Oh my- just read Mercy's Story
I just read Mercy's story. So sad. I am so glad she got her family back together.

I would like her to know that in a way she helped me. I do hope her book will help those who are in COG who need to get out. I just had to admit to myself that although I like to think I would never have been that deceived the reality is that I probably would have been. If I could accept the more benign cult then who am I to say I would not have accepted more.....there for the grace of God goes every person who has not been involved.

What I was in was nothing on the scale and nothing like the abuses COG seems to have propogated but as I read -indeed as I wrote yesterday on another post, I started to see so many things were not of God in the situation I was in. I always said 'no it was not a cult.' I now see things that convince me it was. The dominant leader. The ridiculous things asked to do. The heavy emphasis on women in submission and the overall fear that if you left bad things would happen to you. They were all there. The thing that has botherd me most was the 'covenant.' taken to remain with that people for ever because a covenant to the Lord cannot be broken. I just realised there was no covenant because God is not a controller. If you are in a position where someone asks you to say you will never leave then that person puts themselves in place of God. The covenant was not to God but to the controlling person. If someone says that you should by law of that organisation give all your money, then that is never God because God leaves a real choice. If someone dictates what you do with your children or that you should not visit your family then they are actually in violation of God's laws because they are controlling you. I am not worried my kids didn't have TV and things like that because I did that part out of personal disinterest and choice; but wearing all dark colors 'because we are going a new quiet way' is definitely not something that was of God. Giving up sweets and chocolate and coffee are great to do for health and maybe for fasting if it is your choice; but they are not for God when imposed by a man. I identify with the overbearing elders. It is such a responsibility to lead and I never want to lead like that but I have been led like that. As for the submission of sisters....

I think a lot of the confusion is that the organisations that become cults also do good works. It IS a lot easier to be a part of something while trying to overcome things like loneliness or drug addiction. People within these cults can be helpful and kind and there to listen. However the strong message sent out -YOU ARE CURSED IF YOU LEAVE is a powerful psychological tool.

It may and I am fully aware of how benign in comparison to COG what I was involved in was, be what they say but being free to make up your own mind is precious and Jesus always let people walk away. He never locked them in a room and He never forced them to believe. He just told them the truth that set them free.

I would like to share what happened to me a year or do ago. I decided to go and see some people living in a community house I used to visit. I did think of that thing about the 'bad stuff will happen to you if you leave bit.' It was wierd visiting. It was like going back in time and nothing was any different. However. as I left my car brakes failed and I went into a lorry and wrote the car off. Nobody was hurt but it felt like something was actually pushing the car into the lorry! The message was clear to me. Bad things happen when you go back!

Oh and of course saying anythng against them is like witchcraft? I don't want to except in a general way. Individuals with genuine concern did help me greatly, but today I am finally mad at myself for not having the sense to see what was wrong.

My guess is that some of the ex GOG/Family people here will have had so much to deal with that saying I am praying is not what you want. I can identiry with that. It is hard to reconcile that genuiness of faith with the thing it became but I don't know anything else I can do.