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Getting Real : This Site Sucks
benefits of the family | from devilcatcher - Friday, April 28, 2006
accessed 5365 times benefits of the family Benefits of being in the family.
1_You don’t have to work seven hours a day to eat.
2_You know your kid’s teacher personally.
3_You don’t have to worry if they are taking drugs, drinking or smoking.
4_You chose your own career (the choices are multiple.)
5_You have the satisfaction of doing something good (I’m not saying you can only feel that way in the family.)
6_You can get your food or practically anything without paying by provisioning.
7_The benefits of fellowship and companionship.
8_You learn communication and relationship skills early in life.
9_Plenty of change. Change is such a natural part of our lives that sometimes you hardly notice how lucky you are till you don’t have it anymore.
10_Lots of travel . Out of the family, if you want to travel, unless you're wealthy you have to work hard and cut costs for a long time to save up the money to make your trip. And to actually move to another country is even more difficult. In the Family, you fun rise for you trip. (Right of mobility)
11_Out of the family a lot of young people--and older folks too--worry about catching AIDS. It's a very legitimate fear, as AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among young people in the U.S. and other countries. No fear of that in the family.
12_Interest-free loans . Your Home would like to purchase a vehicle but doesn't have the money on hand to do it. In the Family you can take out an interest-free loan. Where can you find that out there? Almost nowhere! Most people in Western countries are in debt--that's how they can afford their lifestyle--and have to spend a lot of money just paying off the interest on their loans.
13_Learning languages/cultures . In the family you have much more occasions to learn different languages.
14_ Equal opportunity. In the Family we have equal opportunity for all.
15_.No mortgages . Because Dad has encouraged us to rent housing rather than buy, Family members are not burdened by large mortgages, which are common to most families in society.
16_Healthier lifestyle . Because of Dad's good training, we live a much healthier lifestyle than the vast majority of people in the world. We eat better, and we're not so dependent on medicine and pharmaceutical drugs that would screw up our bodies, which are a way of life in Western countries. We don't smoke, we don't drink excessively, and we try to get good exercise.
17_Economical . If you took a Home's income and divided it between each family or single, there's no way they could survive on that little if they were living alone. They'd be way below the poverty line! That shows the benefits of communal living.
18_Help for single moms. That shows the benefits of the law of love and sharing.
19_You can listen to music without thinking that there might be subliminal messages in them. |
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Reader's comments on this article Add a new comment on this article |  from GenBethlehem
Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 02:00
(Agree/Disagree?)
Hey, very valiant, but try not to take the Word of God verbatim as proof to your hypothesis...it won't work with these guys.
Chat with me sometime if you're interested.
(reply to this comment)
| from alacey1981
Monday, June 05, 2006 - 07:38
  (Agree/Disagree?)
Do the words stupid fool come across strong enough. People here have suffered greatly and you think at least you won't get aids screwing with these guys. What's wrong with you? You think promiscurity is good? When a child grows up not knowing it's real parents without the support of a father and mother, being told what to think what to do?
You my friend are a creep. Imaging trying to go onto a support site for those trying to recover from sexual abuse and rejection getting dealt a blow like this.
For those of you who have the courage to get on with your lives outside of the family I salute you.
As I have said numerous times these guys from the family have distorted the real Jesus and told you what to think. I am a Christian who knows what it is like to be manipulated and knows that the real Jesus is Holier and Godlier than man's standard. I'd love to chat with you about him.
I'm on myspace:
[URL removed - spam]
and check out my blog:
[URL removed - spam]
While you're there sign up and send me a message. I'd love to hear from you.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | from traceydared
Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 09:50
(Agree/Disagree?)
I have to say devilcatcher, i'm feeling extremely motivated to berrate you, to belittle your state of conciousness, and undermine your ability to determine fiction from fact.
I'm chosing to 'resist the devil' right now though and focus on the crux of this issue. Although your total lack of sanity surfaced as a fairly main factor in your reasoning, along with a complete and utter inability to produce your own words- for 'supposed' core beliefs you have rudamentally researched and now hold 'faith' in. - in laymans terms your re-typing of someone elses words, to try to establish for yourself, a false sense of intelligence to the readers of this site.
If you had succeeded you would have received at least some level of regard, but you have no point of difference - you need to remember, we've all been preached at on these issues, and we've all researched and decided our own path of beliefs. That's why we all differ so much in belief and process. What remains the common thread with us all, is our belief in each and every persons ability and God given right to reason, and decide our own fate, within the perametrers of conscience and respect for the law abbiding rights of others.
This in itself upholds the ten commandments (for those that still believe in the brown book of twistable babble). It does not anywhere stipulate sex with with minors as ok as long as it's before menstration. It doesn't say excercing demons requires tying up and raping the possessed. Nor does it say that giving an STD to an 18month old baby is part of Gods higher plan.
The Mo letters say that a false prophet is; any person proclaiming themselves to be a prophet who's prophesies do not come to pass. How is the end time going for you by the way? Been gang raped by any groups of soldiers recently? Opps! I forgot, it's all bad to point out any one of drunkard Moses David's, 457 false prophesies to date isn't it. I guess that mo letter about false prophets was 'accidently lost' too, much like the 'book of Davidito'. My bad. I'll try to refrain from picking on 'sore points' in the future.
Peace, Love, and Mung Beans to all - may you never risk the wrath of the leaders - I meant God, the wrath of God - ever, by thinking and answering questions on your own.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | from Gar
Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 07:53
(Agree/Disagree?)
Benefits of being in the family. (NOT)
1_You don’t have to work seven hours a day to eat.
(you can be a bum and still eat)
2_You know your kid’s teacher personally.
(you have probably shared with him or her)
3_You don’t have to worry if they are taking drugs, drinking or smoking.
(bullshit, my brother first tried drugs in TF)
4_You chose your own career (the choices are multiple.)
(if you can call them careers, they are more like "jobs")
5_You have the satisfaction of doing something good (I’m not saying you can only feel that way in the family.)
(you can find this anywhere, if you choose to)
6_You can get your food or practically anything without paying by provisioning.
(begging, mooching)
7_The benefits of fellowship and companionship.
(with a bunch of other sorry, lost and confused souls just like you)
8_You learn communication and relationship skills early in life.
(to survive)
9_Plenty of change. Change is such a natural part of our lives that sometimes you hardly notice how lucky you are till you don’t have it anymore.
(some like change and others don't, it's a personal preference, not a benefit for everyone)
10_Lots of travel . Out of the family, if you want to travel, unless you're wealthy you have to work hard and cut costs for a long time to save up the money to make your trip. And to actually move to another country is even more difficult. In the Family, you fun rise
(fraud) for you trip. (Right of mobility)
(this is a obviously a statement made in ignorance [like everything else in this article]. Some people like to travel, some people's work takes them traveling, some people like to stay put and travel on vacation only, you have it all out here. Some people want to travel but can't afford it (fact of life) Some people are members of the armed forces and travel all the time (with no costs to themselves)
11_Out of the family a lot of young people--and older folks too--worry about catching AIDS. It's a very legitimate fear, as AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among young people in the U.S. and other countries. No fear of that in the family.
(bullshit, I was more worried in the family about catching something than out. You constantly hear of young people getting partial excom for sharing with outsiders, there is no guarantee-in or out of TF)
12_Interest-free loans . Your Home would like to purchase a vehicle but doesn't have the money on hand to do it. In the Family you can take out an interest-free loan. Where can you find that out there? Almost nowhere! Most people in Western countries are in debt--that's how they can afford their lifestyle--and have to spend a lot of money just paying off the interest on their loans.
(I think the largest loan you can take out in TF, or at least it was when I was in, was 2k. Big f---ing deal)
13_Learning languages/cultures . In the family you have much more occasions to learn different languages.
(Wow!!)
14_ Equal opportunity. In the Family we have equal opportunity for all.
(Double wow!!)
15_.No mortgages . Because Dad has encouraged us to rent housing rather than buy, Family members are not burdened by large mortgages, which are common to most families in society.
(this is about as ignorant as I have heard yet- like most family members, you obviously have no concept of economics and personal finance-- one of the best things I ever did was get a mortgage. Since I bought my house five years ago I have gained almost $100,000 in equity and if I wanted to sell it today, would do so at a large profit. [I wouldn't exactly call that being "burdened by a large mortgage"] That being said, there are benefits to renting also, 1. you are not responsible for repairs, which translates into money saved [funny enough TF doesn't really take advantage of this benefit because they usually upgrade and repair the homes they live in, very nice of them, but not a smart business move] 2. If you want to move you can give 30 day notice and your gone- mostly beneficial for young people who are still studying and haven't decided where they want to settle down, or for people who like to move around a lot. But again not for those who want to invest in a home that they will hopefully live in for a very long time, build it to suit their needs and have somewhere that their kids can come back and visit when they are older and have all the memories to enjoy with it)
16_Healthier lifestyle . Because of Dad's good training, we live a much healthier lifestyle than the vast majority of people in the world. We eat better, and we're not so dependent on medicine and pharmaceutical drugs that would screw up our bodies, which are a way of life in Western countries. We don't smoke, we don't drink excessively, and we try to get good exercise.
(we choose to eat healthy of our own free will and so do many others out here, we don't depend on a cult leader to feed us the right kind of food, we just choose it when we go to the supermarket)
17_Economical . If you took a Home's income and divided it between each family or single, there's no way they could survive on that little if they were living alone. They'd be way below the poverty line! That shows the benefits of communal living.
(Who cares to see how little you can live on? Yeah, if you sacrifice enough of your freedom and privacy you can afford to live frugally. I would rather concentrate my efforts on making as much money as I can so that I can spend more and give more and enjoy my God given freedom. But I guess if you want to sacrifice your privacy, freedom and to save money then that's your prerogative)
18_Help for single moms. That shows the benefits of the law of love and sharing.
(The "Law of Love" creates single mom's)
19_You can listen to music without thinking that there might be subliminal messages in them.
(ignorance is bliss)
(reply to this comment)
| from Gar
Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 07:48
(Agree/Disagree?)
Benefits of being in the family. (NOT)
1_You dont have to work seven hours a day to eat. (you can be a bum and still eat)
2_You know your kids teacher personally. (you have probably shared with him or her)
3_You dont have to worry if they are taking drugs, drinking or smoking. (bullshit, my brother first tried drugs in TF)
4_You chose your own career (the choices are multiple.) (if you can call them careers, they are more like "jobs")
5_You have the satisfaction of doing something good (Im not saying you can only feel that way in the family.) (you can find this anywhere, if you choose to)
6_You can get your food or practically anything without paying by provisioning. (begging, mooching)
7_The benefits of fellowship and companionship. (with a bunch of other sorry, lost and confused souls just like you)
8_You learn communication and relationship skills early in life. (to survive)
9_Plenty of change. Change is such a natural part of our lives that sometimes you hardly notice how lucky you are till you dont have it anymore. (some like change and others don't, it's a personal preference, not a benefit for everyone)
10_Lots of travel . Out of the family, if you want to travel, unless you're wealthy you have to work hard and cut costs for a long time to save up the money to make your trip. And to actually move to another country is even more difficult. In the Family, you fun rise (fraud) for you trip. (Right of mobility) (this is obviously a statement made in ignorance [like everything else in this article]. Some people like to travel, some people's work takes them traveling, some people like to stay put and travel on vacation only, you have it all out here. Some people want to travel but can't afford it (fact of life) Some people are members of the armed forces and travel all the time (with no costs to themselves)
11_Out of the family a lot of young people--and older folks too--worry about catching AIDS. It's a very legitimate fear, as AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among young people in the U.S. and other countries. No fear of that in the family. (bullshit, I was more worried in the family about catching something than out. You constantly hear of young people getting partial excom for sharing with outsiders, there is no guarantee-in or out of TF)
12_Interest-free loans . Your Home would like to purchase a vehicle but doesn't have the money on hand to do it. In the Family you can take out an interest-free loan. Where can you find that out there? Almost nowhere! Most people in Western countries are in debt--that's how they can afford their lifestyle--and have to spend a lot of money just paying off the interest on their loans. (I think the largest loan you can take out in TF, or at least it was when I was in, was 2k. Big f---ing deal)
13_Learning languages/cultures . In the family you have much more occasions to learn different languages. (Wow!!)
14_ Equal opportunity. In the Family we have equal opportunity for all. (Double wow!!)
15_.No mortgages . Because Dad has encouraged us to rent housing rather than buy, Family members are not burdened by large mortgages, which are common to most families in society. (this is about as ignorant as I have heard yet- like most family members, you obviously have no concept of economics and personal finance-- one of the best things I ever did was get a mortgage. Since I bought my house five years ago I have gained almost $100,000 in equity and if I wanted to sell it today, would do so at a large profit. [I wouldn't exactly call that being "burdened by a large mortgage"] That being said, there are benefits to renting also, 1. you are not responsible for repairs, which translates into money saved [funny enough TF doesn't really take advantage of this benefit because they usually upgrade and repair the homes they live in, very nice of them, but not a smart business move] 2. If you want to move you can give 30 day notice and your gone- mostly beneficial for young people who are still studying and haven't decided where they want to settle down, or for people who like to move around a lot. But again not for those who want to invest in a home that they will hopefully live in for a very long time, build it to suit their needs and have somewhere that their kids can come back and visit when they are older and have all the memories to enjoy with it)
16_Healthier lifestyle . Because of Dad's good training, we live a much healthier lifestyle than the vast majority of people in the world. We eat better, and we're not so dependent on medicine and pharmaceutical drugs that would screw up our bodies, which are a way of life in Western countries. We don't smoke, we don't drink excessively, and we try to get good exercise. (we choose to eat healthy of our own free will and so do many others out here, we don't depend on a cult leader to feed us the right kind of food, we just choose it when we go to the supermarket)
17_Economical . If you took a Home's income and divided it between each family or single, there's no way they could survive on that little if they were living alone. They'd be way below the poverty line! That shows the benefits of communal living. (Who cares to see how little you can live on? Yeah, if you sacrifice enough of your freedom and privacy you can afford to live frugally. I would rather concentrate my efforts on making as much money as I can so that I can spend more and give more and enjoy my God given freedom. But I guess if you want to sacrifice your privacy, freedom and to save money then that's your prerogative)
18_Help for single moms. That shows the benefits of the law of love and sharing. (The "Law of Love" creates single mom's)
19_You can listen to music without thinking that there might be subliminal messages in them. (ignorance is bliss)
(reply to this comment)
| from Gar
Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 07:47
(Agree/Disagree?)
