I literally stumbled across your
website, and immediately emailed the link to two other
"survivors." I had my last birthday party when I was 6. That's
the year one of my mentally disturbed uncles encountered
Herbert
Armstrong's teachings, and converted most of his brothers and my mother
into
Worldwide Church of God.
My life grew steadily more miserable under that Regime of Control. As I
grew up, the doctrines were so hammered into me that today, 31 years
after I escaped, I could go to a pulpit and preach a flawless sermon
based on what I'd been taught.
Somewhere in my early teens, after yet another battle with my parents, I
started comparing what I saw in the Bible with what Herbert was seeing,
and they didn't add up. That, of course, was the greatest heresy I could
commit. This was the "one true Church," and if I didn't believe it, just
ask the minister next Sabbath.
My father lost a well-paying job over his refusal to work Friday nights
or Saturdays, and when he asked the church elders to speak with his
employer and confirm that it was, indeed, his religious belief that
prevented him doing it, they refused. I had the normal urge to conform
to the latest styles as a teenager, and the compromise worked out marked
me as a "rebel" and "troublemaker" inside the
church.
My rebellion climaxed at 16. Dave Oder, the Pastor, called me into a
private room, told me I was a "natural leader" and that I was
"leading the children of this church right out of it." This
was a lie, from my viewpoint. I wasn't leading anyone anywhere. It was
more a matter of the other children wishing they had the courage to face
the hell of rebelling against this madness, and finding they didn't.
My parents were furious, but accepted my banishment, and continued to
attend and pay tithes. My younger brother was also furious; he wanted to
be kicked out, too, and it took him another year of obnoxious behavior
to make it happen.
I don't have to tell anyone at this site about the pain, the efforts to
undo the damage done, the way you still do things based on those
teachings. You already know.
I praise you for making this site, and will pray for its continued
success and existence. It took me a long time to get back to God, to
know that He's there and loves me, that Jesus is my Savior. I cannot to
this day bring myself to walk into a church except to attend a wedding
or funeral, but I read my Bible
and I again love my Lord. My money? My tithes? They go to help children.
Jesus loved them especially, you know. Next time I've got a pile
accumulated. I think maybe God led me to you to share. You'll be hearing
from me.
God bless you in this worthy cause.
By Barry - Child Survivor of WCG
February 26, 2003
Articles
For Those Who Were Emotionally and Spiritually Abused
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