Posted by OldtimerToo on August 09, 2004 at 01:34:35
In Reply to: Re: Life in the Family: Thoughts on Systemic Change posted by Carol on August 08, 2004 at 18:29:49:
Carol, Mr. Don, and others:
I think your assessment is fairly correct, that most efforts in the past, like raids in South America and Europe are used by TF leadership to reinforce their Mobius-Strip logical loop regarding the actions and motives they are taught that the entire outside world has, and invariably intends, toward them.
Family members truly believe that they are literally the center of the universe Berg, directed by demonic forces and inspiration, created for them.
As Hamlet told Horatio, and I paraphrase here, there truly are more bonafide Godly and demonic experiential realities available in this world, as most of us have genuinely inarguably experienced, than are even dreamed of in the mere philosophies available in the universities.
Lest any of us forget, and lose hope, which the world can NEVER give, that the "true truth" (as CS Lewis put it), and the spiritual battles going in here are ultimately the REAL issue.
Jesus did not SUGGEST prayer and fasting in this type of situation, He commanded it; did He not? I believe that we should begin here, if we are not merely discussing all this here for our own intellectual vanity, as an exercise in "belling the cat", or showing off our mental gymnastics--what good is that?
Perhaps the "exit organization" that the MovingOn folks are beginning to build will become better and better funded, so that legal means may be taken by them to continue to bring TF leaders to court, as in the British custody case.
Though not strictly a bonafide victory, that was a good start and a precedent-setter; showing that there are people outside of the member and ex-member communities who actually care, and are willing to prosecute.
And, Argentinian police, et al, and low caliber characters in several police forces in other countries have brought themselves enough very bad PR, and have really shown their asses; pehaps enough so that some actual legal action can be taken in various places, by those of actual dependable professionalism; instead. We can only hope and pray.
One dependant variable would be, of course, statues of limitations on molestation, torture, kidnapping , and deprivation of education, all parts of the virtual slavery TF is so proud of, in the various countries where I am sure TF's sins continue still on a steady basis, if not at the rampant rate of the '80s and early '90s.
Perhaps recent-exit exer-ers can begin to provide names, dates and places; that seem to me the only place to start.
I do not believe that any of those practices have actually stopped, as I do not believe that the show put on for Chancellor was anything but pure peverse theater, put on for him by carefully chosen actors purposely sent to deceive him, and anyone else who would believe the, to me, completely unbelievable bullshit in both the Cornerstone Magazine articles, and the book the poor sap just had published.
What a tool he was, in more ways than one. Shee-it!
To TF leadership, Chancellor was a very easy read, and a complete dupe, IMO.
The leopard doesn't change its spots! That's true about the sexual power trips of perverts of most kinds; therefore, I expect nothing in the way of changed behavior of ANY Family members, from Zerby and Amsterdam, all the way down to the slave grunts, and the poor children of ALL of them!
Like Bobby Seal, of the original Black Panthers, once said, "There ain't NOTHIN' changed, but the CALENDAR!".
There are EVIL! They WILL NOT STOP ON THEIR OWN FOR ANY REASON! The draw of SPIRITUAL ELITISM is too strong, for both leaders and followers. I know it was for me!
The "pride of life" sin bondage is far too strong for anyone but Jesus Christ Himself to break!
And, I know that that's what had to happen in my life! I had real family praying for me and my wife and child every other day for over a year! And God answered wonderfully.
It had nothing to do with supposedly deterministicly inviolable laws left behind in the world by a weak deistic god of the human imagination, from within chaos plus time and chance, or any other philosophical absurdity!
I do not believe we ex-ers can place much hope in acts prompted by the flesh, but I believe that God does answer prayer: I was TOTALLY committed to Berg, when God miraculously intervened, and I had a series of inarguable experiences proving this to me.
I am CERTAIN that God answers prayer for individuals and families in cults, and can do for them what He did for Gomer and Hosea, in the Bible--dry up their lives, in many ways, including financial, send their "lovers" away, and bring them back to Himself, and perhaps rejoined with family! There is NOTHING too hard for Him.
Nothing.
The wisdom of the world is, I have found, complete foolishness.
I am sure that various social scientists have their expectations and endless analyses. Theirs are SOFT sciences, done by people with more opinion than hard data.
Many of their so-called laws are easily challenged--I am not impressed by either sociology or psychology, and I am also well-versed in it--it offers little or no hope.
Gotta go!
God bless y'all!
LAter!