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In Reply to: Re: Looking for some inspiration from former members posted by FamilyHater on November 20, 2009 at 01:00:24:
I'm a first-generationer called an FG in TFI lingo. I exited with wife and lots of children, no education, no employable skills, no country to go back to, no family to fall back on. People my age were at least supposed to have an education or experience or both. We had to make something of ourselves as full-grown adults with lots of mouths to feed. In those days there wasn't even as much awareness of cults as there is today, and there weren't any organizations who could help. Still, we made it. And if we could make it, anyone can.
What kept us going was the incredible freedom we felt being liberated from the STUPID teachings of Berg. Every Bergism we shed was a shackle broken. And life is so wonderful outside of TFI. A big relief was knowing, lightning won't strike you down, and God doesn't punish you and your children for leaving. Everything we worked for, we got to save and keep for our own future and wellbeing--it's not like in TFI where everything we slaved over was all about endless sacrifice and every achievement was poured down a black hole... and we didn't need to constantly pick up and move and start over, again and again. We had a better conscience right away, not wasting our time and energy on things that did not benefit us and our children's futures. We felt liberated for not "lying daily" (use these exact words, and she should get the joke), being able to live honestly without constantly trying to pull the wool over people's eyes about who we really were and what really believed, about our secret agenda to milk them and live off their money.
I think one of the biggest fears that many TFI members have about leaving is what might happen to their own faith. Well, we did't "devolute" and go the way of the Devil, lose our faith and degrade into mouth-foaming blasphemers.
Life is as good and normal as it can be outside of TFI. There will be hardships and problems, but you won't likely feel the powerlessness you feel under the rule of a shepherd who won't let you choose for yourself what is best for you.
