Posted by K,G on January 10, 2004 at 12:44:34
In Reply to: what an oxymoron posted by Acheick on January 06, 2004 at 23:17:21:
I can see how within the family it is easy to think you have free choices because, in fact, you do. But it is not real freedom. Here is what I mean. A hamster is put in a cage. In the cage are a few toys, food.water, bedding and a wheel. That hamster can choose to quit eating and get on the wheel, or take a nap, but it can not go outside of the cage. OOPs. The family is not as free as the hamster, because though they may make decisions like what to wear, which town to go into to do clowning or whatever the latest system job is that the family holds, they have schedules and reinforcement about when they can get on their wheels and spin. :O
And if they don't do things right, then their wheel might be removed. And if they get really really disobedient, the owner might just feed them to a snake.
I also agree with Susie that after getting out of the family for some there is great denial about what they have been involved in because they are so desensitized to it. I remember reading a repost on GenX about women from Revolutionary Sex where Berg was talking about women popping out babies and dying and the man going on and taking another wife. It was so degrading to women. I read the quote and literally got sick! I did not remember it, but I am sure I read it while in. I cannot believe I was in that group with what I know now. But because we have been in it, we can be here for each other in showering off the contamination.
And to Michael, Are you still connected to the family? I noticed you said you "have been in the family" for x yrs, but you did not say "had been". Are you a "FM" (or whatever) now? In any case, I also noticed that you mentioned your concern that weren't we worried about what God might do to us for speaking out about the family. If you think about it, is that kind of God, that seeks to harm people for having independent thoughts that go against the family or do not jive with their party line, the loving God the family says they worship? It sounds more like a cleaner to me.