Comments on: Tim

By: Calli

Calli — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:39:09 +0000

Wow Tim,
I couldn’t stop laughing about your empty yellow envelopes. I on the other hand would almost always purposely “forget” mine at home. But most of the time they would have those extra generic envelopes that I believe were a different color to give out if you forgot your own. But then I would just pick up my little brother’s enevelope and pretend like mines was under his. LOL. I couldn’t stand or understand those tithing days. I remember all those baskets going up and down the aisles while someone on stage was either singing or playing some instrument.
And as for the dances!!! OMG. I so remember those days. I remember one year when I went to one of those Y.O.U. camps in Alaska we had many of those yard sticks on the dance floor!!! How funny you mentioned that=0. I dreaded the bible study sessions because I honestly don’t believe any one of us in the room was actually paying attention. I was always doodling on my notebook and occasionally I would jot down a scripture or two and fumble through my bible to make it look like I was listening!!! LOL. I know. It was mean. I can’t help it. I was forced to go to this camp because the Minister at my church said I needed to be closer to God.
Speaking of life altering decisions, Tim!!! One of the highlights of my Minister is when he gave a sermon to us and said that we could all take a long walk down a short pier into the Lake of Fire if we didn’t believe in the Worldwide way!!! How’s that for a traumatizing experience at 16?

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:26:24 +0000

Good to hear from you Ray. It’s good to hear of another person strong enough to break away from their grip. It’s a shame that so many “kids” were forced during their formulative years to make big life altering decisions. “stay and be victimized, or get free and wrestle with the fear of the lake of fire”
Hell, we ought to round up all the surviving leaders down to the local level and sue them for reparations! I meant that to be humorous, but the sad thing is we’d probably have a good case.
Good to hear from you and take care!

By: Ray A.

Ray A. — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 15:03:58 +0000

Tim,
I grew up in this “church” and so many of the things you referenced I also experienced.
I sit here now and I am a 39 year old man with tears in my eyes because of memories your statements bring back. No football games, no prom, no friends,no dates, no money. The guilt felt because of doing or wanting to do normal kid/teenage things. I left home at 16 just to have some type of freedom.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:40:00 +0000

Renee,

Thanks for your comment.

Yes, tithing is scriptural. All three tithes are scriptural. Many things are scriptural that various particular sects of Christianity would rather ignore. In fact, the Bible is so contradictory that it requires amazing contortions of common sense and stretched interpretations (or outright ignorance of what the it actually says) to have a livable faith. Even the sects that claim to be “Bible believing” pick and choose.

So don’t really be surprised if you can’t change your Mom’s mind, because the scripture supports both of you.

By: renee

renee — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:49:28 +0000

I feel so sad when I read all of these comments. My heart goes out to all of you who have had such bad experiences with this cult. Good thing for me that my mom was just getting started in this cult when I was a teen. I do know what it feels like to feel so guilty for so much stuff. It seems to be brain washing for sure cause it took me a while to get past some of the stuff I did get taught. I became a Chrisitan when I was pregnent with my first kid. I wasn’t living right and I wanted to get it right cause I was responsible for another life. Long story short, we started having a bible study at our house with a pastor who I waited on at a resturant that I worked at. I learned so much stuff, God was so much different than I ever knew from that stuff. I am happy to say 24 years later I am still a member of a church who beleives in a living,loving, all powerfull God who loves me and is on my team. I have lots of faults and issues but my God is personal and paitent with me and helps me everyday to be the best I can be. I don’t have to worry every day if I have done all the right stuff to be good enough, I am never gonna be good enough, that is why I have Jesus. I have read so many of these blogs trying to understand what my mom is really into these days, she is sooo into this and it is hard for me to see her in such bondage. She lives at an apt at our home and seems to be getting deeper and deeper into this. I need to love her unconditionally and be there for her , but am desperately trying to understand this cult more and more so if the chance comes up I can have a chat with her. She is very stubborn about the whole thing and when we have had a converation, I don’t know what I am talking about. I have asked her to show me verses in the Bible to support her side and I got a response a couple of times and when I respond with alternivtive verses showing a false teaching we are done! We have not had a conversation for a long time. I try not to make this an issue with us, but it is very hard to see her soooo into false teaching. She is on a limited income and now after reading all this stuff about all the tithing 1 2 3 I wonder if she is thithing more than she should. YIKES I think thithing is biblical and I do it but not 3 times over. Thanks for all your comments, this helps me to understand this more and more, I need to so I can be informed if and when we talk about this. I am sad this cult has made so many people turned off to God, I don’t mean some religion, but God himself. It is a great thing, not what
this has turned it into, I challenge people to find out the truth for themselves, I promise it will change your life for the good, I am living proof of that, what they teach and do is NOT what is all about. Thanks for reading this. Find out the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

By: Melissa Stoner

Melissa Stoner — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 15:23:27 +0000

Tim - great post! Brought up a couple of memories:

At S.E.P. Scotland I and several others were called out and reprimanded during a sermon for sending coded messages to one another. The minister bragged that he had cracked the code and dared the note-writer to stand up - and he did. How did the minister know about the coded notes? They were reading our “Sabbath notes” to one another. For those who didn’t go to S.E.P., “Sabbath notes” were little letters sent to your friends at camp, delivered to their dorm on the Sabbath. So what’s worse, writing in code to your friends or reading the private correspondence of hundreds of teenagers? (Note to Arthur Sucking from 1987: paranoid much?)

Also, a few months ago I was listening to NPR and the latest upheavals in the Middle East. Suddenly the image of 144,000 mainly-caucasian Americans strolling to Petra came to mind and I burst out laughing alone in my car. What were we going to do - yell “olly olly oxen free!” or use cloaking devices?

Love the humor in your post. The only “gift” worth keeping from the WCG experience? A twisted sense of humor.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:47:56 +0000

Love your post. I laughed hysterically @ “Children of the Corn” and “place of safety, my ass”. Hilarious! But so true.

By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 05:04:29 +0000

Yeah, there was some really weird stuff! Did you ever attend one of those dances where an elder would walk around placing a stick between the dancing teenagers to make sure there was nothing besides their hands touching each other?
I’ve never told anyone this ’till now- You know how you’d get the little yellow envelopes in the mail to use to give your “offerings” on the holy days? When I was 14 or 15 I started filling out the envelope, but I’d leave the money out. (figured I needed it more than they did, worked damn hard for it too!) Istarted doing that at the feast also with my 1st tithe money. Fill out the envelope, but pocket the money. I was nervous as hell wondering when my mom would get a phone call and I’d be busted. What kid should have to go through that crap!?
I’m glad we can both laugh about it now Calli, I’m glad I was strong enough to see it for the crap it was. I was reading the section of this site called “you know you grew up in wcg if…” and I laughed my tail off, so much that we went through was so twisted that you can’t help but laugh now.

By: Calli

Calli — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:41:22 +0000

When I read your life at Worldwide I felt as if I were right there with you!!! I spent the first 19 years of my life there and still get the chills when I think about all the weird crap we had to do!!! LOL. I’m glad I can look back and laugh on it now=0. Take care.