Sorry, this was a reply way back in the thread... oops!

thisisthetime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sorry, this was a reply way back in the thread...
> oops!
That's O.K.

.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2018 12:24PM by changedagain.

Some ponderings of what may be imponderable...

All the money from the sale or dissolution of the churches was directed by the amended articles of incorporation to go to the TLWF Trust handled at Shiloh.

If officers over the Trust (a nonprofit organization) have a fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries of the Trust (which by the way is WHO?) but that fiduciary is also in a personal business arrangement with various leaders as, say, their accountant on personal taxes, etc., that sounds like a serious conflict of interest to me.

If officers/fiduciaries of the Trust have a relationship with the Trust but also with, say, Shiloh U (was it entirely funded by the Trust?), then wouldn't that also be a serious conflict of interest?

We need to see the Trust documents and accounting. People who were members of this fellowship for the last 50 years should have a right to know what their sweat and offerings are being used for.

Financial secrecy is a hallmark of a Cult. Financial transparency must be exhibited NOW or legal action should ensure that it is.

Neo - Your post disturbs me, alarms me I guess you could say.

kBoy - My eloquent friend: What is the policy on this forum about blaming the victims of a destructive cult? I bet you can explain it for us and for Neo.

I read so many heartbreaking stories and I hear so many more - to have a post blaming the victims of YEARS of financial, physical, emotional and unimaginable abuse, is just not acceptable.

Neo - Maybe you didn't mean to blame the victims. But it sure sounded like it. Of COURSE these savages couldn't have gotten rich, sated, powerful without us - that's why they used mind control, lies, con jobs and every other tool available to a lying group of power hungry fiends. But don't blame the victims. We lost everything. We gave up marriages. We gave up having children. We gave most of our lives and our best years FOR NOTHING. We sure as hell did not make that decision.

Neo—I do hear what you are saying...and in some ways you are correct. I do not think anyone going into the church from the beginning (most were very young adults)ever thought that things would turn out to be what they are. God was very real to me and most everyone I knew while I was in the fellowship. The problems evolved over time, like a ship that set sale and one degree at a time goes off course. When people become family and are open to one another, there’s a vulnerability that occurs within each of us and that vulnerability made each of us susceptible to being manipulated through various types of false teachings. The worship was great, there were many good times over the years. I believe that the word itself had some truth to it. But the ship kept veering more and more off course in so many ways misguiding and deceiving with false teachings all along the way. People in and out of this church have suffered immensely and we all have accountability to God. However, God holds the leaders much more accountable than He does the congregants. Leaders are to lead the people to God, the “sheep” follow. So please understand that the fingers are pointed to the leaders that have led this group of people into a cultish environment that has caused great harm to everyone. It has to stop! I had no idea of all the things Rick was doing, but there were those in the leadership that did know, and instead of weeding him out a long time ago, he was put back into leadership! People tried to tell their stories of sexual abuse and to get help, be heard, etc. but they were either ignored or told they were the problem, it was their fault things happened, etc. We and Hundreds of others wrote letters to the leadership while in the fellowship voicing our concerns about many things in the leadership that we saw were wrong, but we were told to submit to the authorities as that was the divine order. Otherwise you would be labeled rebellious, critical, divisive, etc. The mental/emotional abuse became the hidden way of controlling all in the name of God.

Anyways, I could go on and on about this. Suffice to say that we are all truly sorry we were susceptible to being misguided, mistreated, and that we taught our children to follow. The whole cult environment is evil, unhealthy, and very destructive to people’s lives. We unintentionally became victims and were preyed upon by the leaders all in the name of “God”. It is horrible and shameful to know we lost so many years In this church, if you can even call it that. The war stories are endless. I hope and pray that it all comes to an end, and people get free from it that are still there. I thank God my husband and I and our family got out for good about 10 years ago.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2018 05:29PM by HappySad.

NEO:

What you say is sad but true.

It is important to remember that, while being under the 'spell', we still did what we thought was best out of LOVE, not with any intention to harm.

* * *

AMOS:

I guess we will have to consider the possibility of your final statement after the dust settles.

"So, if history is any indicator, the LWF won't exactly fall apart, it will change form, with some even more fanatical in their devotion."

Neo... I understand what you're saying. You're talking about the painful personal journey each of us must make as part of the healing process after leaving LWF.

We've all had different degrees and years of participation and guilt by association. We've all have different degrees of regret and bitterness for our participation. But, these are personal considerations that each one must travel through as part of healing process.

This cult has been a terrible thing for many. There have been many victims. There have been fewer perpetrators. A certain few have much to account for.

Let's not pivot off the focus that the moral/ethical and legal violations have to end and the current and past leadership need to be held accountable.

Regarding the "decision to join a cult", I hope that people will take the time to read and listen to the experts on this Cult Education Institute. Here is a link to a video by Rick Ross that discusses the question, "Is Joining A Cult a Personal Choice?" [youtu.be]

Victim blaming does little to further the healing process for all. Look at the research on "mind control" on this website. We are in a unique moment in time when members and former members are having their eyes opened. I find it much more beneficial to read the research and put the blame squarely on the perpetrators of this evil. They need to be held accountable for the crimes and violations carried out against a multi-generational group of victims. Follow the money.

Oh NEO, please, you are completely discounting mind control and brainwashing. In the 70’s you had a huge influx of young impressionable people looking for something, wanting to part of something bigger than themselves, looking for meaning. They were conditioned to do the will of whatever by getting whipped up (I refer to the wackadoodle intercession), exhausting service schedules and the need for external validation. Stop victim blaming. There were dozens of techniques that were used by those in power to get and keep that control a few being turning your back on your “non walk” family, nuggets of recognition and my personal favorite the service starts at 8 and the rock star shows up 2 to 3 hours later, that’s a great one, at that point people will believe anything especially if they have been screaming, moaning and babbling for hours. I won’t even go into the suppression of education and independent thinking. I could name on one hand people that could resist that and you don’t want to meet any of them in a dark alley. It’s brain wiring and early childhood conditioning that allows them to resist. Some of us were raised to question everything in a time when children were seen and not heard and to do as they were told, that was rare at that time. If you are here telling everyone that they did it to themselves then you are either still in it or one of the perpetrators. And yes, you state the correct scripture but if you tell the same lie over and over doubling down and fear monger along the way you can convince people of anything by preying on their fears, even the preferred political views fed into it, fear everything “other”. The living word was like Lucy with the football, you were accepted but it could be snatched away at any minute.