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In Reply to: Funny I've never read the "Sinnin' Sam" series posted by Donny on June 15, 2002 at 20:49:34:
Actually, I believe some stuff was put out about Sam, and when he was at the HCS he was put on the public hot seat a few times for the congregation there, and then afterwards there were a few things, "Sam's apology" or something, right Sam, how you realised you were so out of it and all.
It's so true about the fear tactics, what about the Watchman stuff. I don't remember how that went out to the group at large, but at the HCS it was a big deal, and Josiah, John PI, the "what is cool" stuff for the teens which centered on the three guys at the HCS who were influencing Davidito negatively to the point they had to pull the poor guy out of the only place he ever really found friends in his age braket. It was definitely a continuous cycle of fear, and then once the fear was built up, in came the wonderful tender mercies of the good shepherd
Prayer for Love and Mercy
It's actually really smart if you look at it objectively. Berg first created the rules and convinced people he was right, he convinced everyone he was God's mouthpiece and prophet, then used the rules and his Godly authority to keep everyone in fear of him and in fear of leaving or contradicting him, and using "bad examples" to show what could happen to you if you murmur, doubt, disobey, question, leave, and then came in like the forgiving shepherd who has to chastise his little lambs, appearing so merciful, and convincing you that you had broken God's rules.
When all along it was his own rules and his own authority, and somehow a bunch of gullible people fell for it and got stuck in it until some realised, Hey, wait a minute, I gotta get out of here--thank God.
This is purely rambling by the way.