Benefits of being in the family. (NOT)
1_You dont have to work seven hours a day to eat. (you can be a bum and still eat)
2_You know your kids teacher personally. (you have probably shared with him or her)
3_You dont have to worry if they are taking drugs, drinking or smoking. (bullshit, my brother first tried drugs in TF)
4_You chose your own career (the choices are multiple.) (if you can call them careers, they are more like "jobs")
5_You have the satisfaction of doing something good (Im not saying you can only feel that way in the family.) (you can find this anywhere, if you choose to)
6_You can get your food or practically anything without paying by provisioning. (begging, mooching)
7_The benefits of fellowship and companionship. (with a bunch of other sorry, lost and confused souls just like you)
8_You learn communication and relationship skills early in life. (to survive)
9_Plenty of change. Change is such a natural part of our lives that sometimes you hardly notice how lucky you are till you dont have it anymore. (some like change and others don't, it's a personal preference, not a benefit for everyone)
10_Lots of travel . Out of the family, if you want to travel, unless you're wealthy you have to work hard and cut costs for a long time to save up the money to make your trip. And to actually move to another country is even more difficult. In the Family, you fun rise (fraud) for you trip. (Right of mobility) (this is a obviously a statement made in ignorance [like everything else in this article]. Some people like to travel, some people's work takes them traveling, some people like to stay put and travel on vacation only, you have it all out here. Some people want to travel but can't afford it (fact of life) Some people are members of the armed forces and travel all the time (with no costs to themselves)
11_Out of the family a lot of young people--and older folks too--worry about catching AIDS. It's a very legitimate fear, as AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among young people in the U.S. and other countries. No fear of that in the family. (bullshit, I was more worried in the family about catching something than out. You constantly hear of young people getting partial excom for sharing with outsiders, there is no guarantee-in or out of TF)
12_Interest-free loans . Your Home would like to purchase a vehicle but doesn't have the money on hand to do it. In the Family you can take out an interest-free loan. Where can you find that out there? Almost nowhere! Most people in Western countries are in debt--that's how they can afford their lifestyle--and have to spend a lot of money just paying off the interest on their loans. (I think the largest loan you can take out in TF, or at least it was when I was in, was 2k. Big f---ing deal)
13_Learning languages/cultures . In the family you have much more occasions to learn different languages. (Wow!!)
14_ Equal opportunity. In the Family we have equal opportunity for all. (Double wow!!)
15_.No mortgages . Because Dad has encouraged us to rent housing rather than buy, Family members are not burdened by large mortgages, which are common to most families in society. (this is about as ignorant as I have heard yet- like most family members, you obviously have no concept of economics and personal finance-- one of the best things I ever did was get a mortgage. Since I bought my house five years ago I have gained almost $100,000 in equity and if I wanted to sell it today, would do so at a large profit. [I wouldn't exactly call that being "burdened by a large mortgage"] That being said, there are benefits to renting also, 1. you are not responsible for repairs, which translates into money saved [funny enough TF doesn't really take advantage of this benefit because they usually upgrade and repair the homes they live in, very nice of them, but not a smart business move] 2. If you want to move you can give 30 day notice and your gone- mostly beneficial for young people who are still studying and haven't decided where they want to settle down, or for people who like to move around a lot. But again not for those who want to invest in a home that they will hopefully live in for a very long time, build it to suit their needs and have somewhere that their kids can come back and visit when they are older and have all the memories to enjoy with it)
16_Healthier lifestyle . Because of Dad's good training, we live a much healthier lifestyle than the vast majority of people in the world. We eat better, and we're not so dependent on medicine and pharmaceutical drugs that would screw up our bodies, which are a way of life in Western countries. We don't smoke, we don't drink excessively, and we try to get good exercise. (we choose to eat healthy of our own free will and so do many others out here, we don't depend on a cult leader to feed us the right kind of food, we just choose it when we go to the supermarket)
17_Economical . If you took a Home's income and divided it between each family or single, there's no way they could survive on that little if they were living alone. They'd be way below the poverty line! That shows the benefits of communal living. (Who cares to see how little you can live on? Yeah, if you sacrifice enough of your freedom and privacy you can afford to live frugally. I would rather concentrate my efforts on making as much money as I can so that I can spend more and give more and enjoy my God given freedom. But I guess if you want to sacrifice your privacy, freedom and to save money then that's your prerogative)
18_Help for single moms. That shows the benefits of the law of love and sharing. (The "Law of Love" creates single mom's)
19_You can listen to music without thinking that there might be subliminal messages in them. (ignorance is bliss)
(reply to this comment)
| from The Devil ®
Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 00:36
(Agree/Disagree?)
GODDAMMIT What's the goddam deal with me not being goddam able to goddam post my goddam picture on this goddam site?
Don't make me get Jesus to slay you all, I agreed to a foursome with Oplexipan and some other dude that has 3 penises last night so he fucking owes me godammit.
JUST TURN ON THE GODDAMN PHOTOS!
(reply to this comment)
|  From Jesus Crust
Thursday, May 11, 2006, 08:44
(Agree/Disagree?)
I hath poured the oil of the Holy Spirit over this site, yea even to hinder thee from posting thy vile depictions of evil and filth. Woe unto thee, Oplexipan, and the man with 3 penises (which was the son of Hamar, which was the son of Napthali, which was the son of Jaham, which was the son of Gohan, which was the son of Japeth) for I know for fact that he hath herpes.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | From The Devil ®
Thursday, May 11, 2006, 21:46
(Agree/Disagree?)
Or maybe Berg sounded like me when I'm drunk. But he doesn't sound like that anymore. The only sounds he makes now are along the lines of "please not again Mr Devil sir, I'm still recovering from last night", and "I haven't been able to defecate for about a month now so could we possibly wait a night" etc.
And I weigh approximately 87 tonnes by your mortal measurements, so I hardly need to lose weight thank you very much! Anymore fat jokes and you'll so get slayed I swear.(reply to this comment) |
| | from Manon of the Spring
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 - 17:28
(Agree/Disagree?)
DC, why do you feel the need to persuade others that life in the Family is a good thing? Who are you trying to convince? It's pretty obvious that people on this site aren't buying your regurgitation of Family propaganda, so why do you insist on spitting into the wind anyway? Perhaps you secretly doubt the path you have chosen, but cannot allow yourself to acknowledge it? Instead, you seek out the opposition, and by through this confrontation you find needed energy to rationalize your choice to stay the course. Seems to me you're wrestling with your own demons and do penance by provoking those who willingly give voice to your own longing.
(reply to this comment)
| from Gar
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 - 15:58
(Agree/Disagree?)
With all do respect: Why don't you go somewhere where they want to hear what you have to say. On this site most of us are trying to "move on" in our new lives and do not really want to hear someone trying to convince us that we should have stayed where we were. On a smaller level it would be like someone switching phone companies because they got crappy service and the company keeps writing them telling them how good their service is. You know their not going to switch back, because they have a first hand account of how bad it was and additionally are probably telling all their friends about it so that they don't get screwed with bad service too.
So take your preaching somewhere that people have never heard of you before because there is more chance they will believe you there and sign up.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | from katrim4
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 - 10:12
(Agree/Disagree?)
A bit of a change of subject here, but does anyone watch the new HBO show Big Love about a polygamist Mormon cult? The Family had an honorable mention on Sunday's show. A woman that is being considered as a fourth wife for one of the show's characters is ultimately denied because she had once been a Moonie and "a member of the Family before that".
Family people are so screwed up other cults don't even want them.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | from
Sunday, May 07, 2006 - 08:42
(Agree/Disagree?)
IDIOTS
(reply to this comment)
| from
Sunday, May 07, 2006 - 08:41
(Agree/Disagree?)
SHUT THE BLOODY FUCK UP EVEYBODY! WHAT A BUNCH OF
(reply to this comment)
| | | | From
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 05:05
(Agree/Disagree?)
Devilcatcher, why bother creating an uproar? You knew how everyone would react if you posted something like this. We've all been in the family, we know how its like, please don't try and teach us or preach us the 'truth'. Its falling on deaf ears, and your wasting your time. This site is a load of crap....ladedalala(reply to this comment) |
| | from
Sunday, May 07, 2006 - 08:41
(Agree/Disagree?)
SHUT THE BLOODY FUCK UP EVEYBODY! WHAT a
(reply to this comment)
| from venus_fly_trap
Friday, May 05, 2006 - 14:52
(Agree/Disagree?)
i do believe that once again www.movingon.org is being hoodwinked by an imposter. i do not believe this is a family member. i believe this is a person who was in the cult as we were and has nothing better to do than get a huge kick out of making us mad. think about it. he has made a fool of himself with improper grammar and mindless banter that doesn't make sense. kids our age, in the group, do have better answers than this. i know, my brother, who is in the group still, is very much "in" and also very intelligent. he would not make a fool of himself in this way. nor would he waste his time and energy. i truly believe this is someone attempting to make cult members look stupid. anyone else agree??? devil catcher congratulations on getting the attention you craved. how fun it must be to come back and see new comments created from your very ignorant post. i hope you are having fun. people please look back on former imposters and realise....
(reply to this comment)
| | | | From venus_fly_trap
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 13:21
(Agree/Disagree?)
my brothers choice to stay in the cult stems directly from a need to be the diametrical opposite of our father, who left the group. he was a horrible father to all of us. my brother is a good father and husband. his intelligence is his own. his choice to stay in the cult is a blindness created by his bitterness towards this man. being in the group doesn't not mean someone is "dumb" or "deluded." we were all in the group at one time and leaving wasn't easy for anyone us. don't forget how much guilt and fear were used to keep us in the group. as a father of five children now, his fear in leaving would be that 1) God would strike him dead 2) therefore he would lose God's blessing 3) his children would grow up flipping burgers and would be drug addicts or whores 4) he would not be able to make friends 5) his family would fall apart. all of the cults hold on members is through fear. i am not speaking for my brother as he is in the cult "heart and soul." he is not leaving anytime soon. he is intelligent. leaving is not easy and it takes time to get things going in the real world.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | from Wolf
Friday, May 05, 2006 - 14:18
(Agree/Disagree?)
Devilcatcher, one of these days you’re going to look back and have a good laugh at what a dazed and confused little kid you were. I promise. Until then, keep this in mind: ignorance may be bliss, but it isn’t freedom.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | from exister99
Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 06:38
(Agree/Disagree?)
"the choices are multiple"
Wow, you are a fucking master of the obvious. Here I thought that the word "choice" implied that there was a single option. Thanks for clearing that up.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | From Andy Motherfucker
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 09:19
(Agree/Disagree?)
Um..... fuck you devil catcher. Fuck you in your fucking ear you fucked up cunt. Fuck you and your all your fucked up pervert worshiping friends. You have no fucking power here, dumb-fuck. The fucking people on this fucking site can say whatever fucked up shit they fucking goddamn well please. Why don't you fuck off, and go let Jesus fuck you in your spiritual cunt, you fucked up tranny. Fuck you, and your god, fuck him too. Am I forgetting anyone?
Again fuck you.
I have really cleaned up my language lately, but still love to exercise that free-speech.
I just remembered you aren't really a family member, oh well. Fuck you for wasting my time.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | From craigslist anyone?
Monday, May 08, 2006, 21:04
 (Agree/Disagree?)
In a recent poll on Yahoo Family Youth, members were asked if they had ever had an "outside" job and if so, what it was. The list is an interesting revelation in what TF youth are capable of getting hired for. But the inclusion of "lawyer or paralegal" shows that the uninformed TF member who made the poll has no idea what it takes to work in either of these fields. Here's the list:
manager
cook or chef
childcare or teaching
studio musician
model
handyman
entertainer (clown, etc)
medical field
lawyer or paralegal
cleaning
secretarial
security
other
tradesman
retail
The votes came down to 0 - 2 for most categories except higher for manager, childcare/teacher, secretarial and other.(reply to this comment) |
| | From Oddman
Thursday, November 16, 2006, 01:29
(Agree/Disagree?)
TF definitions.
Manager -> responsible for sorting out the provisioned food and test drinking rotten Milk.
Cook -> Anybody with a frying pan.
Childcare -> Anybody in the same room as a child. (The guy that can do nothing else.)
Musician -> Attention whore with a guitar. Gets inspiration from system music.
Model -> Any family member that has been living in the mission field where food is just not edible.
Handyman -> Any male
Entertainer -> Anybody that can make a balloon poodle.
Medical -> Worm searcher
Lawyer -> Normally a wise guy SGA who has memorized the charter.
Cleaning -> slave (anybody outside the shepherds family)(people who won't have sex with the shepherd.)
Secretarial -> collects the mail, and fills out monthly report.
Security -> hyper active teen boys who need an excuse to go on walks at night.
other -> illegal work
tradesmen -> the guy who shoplifts a sytem music, copies and sells.
Retail -> tapenesser.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From Big Sister
Wednesday, May 10, 2006, 19:39
(Agree/Disagree?)
I see. You live in a private world where English words with specific meanings are assigned new "TF" meanings. I can see that your special language gives you a sense of community but it is also confusing. Purposely confusing. A lawyer is a trained, licensed professional. You are NOT a lawyer if you practice law as a hobby in your home! Same with paralegal! And I highly doubt that TF has a job description of paralegal. I can't imagine that TF people do it as a hobby at home!
The upshot of this language obfuscation* is that you have young adults who don't know what a lawyer is. They have been taught made-up definition without learning that theirs is not the actual definition. If this was not true then the Family young adult who made the poll would have KNOWN that you can't get a job in the "outside" as a lawyer if you have grown up in TF.
It's ok to have different cultures within our culture. It's fine, even good, to have a different cultures that are critical of the dominant culture. But to FAIL to teach children and young adults how to understand differences between the cultures is unethical. It hurts the children, keeps them subservient, naive and afraid.
That is why we, on the outside, call TF a cult.
* OBFUSCATION: 1. To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand: “A great effort was made... to obscure or obfuscate the truth” (Robert Conquest).
2. To render indistinct or dim; darken: The fog obfuscated the shore.
(reply to this comment) |
| | From weegirlie
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 03:23
(Agree/Disagree?)
Could you kindly explain how one can work:
1. in the medicial field
2. as a lawyer/paralegal (rather different things I believe you'll find)
which requires "higher education" and as you've kindly admitted that's not allowed in TF; or
3. as a manager (managing what exactly, changing dirty nappies?????)
