Sharing with my wife discussions about my cult...

by garyneal 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  garyneal

  Ever since the 20/20 investigation into the Independent Fundamental Baptist churches and the parallels being discussed here concerning them and the witnesses, it became obvious to me that I was once in a cult 20 years ago. My poison was the IFB's.

  I've since joined the facebook page that was seen on the 20/20 investigation and I've participated in one discussion concerning some of the wacky sayings we heard from various IFB pastors over the years.

  I shared some of these posts with my wife and I have to wonder, will she ever see some of these things in her cult?

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  Melissa Mae Witkowski Malan

  * getting beat in the principals office because someone saw me at my home playing in the snow without wearing a skirt over my snowpants.( age 8)
  * my (male) 5th grade teacher pulling down my shirt to tell me that i'm not a women yet.
  * my church bus driver married one of my sisters and molested me for 5 years all the while being a soldier for GOD.

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  Megan L. Walker

  *When you leave the church, anything "bad" that happens is punishment; if something "bad" happens while you are in church, it is a trial by fire that God will see you through.

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  Kimberly Herbert

  When I went to Pensacola Christian we were not allowed to look at a person of the opposite sex for more than 5 or 10 seconds because it was called "visual sex" . I was stunned when I heard a staff member say that !!

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  Phillip J Kidd

  Here's a few for the road:
  Preacher preached that any woman wearing pantyhose was a hooker and a whore.
  
  I heard ties preached against because they were shaped like male genetalia and were pointing to that very region of a mans body to draw attention from the opposit sex.
  
  All of the following I have personally heard preached in actual church services-------
  Anti-Cowboy boots, Pro-cowboy boots, anti-jewlery, anti-cologne/perfume, anti-eating out on sunday, Anti-shopping anywhere that sells any type alchohol, Anti-shorts, anti-pants(on women), Anti-tv, Anti-radio, anti-sleveless shirts, Pro-robes(a la Jesus), Anti-all types of music(except Handels Messiah), Anti-brith control(This was preached by a man who's wife could not have any more children. Ironinc huh?), Anti-movies, Anti-women working, Anti-government, and the list could go on, and on, and on....

  ---

  ... and here's what I shared...

  Gary Neal

  Interracial dating and marriage was not condoned by God.
  
  If you are a member of one church and you go visit another church, you are commiting adultery against your home church.
  
  Proctor & Gamble was led by Satanists and urged people to boycott their products.
  
  The B.E.A.S.T. is a super computer in Belgium.
  
  The Captain Planet cartoons are Satanic because he consist of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart (or Soul) the same as Satan.
  
  Rearrange the letters of Santa and you have Satan

  Santa and the Easter bunny fulfill prophecy where the Bible states that the image of God will be replaced by a man and a four legged beast.
  
  Watch out for those smurfs. Ditto that of Tinky Winky of the Teletubies.
  
  God does not condone children living in their parents house after turning 18.
  
  You cannot listen to rock music, that includes Christian Rock. You also cannot listen to rap or country music. Christian rock, rap, and country are simply using the devil's tools and has no place in Christian worship.
  
  Putting your arm around your sweetheart in church is a sin. I almost got some 'squealers' kicked out of church because they report me putting my arm around my girlfriend and I let the pastor have it and told him what I thought of him and his church. He apologized profusely, denied ever saying anything bad about me and my girlfriend and nearly kicked the squealers out.

  Churches of God promote false doctrines because they believe in the speaking of tongues.
  
  Only one reason to date, to get married.
  
  Women should aspire to go to a Christian college and someday become a preacher's wife.
  
  Secular college education lead you away from God.
  
  Only a Christian based counselor is best, especially for drug and/or alcohol abuse.
  
  The King James Bible is the Word of God.

  The recommended movies and/or TV shows to watch are those depicting living in the 19th century.
  
  If you are not living like that family from Little House on the Prarie, you're living in sin.
• 

  ssn587

  Religion is truly the opium of the masses is it not?
• 

  garyneal

  I guess for me, watching that 20/20 episode and finding this group really opened my eyes to a lot of things.

  I always felt that the Indy Fundies rivaled the Watchtower in regards to their legalism, but I had no idea that they were practically identical twins. I swear, I would read posts on that facebook page and feel like they could've been posted here.

  This also gives me a new level of appreciation for my wife's position. Just as there are many nice Indy Fundies who are simply trying to serve the Lord in the best way they know how in accords to how they are being taught, I can truly understand that there are indeed witnesses who are just the same. It basically makes me realize even more that we are no different. Maybe one day my wife will wake up and realize that too for as of right now she still believes that whereever God is, He's not at my church or anywhere else in my life.

  It also made me realize that, among other things, these two groups (along with others I am sure) teach that only they have the truth, they both are high control groups, they both depress their members, they both make their members do inhuman and very unchristian things, and they both claim to have a monopoly on goodness and wholesomeness.

  Perhaps they are both right to a certain (albeit small) degree, perhaps neither of them are right at all. One thing's for certain, neither are the Truth TM .
• 

  Doubting Bro

  gary, they hated the Smurfs too??? They are some trouble causing blue demons!!!!
• 

  garyneal

  gary, they hated the Smurfs too??? They are some trouble causing blue demons!!!!

  Yes, the pastor of my church took issue with Smurfette being the only female smurf, Gargamel being a sorcerer (as was Papa Smurf), and Vanity smurf acting so feminine that the pastor said he was gay. This was not wholesome entertainment for good Christian children.
• 

  cult classic

  Becoming aware of cult tactics and how the JW religion fit the mold helped me tremendously. There was something reassuring about learning that the witnesses were not unique. I hope it helps her Gary.
• 

  lovelylil

  gary,

  as you already know by now, all the fundamentalist cults are pretty much the same. If I didn't know better, I would have thought the people on facebook were ex jws from the stories they told.

  I remember when my husband and I were studying with the Witnesses and the brother told us our daughter had to get rid of her magic wand and troll dolls because they were both demonic. Also, I remember the telletubbies were gay or something like that. Its funny now thinking how the hell did we buy that sh**?
• 

  garyneal
• 

  garyneal

  Testing
• 

  garyneal

  Okay (stupid IE 9),

  Trying again...

  Yeah, I remember believing that some of the thoughts I had in my head were demonic. I even recall burning some books that I wrote thinking that they were demonic. All thanks to my Indy Fundy church that I use to attend.

  I don't know if my wife will wake up from her cult induced trance but I know that realizing that the IFB's are practically identical twins with the JW's has helped me immensely. I can understand and appreciate what she is struggling with more now. I actually have more empathy with her now as I can relate to the whole cult mindset as I used to be a cultist myself.

  That facebook page has a mix of christians and non-christians who were once cultists just as this message group has too. I am truly beside myself over this.