Posted by on November 09, 2009 at 14:47:12
In Reply to: Re: Actually, many serious researchers have come by posted by Coordinator on November 08, 2009 at 20:30:03:
Coordinator:
I do not want to minimize anyone's pain, or the importance of it to them, by saying that, truthfully, TF always was, is and will be merely a "tiny little cult"; compared to Scientology, sex-pervert quasi-Mormon offshoots, and so on.
What has happened to TFers is typical of the destructive cults of at least 3 generations, now (the first, under Berg's Mother, produced probabaly the first, arguably--it affected my paternal grandparents--her age--for instance).
So, the societal things causing the counterculture to be the "unstable souls" the 2 Peter2-like "false teachers" of TF to be so easily beguiled affected millions, yes. And, that in itself was important, yes, IMO.
And, the People's Temple phenomenon, the slaughter in Waco, the prominence of Scientollogy members, etc., did attract far more attention from the media, per capita; I'm sure.
At times, certain types of pain cannot be minimized at all; at least for a while; especially when a major portion of a life (one's own, or that of loved ones) has apparently been nearly completely wasted in a cult.
You almost always have to have experienced it, or something nearly identical to it to even begin to understand, and that's why it's such a sensitive subject to all exers (like nearly leading to suicide 3 times over many years because of problems it directly caused in my life---lke an extended PTSD trauma's many possible complications).
All important subjects, to those involved in each.
The inexpert researchers have to start somewhere; I guess. They don't really bother me.
I take counseling issues to a counselor, at this point. That won't get resolved here; IMO.
OT2