In Reply to: Re: Fear of Berg's angry 'God' kept us in the cult posted by an exer on February 19, 2004 at 13:24:32:
and from your perspective, it is the truth. I'm thinking about certain people. Like Rose of Jay - as long as I've known her, which was many years, she has always, always been the epitome of the gung-ho leader. She could hurt anyone in her path "for the greater good" with a huge smile on her face. (Another one comes to mind - Ahlai of Dust) She thought nothing of interrupting other peoples marriage for her own demands, as long as it appeared she was "living the letters" - she cared for no one's feelings but her own. She loved to live in communes and have nothing, she loved to give orders and direct people's lives. IF she got STDs she was more righteous than others because of her so-called sacrifice - see it's a lot in the attitude.
She and my first husband are very much alike. They have become adept at acting like they are so caring and loving, but under that ficade lies something else entirely the opposite. These are the type of leaders I'm talking about and you are right, one size does not fit all and I should have clarified that. When I read James Penns articles, I know he suffered a lot in that position and he finally had to make things right because his conscience was eating away at him. He did not lose his self and his own identity, he clung on to the end. You are right that even the leaders suffered humilitation and deprivations and demotions for their imagined sins - it was all about control. Trouble is, the abused often become the abusers. Some of these people gloried in even that, thinking they'd do the time and then be back on top again - this is my ex husband's attitude.