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Was there corporal punishment or beatings in The Way? Are there now?


WordWolf
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For the curious, I'm raising the question.  I'm not personally aware of incidents of leadership physically hitting or beating "followers" or staffers.  I AM aware that children of in-residence Corps- unless children of the inner cadre- were subject to being beaten without warning by any adult on grounds- and that's why adults on campuses with kids were expected to carry around a wooden spoon to be used to deliver the beatings.   One of the inner cadre was seen hitting a 2-year old repeatedly for not doing something they were told to do- until there was a visible injury (I seem to remember the account mentioning blood).    I'm well aware that plenty of threats of physical violence were delivered-I was on the receiving end of one from a resident and I wasn't even in residence when it happened.   I also know that one unstable individual who had no business being accepted into a leadership program was in the Corps, a military veteran, who heard vpw make a comment about someone who should be killed, then went off to prepare an assassination but was stopped by another Corps member. 

None of that actually addresses what I'm asking (unless it refers to the kids being beaten- which was attested to by both Corps and kids who were beaten).  Did anyone see anything like that or became aware of anything like that? 

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We were in FC20 for three months. I was absolutely horrified at the way children were treated and while I was ordered to carry the spoon I never used it. I don't recall even mentioning to a child they shouldn't do something except for once. This was the child of W.C****, who was bouncing on the trampoline unattended. This is NEVER good idea for a small child, and I gently mentioned she might want to wait until an older person was available to supervise. I was loftily and arrogantly informed of her identity as a child of the leader and that she could do exactly as she pleased. Fine, I thought, break your damn neck. And I got out of there quickly.

 

The way children were treated there and "on the field" makes my skin crawl to this day. In fact, when I ran across WayDale and saw a headline about lawsuits, I was sure someone's child had been beaten to death.

Not to totally derail, but although there were threats and suggestions, and for a while after we left I was terrified every time the doorbell rang, I don't know personally of any adult beatings.

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When i first arrived at headquarters in August of 1999 every mom had a wooden spoon in their backpocket or within reach. Misbehaving kids were whisked away and whacked with spoons all the time. It was ordered by leadership and was considered the rod of correction doctrinally.

Then came the cult experts hired by the board of dummies who were given free reign to peruse all aspects of staff and free reign to wander around grounds and observe. They were there to identify obvious practices that needed to be eliminated so twi could no longer be considered a cult. Of course the wooden spoons came under scrutiny and memos sent out by cabinet area instructing people not to carry spoons and not to beat their kids with them. 

That was pretty much the end of that practice afaik.

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51 minutes ago, OldSkool said:

When i first arrived at headquarters in August of 1999 every mom had a wooden spoon in their backpocket or within reach. Misbehaving kids were whisked away and whacked with spoons all the time. It was ordered by leadership and was considered the rod of correction doctrinally.

Then came the cult experts hired by the board of dummies who were given free reign to peruse all aspects of staff and free reign to wander around grounds and observe. They were there to identify obvious practices that needed to be eliminated so twi could no longer be considered a cult. Of course the wooden spoons came under scrutiny and memos sent out by cabinet area instructing people not to carry spoons and not to beat their kids with them. 

That was pretty much the end of that practice afaik.

"Cult Experts" - hey that's always the answer.  Instead of turning to God and the truth, hire a whitewashing crew.  While you are firing anyone who complains.

What a bunch of pathetic losers.  

PS - I'm so glad I'm not in the ministry so I can say things like this.  I would be way too afraid if they still had any inkling of authority left over me, mentally or otherwise.  Their authority is false, not given from God, but taken through political succession and compliance to the previous sycophant.

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