|
In Reply to: no posted by another SG on September 10, 2004 at 03:38:10:
I am sorry, for all that you missed & endured because of the teachings we adhered to...
Now the question comes to my mind, whether your father left, because he was made to leave by TF ...
having some weakness - which he himself wouldn't like to have, to be able to remain in "wonderful" TF - or because he himself saw, that things were wrong enough in TF, to make that step out.
In the first case, more conviction would have to take place...tough
I hope, it's the second case...
I learned on these websites, that we go through stages of denial...I saw in the beginning some obvious errors of TF & it took time to see much more.
In addition to that, it's not so much "fun" to be criticised, by the authorities, the parents, the churches etc...TF was really much against the "mainstream"...we thought it was the right direction, the rest was "out of it", wordly etc.
By feeling so suprior fo so long, towards the world, the churches etc. - actually quite a pride trip - it's like being in a plane with some problems...pride comes before fall...
One tendency seems to be, to minimise the problems..."TF was not perfect, there were mistakes, but still so much better than that"...
Besides we in TF "followed" The Bible, plus having a living "prophe"t...we were way ahead...(in our perception), so giving our lives for the right cause, gave us quite some pride & fulfillment in spite of many odds...people who didn't want to endure hardness were considered weak, who wants to be labelled weak?...all out for that "biblical" call or nothing at all... being 100 % was constantly preached...89% is not enough so to speak.
No one lived in TF - I imagine - with the idea, that God/Jesus is not pleased with what they/we did,day in day out...the priorities laid out by the "prophet" etc...so why deviate, if you could help it...
Pride comes before fall, I woke up more through the seperation of my mate after leaving TF, we had left 12/15 years ago (12 quitting TS status, 15
years after the last home we were in) & the seperation happened 9 years ago...
I never felt so low in my life.I got heavy doubts,
that God was so happy about my past life, my supposed "achievements" for Him.
Before I would leave TF alone, in my mind, not criticise it too harshly, if the subject would come up...live & let live...
Not so easy to confess, that one was deceived, followed lies.We were spiritually sooo dumb, swallowed the wrong interpretations of Berg, without a peep.(After all, he was the "prophet", so "good to have him"...never mind the unfulfilled prophecies etc. etc.)...and that for 25 years...
In the beginning, may be the mind is trying to salvage from that "rotten apple-lifestyle" what could be considered good, "can't be all throw away"...I think, your father is trying to whitewash things,... with no avail (sometimes I try to get out spots for real, out of some clothes, can be tough)
In the end, I like to hope, he comes around, confessing, that sooooooooo much was wrong, even if there was some attracting good amount to begin with, which kept us for too long....I am sorry about that too.
Important is, that you & a huge amount of others know, that TF was wrong, no matter what your father or others may think...that's a tansitory phase...Truth abides, not lies.True, that's quite a test of patience on your side.
How twisted TF's interpretation of the Bible was you see best IMO in the whole law of love thing, much has been written about it.It boils down to the view, that Berg twisted the scripture to fit his lusts,... one can read things, which aren't really there...the desire being the mother of the thought.There are several Greek words which are
translated with love, yet eros...sexual love...is not found in the NT...Berg may be didn't know that, at least he didn't care for that distinction, leading oodles of ignorant people astray...
I think very sound facts should wake your father up in the long run...I hope you have the patience, to watch that...it's tough.I feel sorry about that.
