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In Reply to: Re: Interesting Gen-X article posted by CB on September 20, 2006 at 20:15:53:
I remember hearing rumors and facts about Burlington from someone who had been there and was sent to N.O. after it was broken up, and the part I realize now in hindsight and since leaving is exactly what you said in your last sentence as far as how those leaders were taking it:
"You just can't take advantage of the secret doctrine like some of us can right now. But wait..."
At the time when I read the letter I thought it was Berg cleaning up the act of leaders out of control rather than leaders living like him. I can see now that Berg was about that all along. I knew already that he had special privileges and that they went deeper than I expected but I didn't know how deep.
There were so many secrets within. Just like there were letters for different levels and depending on the position you held in the family you read them or not.
I remember when the second 60 minutes came out and we were gathered around the communal TV to watch it, anticipating another good report like the first one was. We were shocked to see all these "backsliders" giving testimonies about people taking sexual liberties with them and such. Of course we were thinking they were liars,
but then I saw Faithy on TV and the reporter asked her something and I cannot remember what the question was but I knew it was the truth what was being said. They asked her if it was true and she said something like "Those are absolute dirty filthy lies" It "stumbled" me greatly because I knew SHE was lying.
Of course lying in the family was a necessity for survival and was justified by Berg and co.
What quickly took my mind off of it was within days of this happening letters were coming out with pictures of atomic bombs hitting America and these tunnels that were ways out of the country and how people should flee America. One of them was "The Great Escape".
I had just had a baby and was deeply depressed by all the doom and gloom about remaining in America as I felt like there was no way out. We did get out by raising funds selling stuff that had been donated to our "colony".
I was very very afraid.
I believed it. To top it off, some things that seemed to underscore the perceived validity of the Family were uncanny incidents like when we were praying and did one of those things you do when you close your eyes and open a bible putting your finger on a verse. Well we did that with a travel magazine when we were praying about whether to go to South America or Europe.
We happened to land on a page with a big picture of a jet on it but instead of saying Trans World airlines or anything like that it said "The Great Escape- Europe" on it.
Well thar ya go. Jesus speaking. Or so I thought. It was that magical thinking so well ingrained in the Family. Adults thinking like children.
That was the summer of 72. At that time only an inner circle was practicing one wife. A very inner circle.
I remember one time while pregnant in 72, Jehosaphat was grinning and saying something cryptic about how what was known in secret would be shouted from the rooftops one day. I did not know what he meant then, but looking back I do believe it was the things that later became doctrine. Perhaps not regarding children then because Maria didn't have any yet. I do believe Berg was creating his own candy shop though, in hindsight But the sexual revolution was obviously, in hindsight, there from the beginning and way before.
Lying to the public was customary from the earliest days. People were even instructed on what to say and what not to say.
I'll never forget watching Faithy lying on national TV and knowing she was lying. If there is a transcript anywhere of that second 60 minutes, can you put a link for it here?
My father before the family was a transplant to the South as a child. He was in law enforcement.