4. as a teacher (which again requires higher education).
Not to mention that work done in ones own home does not count as professional work. Otherwise I too would be a "chef, manager, model, handywoman, medical worker (got my little first aid kit), cleaner, secretary and security person", but you won't find any of that crap on my CV. ;)(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From Wolf
Friday, May 05, 2006, 13:52
(Agree/Disagree?)
Please allow me to expound on your lovely list:
Choices in the family:
Musician (who doesn’t even own the music he writes)
Bad cook (boiled liver and overcooked eggs)
Babysitter (who spanks two year old kids)
Finance man (hardly the right title for someone who counts illegally earned money. A bit sexist I might add)
Massmarketing agent (looks great on your resume)
Teacher (who spells almost as well as devilcatcher)
Salesman (one of society’s most loved professions)
Carpenter (like Jesus!)
Humanitarian work (giving out leftover provisioning)
Of course, this list is overwhelmingly large compared to the 72 job categories listed on monster.com…
(reply to this comment) |
| | From carol234567
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 04:45
(Agree/Disagree?)
I’m sorry to hear that you had to eat boiled liver and overcooked eggs, as I myself can’t stand the stuff.
And what did you mean by a ‘musician who doesn’t own the music he writes’?
I don’t know devilcatcher, but I assume, that he does not really care to check about his spelling, when obviously spelling is not the point that he is trying to get across to you. And who was asking for a decent and serous conversation? All I read is sarcasm tossed here and there, and over-exaggerated stories.
On the topic of spelling, I’m sure that if I looked into all your comments I could find a few.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From Nancy
Monday, May 08, 2006, 18:24
(Agree/Disagree?)
Is this a cult member calling a non-cult member biased and conceded? The cult does nothing but churn out close-minded, condescending, naive individuals who do nothing but judge the world by the party line they have been fed for decades if not their whole lives without a single original thought. This is a cult which does not value individuality, choice and free will. The only way to reconcile a cult member's conscious and natural need for freedom from the contraints of control is to criticize the outside world the cult member internally envies. If your self-esteem and satisfaction with your life are low, the easy fix is to critize others and grade yourself on a curve. It's not healthy, but it is easy.
My seven younger siblings and the majority of the thousands of individuals I've know who grew up in the cult cannot read, write, spell or do math on an elementary level. Spelling is often an oversight, but for children raised in the cult, it is one of the most telling signs of a profound lack of rudimentary education in ones own native language.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From AMC28
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 09:00
(Agree/Disagree?)
I was raised in TF, given no education except the basic 3R's (which aren't even R's). Reading, writing and arithmetic (see, not 3R's). My complete and total lack of education when I left at 18 is entirely the Family's fault. I don’t see how it could be mine, I begged to be allowed to go to school. I was given a flat out no. That was when I was at an 8th grade level. When I started college, I was put into a math class that was the equivalent of 4th grade because my math skills were so low. And yes, I blame it on the Family. There is no one else to blame. Because of Moses David, I was not given an education because it was not deemed important.(reply to this comment) |
| | From GenBethlehem
Thursday, July 06, 2006, 01:22
(Agree/Disagree?)
To Nancy and AMC28...
I'm sorry the education you received at the time of your schooling years was inadequate. I won't tell you that Albert Einstein flunked math till 8th grade, Alex G. Bell was called "an idiot and unable to learn" by his teachers, and Isaac Newton was "a lazy student."
Academics isn't everything.
However, on the subject of academics, I and my siblings completed Snr. High at 16.5, 16, and 15.5
My SAT score is 1380. I took it again using the new version and scored 2200++
I thank my mom, and the Family for that. (reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | from exister99
Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 06:35
(Agree/Disagree?)
I should keep this list handy so that when Mom and Dad ask me to fund their retirement I can tell them to get an interest free loan from The Family to pay for their medications and go provision a room in a flop house.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | from HA HA and HA
Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 11:10
(Agree/Disagree?)
19 no subliminal messages...The family are so blatent with there messages
'Do it cause daddy said so'
'My mommy is having a baby'
Can't be arsed to pull out the rest of them
'We'll ride accross the sky' la la la la Hows that coming along?
(reply to this comment)
| | | | from Caveman
Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 13:32
(Agree/Disagree?)
WhaT wrOng wiTh you, evEn caveman knoW theRe nOt beNefits tO fAmily.
(reply to this comment)
| from Whatever...
Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 10:30
(Agree/Disagree?)
Is there some way to block this asshole, whoever he/she is from posting on this site? Clearly, none of us who have left are going to agree with whoever it is, and while amusing, it's also irritating to read that nothing has changed at all and that the brainwashing continues. I have 4 little brothers in the Family still and would do anything to get them out, but to listen to the ignorance that still comes out of the group and to have us all wasting our time commenting on it seems like an insult to our intelligence. We will not change them, they will not change us. It's like trying to have an intelligent conversation with an infant. I think that you might actually get more intelligent feedback from an infant, or maybe even a rock…..
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | From
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 08:23
(Agree/Disagree?)
we don't show the love of god to idiots?? You are a natural TF spokes-person alright. LOL
Thats one of the things that really bothered me as a young child, the fact that certain adults would pray against and curse some poor Indian who didn't have a tape recorder, so no need to buy a set of crapy english tapes with crapy songs. (I always perfered the Indian music anyway-as I am sure most of them did)
(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | From AMC28
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 09:02
(Agree/Disagree?)
How could you or devilcatcher possibly know that I'm an idiot? Did one of the Aunties teach you what idiot means during your years of educational experience? or did you recently learn the word and want to use it in a sentence?
According to Dictionary.com:
id·i·ot
A foolish or stupid person.
A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.
Now, I'm sure that I have done foolish or stupid things, we all have, even you goodie goodie little Dedicated Family Members, but I clearly am not of profound mental retardation, devilcatcher on the other hand has yet to prove himself otherwise. And yeah, his/her intention was obviously to offend.
It is nice to see that devilcatcher had to bring in reinforcements however. Betcha prayed together on how to best handle the situation. Did God speak to directly? or was it some other spirit, Hitler maybe? Or maybe this is such an issue that you heard from Moses fuckin David himself.
(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From roughneck
Thursday, May 11, 2006, 06:22
(Agree/Disagree?)
Ah, so that's the problem!
I, however, know you're an idiot by WHAT you write (of course). The way you write it is merely corroborating evidence of this fact.
Would you like to share with the rest of the class how you met TF, got "saved" and joined? Didn't you "join" TF via the birth canal? Pray tell, at which Victor program (or revolutionary phase) did you "decide" that TF was the only thing you ever "wanted" to do? Please tell me you've actually "thought" this through, devilcatcher (I'm looking at you too, Carol). -As opposed to just accepting blindly every damn thing you were implanted with since birth, naturally. Discuss!
Personally, I don't care if you are a trolling exer or a current Family member. At least you've got movingon talking again. Nothing like a good argument to keep the site interesting. So, um, thanks. :)
(reply to this comment) |
| | From roughneck
Tuesday, May 02, 2006, 18:02
(Agree/Disagree?)
My goodness, what an up-and-coming fascist you are, "whatever"...
Last time I checked, there's still a blue ribbon at the bottom of every movingon page, (clue: it stands for Free Speech on the Internet) ergo, Devilcatcher can say whatever he pleases so long as he doesn't violate the site's terms of usage. Frankly, why shouldn't YOU be banned/blocked for your opinion, mini-mussolini? Because more people agree with you than him? Yeah, that's Democratic, sure. Free? Not so much. If you're so terribly attached to the idea of never being exposed to anything you disagree with, why not rejoin TF, where they do censorship proud and proper?
Personally, I'd agree that "Devilcatcher" has very little in the way of useful opinions/viewpoints to share with the rest of us, but I wouldn't dream of adding my vote to any kind of bannination/blockage proposal... a pox on anyone who would!
No, I won't bother quoting Voltaire this time. ;)
(reply to this comment) |
| | From AMC28
Wednesday, May 03, 2006, 11:16
(Agree/Disagree?)
Fascist, no. Mini-Mussolini, not that either. Regular old working class American who was raised in the Family and thinks its a bunch of insane bullshit, yeah, definitely. I just don’t really comment very often on anything and I thought I would post anonymously. I’ll keep your comment in mind for future reference. I am aware of what free speech is
It just seemed like a waste of time, mine too, I'm not saying I didn’t read it, and chuckle. I was more irritated at myself for wasting my own time. So, whatever.......
Re-joining the Family??? I would rather have my eyes poked out with hot coals and have the skin stripped off my body and be left to die in suspended over an active volcano than re-join the Family.(reply to this comment) |
| | From solemn
Wednesday, May 03, 2006, 11:51
(Agree/Disagree?)
So, if I find you with your eyes poked out with hot coals, your skin stripped off your body before having been left to die suspended over an active volcano, I will know you had been reduced to two options by the time that decision was made. (Good choice by the way) In case you are unable to communicate at that point, what do you want on your tombstone?(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From AMC28
Friday, May 05, 2006, 12:28
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm happy though, at like you said, that's all that matters right???? Plus, I make money while I sit online at work and respond to your idiotic comments, can you say the same thing? I think you're really just jealous of all of us who have left and actually enjoy life. I'm not told which "Job" I'm gonna have this week, I already have one that I've chosen, and yes, I get paid for it, not just food and shelter and most of my needs met. If I have a need, I take care of it. So quit acting like a jealous baby. I think you just come on this site to see what the other half is up to, so you can wonder what your miserable life would be like outside of the Family. You're just fishing for information while trying to make us all look like a bunch of looser because we actually have a life.
I'm sure glad I was set straight on the whole freedom of speech thing. Thanks BTW whoever that was. :-)(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From Jesus Crust
Thursday, May 04, 2006, 12:08
(Agree/Disagree?)
Twist thou not my words, for doth my word doth also say;
“Suffer thyself not to be mixed in cement and poured down thy parent’s throats. For verily I say unto thee, all they who hath been mixed with concrete and made into cement swimming shoes for thy parents sake, the same shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.”
I cannot remember in which book it hath been written, but look around and I am sure thou shalt find it. Bless thee.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | from Jedran
Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 02:26
(Agree/Disagree?)
These points were published in the GN Benefits of the Family and have been simply copied and pasted. If I remember correctly it is Jesus who is supposed to be giving this list.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | from monger
Monday, May 01, 2006 - 19:19
(Agree/Disagree?)
There was a GN series (3 parts?) several years back titled "Benefits of the Family", I believe. It was very boring and clearly full of holes while I was still in the cult. I'd probably get a lot of good laughs out of reading it over again, should I ever get my hands on it. If I remember correctly, it covered all the points above (including the subliminal messages in System music), as well as several hundred others.
(reply to this comment)
| From devilcatcher
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 03:29
(Agree/Disagree?)
The Benefits!
38. The blessings of obeying God. I think it would be hard to make a case that by leaving the Lord's service in the Family and going out to live and work for yourself in the System, that you're in the Lord's will and obeying God. Now, if you left the Family and dedicated your life full-time to serving the Lord in some other capacity, witnessing and laying down your life for others, you could still be obeying God's commission and following Him, although I don't believe you'd be in His highest will for you personally. But how many young people do you know who have left the Family and are serving Him elsewhere? None that I know of, despite some having good intentions when they left. So, if you're not obeying God by living for Him, then how can He bless you? As that famous quote from Dad goes, "Obedience comes before the blessing."
39. Of course, even if you leave and aren't serving the Lord anymore, the Lord will always love you. His arms are always open, and He is married to the backslider. And if you're trying to live in love toward others and show them the Lord's love, He'll even continue to bless you to some extent. However, the degree of blessing will be much less, or He may withdraw His blessings entirely, depending on how you're doing.
40. So the blessings that come from fully obeying God, the results of the promises that He has made in His Word to those who obey and follow Him, are some of the main benefits of being in the Family. (Of course, you can be in the Family in name or body, but be disobedient and not following the Lord or being a sample of Him to others. So this benefit doesn't come with just physically being in a Family Home and officially a Family member, but by obeying God's Word and upholding the standard of the Word and the Charter in your heart and by your deeds.)
41. The best place to serve the Lord. There are a lot of other sincere Christians in the world who are trying to serve the Lord the best they can, and some do very well, God bless them. But I think you'll agree that the Family is the best place to serve the Lord, because we have the strength of unity through living together, and most of all, the New Wine and direction from the Lord, which the churches and even other dedicated missionaries don't have. If there was any better place to serve the Lord than the Family, I'm sure you'd be there instead of here! I don't know of many--if any--Family members who have left the Family in order to join another missionary group that they felt was doing a better job of winning the world for Jesus; so I think that speaks for itself.
42. The Lord's provision. This is something that we often take for granted, but if you stop to think about it for a moment, the Lord's provision for the Family is amazing! When you think of all the places or countries that you've traveled to which the Lord provided funds or tickets for, how large families have been able to support themselves for years and move from field to field, it truly is miraculous! And all this without any "visible means of support," as most outsiders would say. We're so used to it that we don't realize just how incredible it is!
43. True, raising finances is a struggle. Fundraising is sometimes very difficult, and most Homes are not as well-off as middle or upper class families in the developed world. Yet, for the most part, Family members live in houses that have the necessary facilities and utilities and are reasonably comfortable, people have decent clothes they can wear and eat decent meals, and their basic needs are met. We don't live in luxury by any means, and we don't have lots of money stashed away in bank accounts, or even extra money to spare for nice things that we would like to buy, but the Lord keeps providing for us day by day, one step at a time, and we're better off than the majority of the world. Isn't that a miracle?
44. There are so many testimonies of System folks who are just astounded at our Family Homes and how the Lord provides for us. In the System you might be able to make more money than in the Family if you work hard enough, but you won't have the miracles of provision that the Lord blesses you with when you're serving Him. Actually, in some fields you'd have to work pretty hard at a System job to make as much as you would if you put the same amount of hours into getting out our tools every day!
45. A related point that someone brought out is that because you're serving the Lord and obeying Him, it gives you the faith to ask people to help with goods or services that you would never consider asking them for if you weren't in the Family, such as vehicles, household items, free rents, airline tickets, office equipment, and the list goes on and on! In the System, the only way to get those is to work for them and buy them. So that's another big advantage that you wouldn't have in the System.
