|
In Reply to: Mind control? What was it? posted by exer on February 19, 2004 at 11:41:01:
I think there was definitely an aspect of mind control in Berg's teachings. For example, when I was younger, my mom told me of this incident that happened with a former member. Between 1983 to 1985, this couple lived with my family in a home in Arizona. My mom said the couple was nice, and they had one or two kids. Anyhow, they decided they didn't want to be in The Family anymore. So they went to live with one of parents (I believe it was with the woman's mom). Well, I don't know if any of you remember this story or what David Berg wrote afterwards. This woman was killed; she was stabbed numerous times on her body. It turned out that it was a "friend" of her parents. Anyways, my mom said she was SHOCKED when Berg sent out his letter... He wrote that it happened to her because her and her husband distanced themselves from The Family and didn't contribute enough with their tithes. (I think he implied that she deserved it because she wasn't connecting with God the right way anymore.) Does anyone else remember this story? I will have to ask my mom about it again; it was a long time ago that she told me this story. But I remember that she said there was a picture accompanying the letter of someone with a knife. Berg was clearly trying to scare people into staying true to The Family. I remember that, when I was younger, I was scared to even THINK that he was not a true prophet of God. I thought I might go to hell. When something of the sort did cross my mind, I felt so evil; like I did something wrong. It wasn't until many years after we left The Family that I actually allowed myself to think it. Another thing they used to do was not allow you to read anything but The Bible and books of The Family. I remember that I used to try to read stuff at the supermarket; and I would get in big trouble. One of the last times that I visited a Family home, I got in trouble for something similar. I was about 12, and this girl in The Family wanted to borrow a book from me... it was some scary story. When her dad found it he told my dad, and I was in such big trouble. He said that I was trying to corrupt her (as if she were some pure, innocent angel or baby). This helps a lot with controlling someone. If you read only one point of view, then you grow to believe that view is the only truth.
