Being a member off and on for 15 years I'll try to answer these questions as they relate to me.

[b:d00beae8e0]Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.[/b:d00beae8e0]

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.[/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
- There is a board of directors and I've seen others dismiss Ole's ideas on certain subjects. Lately, he just gives his two cents worth in and most of the time the elders will vote on doing something else. He has been accountable for his actions and I've seen him ask forgiveness from group members.

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
LOL...I don't know how many times Ole has said. "Stop just sitting there acting like sheep. SOMEONE ask a question." Ole loves to debate and gets tired of people NOT asking questions. He doesn't want someone there if they just want to follow blindly. He teaches us to search for the answer if we don't believe what he preaches. The only thing is...if you get into a debate with him he's not going pussy-foot around you. He does get tired of having someone ask the SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I know I get tired of listening to someone ask the same thing over and over again.

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
Yeah...so Ole has some money. Others around here make more money than him. My family makes and has more money than him. The Trinity budget is completely open to anyone and Trinity willingly opens their financial statements to anyone that asks.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
I have a fear of heights...and elevators. I HATE elevators.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
People care if you leave. Because they are saddened that they might not see you again. If and when we decide to move, my interractions with Trinity members will be less becasue I've moved away but I KNOW without a doubt that I'll still have my poker nights with my friends, go to the movies or the yearly Christmas party. In my perspective, I don't think that anyone who left is evil. I'm glad they left and found another spiritual home that is a better fit for them. If others think that they are evil then they need to stop. BUT if someone kept complaining about Trinity this and Trinity that all the time then I'd personnaly not like them very much. Also...I've never shunned anyone BUT I HAVE been shunned by ex-members because I still go here...and that hurts frankly.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
I've heard some ex-members that agree with Doug and Ole and I've heard of some ex-members that don't agree with Doug and Wendy. It just depends on the person.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
The only record is Wendy's new book and the Observer article. The Observer article was poorly written in my personal opinion because the reporter left out a lot of interviews that were actually pro Trinity and put in interview that were anti-Trinity. I know, I've heard from a lot of people that said they were interviewed yet nothing was put in there.

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Followers feel they can never be "good enough".[/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
I've actually been told that I'm a good mother, good wife, etc. Personally I don't care if I'm good enough of not. I'm fine the way I am and I intend to keep growing in my career choices and spiritually. I may not be 'good enough' in my Mothers eye but she can go jump in a lake...LOL


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]The group/leader is always right.[/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
**Snort**, if Ole or Gary or John were always right then I'm richer than Donald Trump. I've personally told some of them they were wrong about things. As for Gary and John...well....according to their wives...they are ALWAYS wrong.

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]No..nada...nope. Ole is constantly harping to "find out for yourselves", "don't just take my word for it..SEARCH..get off your lazy butts and find out the truth!" or "READ the BIBLE!" or. "If I'm wrong...argue with me...debate with me...just don't follow blindly!".

[b:d00beae8e0]Ten warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group/leader. [/b:d00beae8e0]

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.[/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
Ole...Ole who? LOL. Don't know how to answer this one. The ones that bring up Ole and are obsessed with him are the ones that are keeping this particular message board indundated with posts. I've heard nothing but Ole this Ole that...blah blah.


[i:d00beae8e0][u:d00beae8e0]Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens. [/u:d00beae8e0][/i:d00beae8e0]Oh please....to me, Ole is just an old man that started a group a long time ago. I agree with his teachings but he is NOT God or Jesus. He's just a man.

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution". [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
I guess we as a group persecute Ole constantly then because I along with many others, criticize Ole at times.

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.[/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
If anyone was a clone of Ole it would have been Doug. In my personally experience, Doug was a meaner version of Ole at times. Glad he found another spiritual home because Trinity was not for him.

[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
This is funny...when my husband and I were having marriage problems, we went to our pastor and his wife (Gary and Judy), still didn't work, so we tried Ole. After that, we were adivsed by Ole, Gary and others. "GO to a marriage counselor. You two really need help and we apparently can't help you with this." Is this a cult personality? Would a cult leader tell us to actually go and seek counseling and when my husband couldn't afford it for himself, Gary actually paid for a therapist out of his own pocket.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]Don't really understand the question but if I get this right then Trinity has a yearly Thankgiving feast but we aren't going because we will be with our family. Some people missed the Tabernacles feast because they had personal plans. I don't go to Sunday Seders as much because it is the only day that my hubby gets off and we prefer to spend it as 'family time'.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]Hey...did I ever tell you about the girl with the pogo stick....? I think that Trinity prides itself on their sense of humor. We say. "if you can't laugh at yourself then you take yourself too seriously." The Passover skits that we do yearly is nothing but making fun of people (in a fun and good-natured way). Ole just happens to be the butt of most of the jokes.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]
We spend lots of time with my husbands family and their Baptists. They don't agree with some of our doctrine and we don't agree with theirs but we love each other immensely and I'm hoping to move closer to them soon. I have friends that have never visited Trinity and yet I still hang out with them often for Sushi!


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]No...Ole can be pretty judgemental and harsh. He can be an ass and he's been told that too. He even admits that he's an ass. Maybe he's mellowed with old age since Doug and Wendy left...who knows. I'm not here for him though...I'm here because I agree with the basic doctrine.


[u:d00beae8e0][i:d00beae8e0]Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided. [/i:d00beae8e0][/u:d00beae8e0]LOL...I think its the other way around with me. Since I'm a member, the angry ex-members think I'M the bad influence. Maybe not with Doug and Wendy since we've recently emailed but I haven't heard from any others. Kinda miss them too.

That's all I can answer for now. Please remember, this is according to my own personal view on the matter.

bleh....this was suppose to go under the Trinity Foundation message board. Perhaps the mods could move it there for me?

Thanks!