46. The Lord's protection. We've had some serious accidents in the Family, such as Brazilian Paulo's recent Homegoing after a bike accident. But for the most part, if you compare us with the number of people in the System who have serious accidents or who die from accidents alone, it's pretty low. According to the '97 Almanac, in the U.S. about 3.5 people per 10,000 (which is roughly the Family's Charter population) die each year from accidents--and the figure is probably much higher in poorer countries. So as you can see, we have a lot less fatal, or even serious accidents, which is due to the Lord's protection, as well as to all the safety rules which Dad has taught us over the years.
47. Unlimited access to the treasures of Heaven. Of course, other dedicated Christians will also receive their part of the treasures of Heaven for their service to Him, just as you who have given your lives for Jesus in the Family will. But one thing we have in the Family which most other Christians don't is unlimited access to the treasures of Heaven now in the form of His living Words, which He pours down abundantly through those who are open channels! The blessing of being able to hear directly from the God of the universe Himself, through Jesus and His Heavenly helpers, is one of the greatest benefits of being in the Family. This advantage is especially important in preparation for the very End, when getting the Lord's direction through prophecy will be vital.
48. Also, in the System, if people want to know about their future or want spiritual advice for their life, their personal relationships or their business decisions, they have to go to seers and fortunetellers, many of whom are quacks or attuned to evil spirits. In the Family, you don't have to go anywhere but to the Lord, and you can get the answers directly from Him! Or, if you don't have the gift of prophecy, you can ask someone right in your Home who does.
49. True values in life. In the Family you know that you're living for something worthwhile--helping others find salvation, and giving them love, comfort and encouragement.
50. Maybe you feel like in your Home you're just "surviving" and mainly raising funds to get by without doing a whole lot of witnessing. If that's the case, then you should get together to pray and ask the Lord about what you should change in your Home in order to do better at fulfilling the Great Commission. That will not only result in more of the Lord's blessings, but a greater sense of fulfillment as well.
51. You could argue that even if you leave the Family you can still witness and give people love and encouragement. I agree, and I hope that those who leave the Family do those things. But unfortunately, most people who leave end up living selfishly for themselves and do little--if anything--to serve the Lord while in the System. To make it in the System you have to give it your all, just like you have to give your all to make it in the Family. And since you can't serve two masters, you end up not doing much for God in your pursuit of Mammon.
52. True, lasting freedom. Dad says, "Where else can you really flap your wings and find true, lasting freedom?" I can almost hear some of you young folks thinking, "Wait a minute! Now that's one of the advantages of leaving the Family, because in the System I'll have all this independence and I can do whatever I want, whenever I want! I won't have to follow a schedule, worry about keeping Charter rules and Home regulations, or be concerned about the rest of the folks in my Home." Dad's reply to that is in the next paragraph: "Some folks just don't want to learn from the experiences of others, that what you see out there in the System ain't usually what you get." And that's very true! Granted, you do get independence and you don't have to concern yourself with others the way you do now, but independence doesn't mean freedom.
53. In order to survive in the System, you have to conform to its rules and regulations. You can't just "flap your wings" and decide to do whatever ministry you like, or go to whatever country you like, and work with whoever you like, like you can in the Family. Your primary concern is to make enough money to get by, and that goal can be very restrictive. You're limited to whatever jobs are available, and if you don't like the people you work under, you can't just quit, or you might not find another job so easily--unless it's some bottom-of-the-barrel job no one else wants, like flipping burgers for the minimum wage at a fast-food outlet. You're very much controlled by your conditions, especially if you want to "make it" in the System and not just be a drifter who barely ekes out enough to keep from starving.
54. Talk about conformity and regulations--you get a job in the System and you'll soon find out just how much you have to conform to the "way things are done." This is especially true as you get older. When you're a teen, you might be able to get away with just drifting here or there, doing odd jobs and just sort of hanging out. But as you get older and start raising a family, you discover that the only way to survive is to conform to the System's restrictions. You get locked into a certain situation, job or location, and soon find that there's no way out if you want to keep your head above water!
55. In contrast, in the Family the opportunities are wide open for anyone with the faith, vision and initiative. You can pioneer new ministries, new Homes, new countries, meet new people, go new places, implement new changes in your Home, etc.! And if you're in the Lord's will, He's going to bless your efforts and help you do things that would otherwise be very difficult or impossible if you were in the System.
56. I know that in some Homes you feel like you can't "flap your wings," and you feel restricted. If that's the case, talk to your parents or shepherds, or try to talk about it as a Home. Ask the Lord whether you need to change something in your heart or life, or as a Home, or whether you should go to another Home or field where you will be able to flap your wings more. There's always a solution--you've just gotta ask the Lord in order to find it!
57. Living in a loving atmosphere. This is something else we often take for granted, because we're so used to it. True, sometimes people in the Family aren't as loving as they should be, and some of our Homes don't have as loving an atmosphere as they should. But because we know what the standard should be and we're pretty used to it, when things do go wrong, the problem can seem amplified. Whereas in general, if you compare with System homes and families, there's almost no comparison! In the System it's just single families living on their own and learning to get along with each other and love each other. Whereas in our Homes we have several families, often from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, living together and loving each other. It's really a miracle of the Lord's love and grace.
58. Even compared to other Christians who also know the Lord and have a measure of His love, because of our dedication to Him and commitment to obeying Him fully and loving Him with all our hearts, He blesses us with a greater portion of His Holy Spirit of love. That makes a big difference in our interaction with each other, and is certainly a benefit and advantage. It's not that we as individuals are better than anyone else, but because of our yieldedness to the Lord, we have more of His Spirit, and that's what makes the difference.
59. And despite the hardships and challenges that we face on a daily basis in our Homes, the Lord's Spirit gives us more happiness and joy in our labors than most people in the System have. It's not so noticeable when you're in a Home for a long time because you get used to it, but it becomes more apparent if you spend some time visiting System relatives, for example, and then return to a Family Home. It's also one of the things that many sheep and those we minister to comment on when visiting our Homes.
60. That's why people marvel when they visit our Homes, because they see something that they don't see in any System homes. Like Dad said, "Our folks may not be perfect, but at least you know they'll try to be patient, kind, loving and forgiving. Where else are you gonna find folks who are so willing to put up with you and your idiosyncrasies and love you in spite of'm?" Praise the Lord!
61. Help through your trials. Some young people think of leaving the Family when they go through trials, as if that would eliminate all their battles. Maybe they think that people in the System don't have trials, and it only happens to those in the Family! Ha! Not only do people in the System have as many personal battles and trials as folks in the Family--and in fact, often many more--but they don't have the help that we do. If they have close friends, they might talk to them, and to sympathetic relatives; but their friends and relatives seldom have any more answers than they do, and while they may try to help, are often plagued by the same problems themselves and unable to provide lasting solutions. About the only help they have are self-help books and psychiatrists, many of whom are no help at all, and sometimes just make matters worse through their ungodly counsel!
62. In the Family you have co-workers or shepherds who, while they have their faults, do (or should) try their best to listen to you and help you with loving, Word-based counsel. And you have Jesus, the best Shepherd of all, Who you can go to for direct shepherding and counsel when you need it. Talk about an advantage!
63. Of course, you could still avail yourself of Jesus' help and counsel if you left the Family, and He won't leave you or shut you out; but because you probably wouldn't be taking as much time in His Word or following Him as closely as we try to do in the Family, it would make it more difficult to have the faith to ask for His help or receive His answers.
64. Plenty of change. Change is such a natural part of our lives that sometimes you hardly notice how blessed you are until you're witnessing to someone and they say, "You're only 20 and you've been to all those countries and done all those things? I'm 50 and I've lived in this same city all my life, and have only been out of the country once on vacation!" Many people grow up in the same city where they were born, and spend most of their lives in the same place, doing the same thing. People work for 30 years at the same boring job--and even if they hate it, they don't dare quit, because they'll lose their retirement benefits, or may not find another job that's as good.
65. Whereas in the Family, if you spend 30 months doing the same ministry in the same Home, you feel like you're "burnt out" and you get itchy feet for something new and different! And the neat thing is, you can find something new and different, if it's within the Lord's will! (Just to clarify, I'm not encouraging people to change their Homes or ministries often. In fact, the Lord often blesses you more for sticking to the same situation with the same team, so that you can bear more lasting fruit. But if you do need a change, the possibilities and opportunities are greater in the Family than they would be elsewhere.)
66. On this subject, here's a little confirmatory message from Mother Teresa, which someone on the field received in prophecy and recently sent me:
67. (Mother Teresa speaking:) I am so happy that the children of David are so dedicated. You know, the church has prohibited change for so long that it's difficult for the Spirit of God to work with it. That's why I went to Calcutta in the first place, to get away from all the rigidity of the church system, the formality, and to be free, in a sense, to follow Jesus as I saw and felt in my heart, to break out of the confines of the church. God always needs men and women who are willing to break out of the established ways of doing things. That's why the mission field is such a blessing. You can more freely follow your own convictions without peer pressure and the fear of man hindering you from following God.
68. So my message to you, the children of David, is to go to the field. The field needs you and you need the field. Gandhi so rightly said that when economic security is established, spiritual bankruptcy is certain. Don't worry, God will supply! He did for me. It was difficult, especially in the beginning. But in the end, oh, how He blessed!
69. Oh, how I wish my Sisters of Charity had the love and the spirit of the children of David! Pray for them that you can help them more, and that they will be receptive to your overture of love. Oh, that the Sisters of Charity could know the love of Jesus like the children of David and Maria! You are so richly blessed! (End of message from Mother Teresa.)
70. Satisfaction of knowing that you're doing some good. That one speaks for itself. I don't know many folks who've left the Family who are doing a lot of good for others, do you?
71. True acceptance and a sense of belonging. This is another blessing we can easily take for granted, especially you young people who've never known anything else. People in the System really yearn for a sense of belonging and seldom find it, even sometimes amongst their own flesh family and relatives. True friends who accept you for what you are can be very hard to come by in the world. Now maybe some of you feel that you're not accepted by everyone in the Family, or that you don't get along well with the other generation and you feel they don't understand you. But if you look back on the people you've been close to or who have helped you through rough times, you know that you can find people in the Family who will understand and accept you. Most of all, you know that the Lord understands and accepts you, as do Dad, Peter and I!
72. Being connected. It's really something when you consider how you can go almost anywhere in the world and find a Family Home, or Family members who will try to help you in some way--either with a place to stay, or helpful information, provisioning, useful contacts, or whatever. I'm sure this is an area we can make progress in, and from what I've heard, some Homes aren't as helpful and courteous as they should be, Lord help them. But in general, it's an amazing advantage that people in the world don't have. If they go someplace, they either have to fend for themselves or pay a guide big money to show them around and get information, pay for expensive hotels, etc. Whereas we're "connected" wherever we go!
73. Fellowship and companionship. In the Family you can find people who you relate to, and who understand you and have the same burdens, desires and goals. That's really saying a lot, and a very rare find in the System!
74. One 18-year-old boy who recently left the Family summed it up in a letter he wrote me: "I miss the hugs. I miss the love that beams from the eyes of the beautiful girls who write me. It sort of made me feel needed. Most of all, I miss the Family, the 'everyone's Family' thing, that feeling that no matter where you go, you've got the Family around."
75. Unity. In the Family, you can go to a Home on the other side of the world, full of people you've never met before and know nothing about, and yet feel like you know them, or share a certain measure of camaraderie and unity.--Another advantage that those in the world don't have!
76. In some Homes, people have differences over how to go about things or run the Home, and experience disunity; but overall we're working toward the same goals, which is another tremendous benefit that you don't have outside the Family. In the world, you're usually just working for yourself; for the most part, others at your work don't have the same goals or ideals as you. So you have no unity, no sense of togetherness, and no shouldering of the load as one.
77. Preparation for the Endtime. Dad expounded on that quite a bit, so I won't repeat it all here, but when you think of it, where else can you get better training for the Endtime than in the Family? Most churches aren't preparing for it, and while for the most part they'll resist the AC and his forces, they'll be weak and disunited. The rest of the world is either being led along like dumb sheep or actively preparing for the AC's New World Order. Which will you prepare for and be a part of? Will you be a serf, super, or super-duper?
78. Rewards in Heaven. All of the above are just the advantages on Earth--here and now--and don't even begin to cover the advantages of the next life and all the rewards that the Lord will bless you with for being faithful to Him! "To him that overcometh I will grant to sit with Me in My throne … to him will I give power over the nations … I will give him the morning star … I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God …" and much more! (See Revelation 2:11 , 17 , 26-28 ; 3:5,12,21 .)
79. That's quite a list, isn't it? And there's more! After receiving the above message from Dad, I asked the members of our Home, both young people and adults, to discuss one evening over dinner what they thought the benefits of living in the Family were. The folks in my Home have a wide range of experiences both in the Family and in the System (before joining), so it was a pretty well-rounded discussion. They mentioned most of the same points that Dad brought out in his message, but also some more which he didn't cover, which I'll list here. Some of these are more spiritual in nature, others are on the practical side.
80. The Words of David. Where else are you going to find the counsel and truth that we have in the Letters? There are other Christians who believe many of the same things that we do, but no one says it like Dad does, or like the Lord does in prophecy! And we have new and exciting moves of the Spirit which other Christians don't have, and which unfortunately, because of the conditioning and peer pressure of the church system, would be very difficult for them to receive or accept even if they wanted to.
81. Communication and relationship skills. As I'm sure you've discovered in your witnessing, you young people in particular are miles ahead of your System peers when it comes to communication skills, being able to relate to people and understand them, etc. Some of the most sought-after skills by many employers in the System are being able to relate well to others and communicate well. There's hardly anywhere you can get better training for that than in the Family, because of our communal lifestyle and our outreach ministries. Not only do we have all the good training and advice in the Word, but we get to practice and learn and grow in this area on a daily basis in our interaction with each other in our Homes, and in our witnessing.
82. More boldness. I know some of you feel pretty shy, and it's difficult for you to speak in front of others in your Home, or to prophesy in public, for example. Or maybe in general you don't consider yourself very outgoing compared to your peers in the Family. But if you compare yourself to your peers in the System, most people in the Family are much bolder! They're more assertive about what they're doing and where they're going in life, what their beliefs and convictions are, and they have a lot more boldness about approaching others and talking to them, making contacts, etc.
