Was personal background a contributing factor?

[lindyhopper]

I don't think we can separate ourselves this way, our experiences from our decisions and actions. Everything touching effects and influences everything else.

That being said, no one should blame themselves or their family etc for getting involved with a cult. So many things seem totally random to me. I know many of you will disagree with that and say you see the hand of God or something, but I see random variables all leading to a variety of experiences and decisions and all of them influencing the proceeding ones. I think of so many things in my life that if it would have happened a few minutes earlier or if I would have met that person a day or a week or an hour earlier or later how I would have reacted differently to them and it would have changed my life entirely. I don't loose sleep over this stuff. There is no formula. There is no 100% accurate profile.

Of all the friends I have had in my adult life, or in my life since I have had friends that would talk openly about their life, I can't think of one that didn't have something messed up in their life. Most of the women I have known have been raped or physically abused. Most of the kids I grew up with had family issues. So many people I know, indeed my whole generation, come from divorced parents. Every family, whether they talk about it or not have at the very least stressful dynamics. Each person within that dynamic has their own subjective idea of their role in all that mess. It happens anytime people spend has much time together as a family does. You can't get away from them: ) Having two boys of my own now, I wonder how much of personality is nothing more then genetics. They are each so unique and different. The fact that my family was/is in a cult has less to do with them or me and more to do with the randomness of them meeting the people that got them involved at the particular moment that they did and the machinery and dogma and the charade of the cult. Whether it was you, me, or some other guy that was just previously browsing the religion and philosophy section of the bookstore a minute before you arrived and met the Wafer that saw you as she was walking by it seems rather random.

I would also say that the local and national state of our culture has a huge effect on all this as well. I think the boom of TWI in the 60s and 70s was largely due to the culture at the time. The hippie movement. The sexual revolution. Women's rights developing. Vietnam. Etc. etc. Today, you won't see that in TWI. I don't think you will ever see it again. In part because of their own ills and in part because we are in the era of the mega-church and religious " market" where most people can get what they want and get inspired by these types of church groups. The variety of the music. The variety of the church groups. Singles. Married. Young. Old. Korean. African-american. GLT. Also, this is the information age. Not only is information on just about anything available at your fingertips, good, bad, and ugly (we fit in there somewhere), but online groups such as this exist for just about everyone. If you don't have a sense of family or belongingness at home or in your town, you can get it virtually on the internets. You can find freaks just like yourself somewhere online.

The most important thing, though, is realizing that there was most likely NOTHING that you could have done to avoid joining the TWI and that it happened and that you are now the brilliant person that you are and what are you going to do with that reality NOW. Learning from mistakes, sure, avoiding the same in future absolutely, but are you going to be able to avoid those things that you don't know are going to hurt you? No. We just keep learning and adapting and evolving.

I just live the best I can, using my head the best I can, and treat people with love and respect and usually that is what I get in return. Funny how that works.

Like what Ex said.

[J0nny Ling0]

"Was personal background a contributing factor?"

Well, Yes, and No. If you are asking if my personal background allowed me to succumb to a "mind stealing cult", then the answer is a resounding NO. But, if you are asking if my personal background, which included a huge hunger for the Truth of God's Word, then the answer is a resounding Yes. I found out more about my Lord Jesus Christ in the first few months of involvement with The Way than I ever dreamed would come my way. AND, I found FELLOWSHIP with wonderful and loving people on the twig level who outright helped to save my life from the destructive path that I was on. Dang I loved and still LOVE those folks from my first twig. One of them hangs out here on a regular basis, and she was pure sunshine to me. I won't mention her name, but that Sunesis was and is a bright beam of God's sunlight...

[Sunesis]

Aw, shucks Jonny You were quite a sweetie yourself! You still are.

[J0nny Ling0]

Why thank you Sunesis, and please forgive me for being mis-leading in that you weren't actually in my first twig, but were a part of that whole experience being a WOW in one of the other twigs. You know what I mean, but I did want to be more accurate here...

[excathedra]

jonny i think loving, awesome people like sunesis could help you to get off your path of destruction

but i don't know if would give veepee or "the way" the glory

i'm not saying you said that

i'm just saying how nicely god can come through for us even in a destructive situation

ps. glad you want to keep it accurate ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[J0nny Ling0]

jonny i think loving, awesome people like sunesis could help you to get off your path of destruction

Now. This is an amazing thing. Do you know, Excathedra how things here would go down if I were to say to you the same thing, as in this manner?:

Excathedra i think loving, awesome people like sunesis could help you to get off your path of destruction

If I were to say that to you, I think that Pawtucket just might kick me out for that.

Okay, so you think I am on a path of destruction. I will just say that I hope you have a nice day! Mmwwaahh! :)

[Eyesopen]

Now. This is an amazing thing. Do you know, Excathedra how things here would go down if I were to say to you the same thing, as in this manner?:

If I were to say that to you, I think that Pawtucket just might kick me out for that.

Okay, so you think I am on a path of destruction. I will just say that I hope you have a nice day! Mmwwaahh! :)

Jonny I'm not sure that Exie is saying that you are Now on a path of destruction. I think she was refering to your comment about having been on one and Sunesis and folks like her helped you out of it.

At least that's how I read it..

[Linda Z]

Now. This is an amazing thing. Do you know, Excathedra how things here would go down if I were to say to you the same thing, as in this manner?:

If I were to say that to you, I think that Pawtucket just might kick me out for that.

Okay, so you think I am on a path of destruction. I will just say that I hope you have a nice day! Mmwwaahh! :)

Eyes is correct. You're the one who said you had been on a path of destruction, right here:

I found FELLOWSHIP with wonderful and loving people on the twig level who outright helped to save my life from the destructive path that I was on.

Do men get PMS?

[DontWorryBeHappy]

hi linda z!........only "eight-cow men" experience PMS!.....................just like an "eight-cow woman"!.........................peace.

[Linda Z]

DWBH:

[J0nny Ling0]

Jonny I'm not sure that Exie is saying that you are Now on a path of destruction. I think she was refering to your comment about having been on one and Sunesis and folks like her helped you out of it.

At least that's how I read it..

I agree with you both LZ and Eyes. I was wrong and misread it. Sorry Excathedra, my apologies to you. And no doubt, it was the kind and loving people that attracted me to The Way fore shore.

And hey you, DWBH! Too bad my avatar doesn't stick it's tongue out like yours does! Oh, here: :P