Posted by Infidel on November 27, 2006 at 11:00:12
In Reply to: services??? posted by Trew Barton on November 09, 2006 at 11:06:57:
Early COG, berg and zerby initiated "Come-unions" which were regular orgies including a communion.
Long boring New Years Eve candlelit ceremonies were held by many to start the new year more freshly obedient and mindless.
Christmas was rare pickings unless you were in a favored home.
Bergs birthday was important but many followers birthdays were overlooked. Depended who you were and where you were.
Early days, "Purging Sessions" were regular, where you would believe that God himself was in the leaders seeing the evil in you and you better confess lest you be struck dead. People confessed to menial things like "mind wandering" or having thoughts of "lust". Then would be humiliated before all, being screamed at and breaking into tears, on their faces. This would be followed by a high of being forgiven for wrong thoughts.
Purging sessions officially ended but continued in other forms. It wasn't unusual to be woken up in the middle of the night to be dealt with by being drilled by very sober leaders yelling at you for some very minor wrong.
Using letters where Berg dealt with an individual were often used to deal with someone else seen to be resistant, complete with prophecy and condemnation to follow if you didn't obey.
Shunning ritual. If someone didn't "get the victory" they could be ousted in a humiliating fashion. Also could be labeled a "graduate" and ridiculed.
The ritual of molesting children. Engaged in heavily by Berg and advocated by him and by zerby.
A ritual for those turning 12 which Berg defined as adult. Don't know what that would be, left before mine were that age.
THOUGH CHILDREN WERE MOLESTED BEFORE THAT AGE.
The ritual of fasting for three days if berg got sick due to his alcoholism and stds, oh wait, he said his sickness was some fault of the followers.
Under zerby, the ritual of "Loving Jesus Revolution". Read the pubs here. Can't describe it or I will puke.
These are a few.