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NathanA
After spending the amount of time you did at Trinity and leaving on the terms you did, I suspect you have to justify your actions by making such a case.

Of course, one could just as easily say that those still at Trinity have to make their case a certain way to justify their own actions.

And, I did not really leave on bad terms. As a matter of fact, I did everything I could do to leave on good terms, but it turns out that this is not possible. People who had pretended to be my friends gave me the cold shoulder because, in their view, there is no acceptable reason to leave Trinity Foundation. That is why I opened this whole thread by talking about the concept of shunning. Trinity shuns its former members. This is, as Rick Ross can verify, a characteristic of cults. By itself this one thing is not enough to classify Trinity as a cult, but it is an evil practice.

I've been a member, off and on, for about 15 years. I'll answer questions, if I can.

Thanks!

As I stated in the above posting, I've been a member of Trinity for about 15 years, maybe 16, don't know...haven't really counted. I've been through what have been called the 'Hot Seats' and have seen Trinity change, grow and develop as each new member contributes.

I won't go through the lengthy story of..well..me. (Though I DO like to talk about myself.. :wink: )

What I'd like to say is that I am hurt by what I've read here. I've NEVER shunned anybody. In fact, I would love to have a night out with the Duncans and have margaritas and play pool or even with the others that I haven't seen in a long time.

I did attend a small gathering a long while ago and I felt sickened. All the gathering was about was.."Trinity this...Trinity that..blah blah.". I wanted to get together with friends NOT have a Trinity Bash.

By most of the posts here, it seems the ones that are doing the Shunning are the ones that were Ex-Trinity members. Never once has someone called me to go see a movie or go out. Never once has someone expressed any concern about my ill child (I take that back...one person did and she is a wonderful woman, though I haven't heard from her in over 4 years).

Maybe it's because I'm not a Bible Leader or work for Trinity...just one of the members. I'm hurt because from the posts all who attend Trinity are...Oleites or any other derogatory term someone would use.

Isn't this generalization? Just because I happen to attend Trinity, I must be some stupid sheep in a cult? Just because I go to bible studies, I and many other members are lumped into this? If I see an ex-member would they whisper and say "look...shes still part of Trinity...for shame"? I've definitely felt that from some that I've run across.

I've extended friendship but when they ask if I still go to Trinity do I ever hear from them again? No..nill...zilch on that score.

As for Trinity being a cult? That depends on who's doing the talking. Wendy and Doug believe it...then that's what it is to them. Brian now believes it..then that's what it is to him. Frankly, I just hear hurt, pain and anger for something that was over 5..6...7 years ago?

For me? No. Not in a long shot. My daughter attends a Presbyterian Church school. My other children go to a Baptist church camp in the summer and will start attending a good bible program on Sundays (that is if I can get my lazy butt out of bed :lol: ). I don't eat at the Lair very much since I prefer organic foods. I don't go to weeknight Bible Studies because I'm either busy or I just don't feel like it. Sometimes I miss Seder on Sundays because I'd rather be at home. I don't get "chastised/shunned/or any of the other things that others talk about.

If I don't feel like going...I don't and yet I can still go out with them to a movie, restaurant, party or play poker. My husband doesn't go at all but he does enjoy the major feasts and still feels apart. (Side note: I wouldn't mind having his husbandly ego on a hot seat..sigh)

As of Ole, he's just a man. JUST A MAN. He is NOT Trinity. He IS NOT some savior (GOD FORBID) but just a man with faults like the rest of us. He just has a way of getting to the root of something without wading through the polite bull sh*t that people expect.

Soooo, if you have a grudge...it's against Ole. If you have a grudge, its against Pete or John or Gary BUT PLEASE stop saying Trinity. I am part of Trinity and if you've a grudge against me, let me know and we can talk it over some margaritas and guacamole (your treat :wink: ).

My name is Brian and you probably remember me...what is your name, friend?

Hello cherenuff1,

What attracted you to this group?

thanks,
cultaware

Well, your point may well be true Doug, maybe some members have stayed to justify their own actions.

In my view, you guys accuse me of not thinking for myself, and yet you seem to expect me to just believe everything you say. At least Ole tells people to search matters out for themselves. I reserve the right to question you if you post on this site. You ex-members will appear like more of cult than Trinity when you show such anger at being challenged. :x (cultaware) If you can't handle that, then you should go somewhere where people will just agree with you. This is the Rick Ross discussion forum so you'll have to deal with individuals like myself who don't share your point of view.

Do I percieve more animosity than there really is?

