corboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chaos wrote:
>
>
Quote
You need to realize that if you were
> deceived, it was your own fault. That is a hard
> thing to say, but for whatever reason, you ignored
> the red flags, you knew that the Walk was strange
> while you were in it.
>
> (Am offering this as an outsider. I got burned in
> other things)
>
> This is difficult to sift out.
>
> Its not helpful to say people recognized thigns
> were strange while they were in the Walk.
>
> Some of us will recognize a group or church is
> 'off-key' but continue with it.
>
> But there are those among us who cannot easily
> identify that something is 'off key' or 'strange'.
>
> Those of us who grew up in strange families.
>
> We learn to ignore, rationlize even 'normalize'
> the strange behavior we witness at home.
>
> For example, my mother drank all the time.
>
> I learned to ignore the smell of alcohol on her
> breath.
>
> To this day, it takes me many extra minutes to
> recognize alcohol on people's breath.
>
> Yet I can pick up the aromas of other body odors,
> coffee, garlic, ocean breezes - to name but a few.
>
> Thats where growing up in some strange
> environments can lead people to ignore signals of
> danger or boundary violation.
>
> and may lead them to ignore red flags in a
> potentially bad relationship, job or church.
Corboy made what I think is a critical observation. I grew up in a "very strange family." It would;d interesting to explore how many of us did or did not have healthy family relationships going into the "walk". Personally, I had not experienced "norm family" when my parents joined Christian Tabernacle around 57 or 58. What I found as a young child at that church was a lot of loving attention that I craved. I was for the more part treated
very well by Grandpa Stevens, the elders and their wives and their children.
John S visited - I was mesmerized by is speech pattern and voice. (There are some very old recording of John that if you get a chance to listen to you may discover why the first generation loved him.
What I did no like about John coming to town was that we kids had to stay up far past bedtime son school nights- the try to cover up at school why we were falling asleep- oh wait!- It was "normal for mys siblings and I to not have betimes. Our parents were dysfunctional. My siblings and I were ashamed and try to look normal.
Looking back- oh yes there were RED FLAGS like crazy! As baby boomer children , no matter how we felt, we all knew to be silent unless spoken to.
I have no idea why the first generation did not see thru' the step by step process. WWII had not been over for that long in those days. They all new Hitler was bad, yet, I don't think the first generation really knew how Hilter's pattern of speak etc. was a game plan for John Stev- Nazi's used children in propaganda- we can study and learn from that now. I don't think the first generation was aware of how German nurses were indoctrinated step by step to euthanize the disabled in hospitals to make room for their wounded soldiers.
I don't believe the first generation had anything to study about how the German
Youth were indoctrinated to turn on the parent if they had to. People who had Jewish neighbors or co-workers were convince that JEW were vermin in very sneaky ways.
In 2018 we adults have that knowledge base now to know when to trust our gut when red flags pop up. I don't think that the first generation had the knowledge base for the skills to foresee
the future that they were being conned step by step
As a kids I felt very creeped out many times, but I love the love I was getting at church. If I were to ask and adult I feared getting smacked across the room.
Those "smells" corby wrote of - oh yeah! for me they were there. i did not know what the heck to do with those red flags. Who would have listened nayway?
I have no real answers. I know that some folks, depending on their "generation" may be looking for who was responsible for not saying " NO that's a red flag."
In my opinion, I think each individual will have to examine there own unique situation- that may include having to accept that the damage may have been deeper and have started in their own families before JRS came along - or not.
If we all only blame JRS for our issues, I think it will delay our maturing as survivors. - I am not excusing the false messiah nor his whore at all. _ I just think that unless "we" look at the whole picture of why were were so vulnerable out side of jRS we may continue to fall for the same lines of people who want to take advantage of any one they can for their own gain.
We are responsible for our own healing - don' t let that cult continue to rob you of normalcy and joy.