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In Reply to: Re: No, I don't see it that way posted by Rocky on July 25, 2002 at 01:35:46:
Thank you for your very thoughtful reply. I don't mean thoughtful as in the way someone is thoughtful when they send flowers, I mean a reply that required thought. Thanks.
The disadvantage I have here is that I had to hit the ground running. The quote that was transplanted from Crossfire was made after my wife had already been accused of several high crimes, including being "Pro-Family", a "hypocrite", etc.
So, to respond to some of the things in here, I had to hit the ground running, and I'm not sure that everyone here has followed what has gone on over at Crossfire in respect to us for the last few years.
My observation, that caused me to make the statement that was quoted here, was that people in cults develop a mindset that anyone who isn't in the cult (different than them) is evil. I doubt anyone here would argue that point with me, unless they simply dislike me so much that they would argue anything that I have to say.
The point I made that was more controversial is that I don't think that very many ex-members of The Family, that I have come in contact with, have changed that mindset. Now that they are ex-members, anyone who doesn't fit their narrowly defined definition of what an ex-member is, will be considered evil.
I'm in a no win situation, because I never was a member of the Family, and I never will be an ex-member. Of course, these people give me no credit for having raised family children, and having experienced other highly personal matters as a direct result of The Family, and what they practiced.
The most interesting thing about it is the living illustration of my point, once I arrived at this board. For the crime of being different, or expressing an opinion that was different... well, you saw what happened. I didn't have to prove my point.
This mindset is clear and present right here to be observed by anyone who cares to observe it. These aren't Family members saying these terrible things about me and my wife, it is Ex-Members.
It is a very ugly thing, in that it is the same mindset that causes people to close the drapes and continue sipping tea as their neighbor is taken off to the camp, for a crime that boils down to simply being different.
