Hey, you cult-parents and rah-rah splinter group parents............listen to your grown children.
Stop and think about those early years of parenting and why you wanted kids.
Remember all the pain-staking hours you went thru to protect them?
The hundreds/thousands of hours you poured over them with love?
For most all, the "cult-standards" soon became your "family-standards," right?
The wooden spoon....silence at open meetings.....confining, suffocating, overbearing.
Meetings, meetings and more meetings.......where kids (under 12) were isolated from parents.
Then, at age 12.....it was thrust upon them to partake of these classes and heed its direction.
All of this was unnatural to a child's world......reaching out to explore the wonders of life.
Here at GSC.......for several years now, the second generation of twi-cultees have been speaking out. The hurt, anguish, depression and damage has taken its toll on the identity formation and psyche of many......especially those trapped at HQ.
Invariably, it was/is the most sycophant, zealot "leaders" who disregarded their children's needs.....and ran roughshod over their wellbeing. Blinded by cult-obedience, the corps leadership was constantly attending classes, meetings, set-up meetings, after-glow meetings, confrontation meetings, etc......all efforts of twi-servitude, not God. The crazies were off the rails......and the whole damn train went crashing into the ravine.
Years of wierwille's teachings on "Us versus Them" [even church leadership were seed of the serpent].....stay with the twi-household or you're outside God's protection.......cop-outs, lose your rewards, ....then martindale's greasespot by midnight, homo-purge, other purges, cross bridge to promised land, the prevailing word.......everything on the conditional relationship of strict obedience to cult-doctrine!!
Add, the backdrop hysteria of Geer's poop paper......firings, secrecy, exodus, insinuations, innuendo, infighting, splinter groups......no wonder the youth caught in this crossfire at hq went running for the hills (colleges and elsewhere) to escape the bullets.
Splinter groups who strictly adhere to wierwille-doctrine and practice? REALLY??
My brother-in-law........NONE of their kids want anything to do with his splinter group.
Yet, the parents trudge on like it's their duty to "stand for truth" and make others miserable.....
Where is the LOVE?
For God's sake, parents..............LISTEN to your grown children.
Listen with your heart.
Sky, another great post!! I can't believe I used to envy kids raised in "the Word". Until I came to the GSC, I had no idea how hard it was for many TWI kids to grow-up, especially those whose parents were in top leadeship positions. Wow, how could I have been so wrong!! God bless those kids who were able to walk away from TWI, and lead independent lives.
Sky, another great post!! I can't believe I used to envy kids raised in "the Word". Until I came to the GSC, I had no idea how hard it was for many TWI kids to grow-up, especially those whose parents were in top leadeship positions. Wow, how could I WE have been so wrong!! God bless those kids who were able to walk away from TWI, and lead independent lives.
Might this have anything to do with us having been so wrong?
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 KJV
Probably not the best translation, but it worked in fooling us. Here's the NIV:
Startchildren off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Be not too quick to see everything through "western" eyes. Other cultural arrangements work differently.
However, I do think parents should "pat themselves on the back" if they have managed to raise a child or children who are confident in their world and environment, children who have grown into adults who are considerate for other people and living creatures; who can contribute well to society; can reach a thought-through opinion, and voice that opinion without fear of damaging criticism; who can hold their own without feeling "put down" or taking it personally; and who can take responsibility for their own actions and their consequences.
Prov 10:1 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Prov 15:30 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
Prov 23:24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
If parents can do that, they have succeeded in their parenting. And then it's befitting to consider what opinions their children have, and why they have those opinions; why they take the actions they do, etc. If parents have integrity and have raised their children with integrity, why should that be a problem? Those children can "bring joy" to parents as they grow in life. Parents generally hope their children will "do better" than they themselves did, so why should it be a threat when the children actually do do better?
However, if parents have lost their integrity... ah well.
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outandabout
I always like it when Children of The Way come here and post. I wish they did more often. Always interesting.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Sky, another great post!! I can't believe I used to envy kids raised in "the Word". Until I came to the GSC, I had no idea how hard it was for many TWI kids to grow-up, especially those whose parents were in top leadeship positions. Wow, how could I have been so wrong!! God bless those kids who were able to walk away from TWI, and lead independent lives.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Outie, I agree!! I think their posts are among the most interesting posts here at the GSC.
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Rocky
Might this have anything to do with us having been so wrong?
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 KJV
Probably not the best translation, but it worked in fooling us. Here's the NIV:
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
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Twinky
Be not too quick to see everything through "western" eyes. Other cultural arrangements work differently.
However, I do think parents should "pat themselves on the back" if they have managed to raise a child or children who are confident in their world and environment, children who have grown into adults who are considerate for other people and living creatures; who can contribute well to society; can reach a thought-through opinion, and voice that opinion without fear of damaging criticism; who can hold their own without feeling "put down" or taking it personally; and who can take responsibility for their own actions and their consequences.
Prov 10:1 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Prov 15:30 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
Prov 23:24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
Prov 31:17 (of a good mother) Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her: Many women are capable, but you surpass them all!
And many more proverbs besides.
If parents can do that, they have succeeded in their parenting. And then it's befitting to consider what opinions their children have, and why they have those opinions; why they take the actions they do, etc. If parents have integrity and have raised their children with integrity, why should that be a problem? Those children can "bring joy" to parents as they grow in life. Parents generally hope their children will "do better" than they themselves did, so why should it be a threat when the children actually do do better?
However, if parents have lost their integrity... ah well.
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