Do You Tell People You Used To Be In A Cult?

[mdsnpp]

I generally don't tell people, or I edit what I say by context. I left so long ago before it got weird (1982) that I sort feel that I was not in a cult...alot of the flack that I took from family/friends when I was in TWI was about speaking in tongues and such, and now everybody does that. I see most of the posters were WOW or corps and I never got that far in, so I guess I feel I had all the benefits without the side effects, so to speak! It also most definitely does not define me, as one person has already said. I just told my husband of 14 years about it over the weekend, before that I said something vague about a bible study in college. I am 45 now and looking back over my life...i cannot say i would do much of anything different if i had it to do over. It was an education and now i am a mental health professional, so i use everything i ever went through to help others.

[Rocky]

I have a lot more fun telling people that I am/was a Freemason. Secret Societies are cooler than cults, I suppose.

I bet that is more fun. Over the last several months, I've watched several programs on the History Channel and National Geographic Channel on various aspects of Freemasonry. So, it's sorta been demystified for me. Definitely NOT as big a deal as Wierwille/twi and other churches/religions have made freemasonry out to be.

BTW, my real last name is a trade name (in a European (romance) language) that translates to Mason in English... hence, I had just a smidgeon more interest than I otherwise might have had.

But, I'd still be interested in reading about your experience(s) with Freemasonry and how that compared/contrasted with twi.

Also, one time at a minor league baseball game here in Phoenix (before the Diamondbacks were born), an old guy with a walking stick that had the compass and square on a piece attached at the top of the stick, once asked me "Have you ever traveled East?"

I figured right away that he was asking me if I was a mason... of course, I told him no... but even that was intriguing enough that I never forgot it.

[coolchef]

they way i look at it is this

i was in

i got out

i survived

and am better off for it

so,sure i tell people i was in a cult if the conversation heads that way

we can warn them!

[herbiejuan]

Girl I have no problem telling people I was involved in derway. I explain how it started, how I got involved and how I left. I helped the process of exposing them, I have nothing to be ashamed of.