Yes, you do. I have no ill will toward you Nathan; however, as I have expressed before, at times your arguments are so weak (especially in demonstrating your poor Scriptural interpretation as support for those arguments) and your coming across as SO naive that it frustrates me greatly. But it's nothing personal, so don't take it personally. You are probably pretty young, so I don't blame you for being naive. The only person that anybody here has a personal problem with is named Ole Anthony, an individual whom you have never met in person and have had very, very limited dealings with. So again, you are in territory now where you just so not know what you are talking about, and for you to so bullheadedly defend Ole and TFI's abuses while at the same time telling us disgruntled ex-members what our experiences were and were not, makes you sound pretty stupid, frankly. Quit trolling and recieve some correction. That is not animosity, that is me exhorting you not to speak of things you know nothing of.

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cultaware
Hello cherenuff1,

What attracted you to this group?

thanks,
cultaware

I'll try to answer that without going through a lengthy background of myself so please bear with me. I had come to a place a long time ago that I disconnected myself from God. Either I felt He had abandoned me or I felt that He simply did not exist. Because of this, I fluttered about trying to find some purpose for myself. I recreated myself to adjust to the world, I lied constantly, not wanting anyone of anything to know me since I felt that the me at the time was not worth knowing.

Before I came to Trinity I was immersing myself in the Wiccan theology. I had read a book about Wicca, talked to several Wiccans and what drew me to them was a sense of community - not their beliefs. Remember, to me God was not there but I thought perhaps their 'goddess/mother earth/etc. would be there for me.

I thought that I would attend a Bible Study with a friend and once and for all see that all churches/groups, anything centered around God was a joke. I could then justify my actions by knowing that these supposed 'Christians' really didn't care.

What I saw in Trinity was something that ate at me. A community and true fellowship. It blew me away that these people actually knew their neighbors, cared a great deal about them and all this outside of a Sunday serman. Of course, I didn't trust this. I was actually scared of it. So...I lied about myself, trying to recreate myself for these people so that they would take pity on me and I wouldn't have to go. You see, I had always lied to protect...me. I figured, like all the other churches I had been to in the past that the real me would be...well not worth the getting to know. I figured that after some time, I would just flit away from this christian group like I had many others.

That's what attracted me. What made me stay was that though I lied about myself (which they didn't know about) they still accepted me. I saw them unconditionaly accept others. I saw them live in faith and it broke something inside of me. I wearied of my lies during the hotseats when others opened up. I wearied of my lies while all they did was extend friendship.

I finally broke down one day and told them of the lies, the manipulations that I created against them. Of course, they were hurt. Anyone would be, but they accepted me still. Letting me know that I didn't have to recreate myself anymore that I could just...BE. Just finally rest. This is when I finally found God again. This was when I found out that it wasn't Him that turned away from me but that I turned away from him.

For this...I am thankful. Could it have happened anywhere else. Sure...but it didn't...I happened at Trinity and they are my family.

As for Ole...well, he just never seemed to be an important part of my life in Trinity. I enjoyed/enjoy his 'cut tot he heart of the matter' sermans but I could never understand why others saw him as a 'larger than life' figure. He was/is just a man and to tell the truth, I didn't like him very much. It's funny...most of the ex-members are the ones that gave him to much credit. I guess I just saw..Trinity, the doctrine and fellowship and through them I saw God.

Doug knows about my background and about me. He was my Bible Study leader during that time.

**Whew** :D

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zeuszor
Yes, you do. I have no ill will toward you Nathan; however, as I have expressed before, at times your arguments are so weak (especially in demonstrating your poor Scriptural interpretation as support for those arguments) and your coming across as SO naive that it frustrates me greatly. But it's nothing personal, so don't take it personally. You are probably pretty young, so I don't blame you for being naive. The only person that anybody here has a personal problem with is named Ole Anthony, an individual whom you have never met in person and have had very, very limited dealings with. So again, you are in territory now where you just so not know what you are talking about, and for you to so bullheadedly defend Ole and TFI's abuses while at the same time telling us disgruntled ex-members what our experiences were and were not, makes you sound pretty stupid, frankly. Quit trolling and recieve some correction. That is not animosity, that is me exhorting you not to speak of things you know nothing of.

Brian...I have no ill word against you but to call someone naive. to put them down because they can't quote scriptures or don't hold open an bible while posting is...well...sad. I can't quote scripture to save my life. I've fallen asleep through the book of Genesis and can barely muddle through who wrote what. That does not make ME naive. That does not make me young (I'm older than you). That does not make you or anyone else better than me or Nathan. Anyone can quote scripture.

I know what you are going through. I went through it when I was asked to leave Trinity 6 years ago. I wanted to lash out at anyone, anything but myself. Just stop...just rest. Stop fighting. You found allies in your hate, your pain. I understand. Don't let that eat you for years like it has done to some. Don't let it become you.