An Example

There is a message board that was started called Gospel Assembly Free. The site was created as a support for others who had left the group of cults where I was raised. The other cults within the fellowship also have a long history of mental and sexual abuse as well as the same false doctrines. Someone posted the following post sometime yesterday. It is a perfect example of how a cult reacts to being called out on their unethical behavior and false doctrine.

"Oh thank you Wuanda. You are such a blessing. You know, I have some mixed feelings about this. I am sorry so many are so deceived. If only they knew what I knew that the Holy Ghost is a person. All that doctrine that Cornelius Mears taught us was just a bunch of garbage. I feel sorry for them sometimes. But other times, it just makes me physically ill, sick to my stomach, so much so, I wondered if I had a tape worm. So I took some wine. I think that will kill it. I don't do that often but sometimes. We need to pray for all sues. We need to have an All Sue day and pray for all the sues but it is a waste of time to pray for the suits unless they are law suits.

God bless"

The person who wrote the post took the time to create the alias screen name, Sharri. My mom's name is Shari. The post is an attempt to make fun of her and probably to hurt her in the process.

You can see the sarcastic and mean tone in the post. There is nothing that addresses anything of substance. Just poor attempts at humor. The name Sue is probably a reference to a relative still in the cult who has always had a distant relationship with my mom and me. Maybe I'm wrong about the intention of the writer. Maybe they're attempting to hammer in a point about lawsuits, but I think it is a personal reference to the relationship between my mom and our relative.

Either way, it is highly inflammatory. I still see no reason to joke about four sexual abuse lawsuits filed because of a pastor's failure to protect children.

In the years that I've been free, this is more often than not the approach the cult members take in addressing those of us who have left. I can think of two instances where someone there actually tried to understand where we were coming from with integrity. Possibly they have in their private readings of our concerns. But publicly and personally, there have only been two.

It is strange to know there is somebody out there who dislikes you enough to take the time to write something and even create an alias to mock you. I know my mom and I have repeatedly spoken out against the leadership of the cult. We have pleaded with those members still in the group to speak out against the injustices committed within their walls and to repent. No doubt there have been times of unwise communication and lines that shouldn't have been crossed. But what I do know is that our intentions have always been to see those within the group delivered from the grips of Satan and placed into the nail-scarred hands of Christ. Posts like this one are completely void of any love or concern for my mom's well-being. It is an adolescent and sophomoric jab.

(To be fair, it could have been the work of a thirteen year old kid who has heard their parents talking about the message board or my mom's attacks on the group. If that's the case, then there are other issues that would need to be addressed.)

I received a copy of the post this morning in email. A friend of my mom's had read the board and forwarded it onto her before it was deleted. I don't know if it was deleted by the message board operator or if the author realized it was done in poor taste.

I've shared my story with so many of you. I thought reading this post might be helpful in understanding a little more what's it like to leave a group like this.