were nothing more than self-justifying sins of the flesh. And I'm not suggesting that was only limited to Wierwille's and Martindale's openly secret practice of adultery. The financial practices governing the Way's labor force was rotten too. With blinders on the Boards of Trustees, they appeared to learn nothing of consequence over the last 40-50 years except for how to screw people financially. But I digress.

YAY!

What a con job!

Very true.

SOME good advice. However, "Look Only to God?" What does that even mean anymore? Looking to God is what got many of us trapped by Wierwille's version of god and his social system. THE most important thing adults need to do (AND teach their children to do) is develop critical thinking and analysis skills. A good bit of what you listed is a part of a healthy critical approach to religion. And don't be mistaken, one of the first things cultists do is make the point that their version isn't really religion but a relationship with God. That's fundamental for establishing the walls between Wierwillism (and any other cult, because he was far from unique) and other people of faith. There are (educated) people who escaped from twi who still think that truth is something they get from god by revelation. In practice, and by definition, that makes them subject to being blown about with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14) because what it boils down to is that they believe something to the effect that their first thought is from God. That was in the advanced class on PFLAP but did Wierwille ever show where it said that in scripture? I don't think so. But HE TOLD us the definitions of what he categorized as manifestations of the Holy Spirit. And for a long time, many of us believed him.

The blurb you quoted from Stayed Too Long got my attention too. From the perspective of victims of cult abuse, I'm not sure what STL said is absolute. I agree that because humans are social, and because we are all subject to being conned at some point in our lives, and because belonging is a primal need, I believe it naturally follows that having help is extremely beneficial. But some who want to extract themselves from the cult can become determined to leave without initial assistance from others. But ultimately, again because of our need to belong, we do need others in some kind of group to get involved with in order to survive for very long.

Congratulations JJ!

Even just a month and a half ago, a guy posted on the 7th corpse thread looking for PFLAP materials to run the class in other languages.

Standard rationalization by twi. Why do you not think that's what really happened?

You expect anything with them to be rational? You jest?

And yet, in some ways, it seems like just the blink of an eye. Great questions there Brother Skyrider.

That's why MLE S or other(s) directly impacted by them need to stand up, speak up and speak out.

John Lewis, recently passed away, answered that question many times. He's the subject of Jon Meacham's bio book to be released on August 25th. His Truth is Marching On.

IIRC, she's mentioned in Undertow as having worked at the NC limb also.

Bayside Fellowship is registered as a religious, nonprofit corporation with the California Secretary of State. It's entity number is C1963364. If anyone is in contact with MLE S., she probably has grounds to sue the corporation, its officers and directors, and sole employee in civil court. Further, based on her allegations on IG, she seems to have grounds for reporting a criminal sexual assault against that sole employee. Again, representation by an experienced attorney as well as connecting with a new/different church might be wise.

Yeah, I picked up on that. I know where Los Gatos (the cats) is. I have family in San Jose. Where is Bayside Fellowship listed as a religious organization?

Did you try google?

Be ready. Be safe.

I listened to a couple more of MLE's videos. OMG. Sounds like she needs an attorney who can give her specific insight on what she can do about the man who sexually assaulted her... and a new church would help.

Okay, I hadn't realized there were videos. Mle seems like a very strong person with a good head on her shoulders. I listened to one 15 min video and one shorter. I didn't get many specifics but did get the gist. I wish her well.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. That's one of the two searches I did on instagram. There I only found info about one person, not sexual predation by anyone.

I saw nothing of the kind about any specific people suffering sexual abuse or being accused of it at instagram searching either #baysidefellowship (unless the misspelling was intentional, which i didn't check) or #churchtoo. Churchtoo appears to be in general about sexual abuse in churches. If you have anything specific, please be more specific.

Wasn't that Rosie?

Sounds like you need legal advice from someone conversant with publishing/copyright/intellectual property law. I would be very skeptical of any such advice on the subject you might get here.