Loosing status. An answer to Miguel's query.

Here's my output on being reclassified from CM to FM because of disobedience to Charter rules: In a lot of CMers minds getting reclassified to FM would feel akin to excommunication. First of all you already have no self esteem due to Bergism's false doctrines on making self your own worst enemy. To be found not worthy to be a member of the "Gideon's Band" is a nightmare many a CMer dreads.

FM is a very different reality to CM reality. In our area, most FMers have little or no fellowship with CMers. Their only contact is the monthly mailing they recieve for their tithe. CMers also give 1% of their income along with their monthly tithe which goes to the Family Aid Fund, a fund that CMers can draw on in case of any kind of emergency. FMers are not offered a chance of belonging to this or any other financial programs the F has been working on.

When I left the F I was FM for 2 months, but in my mind I felt like a huge bridge had been crossed. I was leaving the security of being able to live in F homes where many legal aspects of normal every day living are circumvented, where financial pressures are shared within a community and you can even live oblivious to the reality of the financial needs of any children you have who have left the Family. Oh you do pray for them and trust that God is taking care of them, but you have only enough to live on yourself, and if the home has any extra money it's invested in "God's work" and not on anyone who's left God's Work even if they are your own kids.

Even though I had spent 30 yrs of my life giving everything to the F, inheritances included, when I became FM I was starting all over again with nothing. So what the heck, the only difference between CM and FM was the 10% I was supposed to send in (which I couldn't afford anyway), so I quit entirely and was much better off for it. Finding ex member message boards, especially exfamily.org has helped me to continue to do better.