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So a close relative recently passed away.. I was shocked when my husband said we would be going.. I didn’t ask questions.. But we traveled a really long way then he broke it to me the day of.. He wouldn’t be going in.. He would just speak on the individual during the service and leave, then enter again to saying final goodbyes.. That was better then nothing.. But What baffles me is I just found out they knew where he was going and allowed him and even gave him money to help with expenses of traveling.. I’m totally thrown for a loop.. What’s their reasoning behind this?
WarriorQueen wrote:
So a close relative recently passed away.. I was shocked when my husband said we would be going.. I didn't ask questions.. But we traveled a really long way then he broke it to me the day of.. He wouldn't be going in.. He would just speak on the individual during the service and leave, then enter again to saying final goodbyes.. That was better then nothing.. But What baffles me is I just found out they knew where he was going and allowed him and even gave him money to help with expenses of traveling.. I'm totally thrown for a loop.. What's their reasoning behind this?
There is a lot more to say about this, and I am sure others have meaningful input, but the bottom line, IMO, is that when it all falls down and he is no longer a member and he realizes that he was in a cult, they can point back to this event and say "look we helped him attend a a family funeral, all of his critial claims are bunk"
First off I'm sorry for your loss. Please don't be too surprized by this. Every so often the so called truth that this group claims changes. At this moment I'm sure that they have been losing more members than they care to. Because of this they have probably let up on a couple of their restrictions and have even tried to save face and show some compassion. By putting some money into his pocket it is going to be even harder for him to realize just how much they really don't care about him. Looks like just another level of entrapment.
I know of an overseer who does things like that. He’s in California. It’s more him than the organization. But if it’s not him who did it then probably just damage control like Brain said.
Selena,Brian and Josh are all right.
It maybe the Overseer acting alone (A few of then I met were more free thinkers, heck my old overseer told my wife for us to still call even though he moved to another church).
They maybe doing it as Brian said, to say, “No..look what we did”. And understand like any manipulative situation, extra good makes it harder to leave. (Like working for a job that pays 400,000$ yearly, but you work 18hr days 6days a week lol).
Finally, I think they have been losing alot of members. I drove by my ex brsnch church on the feast day. It didnt look as packed as it once did. Whats comical, is that the whole Today Show segment with the member, Racheal, really made them look stupid. Her constant YT videos created by the church, were as see through, as a Kim Kardashian dress.
Warrior Queen- I don’t know how you guys marriage is outside of the cult, but try to focus on that. The WMS is lying…hence the reason their practices always change. They know this. After I left they started telling members to visit on the holidays, to non believing family members. They always lie. What may help you, is to remember these situations for later, and bring them up. If he was in “before” 2012, you could have brought up the fact that the WMS was wrong on Jan.1st 2013…”Hey hun..we are still alive”. Lol
"As see through as a Kim Kardashian dress" LOL! You crack me up, Untouchable!
I believe, as you all do, that this is an attempt at damage control. My son wasn't allowed to come home for Christmas, and he wasn't supposed to celebrate Thanksgiving either. Now that he is hard core, they loosened up on Thanksgiving, but he doesn't come home for it. He will eat turkey at least now, though, I understand. But he still hasn't been home for Christmas for eight years now. It really ticks me off because now I understand they occasionally allow people on the east coast to go home for Christmas as long as they don't celebrate it or eat food prayed over in the name of Jesus Christ. My son missed out for years, and now they c hange the rules because they are under fire? Does God change His rules? Don't think so.
@Warrior Yes. When you do anything outside the norm, thats what they do. They probably guilt tripped your husband to be at Zion more.
But did you notice, his response was that of another person. Brainwashing 101. He regurgitated their message. Your husband does have a glimmer of hope…because he decided to NOT go for a week or two. He did this of his own free will. I would make a sure fire bet, he is tired. When I was there, and things started looking suspicious, it became clear. He will leave.
Your welcome. Its at that point, AWAY from WMS, when your head clears. The hardest part for us, was the sense of family. There were some AMAZING bonds we forged with members, and that was hard to break. I sort of mentored the teenage boys on dress and etiquette. My wife was close with the other Moms. But you realize, that your in the Matrix..and you can stay for others, or leave for yourself. The things that go on there were NOT healthy…..but we stayed. One deaconess was always staying back to babysit when the church would go to events. Her teenage son often helped her in the kids nursery. She told someone that that, was the only time she got to spent time with her son, because they were so busy. She, her son and Husband also lived in a 1bedroom apartment, where the son slept in the living room. One can debate the living quarters and its validity to happiness. My issue was always for leaders, as to why they didnt question if members were taking care of home.
Cont….As a leader, they never figured out that people had so little time.
Yes…as long as the money rolls in.
@warriorqueen i read this site over a year almost every day before it set in and i could see what you all point out. Members are in denial. They just accept “well God said this way is good.” I know you didn’t go through it-but i REALLY believed those verses! The more verses you see, the more you are convinced ahn was Jesus and Gil is God. They have no alternative way to look at those very verses. So i put alternative explanations for the same verses wms uses. You have to understand wms members THINK they saw through the Bible “Jesus came to earth, born 1918.” To them this is as real as day and night. They cannot see past those fig tree verses about what they think is about when Jesus comes a second time. So i emphasized “Jesus said he would NOT come back around ww2 time.”
@warrior queen, it took studying and time to get him indoctrinated in wms-it may take studying and time to get him out. Or maybe not-if he can believe there’s a God who sent Jesus to earth, he can’t stay in wms, because wms says the opposite. To him he is being faithful to God, trying very hard. He thinks he’s helping save the world. The members really believe the Bible says Jesus came 1918. They think they are obeying Jesus. It’s a good heart and mind. Wms members cannot understand how the rest of the world is just living life when they are told ALL THE TIME “the world is going to end within 10 years.” There is a lot of pressure put on him and great burdon. It’s hard work to be in wms and hear the sermons beat you up emotionally 4 times a week. It’s a form of emotional abuse.
I did the same lol @warriorqueen
And Anon is stopping us from talking about the wms.
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