Check out this interview with "Sam" - who was in the Pudsey group. "Hello and welcome to The Cult Vault's first ever live in-person interview. I am chatting with long-time friend Sam. I was completely unaware that he had experienced this until I started diving into the podcast and Sam informed me that he himself had experienced such coercion."
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Heres a little compare-and-contrast exercise some ex SMC members might like to try: List out which of the things in this article - written by an ex-member of the Church Of Scientology - also applied to your experience of life inside SMC and on how you were treated when you left. Clearly it will be nothing like as sinister as the Scientologists, but it would be interesting - and telling - t
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Ok people - I had resolved not to post here again, since - as rightly asserted, I cannot claim direct “victimhood” from SMC like many others here. I do occasionally dip in to see if there are any new posters offering fresh testimonies of more recent SMC abuses but vowed to myself not to post ever again. However since my middle-name clearly is Skeptic - and never shied away from it he
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QuoteCornelius DreddErr, I doubt Jesus meant turn the other cheek constantly! Not that I was there but I don't believe he would advocate continuing to let people speak down to their flock. Nor probably for any of that flock to meekly accept abusive, controlling behaviour. Cornelius: The NT passage isn't ( imo ) meaning that christians should just let violence be done to them endless
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Some of you may be aware of the USA based QuiverFull movement. I came across an interview with one of its ex members that seemed so reminiscent of what has been shared here. Her name is Vicky Harrison and she now runs a blog to help others who want to or are thinking of leaving the "movement" In the interview link below she talks about how she was treated when she left. Sk
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QuotecorboyTo require a thick skinned response seems to run counter to this counsel: Ezekiel 36:26 NIV - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel eh ? Jesus: "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
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QuoteRensilClive If you look back at for example, Bingowings's postings a few pages back, you will see how nasty and derogatory they were. In addition, Bingowings apparently wrote personal attacks on posters who contribute here and these presumably were disallowed from the Thread, so we haven't seen these. And that is why, according to the Moderator, Bwings was banned. OK - i
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Quoterrmoderatorweary: This thread has had its share of trolls and supporters of the group posting here for the purpose of subverting the thread. People posting here are rightfully wary of anyone that seems sympathetic to the group. I am not exactly what one would describe as in any way an SMC sympathiser - but I have to speak out here rrmoderator. I get the sense that your moderation i
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Rensil, it all comes down to what one regards as a "Healthy" church...
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Someone passed this onto me. mark.mcgivern@trinitymirror.com is looking for further examples in Scotland of where religious groups, particularly those that represent right wing, intolerant and creationist views, are gaining a foothold with schools
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Quotecbarb-again PS. It's good that you met a REAL Christian at the party Clive. ...... So I'm glad you got a taste of what REAL Christians are actually like! :-) Ahem.. i'm afraid that even though you might be a very true scot by birth and upbringing - your above statement falls foul of the "No True Scotsman Fallacy"...
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Quotecbarb-againHi folks!!! and the summarisation is excellent (gets rid of all the more winded comments, as you said :-) As the song goes, "the long and winding road" leads to the door - eventually!! ---- I also have to question the no alcohol policy - didn't Jesus turn the water into WINE??? Perhaps the powers that be in SMC ('scuse the unintended poetry) t
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Now if anyone here needs to direct someone curious to the "heart of the matter" you can now just simply tell them to go read pages 34 -> 37. In a way I wish i'd have had the time to edit the more voluminous ones down even more. Less is usually more... 'cough' ... isn't it cbarb ? ;)
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Ok- thats the lot guys and lasses. Apologies that much of these excerpts will be from earlier on - so more recent stuff will still be missing. But I think it is quite helpful to have such concentrated form of all the testimonies by the many respondents here.
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FROM CBARB: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER * CBARB * SELECTED BY ME * CLIVE * APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : It's been many years since I attended SMC and it's quite alarming to me to read about the church in so many sites and confirming what I have secretly felt for years! The church was founded by Hugh Black (then a teacher at Port Glasgow High school
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FROM THEPETITOR: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - THEPETITOR - SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I was a member of SMC for a number of years and, although I left some time ago, am still confused about a number of things. Two comments I relate to specifically are the “discernment” bit and the lack of communication with ex-members. In my case, t
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EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - CHESTERK55 - SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : The persistent message over decades from the same few platform speakers is that the long term committed Christians of Struthers Memorial Church are failing God (in more and more hard to detect ways) because, despite 5 meetings a week and all their holidays given over to ch
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EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - ARCHBISHOP LAUD - SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : ( On Cedars School ) I vividly recall the announcement on a Saturday night that SMC had been led to start a private school. The speaker that night, one of the main leaders, took the opportunity not just to talk up private Christian schools but also to talk down ma
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FROM RENSIL: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - RENSIL - SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I went to Struthers Church for over 20 years. I found that rules made by the church leadership can change but with no announcement of the fact or instruction to the members. For example, it used to be that women were not allowed to wear trousers, especial
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FROM ANTHONY: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - ANTHONY - SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : Hi all, my name is Anthony. Several years ago I was a member of Struthers in south Wales. It is most deffinately a cult. What happend to me, my familly and friends is appauling and most definately ungodly, but it is not something I am comfortable
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FROM LOVEALWAYS: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - LOVEALWAYS - ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I had been attending Struthers for most of my life. I had never been to another other church before that. I had been deeply hurt. To the point where I was just about to take my own life. I didnt kn
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FROM OLDSKOOL: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - OLDSKOOL - ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : Reading through all your posts brings back a lot of memories for me, having been brought up in the church thro the 70's and 80's….. I have to say things haven't changed very much! Growin
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FROM BISCUITS: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - BISCUITS - ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : It has been so interesting to read of the common experiences of many – which are, in fact, identical to mine. Sadly, it seems that predominantly we can only see how damaging SMC is once we are ‘out the oth
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FROM ENGLISH: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - ENGLISH - ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : My parents were members of one of the English branches of SMC, as a child I attended dutifully with my brothers from a young pre teen age. We had been to churches before CofE and Penticostal, happy places
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FROM ANONYMOUS43762: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - ANONYMOUS43762 - ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I discovered this forum after searching for Struthers Memorial Church. I wanted to find if anyone else had the same experiences as I had, and boy, did I find more than that. I attended thi
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FROM SCOTTISHLASSIE2011: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - SCOTTISHLASSIE2011 - ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : As a former member of Struthers I dont believe that they are a cult. However, having read through most of the posts here, totally agree with many of the posters here. Having been &
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FROM CHRIS19: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - CHRIS19 - ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : As an escapee of Stuthers, from time to time I would check out their website and marvel that in the years since I left, the sermons ( I could only bear to listen to a few minutes) had not really changed.
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FROM GOLDEN GIRL: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - GOLDEN GIRL- ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - CLIVE - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I have read with much interest all of the postings on this site and having been in Struthers church for a number of years, then left, I feel I can identify with many of the experiences shared here.
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HAPPIEST EVER: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - HAPPIEST EVER- ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I was a child in Struthers Memorial Church during the 70's, 80's and 90's and can honestly say that for a child it was a truly oppressive environment to grow up in. Week after week, month af
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MARTY: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - MARTY- ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : Thanks in advance for taking the time to read my 'memoirs'. Like any family it is good to come together at times and remember the bygone era! Church camps, midges, hard pews and sore bums! 4 hour sermons that
Forum: Destructive Churches