83. Because living communally and witnessing is so much a part of our lives, even those of us who are shy by nature--and I'll include myself in that group--have a lot more opportunity to learn boldness than people in the System have. Many young people in the System are very shy--too shy to make new friends, or to speak in public, or to do many of the things that you young people and adults do in the Family.
84. Of course, you often meet groups of System kids while you're on outreach. They may seem very bold and outgoing, and this might lead you to wonder if they really are shy. The short answer is that yes, they are. But just being together with all their friends generates their boldness. In fact, in some places it generates their rowdiness, as they can get pretty wild and seem like the most extroverted folks on Earth! But that's not really the case. They just build up their boldness through being together. Apart and individually they may not be that way at all.
85. In the Family, you're trained all your life to meet new people, both young and old, to present the Gospel and our Gospel tools to them. It's your life to reach out to others in this way, and even if it's hard for some of you who consider yourself shy, you learn and grow and make progress in it for the sake of others. So you're miles ahead of most poor System people, who have little incentive at all to grow in this area. In fact, kids in the System are brought up to fear strangers and mistrust them almost from birth. Whereas you young people are taught to want to help others and give them Heaven in their hearts! So the practice and help from the Lord that we get in overcoming our shyness is another benefit of the Family.
86. Young and old working together. Some of you may think, "I thought we had problems with disunity between the generations. Isn't that one of the main things the Feast GNs were about?" True, we do need to learn to work together better, but let me tell you, we're already far ahead of the System in this regard! In the System, young and old don't work together at all, or very little. In general, they have completely different goals and interests and don't mix, either at work or in their leisure time.
87. In the workplace, young people are not promoted to top jobs nor trusted with important responsibilities as many young people in the Family are. Or, in cases where a company does hire an exceptionally talented young person, they usually fire an older person who held that job before (preferably before retirement age so that they don't have to pay him his pension). The older person then has a very difficult time finding a new job. Whereas in the Family, young and old can work together, and no one is unemployed because there's so much to do!
88. More flexibility. With the advent of the Charter, Home decisions are made by all members of the Home, and you each have a voice in how your Home is run and what its goals are. If you've ever held a System job, you know that in the vast majority of businesses or companies you have no voice at all in company decisions. You do what you're told, and if you don't, you get fired, plain and simple. So you end up biting your tongue to keep your job (which you need to survive), and can wind up hating it and the people who are over you. You think it's tough in the Family because the Lord expects you to obey your shepherds? Try obeying--without question or opportunity to discuss your opinions--a System employer who couldn't care less if you dropped dead as long as you get to work on time and do your job the way he tells you to.
89. Better relations with your co-workers. Related to that last point, in the Family you usually work with people who you get along with (or if you don't, you either learn to get along, or you can change Homes)--some better than others, of course. But in System jobs you often find that there's someone or someones at work who greatly dislike you and who try their best to give you a hard time. And if you manage to be successful, they're jealous of your position, talk negatively about you to others, or even try to frame or cheat you! Thank God that while we may have our differences with those we live with in the Family, and sadly, some Family members are on occasion unloving towards their brothers and sisters, for the most part we don't have to worry about our co-workers deliberately maligning or trying to hurt us! We don't have to "watch our back," as people in the System do.
90. As an example of this, recently an SGA sent me part of a letter she received from her stepfather, who was in the Family for a long time and left a few years ago. He's a very intelligent, well-educated, successful businessman, and knows the ins and outs of the System well. He had something very significant to say to the young people in the Family, so I thought it would be appropriate to include it here. In his letter to his daughter, he wrote:
91. "The incident at work here has left me wondering a lot about my character, my lack of patience sometimes, and the perfect dislike I still have for a System within which I have chosen to operate, which is so full of vipers and serpents, of hateful and deceitful people, and of spiritual wickedness, that sometimes I wish I could tell all of those youngsters in the Family who entertain the idea of tasting and trying the System that they're making a gross mistake!--That no matter what hardship they may be going through at this moment in a Family Home because of whatever reason, they will find equally difficult circumstances out here, sometimes even worse. But they will not have the daily support, love, understanding and counsel of people who truly love them and that they can run to for solace and help. But I guess that it's part of human nature to want to learn by one's own mistakes, so perhaps no one would listen to those words."
92. Sobering, huh? Some interesting food for thought there.
93. Lots of travel. In the System, if you want to travel, unless you're wealthy you have to work hard and cut costs for a long time to save up the money to make your trip. And to actually move to another country is even more difficult. In the Family, the Lord miraculously provides the funds or free travel tickets quickly!
94. Provisioning. I touched on this earlier, but being able to provision your needs is a great benefit in the Family, and one of the main means by which the Lord supplies many of our needs, and even our wants!
95. Safer sex. In the System a lot of young people--and older folks too--worry about catching AIDS. It's a very legitimate fear, as AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among young people in the U.S. and other countries.
96. And if you thought that people who are HIV-positive are careful about their sexual contacts so they won't spread it, and therefore you're not likely to catch it if you had sex in the System, you're wrong. A recent news article reported that a Chicago university study showed that nearly half of sexually active Americans who are infected with HIV do not tell their lovers. And, to top it off, of those who did not tell, 42 per cent did not use condoms! No wonder people are scared of getting AIDS. With those kind of figures, if I were in the System, I'd be scared too! But thanks to our policy of no sex with outsiders, in the Family you can be free to enjoy sex without fear of catching AIDS.
97. Interest-free loans. Your Home would like to purchase a vehicle but doesn't have the money on hand to do it. In the Family you can take out an interest-free loan. Where can you find that in the System? Almost nowhere! Most people in Western countries are in debt--that's how they can afford their lifestyle--and have to spend a lot of money just paying off the interest on their loans.
98. Motivation. Without a vision--and motivation--the people perish. That's true whether you're in the Family or the System. Thankfully, in the Family we have a vision--to win the world for Jesus--and that provides us with the motivation to keep going through tough times. Without that, life becomes a meaningless drag, simply a means of making money in order to survive, while hoping you'll have some left over for a bit of "fun" that may give you a couple of hours of respite before you have to return to your "green door" routine. In the System you go through just as tough times as you do in the Family, but lack the motivation to get through them; that's why so many people get severely depressed and even try to commit suicide. In fact, as an article in the London Times brought out, the World Health Organization has forecast that depression will be the leading cause of disability in the developing world by 2020. Here's a brief excerpt from that article to illustrate how serious the problem has become:
Sarah Broughton is in her late twenties, blonde, attractive and successful. She works as a writer, owns her own two-bedroom flat in south London, has a long-standing boyfriend and a lively social life. But every evening, just before she sits down for a meal, she swallows 75mg of a powerful antidepressant drug. Broughton has been on antidepressants for three months and says that without them she would probably fall apart.
"At least half of the people in my circle of friends are on Prozac, or have taken it at some time," says Broughton. "On the surface, we all seem to be coping, doing well even, with good jobs and a great social life, but scratch the surface and you'll discover a lot of unhappiness. I think most of us are living a lie--pretending we're having a better time than we actually are. I know that's the root of my depression. … I'm not happy with my life. It's not turning out as I'd hoped."
Karl Phillips, a 33-year-old film lecturer, has also suffered from bouts of depression throughout his life and believes the increasing prevalence of the illness stems from the breakdown of community in society. "We're racing towards the new millennium with more technology than we've ever had before, but I think we're more lost and isolated than we've ever been. We've become an alienated, work-obsessed society. I'm not surprised we're queuing up for antidepressants."
99. Thank the Lord we have a purpose and motivation in the Family! I know you have days when you don't feel motivated or inspired about your ministry, or you're tired of going out witnessing. But if you pray and ask the Lord, He can rekindle that flame in your heart and open your eyes to all that you can do. You may feel that your choices are limited, but really the sky's the limit if you have the faith, initiative, and the Lord's blessing!
100. Open to change. Academics say that one of the big differences between us and many other Christian groups, and one of our greatest advantages, is that we're not afraid to change or adapt, while still staying true to our fundamental beliefs. The Lord's always leading in new directions, and Dad was always willing to try something different if the way we'd been doing it wasn't working anymore.
101. Learning languages/cultures. Because most of you have lived in more than one country, you have much more opportunity to learn other languages and study other cultures than you would if you weren't in the Family.
102. No fear of being fired. In today's competitive world, where economies quickly rise and fall and companies frequently collapse, many people's greatest fear--and one that they face nearly every day--is getting fired. Young people might not worry about it as much as the older adults do, since it will be easier for them to find another job, but it's still a big concern for them too, especially in cities or countries where unemployment is high. And when you consider that as a result of the recent Asian currency crisis millions of people lost their jobs, their fear is pretty well-founded.
103. Along with the fear of being fired comes the fear of not being able to find a new job, defaulting on their mortgage or car payments, and winding up without a house, car, and other valuables! It's such a serious worry that when people do lose their jobs, they sometimes become severely depressed or even commit suicide rather than have to face the consequences.
104. Thank the Lord these are not fears that weigh on us! There's plenty to do in our Homes, and if there's nothing for you to do in your Home, then maybe you should ask the Lord whether you should be in a Home somewhere else where there is. The harvest truly is plenteous!
105. No bullying. Bullying is a serious problem in schools that children in Family Homes don't experience--or at least not to the same degree.
106. Less pressure by parents to get ahead. If you're a young person in the Family, your parents certainly want you to do your best for the Lord and grow into strong soldiers of the faith. And because they love you and want you to be able to enjoy the Lord's blessings and rewards, they encourage you, and maybe even pressure you, to hold on and stay in the Family. But in the System, the pressure by many parents on their children to succeed and pursue whatever career they've chosen for them or they think will be most profitable is much stronger. It's not uncommon for parents to completely disown their children and refuse to speak to them for a long time when the children don't want to follow the path the parents think is best. In some countries, like Japan, the pressure to excel in school is so great it has even driven children to commit suicide!
107. Safeguards. Everyone--whether they're serving the Lord or not--needs safeguards in their life to help keep them from falling prey to their bad habits and those vices which seem to come naturally to them. People in the System don't have any safeguards to keep them from getting into trouble, except the law, which doesn't do much more than lock them up. And that's one reason why society has so many criminals, drunks and abusers.
108. In the Family we have a lot of safeguards. The main one is the Lord and the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the Lord's spirit helpers who try to help us stay on track. But we also have the Charter and our shepherds and brothers and sisters who help us by their sample, with their advice, or by correcting us when we go astray. Safeguards aren't always fun, but they're very important and needed, and without them a lot of us might be getting into trouble of some sort or another, or being very unloving and unchristian in our behavior towards others, and leading miserable lives as a result.
109. Deliverance from NWOs. In the Family we also have the support and prayer we need, as well as the instruction from the Word, that helps us obtain deliverance from long-standing problems and NWOs. Some people in the System spend months or years attending therapy sessions or support groups and still aren't able to overcome some of the problems that plague them, like jealousy, bitterness, anger, etc.
110. Creativity. Being creative and innovative is an uncommon and highly coveted quality in the System. Many people in the Family are quite creative and innovative compared to the majority of their counterparts in society at large, because in the Family we learn to make do under whatever circumstances. We often don't have the resources and manpower that people in the System would consider necessary to get the job done, but because we know that the Lord wants us to get it done, He inspires us with new ideas and ways to do without. Plus He does lots of miracles to make up for what we may be lacking! And because we're steeped in the Word and we're giving our lives for the Lord, we have the faith that the Lord will bless us with those miracles and resolve seemingly impossible situations. That's quite an advantage!
111. We also encourage people to find new and better ways to do things in their Home ministries and outreach in order to get more done for the Lord, which fosters initiative and creativity.
112. No alcoholics or drug addicts. Alcoholism is a widespread problem in System families that leads to a lot of broken homes. While some people in the Family probably break the rules at times and drink more than they're supposed to, thank the Lord we don't have any real alcoholics. And we certainly don't have any drug addicts!
113. While the Charter rule that forbids heavy drinking or drugs is our safeguard, the main reason we're free of these vices is because we have the Lord and His love and peace and the meaning He gives to our lives, so we don't have the pressure and hopelessness that drives people in the System to either drink heavily or take drugs as an escape from their own sadness or the evils of the world around them.
114. No dog-eat-dog society. Thank the Lord, in the Family our goal is not to climb the ladder of success, because in the end, what the Lord rewards is our faithfulness, not our position. In the Lord's eyes, success is just being faithful at the job and calling He's given you. I'm sure some Family members have had leadership ambitions, and sadly, people have been hurt by others' attempts to be leaders or to gain favor in their shepherds' eyes; but we don't have that same strong competition that there is in the System to make it to the top. People aren't stepping all over you in their attempt to get promoted--and in fact, we've even had a hard time finding enough people to fill the VS positions needed because people know it's a heavy responsibility that requires a lot of sacrifice, and they're not eager to jump into it. In contrast, in the Western world in particular, it's a mad rush to the top, no matter who you have to trample on to get there. It's a dog-eat-dog society, and you quickly discover that either you learn to howl and run like the rest of the pack, or you get trampled on and devoured by them.
115. It's easier to make friends, because you share the same general goals, convictions and interests (serving the Lord and following Him) as other people in the Family. We take this one for granted sometimes, but I think you'd be surprised how difficult it is to make good friends in the System. It's rare that you find someone who has the same goals in life as you, who you have a deep connect with and with whom you can share your heart and innermost thoughts.
116. Easier to have dates. I know some of you folks who don't have many others around in your age bracket might object to this, and you figure that if you weren't in the Family you'd have more of a chance to "do it." In some cases, maybe so. But finding someone you want to have sex with in the System--besides a hooker or some guy in a bar--is no piece of cake and can actually be pretty tough! If you're a guy, you've got to be willing to spend a lot of money to woo a girl. You have to have a car to take her out, money for dinner, drinks, etc., whereas in the Family it's a lot easier and simpler. If you're a girl, you don't need to worry about spending lots of money on clothes and make-up and playing all sorts of games to win some guy. And you don't have to worry about date rape or sexual harassment either.
117. We have a long ways to go in practicing the Law of Love more in our Homes. Nevertheless, in the Family people are a lot more likely to be willing to have a date with you to help fill your needs, even if they don't really need it or feel like it themselves nor are super attracted to you. Whereas you'll rarely or never find that kind of sacrificial love in the System. So when it comes to loving sex, the Family has a big advantage.
118. Affection: Hugging and kissing is so much a part of our life in the Family (although we need more of it in some Homes) that we probably don't think much of it, but it's actually quite rare in the System. Everyone needs affection to help them feel loved, and it's probably one of the first things that people miss when they leave our Homes.
