In Reply to: Family sends 'Shadows' against exmembers posted by Reposter on January 31, 2005 at 13:37:03:
Wow, weirder and weirder. But I wonder how many in the Family's rank and file really buy all that. When I joined it was memorizing basic Bible verses. But now they're more into having all these fantasy angels and spirit helpers with these wild names. Takes a real stretch to really believe all that. At the time (in the early days), believing the Bible and living in a commune based on the Book of Acts verses was something real.
I'm still convinced that many current members stay in TF because they really think they don't have any place else to go. I don't think they're that convinced by the plethora of angels and spirits they’re supposed to have at their command. In their minds they figure well the child abuse of former years is now a thing of the past, and they reckon well we can do humanitarian work in the poor countries of the world, and we're better off in these countries anyway. That’s what the way I looked at things the last few years I was in the group. Not only family members get hooked on living in third world countries, where things are cheap, people are friendly, life is simplified, and you feel like you’re better than all those selfish people living in the rich West.
When Zerby started publishing so much about all these different angels and spirits, spiritual weapons and all that, I didn't take it very seriously. But I hung on in the Family anyway, not out of so much conviction for the new stuff, but because there was one major part of the brainwashing that had worked on me, and that was about the horrible evils I'd be confronted with the minute I left. I was afraid to be out in the horrible system, prey to the wolves and darkness of the world.
That's not to say it hasn't been without struggles and difficulties. But I haven't been devoured, in fact I discovered the opposite was true, there are those who will love, support and help you. I'm so grateful to be learning to be my own person. I’ve found out that this world out here is full of lots of children of a loving Creator. People who are of many sizes shapes beliefs colors personalities etc--every one of us members of a family called mankind.