CollateralDamage

In case you can't find it on FB...

I'm glad you liked them! I was cracking up making them- I'll see about making a few more. Any requests?

Thanks for amplifying this concept, skyrider. My perspective is from a perfect, stereotypical Wafer from birth, compliant unto the last detail. We were bred to contribute to Mecca: Live around other believers (read CORPS) or MOVE to be in closer proximity them Expected to help at EVERY function (free labor) from planning, parking, set-up, cleaning, etc. and scout out free locations (or host ourselves, but most of us had crappy apartments and reached out allowable limit with the landlords) Work Hardily in school to go to a university Find a post-secondary school with other believers (very important) and dissuaded from other ideas /classes that challenged our beliefs or time to help win others BUILD THE BASE and get numbers. A class every quarter was pushed at all costs, far above content and spiritual enrichment. Although not explicitly mandated, implied to get a middle-class job that did NOT in any way impact our Sunday, Fellowship, or time to give to classes. This amounted to lower-middle class jobs and to drop any other position that made you work on those times (just look at the current WAY DISCIPLES model and their love of Panera for low-paying, highly flexible schedules) Tithe/ABS as religiously as possible. Only once was I talked to in person about my name being off of a weekly ABS blue form. Not to get too into finance because "the love of money is the root of all evil". Stocks being controlled by the Adversary Financial planning for Wafers was dismal, including a college workshop where I was told to expect a windfall from a dying relative to pay for a house/college. Really? All of my family are poor Wafers with nothing to leave but a name tag. They asked to see our monthly budget in college and EXPECTED ABS to come out, even if we were not earning an income. Cutting of the hose of blessings, you know. There was a small series on how to save for a car or larger purchase, but that was essentially explain how a monthly budget worked. Keep you head down, don't do anything with money, live a quiet lower-middle income life, donate all free time/money to the cause, and WIN WIN WIN those paychecks souls. It's as sad as it is reassuring that those with titles/responsibilities in the establishment had similar experiences. God was the final Giver- put your head down and do his work now and he will take care of you. Don't you dare take thought for the morrow. Well, I am now baby! I'll retire with over a million in my bank, a pension, two paid-for houses, and the knowledge that I would have had nothing if I didn't leave the Matrix. I am creating the windfall for my children that the Way took from my family.

Hello Grace- Thank you for the kind words and sharing your perspective. I feel the pain second-hand as I watch my parents struggle, but know the reality of those who did labor in vain for the cause suffer more. I hope you find the process of writing as helpful in recover as I have. I don't post much anymore (or log on as much) due to an anger spiral that seems to kick up when I start going in too deep, but it feels good to get it out. And bourbon. Happy Hunting- CD

SOMEONE was busy! DWBH, all of your comments caused them to retweet all of their old tweets to cover it up (go figure)! What you post doesn't show up on their public feed, but it does on their private view.The retweets caused some to panic.

The awkward fallout of LCM left all of his material discredited and blacklisted. No one ever said his name, and his R&E book was only quoted IF THERE WAS NO OTHER SOURCE AVAILABLE. Even then, he doesn't get attribution, just the book title. There was an appendix on his (? his name was on it, but who knows) work on Angels, but not sure if that is still passed out with the class. Hence the reaction to diversify every STS and class, each now taught with a different teacher each time. Every segment of every class and STS someone new. Much easier to reshoot a segment than the whole class should someone go rogue. It also means you can no longer trust one person and their study. It must all be checked and rechecked and scrubbed. That meant going backwards to that which has been already been proven. Collaterals. I know I'm not alone here.

Truth. Although my parents weren't quite at that level, there was this paranoia and double-triple checking everything. Then, if (or when) something went wrong, the fire that descended was past down until the lowest level broke down and felt terrible. It fell on the weakest level (branch, fellowship, coordinator, assistant, etc. ) one that wasn't "spiritually sharp". MacCarthy levels of making sure you could pass it on to someone else. You did everything you could. When all of that failed, just blame the spiritual of thought-patterns that could not be proven. Rough.

Thanks Rocky. I elaborated similar thoughts here. Life is better in color.

100% agree. As I mentioned earlier, most of this is for me to process and get things out. I feel like Neo unplugging for the first time (movie brain too) and needing a place to stretch, grow, and assimilate into the wonderful world that is out here. Glad to hear it helps/entertains others! Will do!

Agreed. When you're only looking at the world through a heavy filter (Wafer lurkers, this means you!), it's like looking at the world in black and white. In fact, they engrained this in us all the time, that everything is black and white. God's way or the highway. A or B. This is the ONLY way to scrub a toilet, every other way is "not the best". Once you step away from the very forced lens or black or white, you can see color. Yes, it is certainly overwhelming at times, but I'd take the color all day every day. Only taking the "highs" from the myopic view that my cult and my desires are the center of God's thought/world is so trivial. It also resulted in a false (and in my current experience a very limited) sense of happiness. You FEEL like things are blissful, but there's no substance behind the ear to ear grin. The result for me was attributing EVERYTHING to God ("Thanks God for this awesome parking spot!" and "Thanks God for the exact tissue I needed when I needed to sneeze. You know my every need!") and none of it on my own hard work, determination, or just how fortunate things can or cannot be. The colors come in recognizing your (and others) accomplishments and what we as a society can and cannot due. God=Good, Devil=Bad. Black and White. Actually living in the world and sharing/contributing to the greater common welfare of man and shaping the human experience- Color.

lol. I remember L@dwig was a top seller/pimp for that stuff. Had a bunch of names under him and sold his "business" for a hefty sum, around $250,000. Gotta turn those tricks from ABS. Magnets in the shoes. No Return for you wafers, the magnets would keep them stuck to their shoes on earth! No rapture for you!

Round 2.