Madie
I’m kind of young for your website, I think, being only 28. However, I’m a "second generation" WWCG-whoopdey doo. I was born into that freaking cult in 1977. I left when I joined the Navy at 17 (for which I was strongly counselled my entire senior year in high school— by both my father and the local minister/deacons).
I also have an aversion to the number 7. 
I didn’t even realize it was a cult until this last August (2005). My best friend e-mailed me one of those "You might be a" list about the WWCG, and my entire world was explained in an instant.
I dunno if this is what you’re looking for, but I am legally changing my name as soon as I find a good one. I never had a time "before" I was in the cult to go back to, so that is my advice for people who can’t stand the sound of their own name…through shame, guilt, or whatever baggage I’ve managed to accumulate the 17 years I was there… I’ll just change it! Start over fresh.
It’s certainly helped me quite a bit to have found that out— I left for those very reasons, but I didn’t ever realize anyone else thought that way as well. I feel so much better now.
Well, thanks for the website, it’s nice to know I’m not alone.
Explore posts in the same categories: Personal Story
February 25th, 2006 at 8:09 pm
I also was born into the WWCG in 1977. I am a 3rd Gen WWCGer. My grandfather, grandmother, cousin, aunt, uncle, mom, brother, me were all in the church. I went to SEP twice. Once in Pasadena and once in Orr. I wonder who I would be if I had not been in the church. My mom died several years ago. We didn’t know what minister to use because of the splintering. I had quit and she was studying with a few people I had no idea who. My aunt and my mother fueded over it and were angry with each other because of it. Anyway. I feel unattached to myself sometimes. I always feel like I have to be perfect or I am depressed because I am constantly consumed by guilt. I wonder if I am different. I wonder why. As I read back over this entry I note the many unintentional uses of the phrase “The Church” Is this in my head? Do you feel these things?
April 26th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Wow! Your description of having to be perfect and of feeling depressed b/c you’re consumed by guilt is right on! No, you are not different - at least not different than me. I was born into “the church” at a few months of age, and stayed in until I was able to develop a sliver of critical thinking skills during my Freshman year at a state college -not AC, thank God(tongue in cheek). That combined with quite a bit of pent up rebellion and a good dose of apathy led me to leave WCG and never look back. I am still amazed at how “different” I feel from my peers no matter what I do or achieve in life, or how much I try to make myself fit in. It’s like I’m scared to be myself lest I say something to offend someone or risk being reprimanded by an authority figure. Maybe a lot of this is based in my genetic makeup, but after reading many entries including yours, I feel much better that there is at least a palpable source for my general state of feeling depressed, apathetic, and ostracized.
September 14th, 2006 at 12:54 am
Madie,
I am a FORMER member of WCG, and I feel relieved to be out of it. Of course our memories will haunt us for years to come, but we’ve got to endure the trauma. My experiences have even resulted in my being diagnosed with “post traumatic stress syndrome” at the local V.A.Hospital.
I came into the church after my discharge from military service. I was all set to re-enlist when the ministry pulled me aside and told me WCG was a “C.O.” religion. Prior to that, I did not know. As a Viet Nam vet, I remember being called “a murderer” by other church brethren, at the place of our Sabbath services. I always felt that was uncalled for, and now I am truy anti-C.O. status under all conditions. The C.O.s of the WCG are simplly cowards and national parasites who will never truly become men. They are unfit to make comment to those of us who have served.
I left the WCG because it kicked me out for dating an Oriental lady interested in becoming a Christian. Also, the church lied to me about several things including dating opportunities within the church (which never came true), receiving driving lessons (which never were delivered), and getting together with other church members to seek employment (which the men did not wat to do, using the sabath and Holy Days as excuses not to look for employment). I was counseled to quit college (which I refused to do) and to send in my monthly V.A. 10% disability check for a disability I sustained as a result of my second tour of duty in Viet Nam! That was to make up for my being an unemployed college student. The thieves in the WCG ministry wanted the money I had, even from the V.A., even though the WCG hates all military veerans! Also, I was advised to marry a local woman in the (Pittsburgh) congragation, and I did not even know who she was and had never even met her… yet the ministry told me by name I should marry her! Then, one of the members of the ministry, (initials B.H.) came by to supposedly counsel me. Instead he made a homosexual advance, even placing his right hand on top of my left thigh. I am still furious about that even today. Also, a member of a local church elder’s family was running amock in an AC-DC sex life style. (This was from the Pittsburgh, PA congregation). There was of course the additional problems of poverty from all the tithing, offerings and so forth.
Finally, after 10-&-1/2 years of church abuse, the ministry told me that as far as they were concerned, I was never really converted and was not really a Christian. I was not to return to services, but was still expected to send in tithes and Holy Day offerings and support the church. Of course, I have ceased all support of the evil WCG. Towards the end of the conversation when I was being put out of the church, one of the ministers, (initials D.H. - the ministerial assistant) said as far as he is concerned I did nothing in the Army to impress him. (I did not tell him all I did, that survived 6 campaigns, am decorated for both combat and service.) So, I spit on his false ministry and the WCG. Nobody who has not served in the Armed Forces is qualified to coment abut military service to those of us who have served.
But I am now liberated from it all and out of te WCG. There is more and worse about it than I will mention here, but I am sure you can gleen more from others within and departed from the WCG as well as your own experiences.
My best to you, and God bless.