- Topic
My brother in law is coming to visit and he is bringing his mail order bride. I know he is going to want to do Bible studies. That is the main reason he is visiting…it isnt to see his family…so I need some advice on how to not lose it when he is doing all the studies. My in laws and the rest of the fam including my husband are going to be hanging on his every word so I need to know how to open their eyes. I need to know what questions to ask, Bible verses to bring up and all the reasons you ex members arent in the cult anymore. I dont handle my emotions well so I dont want my bro in law looking better then me bc he is calm and collected. I would like to handle this visit differently then the rest. In the past I got very angry and or didnt attend any studies or avoided my bro in law all together. Please and thank you!
@Abba, that’s the thing, if you were an ex member like some of us you would know where your bro in law is coming from. The cog teaches that we live “in the age of the Holy Spirit” so therefore they deny the name of Jesus. If you are listening to mainstream christian music like Seventh day slumber or Newsboys or Chris Thomlin, or whoever, he will just turn off the music because they sing about Jesus. However biblical prophecy states that God will choose some people and write the name of the Father and name of the son on their foreheads. This prophecy has not happened yet. And Ahnsahnghong is Not the name of the son. The cog only assumes it’s the name of the Holy Spirit. Ahnsahnhong pa-ssed away, which means he is not God, he is like you and me. He will rise at the last day to shame and contempt or everlasting life as the prophecy states. Btw how was the bible with your bro?
M&M: I'm still trying to figure out how the name Ahnsahnghong would even fit on someone's forehead. They must have to have a fivehead. And then God's name on there too? Hmmmm
@Warrior Well, the technicality yhat Missionary Power was using, was that WMS doesnt beleive in or acknowledge Jesus. They do…kind of. They do, on the same level or way that a Muslim does in comparison to Christianity; Muslims, Jews, Buddhists all beleive in Jesus to some exstent. But Powers was manipulative, he knows they are following the ideals of Ahnsahnhong mostly. Heck, the practices of the church are based on Ahns interpreted perceptions and teachings.The feasts are mentioned in the bible, but generating 5:00am prayer time at the feasts, and then doing it for a week, All Ahn and not mentioned in the bible. And reasons like thede make it easy to see through the nonsense.
spinning off of what UntouchableJ just said makes me think of how the rhetoric from church members on youtube and how they like to use "2,000 years ago this happened and that happened". They do this to justify the so-called persecution of Christ and how people didn't acknowledge Christ, and how this is "happening again today", with Ahn.
However, 2,000 YEARS AGO: Jesus did not usurp the position of becoming God, Heavenly Father.
AF07, I'd say to remember you are dealing with rule-following pharisees. They don't see that this is what they're doing and pointing it out is going to be a problem. Just remember that. The message of Jesus is love for fellow man. I wouldn't do a bible study and instead find a way to communicate that you love and care for your family. Bible study is likely to create animosity between the family, and increase the wedge between you. A wedge benefits the group.
I am going to respectfully agree and disagree with jw03550. I fully agree that the WMS is very specialized in creating division within families. By creating these "wedges" they product space between the member and their support system creating the opportunity to embed themselves as the support system. Here's where I fully disagree; do not attend services, do studies, or meet with other WMS members that your loved one wants to put you together with. During the process of endoctrinating the curent member they are told things like, "Mother says that your entire family is going to come into the WMSCOG all you have to do is stay faithful." What this does in the minds of the members is create a situation of feeling like they need to stay in the WMS. What does this have to do with you taking a study or attending a service you may ask? This reenforces the idea that if they just stay strong in the WMS that their family will come in. They see you coming towards the WMS as a sign that what was professed to them is going to come to pass. You would be in fact pushing them further into the group that you are trying to help them get out of. It's a trap folks! Keep showing interest in them as the loved one you remember. Ask leading questions that will bring them to their own conclusions that what they're involved in is not right. Be as disarming and non-confrontational as you can but, do not volunteer to take a study, attend a service, or meet with other members. If they bring someone over, be nice, ask leading questions, appologize if they become offended by your questions but do not volunteer to take a study or attend a service.
Here’s a verse about division. Romans 16:17 “…watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but THEIR OWN APPETITES. “
The wmscog came to mind when I read this verse.
Joshuas group experience is > mine.
I agree with Joshua on the basis that this is exactly what they told my son: "If you just persevere, your family will all come in to the church, and you will save them." I told him they lied to him because NONE of us were ever coming into the wmscog. And, of course, none of us have or ever will. My husband came with him to several services and Passovers, simply to see what they were saying to him and how they were influencing him. And also to show our son that he loved him and would listen to a point. We wanted to take away his argument that we had no experience there or had never done a study so we didn't know what we were talking about. However, as Joshua has pointed out, it only encouraged him and made him hope. We never adopted the opinion or told him that we approved of the Wms. We were always consistent in our opinions, but I do think he was being told that he was making progress with his Dad on recruitment, and that this encouraged him. They lied again. He was never making any progress there.
Thanks M&M for the verses from Romans. I hadn't seen those before.
Years ago I showed my son tons of verses where God said basically, "I am the only one." Such a basic thing, but it did no good whatsoever. They spun it for him, and now suffering = happiness and one = two. Arguing verses doesn't work, as they are prepared for that. In fact, the church wants you to do exactly that. I agree with whoever said, "First you have to get them to realize and admit that, even if the church is right about some things, they aren't right about everything."
@Mountain Nail on the head. Wms always has a spin on every logical argument, and, a metaphor or example to justify their arguments.
@Abba Consider that any blow up towards your Bro-In-Law will be used as an excuse to justify themselves. Its hard, I know. Although my wife and I were members at the same time, I couldnt imagine the struggle of a Spouse to a member. Especially since members act like Robots who are super happy 24/7
Yes, untouchable is right. Any negativity will be spun as 'Satan trying to take you back' so if anything blows up they will tell your brother in law that Satan is working through you to take him away from 'the one true church', pushing him into it even more. Unfortunately I don't have any advice on how to avoid that, I'm still trying to figure it out myself as I have friends still stuck in it.
Abba I was wondering, has your family and in-laws heard the bible studies before? You stated earlier that they would be, “hanging on every word”.
@abba. As I was reading through the posts, I was gonna say, you should totally join services, spy out the place, see what’s going down on the inside, show them you cannot be indoctrinated or controlled, put a cloth on your head, see what it’s like, get love bombed, she what’s it like, infiltrate the ranks, then take them down, like an inside job. Lol. But of course I’m a little bit late with this comment.
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