119. No guilt about sex. Thanks to the freedoms that the Lord has given us with the Law of Love, we can enjoy sex outside of marriage (if it's done in love and all parties involved consent), without being torn apart by guilt or ruining our marriages, as happens to many people in the world. Many people have friends that they would like to have a sexual relationship with, but they don't either because it's taboo or it would hurt their marriage; or they go ahead and have sex and then have to cover it up, and fight feelings of guilt and condemnation. They battle fear of being found out, and if it is discovered, it often ends in divorce. So we're truly blessed in this area, praise the Lord!
120. Support during tough times. If you've ever been through a real tough time and found that you could depend on others in your Home or in other Homes for emotional support, understanding and prayer, you know how important that is and what a difference it makes. That's another big benefit of the Family, because that kind of support is very hard to come by in the System, even among so-called friends, because many of them just have a superficial friendship without much true love or concern.
121. No family feuds. In the Family, sometimes parents and children, or flesh brothers and sisters, don't get along as well as they should, but it's pretty rare that we have the serious feuds that many System families do. Because their values are based on material things, System families are split apart by things like inheritances or money matters, and siblings or parents and children sometimes end up not speaking to each other for years. Not to mention the proverbial disputes with and dislike for the "in-laws." People in the Family may have their differences, but thank the Lord we learn to resolve them in love and can still love each other and work together. And that is a big benefit!
122. Equal opportunity. In the Family we have equal opportunity for all. The Lord can use you just the same, in any ministry--whether you're male or female, white or black, American or Angolan, it doesn't make any difference to us or the Lord! As you know from the news, unfortunately in most countries it's a very different story.
123. Less boredom. I know that there are times when particularly you younger teens--and even the older teens--feel bored and unchallenged. You feel like you don't have much to do and your life isn't very full or exciting. As I mentioned in "Hold on to Your Crown," I hope that you will seek the Lord as to ways to make your life more fulfilling--and if you do, I know that He'll show you what you can do.(reply to this comment) |
| | From AMC28
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 16:22
(Agree/Disagree?)
If I didn’t want to read it then, why the fuck would I want to read it now. This is all a bunch of bullshit. You are trying to force us to agree with you by quoting or pasting the exact information that made us decide to leave in the first place!! These are not benefits, these are justifications for a way of life that is criminal, negligent and ignorant (to name a few). There is so much wrong with this post it's not even worth my time and effort to point it out. I'm sure all of us on this site know what a bunch of shit it is.
Nice typing by the way, with your own two fingers (hands maybe?). Judging from your previous posts and typing skills, this should have taken you about two weeks to complete. Copy & Paste is great, eh?
(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | from Rain Child
Monday, May 01, 2006 - 17:08
(Agree/Disagree?)
One thing I so definitely do not miss about The Family is always having to advertise yourself. Always having to smile and show everyone 'out there' how much better we are, how much smarter, how much brighter, how much we're accomplishing, how advanced and socially adept we are.
God it's a relief just to be able to say, I feel like crap, and I can't be bothered doing anything productive today. you can have no idea what a relief it is to have the weight of always having to be a good sample lifted from your shouders. Not to mention not having to be a part of God's endtime army, just being able to be normal. It feels wonderful.
I don't remember the last time I felt compelled to list out for someone the finer points of why my lifestyle is better than theirs. I just enjoy my journey, which I'm taking purely for myself. It doesn't have to matter to me what image I'm presenting anymore. And I certainly don't have to cover up for the faults and failings of a cult and make them look good. What a relief.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | from Phoenixkidd
Monday, May 01, 2006 - 12:26
(Agree/Disagree?)
Devilcatcher, I like eating Fresh Tomatoes! Oh yes and MEAT PRODUCTS everyday--Not Tofu!!!!
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | From Yeah right
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 03:51
(Agree/Disagree?)
Hmm, since we are "normal people" here, could you kindly specify what food you are eating that we couldn't afford, because short of the most expensive range of cavier I'm struggling to think of anything I couldn't easily afford.
Saying that, you can have the most fabulous ingredients in the world and a crap cook (of which there are MANY in TF) would spoil it all.
Giving you 100% benefit of the doubt however, if you do have such food, your home is certainly not in the majority. You seem to forget that many of us still have family in the cult whom we are in contact with, so we can't be hoodwinked that easily. I myself have my mum and three sisters who are still in the cult, and on the couple of occasions I have visited them food was so incredibly dire (despite them claiming to have "cooked up a feast") I literally had to make up excuses why I couldn't finish it. Equally, whenever they visit my house or my sister's house they eat like ravenous beasts (indeed it is a joke between us how much they enjoy getting real food properly cooked). Looking back I wonder how I ever managed to choke down that crap and avoid severe malnution in TF, but I guess a proper sense of taste is acquired and if you only ever eat regugitated muck you'll never know any better.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From ............
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 06:10
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm sure there's the odd person here or there who can resemble a proper cook, I'm just saying that I know it's definitely not the majority. I "know" this because I spent all my childhood and most of my teen years being uprooted from home to home (probably lived in about 50 or more in that time) and I can honestly say that there was only ever one home that had remotely decent food or cooking (and they were a "fringe" home). On top of that, looking back, while I thought at the time that their food was FANTASTIC, I now realise that it was fairly mediocre food and I certainly have better now. I fail to see how that would have drastically changed in 7 years, since it's all the same "cooks" that were around when I was there.
I also never suggested that ALL of TF homes where like my mother's home*S* (I was referring to quite a number of them as it happens), but that it is how the vast majority are, as has been experienced by both myself, my immediate family and friends who have had the same experiences as me, albeit in completely different homes and countries within TF.
I'm obviously aware that some people were born out of TF (almost entirely FGs), but without trying to sound horrible, they were pretty much all druggies and misfits (and unfortunately in some cases abusers who were looking for a safe little haven, which TF kindly provided for them) who didn't have the wherewithal to make it properly in society. You'll have to forgive me if I have a hard time respecting their point of view, when essentially I think they were a load of losers and in 7 years (without any of the opportunities they had as children) I've succeeded more than them.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | from solemn
Monday, May 01, 2006 - 12:06
(Agree/Disagree?)
Devilcatcher, you silly little person, I hate to point out the obvious but everyone here was once in The Family and subsequently left. Allow me to further simplify the matter: they were unhappy in The Family so they left. They now live in the “system” where they are happier, else they would return to The Family. We are all well aware that, should we choose to return, we would be welcomed with open arms, because we know you folks love when some dumb schlubb can’t make it out here and comes scampering back to the fold. It makes for a great testimony to those who don’t know any better, when one of the wayward soul returns with broken pride and spirit, and cries “Don’t go out there kids, it’s crazy!” By now you may be asking yourself “Well then, why don’t they come back?” I’ll tell you why, because we don’t to. Because our lives are better, our freedoms greater, our opportunities more abundant, our choices limited only by our own ambitions. So, we have tried it your way and it has not worked. We have nothing to prove. Why don’t you try it our way (which would really be “your” way) then at least you can say you have been there. I guarantee you would not go back.
Feel free to email me if you want.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | From weegirlie
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 04:01
(Agree/Disagree?)
Unfortunately it is not. An opinion is a judgement or belief not founded on certainty or proof. There is a significant amount of evidence (otherwise known as proof) that TF has tried to rewrite history (the very process of purging family literature is such an attempt, as are the denials that paedophila, incest, violence towards children etc. were advocated by TF leadership (a fact which is clearly set out in a internationally legally recognised document, i.e. the UK Court Decision). In order to remain in TF one has to deny such facts and sadly that is the case.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | from TP
Monday, May 01, 2006 - 09:47
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm so going to tell on Devilcatcher! How much you do you want to bet that he (or she) is not allowed to on this "devilish" site? It's full of bad systemite spirits, and evil influences. Freedom of speech is optional in TF. I'm tellin', I'm tellin'!
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | from
Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 14:34
(Agree/Disagree?)
Devilcatcher, your article is so outrageous, I laughed out loud in a coffee shop when I read it.
I may work 9-10 hours a day, but I generally enjoy what I do, and best of all I do not have to beg for my next meal. As for number 11....lol....I had to worry a whole lot more about catching an STD while in the family cult with the pressure to “share.” I lead a healthy non-promiscuous life outside the cult, and I know how to protect myself both from pregnancy and disease. I don’t think that number 19 needs any commentary…lol! Oh, are you sure that AIDS is a leading cause of death in the US? I don’t have any sources to quote but it seems highly unlikely to me. You might have confused the US with Africa, which is a different story all together.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From Haunted
Friday, May 05, 2006, 14:17
(Agree/Disagree?)
"godless antichrist scientists developing protease inhibitors" - wow!
As a Christian, you certainly have little care for the thousands of innocents who are struck down with this terrible disease.....
Without those supposed "godless antichrist scientists" it is doubtless that you or I would exist due to rampant spread of disease.
Take a look at historical statistics for missionaries and their "flocks" to see how disease has effected your chosen "ministry" and how science has helped stop the spread of disease through innoculations etc.... (reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From vixen
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 04:47
(Agree/Disagree?)
Actually, I think you'll find that Haunted just got mixed up and didn't realise that exister had made that comment. Anyone who knows exister on even the most superficial level would be stupid indeed to refer to him as a Christian.
Given that some culties have been known to make ridiculously ignorant and nonsensical statements, it's not too much of a stretch to think that she might have misinterpreted it as a serious comment, if she thought the OP had written it.
BTW, how are ya, Haunted? Still nice and flexible from all that yoga???(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | from placebo
Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 13:01
(Agree/Disagree?)
I thought about it and the family does have some benefits:
1)You save money on music,because fam music is so horrible you'd be stupid to pay for it
2)You save money on ciggarettes and alcohol
3)You save money on health insurance because cooking oil is so damn cheap
4)You save money on taxes because you just don't pay any
oh but you don't have any money do you?....oh well....schucks
(reply to this comment)
| from Conqueror of Uranus
Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 04:15
(Agree/Disagree?)
Although I'm sure this ones been said before.....
Another benefit of the Sysyem.
The only Sprirts you go to when you're feeling down as a "Systemite" are called Gin, Vodka, and Rum.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | from porceleindoll
Friday, April 28, 2006 - 23:15
(Agree/Disagree?)
Benefits of leaving the family:
1_You know your food is coming from an honest source and you don't have to rely on the goodwill of others to feed and clothe you. When work is done for the day, you don't have to do anything else, and your boss isn't right around the corner to make you feel guilty for not 'pressing in'. No schedules posted on the bulletin board to tell you what to do every day.
2_You kids' teachers are genuine teachers and you know your kids are getting a proper education. You know your children's teachers' legal names so you can report them to the proper authorities if they commit criminal or abusive acts against your children. Your children's teachers are only teachers, and not also the kitchen overseer, on the TW, and the main fund raiser, you know they are dedicating the proper time to the job.
3_Your kids don't get put on prayer and fasting or sent to a retraining program, or are made to feel guilty as hell for doing something that is against your personal standards. You are able to actually sit down and do some things together, rather than making them feel they have to do it behind your back. And if they go so far as to do it behind your back, you can make provision for it without thinking it's such a big bad sin.
4_You get an education so you can choose your own career out of thousands of choices (I was NEVER able to choose my own career during my 20 years TFI, I was 'God's little chess piece'.)
5_You feel that when you do something good it's for your own happiness, not to please God, your shepherds, gain rewards in some way, or impress the media.
6_You have the joy of working hard and paying for the things you own, you take good care of your possessions because you know the sweat that went into getting them. You don't feel like a lowlife trying to get freebies from people poorer than you, or like a begger trying to get freebies from the wealthy. Your friendships don't revolve around how much someone donated to you or your home.
7_You have PRIVACY, you can retreat to a quiet house, you can go out with your friends when you like, and you can choose your friends.
8_You aren't forced to perform on the streets or write OHRs, confess to your sins and ask for desperate prayer, and do the same skit over and over at every local orphanage and old folks home in town. Your kids can be friendly and outgoing or quiet and loners if they like and there's no pressure to be otherwise. You are accepted as you are.
9_Steadiness, you know that life has some foundation to it, and you can change things as you choose, but you have the security that constants bring to your life.
10_During the first 10 years of my life in Japan I never left the country, not once, not even to see my Mother. In the past 6 years since I left TFI I have been out of the country on several occasions to more than one country.
11_You aren't required to 'share God's love' with anyone, there is no pressure to have sex with anyone you don't want to, ever, and if you are ever forced, you have the right to report it to the authorities without having to leave your home or family to do it. You dont' have to worry about catching anything, AIDS, STDs, herpes or otherwise as long as you practice safe and selective sex, and esp. if you don't sleep around on your spouse or partner. And the variety is much larger, you're not limited to (9,000?) people in the entire world.
12_Good credit so you can buy something big if you need or want it, and get a good loan rate as available. You're not always limited to just cash that is available, but you can go into debt if you like.
13_My kids are completely bilingual. None of the kids I taught in TFI were fluent in 2 languages, unless they had spent time going to the local schools.
14_Equal opportunity, we all have it. I'm not limited by what my leaders feel is best for me, or what they received in prophecy for me. I don't feel guilty if I want to learn something not approved by TFI's rules.
15_A place to call home.
16_Healthier lifestyle. When I'm sick I have the tools at hand to be healed, not depending on prayer. I can take my children to the doctor for medicine if they need it.
17_Able to live in your own house with your own family, and support that family through honest and decent means, not relying on the help of others. Parents supply the needs of their children, and there is no problems with jealousy or favoring between families, you can buy your kids presents and not have to buy everyone else one, or give it to your kids in secret. Your expenses are way lower because there are fewer of you in the same house.
18_Women try to practice birth-control so they don't become mothers unless they are ready and prepared to. They don't feel they have to 'go for the gold', they realize there are other options in the world than to become a parent.
19_You can listen to any music you want and enjoy it to the fullest, and to hell with subliminal message conspiracies!It can be full of hate, full of mushy love, full of cussing, or just plain old fun, and you can always trash it if you don't like it.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From AMC28
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 16:37
(Agree/Disagree?)
I did read my Bible and if I recall correctly, being a family kid at one time, I had the worst mouth a girl could have. So, the only thing I really learned as a "family kid" was that adult men like to stick their dicks in little girls. To show them the Lord's Love of course. To the pure all things are pure, right???? Don't fucking tell me what family kids learn asshole, I know, I was there.
