In Reply to: Also top leadership were "exceptions" posted by Goth88 on November 19, 2005 at 01:20:18:
This is important, imo, because the wikipedia article on TFI that Monger has battled back and forth for accuracy had a statement at one point regarding leadership's relatively modest means. The basic upshot of the statement was something to the effect that while the leaders of many NRMs live in luxury, TFIs leadership did not. The perks of leadership in TFI are better food, better healthcare, and no responsibility for any negative consequences of their choices. That last perk is priceless. Almost the entire burden of blame for sin and failure is borne by the flock.
Despite the double standard, Rick's actions dealt top leadership a tremendous blow. I wish his "pay back" had not cost two lives; nevertheless, I'll pull a Zerby here and say that TFI could learn a lot from this tragedy if they take the time to think about it. I noticed, however, that the first official missives from the Mosquito Queen following Rick's murder/suicide did two things: Shifted reponsibility for his actions to others and encouraged people to be busy bees.
"Busy-ness" has always been a TFI defense mechanism. Queenie is too busy to make public statements or give interviews. Members defend their inability to engage with outsiders on issues raised by Rick's actions by saying they're soooo busy with the Lord's work. Something I'd like to see is pushback from people with family members who are still in TFI along the lines of, "Too busy isn't acceptible. You're using your relationship with God as an excuse to avoid responsibility for your human relationships."
TFI leadership expects the lower ranks to take responsibility for things they have little or no control over (like birth defects). At the same time, the lower ranks refuse to take responsibility for things within their power to change (like corrupt, pedophilic leadership). It's a very confusing state of affairs that results in paralysis and inertia. People just keep plugging along doing a whole lot of nothing and telling themselves it's really important work. It's very much like the Green Door world that Berg projected outward as being a spiritual insight into the World System. The current Family System is a microcosm of the tail-chasing, pointless, busyness that Berg despised in the World System.