In Reply to: Re: Prayer and Devotions posted by Fred on November 14, 2002 at 05:37:36:
I personally believe in reading lots of other books on the Bible and Christian faith because while we were in the cult we could NOT read any other views. Remember Berg's thoughts on "Book burning" and "You Are What you Read"? We could only read Berg's stuff and Maria/Peter's and maybe (just maybe) Virginia Berg's stuff was on the approved list. So all we ever got was one skewered picture of what being a Christian meant.
They called it "devotions" but I call it propaganda and brainwashing. Sheesh! Think of every morning and evening day after day for 10, 15, 20, 25 years soaking your head like a sponge in Berg's "new wine". We got all his weird, corrupted teaching in our brains and then when we needed to make a decision, take a stand on an issue, that's about ALL we had to draw on for an information base. "Devotions" there was not becoming devoted to God so much as to Berg and Zerby, and it was an unhealthy relationship and downright destructive.
And it got worse. When we had any deviant behavior, they gave us reading list after reading list, the same old same old MLs we already knew inside out, and we had to read "Diamonds of Dust" and "Trust and Obey" and strain and strain to come up with some new reaction as to how they helped us change and see things Berg's way.
The whole purpose of so-called devotions in the group was to modify our behavior. Now, if a person is reading the Bible on their own and trying to become more like Jesus, that's one thing. It's healthier cause you don't have to have someone else sitting on your head telling you what this means and pressuring you into it. You figure it out yourself and move at your own pace. But when all you're doing is reading lit on a practically poisoned version of Christianity, and your leader is reading your reaction afterwards and commenting on it, behavior modification is still taking place, only it ain't healthy. It's downright destructive.
You said what's the point of reading other Christian writers views on Christianity cause they're probably warped. Well, after decades of truly warped Berg theology, I'm willing to give some of these other writers a chance. I want to expand my horizons and get some new opinions that can blow the Berg cobwebs out of my brain. Sure, some of them are warped or off the beam but Berg already has taken the Grand Prize for Warped Theology, so all that to say I do beleive in reading other books to open my mind.