By they by, just so you are aware, I have a child, he's 12, he doesn't swear, he's polite, kind, helpful and he can read and write and doesn't have to worry about getting molested on a daily basis, writing out his OHR, reading propaganda from a crazy cult leader, memorizing massive amounts of scripture that means nothing to him, begging for his food and lodging, etc. I am sure he will grow into a charming young man. He's never been in the family, doesnt even know they exist. If a family member tried to talk to him, I would most likely beat the living shit out of them if not worse.
Don't tell me what fucking family kids learn, you piece of fucking dog shit.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From AMC28
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 09:15
(Agree/Disagree?)
Ummmmmmmmmmm...................yeah, I was a Family member for 18 fucking horrible years, nothing to be proud of, but unfortunately, Delusional oh sorry, Dedicated Family Member is part of my resume. I believe I blocked out who the fuck Gideon is because it's not relevant to my life now. So Carol234567, catchy name by the way, why would you assume I have a bible? Why don’t you try reading yours with an open mind and not let some delusional assholes interpret it for you or explain it to you out of context.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | From carol234567
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 05:13
(Agree/Disagree?)
Sorry, I just had to correct your orthographical errors:
Whats ('whats', is usually spelt, 'what's' since it is the contraction of 'what is') this, the heathen can spell "Gideon" (so far so good, but you normally put a comma after) but the chosen one cannot. (BEEP! BEEP! ERROR again. You normally put a "?" since the sentence started with the interrogative contraction 'what's', or you spelt it as 'whats') This is a sad state of affairs Devilcatcher. (Sorry again, if I am not mistaken, you usually put a comma after, if the person's name to whom you are addressing is at the beginning of the sentence, or before the person's name if it is at the end of the sentence; which the latter is the case. Sorry for the inconvenience and embarrassment I might cause you. I suggest you go back to 3rd grade, or maybe even 2nd would suit you better.)(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From solemn's biggest fan
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 05:31
(Agree/Disagree?)
Heheheh...
Carol, I think you've made the error of assuming that this sudden emphasis on correcting spelling and grammar will somehow prove a point. I think you'll find that most of us are quite capable of choosing to be charitable when to comes to spelling and sentence structure, if the given individual is intelligent and has something of value to contribute to the discussion.
Your attempt at pedantry and the accompanying air of misguided condescension only serve to highlight the obvious fact that you have nothing of merit to contribute to the debate in question. Why don't you tell us what you think about the issues we are discussing instead of trying to pick holes in the construction of others' comments?
(reply to this comment) |
| | From carol234567
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 07:14
(Agree/Disagree?)
No actually, I just thought that maybe you guys should check out other comments ppl posted on devilcatcher’s. Of course it probably doesn’t concern you, you’re solemn anyway probably. But some ppl have posted whole long comments about his spelling mistakes, and I think he made it clear that English wasn’t his first language.
And I do have my views on devilcatcher’s point, and neither does your chastisement upon me contribute to it.
It is not a sudden emphasis on spelling and grammar, it is simply giving a taste to you guys of how aggravating some ppl’s ‘spelling check comments’ can get, alright if you don’t know what I mean, look at some of devilcatcher’s first comments.
About benefits of the Family, I have views quite similar to devilcatcher, as you do to all your other cronies. But since none of you would agree with me I won’t waste my time in writing time-consuming, comments, seeing all the controversy devilcatcher’s article made. You see, I’m the only one on this site that agrees with him, I think, but all of you guys are just saying the same thing. The Family HAS benefits that you fail to realize. But that’s your problem. There are none as blind as those who refuse to see. (reply to this comment) |
| | From weegirlie
Monday, May 08, 2006, 02:35
(Agree/Disagree?)
"There are none as blind as those who refuse to see."
Hmm, from this comment I can only assume that you have lived in normal society for a reasonable amount of time (not only in cult land) and therefore have the objective ability to have reasonably chosen which lifestyle you prefer??? If not, kindly realise that calling people who have experienced both lifestyles (and no not as drugged out hippy losers who were completely misfits in society, as the vast majority of our parents were) "blind" only puts yourself in a category far beneath that.(reply to this comment) |
| | From vixen
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 07:29
(Agree/Disagree?)
No I am not solemn. I am his biggest fan, though ;-)
For the record, I don't think much of the comments that focus *only* on misspellings and grammatical issues, particularly if they are explicitly intended as ad hominem attacks at the obvious expense of open dialogue and reasoned argument. But some of these are clearly sarcastic and only meant as humourous interjections to the overall debate, and I like a good laugh once in a while. If you'd take a look around the site you'd find that even we who agree on many issues as regards to TF generally give each other grief on the spelling from time to time as something of a piss-taking exercise. The difference is that when it's time for actual debate and an intellectual exchange, we are usually quick to discard the posturing and get down to business.
In the defense of those who have called the OP out on his grammar and spelling, he didn't offer the 'english is not my first language' line utnil yesterday, I don't think, so most of us will not have known.
I am still unconvinced that the OP is not a troll.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | from JohnnieWalker
Friday, April 28, 2006 - 20:32
(Agree/Disagree?)
Before I comment, I wanted to say thanks for taking the time to express yourself and your opinions concerning the Family. I appreciate that you presented your case clearly. I took the time to read and understand your point of view (not too difficult, since I clearly remember what it was like being a sold-out Family member like you). Now I'd appreciate you hearing my point of view, but because you've never had the luxury of being in my shoes, I won't expect you to understand.
That said, your post is a perfect example of the sheltered and uninformed life we all led in the Family. Perhaps, if I explained to you about my personal life, you might understand why I found your 19 points so amusing:
1) (You don’t have to work seven hours a day to eat. ) In the Family, I worked 7 to 8 hours a day, 6 days a week doing CTP, videoing, etc. for several years. I had no joy in my work. I did not look forward to it. It was the same thing every day. At my current job, if I don't like the job, I can quit and find another one that I like. But thankfully, that isn't the case. I truly enjoy my job and have met some great people through it – plus, I'm getting paid for it. Additionally I only have to work 5 days a week and I don't live in the same house with my boss. :)
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
2) (You know your kid’s teacher personally ) I know my daughter's teacher well. She's highly qualified and has 25 years of experience under her belt. If I had the slightest inkling that she was mistreating my child, I could confidently report her to the authorities and appropriate action would be taken. Can't do the same in the Family.
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
3) (You don’t have to worry if they are taking drugs, drinking or smoking.) Believe me, being in The Family doesn't protect children from taking drugs. I know lots of teens who took drugs or smoked while in The Family—and that was before the Charter, when things were much stricter. The important thing is being a good parent and staying involved in your young child's life and keeping an open line of communication with them. From your naïveté on this subject, I take it you don't have children.
System: 0, Family: 0 - Equal
4) (You chose your own career) Are you kidding? In the Family, I couldn't choose to be a surgeon, firefighter, airline pilot, veterinarian, policeman, business owner, etc. And yet all those options and many, many more are available to my children.
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
5) (You have the satisfaction of doing something good) If, as you acknowledge, one needn't be in the Family to do something good, how does that make it a benefit?
System: 1, Family: 1 - Equal
6) (You can get your food or practically anything without paying by provisioning) You call bumming off of the good will of people a benefit? I'd much rather have the ability to walk into any restaurant I choose and pay for any meal on the menu than have a take-what-you're-offered provisioned meal.
System: 1, Family: -1 – No Benefit
7) (The benefits of fellowship and companionship) You must think we're all really lonely out here. The truth is, I've got more friends now than I did in The Family.
System: 1, Family: 1 - Equal
8) (You learn communication and relationship skills early in life.) You should meet my kids. They have far better ability to express their emotions, ambitions, and desires clearly than any kid I met or took care of in The Family.
System: 1, Family: 1 - Equal
9) (Plenty of change) I'm starting to think you view the world as it was in the 60's. Things change all the time out here—including the government. No such luxury in the Family.
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
10) (Lots of travel) Let's see. In the last 4 years since leaving TF, I've been to (in chronological order, and some more than once) Germany, Switzerland, Texas, California, Florida, Bahamas, and Michigan. That's a total of 15 trips in 4 years. That's more trips than I made in The Family in 4 years.
System: 1, Family: 1 - Equal
11) (Out of the family a lot of young people--and older folks too--worry about catching AIDS.) They do? I don't. You only have to fear catching AIDS if you're sleeping around and being an idiot about it. In The Family, you not only have to make sure your partner doesn't have one of the many other rampant STDs, you've also got to make sure he/she isn't a half-sibling.
System: 0, Family: -1 - No benefit
12) (Interest-free loans) Methinks you need an education in economics. Ever heard of 0% APR? Additionally, if I need a loan from the bank, they lend me money that wasn't mine to begin with (you remember how the HER got started, don't you?).
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
13) (Learning languages/cultures) This is about the only one you got semi-right. The only reason I speak 4 languages is because I traveled as a child. Then again, my children are bilingual and are learning a third language. Now culture on the other hand--ironically, the only culture I didn't learn about was the most important one: that of my home country.
System: 0, Family: 1 – Benefit
14) (In the Family we have equal opportunity for all.) If that was the case, anyone in the Family could be voted in as Queen or King of the Family some day. If that was the case, anyone could hope to become a chemist, lawyer, or college graduate some day. Sadly, it isn't.
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
15) (No mortgages) I'll forgive you for your ignorance on this one, since you've probably never paid a mortgage. Firstly, mortgage payments are usually less than monthly rent (your landlord's got to pay the mortgage, so he makes his profit off of you). Secondly, if I sell my house, I can generally sell it for a profit, so I get back every cent I put into it, minus the interest, which still comes out being cheaper than paying rent. Seriously, dude: Economics 101. Pronto.
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
16) (Healthier lifestyle) Again, I suppose you believe that Systemites run to the doctor for every little boo-boo and live off of medication. I live just as healthy a lifestyle now as I did in The Family – probably even better, because I can buy all the healthy stuff I want instead of being limited to what comes in the provisioning.
System: 1, Family: 1 –Equal
17) (Economical) You don't get it, do you? Most Family Members *do* live below the poverty line. My life is so much more wonderful now that I can buy anything I or my family needs or even wants. Very few Family members can say that.
System: 1, Family: 0 - No benefit
18) (Help for single moms) Ever heard of mandatory child support and alimony? If The Family implemented that, they'd truly have better support for single moms. Until then, the single mothers become a burden to the community while the father goes off to have more children and never has to pay a dime.
System: 1, Family: -1 - No benefit
19) (You can listen to music without thinking that there might be subliminal messages in them.) That one had me laughing out loud. I can listen to any music I like when I like, and I don't have to feel unspiritual if I think the lyrics are shit. Also, should I ever have the luxury of getting paranoid about subliminal messages, I can always change the freakin' channel.
System: 1, Family: 1 - Equal
Final Score: System: 16, Family: 4
Sorry, man. You lose. Be a good sport about it. :P
(reply to this comment)
| From small rant
Wednesday, May 03, 2006, 11:19
(Agree/Disagree?)
That should be 17-3 as in the UK we have to study French and German and in public schools latin. They also have extras esp.Italian and my son has taken on Japanese.
And we get to use them when we go on holiday as we can talk about more than jesus and not be limited to just witnessing.
The traval ones a laugh also, call that a holiday? TF isn't innterested in other peoples culture, they want to implant theres on them...
(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From devilcatcher
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 06:24
(Agree/Disagree?)
The family you are talking about is no more. It has changed a lot over the past years. _'''Let's see. In the last 4 years since leaving TF, I've been to (in chronological order, and some more than once) Germany, Switzerland, Texas, California, Florida, Bahamas, and Michigan. That's a total of 15 trips in 4 years. That's more trips than I made in The Family in 4 years._""
Not every one has bad luck; in four years i've been to about all the contreys in europe.
Although I accept that you were right on some points.
This is why the family is recomended to not go on this site. Because a lot of what the ex-members say is right or sounds right and logical.
(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | From Christy
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 15:41
(Agree/Disagree?)
The Family is also pretty adept at rationalizing events from their past, as well as their beliefs. In order to remain there as long as I did, I certainly had to attempt to find "logical" explanations for things I had experienced, seen, heard, and read. The only problem was, however I got there, I was required to come out with certain conclusions that were accepted in the group.(reply to this comment) |
| | From JohnnieWalker
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 10:30
(Agree/Disagree?)
I left The Family 4 years ago. I'm sure it's changed in some small ways since then, but I still keep abreast of the goings-on in the Family and pertinent GNs. My wife still has a sibling and relatives that are full-time members, so I think it's safe to say that I have a very good idea of what the Family is currently like and that it hasn't changed much since I left.
But if I'm wrong and it really has changed that much, then I would challenge you to prove it.
1) I challenge you to prove to me that every member of the Family can choose to follow a career of their choice (lawyer, surgeon, firefighter, policeman, etc.) and still remain an FD member of the Family. 2) I challenge you to prove to me that a child has the right to pursue a higher education to broaden their career opportunities and still remain a member of the FD Family.
3) I challenge you to prove to me that any member of the Family can, by vote of the greater Family population, become the leader of the Family.
4) I challenge you to prove to me that a Family member has the right to report another Family member to System authorities without having to leave the FD Family.
5) I challenge you to prove to me that an FD Family member can take medications to treat ADD, ADHD and depression without being made to feel like they are unspiritual for doing so.
6) I challenge you to prove to me that medical conditions such as bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, and dissociative disorders are not viewed as being spiritual problems but are treated for what they are—medically diagnosable conditions for which there are treatments and cures.
7) I challenge you to prove to me that The Family has a mechanism whereby single women are granted regular monetary support from the father of their child and that they can make this demand without being made to feel they are being selfish and unyielded for doing so. You said that, "The Family is recommended to not go on this site [because] a lot of what the ex-members say is right or sounds right and logical."
Think about that for a second. What it sounds like you're saying is that your leaders don't want you to make your own decision about what's right; that they don't want you to analyze something that appears to sound right or logical and find out for yourself if it is or isn't.
Are you sure that's what you meant to say?
Look, DevilCatcher. I have morals. Playing mind games, telling half-truths and mixing truth and lies is beneath me. If something I say sounds right, it's because I've done my research and made damn sure it is right, and if it turns out to be wrong, I'd definitely like to know about it. I'm all about analyzing supposed facts and confirming or discrediting their veracity.
