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Ross
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject: Why are there more men then women in the JC's
"Also a large number of our women members came from 3rd world countries. I suggest this happened because joining us represented a step up materially. Most of these women dropped out spiritually later and took their western husbands with them as they became tempted by western standards of wealth and comfort."

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Kevin
Hi Ross

I married one of those 3rd world women you mentioned.


The community brought Liz to Australia when she was 12 and I would suggest she had very little knowledge or expectation that could be so cynically calculating as you describe. Its true her family was told she would be attending an Australian school, but this did not happen. Liz was sent out doney distributing (giving people literature and asking for money) on her first day in Australia.

Upon returning to India Liz cleaned public toilets in her village, which the caste system renders as socially taboo and which represents a huge step down (not a “step up”) for any Indian. Liz was always a hard worker and conscientious contributor within the community. She was a diligent housekeeper, great cook, (Dave asked her to forsake this responsibility once because she was getting too many compliments!). Despite her short stature (4 foot 9 ") she was a high achiever in the daily runs posting a PB of 15:59 for 4 km's and completed a half marathon without training for it. A discipline she continues to this day.

After we got married Liz' interest in returning to work in India was the big reason why we began working in Madras – she speaks the language. She and I lived in a slum for almost five years where Liz cleaned toilets, initiated the ‘bandaid clinic’, that later became a community Health Centre, and was the translator for every Western male that worked there, which placed her in the front line of many confrontational and difficult situations.

Its true she suffered a major burn-out that forced her to return to Australia where she was still expected to maintain distributing/doney quotas, to look after domestic needs of the community, and continually be challenged to work harder and be happier while doing it. After 11 years service within the JC's she left, feeling disillusioned, like a failure and that her efforts were never good enough.

Then, while I was working on healing our fragile relationship, Dave asked me to invite Liz to visit the community on the assurance she would be respected as my guest. She reluctantly obliged. After a lengthy meeting in which I strongly opposed Dave's suggestion that the community confront and challenge Liz, the community usurped my authority as her husband, locked the doors and herded Liz into the centre of the group where she withstood a series of accusations, told she was in rebellion and going to hell. When she made a move to leave the circle Dave grabbed her, lifted her off the ground, and shook her, putting his face in hers and telling her “Some things happen whether you like it or not”.

Liz fled and it took another few months for me to restore my relationship with her and to convince her to return to the community house as a paying guest where she was allowed to cohabitate with me on the terms of an "unbelieving spouse" as defined in I Cor 7. Even so, I was privately challenged by Robin and Christine to put away my ‘disobedient wife’, which was then modified to impose community demands on her such that she would either rejoin or leave. I opposed this idea as contradicting the "command from the Lord" given in I Cor 7:10-14. I was also strongly advised against allowing Liz to have a baby.

Ross, you know that Liz did not 'take' me away from the community, because you co-authored a letter after a closed meeting in India decided that I was responsible for the slow growth of the community (I notice the numbers are still about the same) and "like Jonah" I needed to be "tossed over board so that others may be saved". (Incidentally, I was never offered an opportunity to see what was being said about me or offer a defence, which was in contravention of standing policies regarding the grievance system, but that is another issue.)

I would suggest that the JC’s have more men than women because you perceive feminine needs as weaknesses to overcome rather than support within a wholistic, healthy community. Men’s need for sex has been incorporated into a doctrine of masturbation, an issue you proudly proclaim. And yet a woman’s biological need to procreate and to nurture is not and at the time of the Virgin Army article was practically forbidden.

I Corinthians 7 instructs husbands and wives not to withholding their bodies from each other and to satisfy each other’s needs. This was written at a time before contraception and would naturally involve making children. Jesus told his disciples not to forbid the children coming unto him. Cherry (my mother), if you are reading this, don’t let the JC’s forbid you from visiting your children and grandchildren either.

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Malcolm Wesley WREST
...they deserve the misery of watching their fantasy world, dissolve before them and the ridicule of having "brown nosed" McKay down the years