Which brings me to my final challenge.
8) I challenge you to prove to me that a Family member has the freedom to doubt, analyze and constructively criticize any subject they like. That they can call into question any area within the structure of The Family, its history and its beliefs—even the leadership capabilities of Maria and Peter—and still remain a member of the FD Family without being made to feel like they are being influenced by the Enemy, too carnally minded or out of it. Prove to me that the above are possible, and I will gladly concede that the Family has changed since I left.(reply to this comment) |
| | From devilcatcher
Friday, May 05, 2006, 11:00
(Agree/Disagree?)
i didn't say all the careers. and anyways who can ever chose any career.
a child hasn't the right to go on to a higher education and stay FD. if he or she wants to they can leave. our beliefs state that it isn't necessary to do so and if the child wants to there is other statuses that it can move to. also if a person wishes to stay FD why would they be needing a higher education
no one said that the family is a democratcie. it will stay like that. they founded the family. And anyways most everybody likes it like that (reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From Wolf
Friday, May 05, 2006, 14:36
(Agree/Disagree?)
Hello there Vixen! I have temporarily left off chasing after tail (or piggies, as you put it), in persuit of gold and lands and the like. However, once I have built myself a fine castle I am most confident that the piggies will pile in.
On a more serious note, I am sincerely interested in any purported cures for mental disorders, because they have affected many of those I love.(reply to this comment) |
| | From Prof. Keen Bean
Wednesday, May 03, 2006, 14:01
(Agree/Disagree?)
Well, a colleague and I were discussing that very subject recently and it seems there is a solution. The cure to these diseases is a multi step process which I will outline for you:
Get good grades in school
Get into a very good college
Continue to get good grades in college
Make huge breakthroughs in the fields of biology, psychiatry, neurology, neuropsychiatry, psychopharmacology, Etc…
Publish your results. This will cause an excitement among your colleagues which will soon reach pharmaceutical companies, who will invest copious amounts of money into your research, further advancing your progress until you have the cure.
So you see, with a little hard work and determination it is easy to cure these ailments.(reply to this comment) |
| | From Health care.
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 19:04
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm in no way a "devil catcher", I argree with your points. It would be hard for him to prove any of those things, particularily that family members can report someone who has committed crimes to the authorities without leaving the group. However, on the subject of point 5), there is a SGA in the family in Japan who has some mental health problems & has been taking anti-depressants for quite some time, as recomended by his doctor. I cannot give this guys name because I haven't asked him if I could. Of course he lives in his parents home because they seem to be the only people that can handle his mood swings, etc. As far as I know he still has membership.
Anyway, at least around here, family people seem to go to the doctor a lot. My friend still in TF had headaches for a while so she had a MRI & CT scans & various tests done trying to determine the cause. Mom too has spent a lot of time in hospital treating cancer. But I guess that's not on your list. Just mental health cases & ADHD, etc.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From JohnnieWalker
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 21:34
(Agree/Disagree?)
That definitely is good to hear.
I know for certain that Family members will avail themselves of advanced medical treatment or medication for physical ailments. My father had a brain tumor about 15 years ago, and he was able to get it removed before it did any damage.
My statement, however, is primarily concerning conditions that have, in the past and as recent as last year, been defined as being spiritual problems.
If you say that this FD SGA is able to get proper medical treatment and is not being made to feel guilty about it, then that is indeed wonderful news.
It makes me hope Family leaders would be willing to recant some of the horrible things they've said in the past about members with similar conditions.(reply to this comment) |
| | From Health care.
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 19:04
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm in no way a "devil catcher", I argree with your points. It would be hard for him to prove any of those things, particularily that family members can report someone who has committed crimes to the authorities without leaving the group. However, on the subject of point 5), there is a SGA in the family in Japan who has some mental health problems & has been taking anti-depressants for quite some time, as recomended by his doctor. I cannot give this guys name because I haven't asked him if I could. Of course he lives in his parents home because they seem to be the only people that can handle his mood swings, etc. As far as I know he still has membership.
Anyway, at least around here, family people seem to go to the doctor a lot. My friend still in TF had headaches for a while so she had a MRI & CT scans & various tests done trying to determine the cause. Mom too has spent a lot of time in hospital treating cancer. But I guess that's not on your list. Just mental health cases & ADHD, etc.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From Lance
Monday, May 01, 2006, 00:49
(Agree/Disagree?)
Are you really that much of a pervert?! How could you have such a deep sexual experience with someone knowing all the while that they were doing so because they felt sorry for you. Doing so would only make you a complete loser.
The Law of love doesn't benefit anyone.
Sex is something far better than that. It should not be given away for freely.
Love does not solely exist in the realm of sex -therefore the law of love is ridiculous. It just means that horny people get the chance to get their rocks off. It says nothing about what love really is.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From Lance
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 21:04
(Agree/Disagree?)
I lived in TF for twenty years. Who the hell are you to say I don't know what I'm talking about?!!
Sex is a human -and ultimately animal- instinct. When you mix religion with sex you get throbbing hormones instead of faith. You are mixing a mammalian instinct with a theological doctrine (Christianity) that is supposed to be about morality (e.g. controlling ones primitive instincts, amongst other things). This collision of ideas allows plenty of room for perverts to find a haven for what would normally be considered immoral behavior and attitudes.
So please excuse me if I think that there should be mutual attraction involved in intercourse. Because the rest of the world would agree that I do in fact know what I'm talking about.(reply to this comment) |
| | From Lauren
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 16:06
(Agree/Disagree?)
Carol, would you please do me a favor? My memory is a little rusty.
Would you mind pulling out the entire "Law of Love" series, published in 1998 and let me know how many of the -- what was it, 10 or 12 GNs -- discuss the practical application of the Law of Love in areas outside of sex, and how many discuss the practical application of the Law of Love in areas that revolve around sex.
I was CM at the time this series was published and I was certainly left scratching my head wondering, "If it's not all about sex, then were are the Law of Love GNs with pages of nitty-gritty rules on home unity and being responsible for communal property as if it was your own, about not fighting over provisioning contacts or any of the other areas of life that the Law of Love is supposed to cover?"
In fact, if memory serves me correct, there has never been a Law of Love series on anything but, uh, yeah.....sex. Go figure.
So while in theory the Law of Love is supposed to be about more than sex, in reality and in the publications, sex is what dominates that law.
In fact, were it not for sex, the "Law of Love" would be moot because in the average society, what The Family calls the Law of Love is known -- sans sex with your best friend's wife -- as the golden rule. And millions of people around the world live by the golden rule to the best of their ability without sex ever becoming a dominant theme.
Following this line of reasoning, one would have to consider that if there is already a way of living that covers everything else under the Law of Love besides sleeping around, that, in reality, the Law of Love really is about....you guessed it.....sex.
My two cents.(reply to this comment) |
| | From vixen
Sunday, May 07, 2006, 02:55
(Agree/Disagree?)
^^^ Agreed. It is obvious that the whole point of the Law of Love was to allow sexual behaviour that would otherwise not be morally justifiable. Where was the unselfish 'love' for all the children whose bodies and souls were preyed upon and violated through the leeway brought about by this doctrine, and how can anyone possibly justify the actions of Berg and his cohorts as done in 'love'? There was no love in the actions of Berg toward Mene and other children who trusted him as God's supposed prophet, and anyone who thinks otherwise is seriously lacking in judgement, not to mention woefully devoid of compassion. It makes me SICK to think that people like Carol, my peers and fellow victims, are still so completely hoodwinked by the cult leadership's efforts at whitewashing and self-justification. It's not your fault entirely of course, Carol, as you cannot help but defend the only thing you know. But if you really are 28 years old as per your profile on this site, I urge you to think carefully about why you are reading on this site and what it is that made you curious enough to disregard Zerby's admonition to stay away. Perhaps there is still hope that you will someday decide to leave the identity that has been prescribed to you for so long, and discover *for yourself* who you are and what you want out of life. For fuck's sake, don't waste any more of your precious life!(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | From carol234567
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 05:33
(Agree/Disagree?)
Did you mean 'marriage' by any chance?
When you're done posting comments, why don't you be kind enough to all the rest of us who read them, by clicking on 'spell check'. I hope it works well, as I have never used it, and wish you good luck with your spelling. I for one, do make spelling mistakes, I know, but not even one hundredth of what some people here do.
As far as I know, marge, is short for margarine, but I don't really get what that has to do with anything here on Moving on.(reply to this comment) |
| | From uhm
Saturday, May 06, 2006, 05:42
(Agree/Disagree?)
Maybe you should read the thread more carefully. The question of marge vs. marriage has already been addressed, and kats has explained that she is dyslexic. I will reiterate my request that you quite wasting our time with your meaningless and irrelevant wannabe-pedantry and focus instead on the actual discussion. If you really are a cult member (and I am going to venture a guess that you might just be trolling), you are doing yourself no favours at all by skirting the real issues.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | From kats
Monday, June 05, 2006, 17:52
(Agree/Disagree?)
If you don’t know any thing about dyslexia or what being dyslexic in tales, check it up before you say any thing about it! First of all dyslexia is a disability which enables me to see the difference between words that looks similar, for example when using spell check, I can take the word that I think looks right but I have no idea if it is the right one since all the words on the list look the same to me! I can put in letters where they don’t belong and forget letters which are supposed to be there. I have been known to spell a word in three different ways in the same sentence and not have a single one of them right. I am not illiterate; this is a disability aka a handicap! So if I don't spell to your liking, ether ask me what I mean, if you honestly don’t understand what I'm trying to say, or else FUCK OFF!!!(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From weegirlie
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 05:09
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'm afraid I have no trust in statistics made by TF, as I know how much they have doctored things in the past. Therefore I can only go by my own experience (18 years in TF) and say that from what I saw there was a signficantly higher number of adults who had separated/divorced a number of times than those who remained with their original partner/spouse. But if you are one of the lucky children, good for you. :)(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From weegirlie
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 06:19
(Agree/Disagree?)
Oh I see, sorry I misread you. :)
I agree, there is sadly a high number of divorces in normal society as well. I believe there is a higher amount within TF, but as I do not have any proper statistics to back that up I'm willing to leave that open to opinion.
I'm under no delusion that our society is perfect; unfortunately some relationships just don't work out. However, there are things that can be done to try to maintain a good, quality relationship and for the vast majority of people one of the major things would be fidelity. I do think the extremely casual attitude of TF towards sex is definately damaging to both the family unit as well as to individuals. I know it certainly was damaging to me and all my "relationships" (I must admit looking back I can't really consider them true relationships) within the cult.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | From clark
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 12:36
(Agree/Disagree?)
Such a typical Fam mentality. No value whatsoever for the family structure. In the real world, people don't sleep with thier friend's wives. This enables families to remain together for the entierty of the childs life and offers them the safe feeling of belonging and a stable home life. Something that is non existent in TF. Your comment disgusted me. (reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | From vixen
Tuesday, May 09, 2006, 06:13
(Agree/Disagree?)
Look buddy, why don't you check the date on the comment you're getting all fired up about, eh. Don't worry, dear, I don't think you're a troll anymore -- I'm pretty well convinced by now that you really *are* a mindless cult drone. As far as i'm concerned, you should be fucking grateful I was generous enough to give you the benefit of the doubt for so long, seeing as the only reason I thought you were a troll was that I figured that stupidity of such profound proportions could only be put on. Guess you've proved me wrong, yay for you! *rolls eyes* (reply to this comment) |
| | from xhrisl
Friday, April 28, 2006 - 19:52
(Agree/Disagree?)
The Benefits of Being a Systemite
1. You buy whatever you want to eat---you’ve earned it!
2. Your kid’s teacher has a degree.
3. Your kid may be drinking and smoking---but, its doubtful that you are in denial about it.
4. You choose a career, not a glorified variation of JJT.
5. You have the satisfaction of doing whatever you feel like.
6. You can get your food or practically anything without begging for it.
7. Learning to manipulate, con, scam and otherwise mooch is not a valid skill set in any vocation other than criminal.
8. The benefits of NOT fellowshipin’ AND companionship with whomever you damn well please.
9. Plenty of change (in your pocket) and otherwise---plus, you don’t have to get a ‘revelation’ if you feel like moving.
10. Lots of travel without the need to fund raise (AKA begging for money, so you can leave some poor county and mooch off of wealthier systemites).
11. No fear of AIDS from current Family members, since The Family excommunicates those members. AIDS awareness and education.
12. Equal opportunity---a myth propagated in closed societies and believed in by the most powerless of all!
13. Interest-free loans---good credit! You should try my DISCOVER CARD.
14. Learning of languages and cultures---not an experience limited members of centrist and self-destructive cults whose sole objective in foreign cultures is the predatory assimilation of the weak.
15. Mortgages---AKA not throwing your money away to pay someone else’s kids college trust fund! Because of Dad’s "good training" you will all be working to pay rent until the day you expire.
16. Healthier lifestyles include a gym membership.
17. Economical . If you took a Home's income and divided it between each family or single, there's no way they could survive on that little if they were living alone. They'd be way below the poverty line! That shows the benefits of communal living. OR exemplifies what a bunch of lazy, low skilled, under achieving, under educated louts can accomplish by foregoing personal space, as well as freedom of movement and thought for the benefits of cheap housing.
18. Fewer single moms due to birth control, education, and the absence of a ‘sharing schedule’.
19. Not having to think that there might be subliminal messages in your music.
(reply to this comment)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | From ange
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 15:24
(Agree/Disagree?)
Yes, and he hates to be made fun of for his " belifs" because he's a "dedicated diciple".
Bless his heart,he's trying to defend The Family when all the while his spelling is a perfect demonstration of the inadequacies of Family education.
In the system you are free to pursue an education which is not based on “The Childcare Handbook”, and to read anything you want without worrying that your books will be confiscated.
(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | From ange
Monday, May 08, 2006, 03:18
(Agree/Disagree?)
Ok, well it may not have been the same everywhere, but my education in The Family consisted of The Childcare Handbook, Superworkbooks and Uncle Dan's math videos.
I'm not picking on peoples spelling, just pointing out that there are problems with Family education. When I left I couldn't do basic math and I still have problems with my spelling and grammar.
I'm at university now, but it's no thanks to The Family, it's because I was so desperate to learn that I was willing to sit in a classroom full of people who were five years younger than me who had failed at school and had no interest in learning, just so that I could try to catch up with people who went to school. (reply to this comment) |
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