Thank you again CNC but your mind is CLEARER then even YOU realize because now you KNOW the TRUTH. Of course, the BIGGEST thanks to Mike & Leah for exposing COS for what it IS….as are so many other cult religions. I truly hope and pray that the Aftermath Series will be appearing again.

Media reports, books & TV Shows” on certain religions which seem to have females indoctrinated into a belief system that they are of no value other than to be under the rule & thumb of their father or husband, that they should be available for sex 24/7, not use birth control & have as many children as “God gives them”…& more or less forbids females from working outside the home or getting a REAL college education…..the females are prisoners of male authority.

The TV Celeb who “gives away miracle water” that will bring in thousands of $$ to the person who calls to receive it…..& then has people “testify” that they got checks in the mail for THOUSANDS of $$$$….HOW DOES HE GET AWAY WITH THAT?

For Mike & everyone else who found themselves LOCKED UP IN THE HOLE on the order of “the tiny one” in charge knows all too well what CULTS are all about because like some of my high school friends…YOU LIVED IT.

Church Vs. State….there you have it…the “Feds” learned that intervening in the FLDS by forcing & removing women & children left them with egg on their face when the women DEMANDED to “go back home”…the ONLY life they’ve ever known…same scenario.

INTIMIDATION THROUGH FEAR OF WHAT LIES OUTSIDE & fear of “eternal damnation & no afterlife”….WOW.

I’m so proud of you. You see clearly now.
Poor Shelly.

Oh, to be free. It’s funny, it’s what I wanted all along.
I’m happy for us all to be free of the cult.

Yes , we are serious. I tried teaching at one time but my student was not fully out of Scientology. If you are in the Clearwater area, I drive the thirty miles a few times a year. It can be light.

George, I’m still not sure I’d call that “fringe” as much as “serious” – unless you’re going about it in some way that’s very culty 🙂

It would be interesting to get to talk in person sometime.

Thank you my friend. To finally FEEL freedom is a wonderful thing. In my high school days I had friends who soon after graduation joined “The Moonies & The Hare Krisna’s”……their parents were horrified but could do nothing to prevent what was going on.

While working in NYC I actually “bumped into” one of these same people in Times Square…partially shaved head, white capri pants & robe…Bells…jumping up & down barefooted looking for money.

These KIDS thought they were doing something good…trying to save the world from itself….wouldn’t listen to anyone. As time went by….a few of them finally saw the light of day…off came the rose colored glasses…a DOSE of REALITY set in. They saw their friends succeeding in life & THEY had NOTHING….

I’ve seen FEAR & FELT FEAR as children were removed from abusive parents…children who had NO escape until the legal authorities stepped in. I’ve seen KIDS burst into tears being taken away from their parents…..as BAD OR HORRIFIC the abuse is….it’s the ONLY HOME they have ever known.
with…what you DO NOT KNOW is what may lie ahead should you decide to BLOW……

A girlfriend went out to California in the late 1960’s…she joined a “religious cult” where she was passed around like a magazine…used for SEX by the “Pastor” who garnered himself ALL the pretty young girls & WIVES of the male members. It was the husband’s DUTY to “share his bounty” with the Pastor. THAT religious sect was raider & the “Pastor” jailed…….for crimes against women and children….as well as male members who were beaten into submission & shunned.

FEAR & ISOLATION are great motivators to KEEP people IN & under the full control of those that run the show. ILLOGIC as it may seem…..you KNOW the abuser you are living & what would happen to you should you FAIL HIM…..What you DO NOT KNOW is what lies on the outside…somewhere, something you’ve never had the chance to live or experience….it could be WORSE….or it COULD BE BETTER……What to do, what to do….RISK IT ALL…Or STAY locked in forever…

It delights me to know end to hear how everyone who is now FREE is beginning to recover & will ALWAYS be in recovery…..FREE FREE FREE….yet the sadness remains because of those who are still choosing to remain in.

Sadly we CANNOT save someone who does not or IS not wanting to be saved…WE MUST SAVE OURSELVES….I am so proud of you!

I would like to add……HEY DAVID M…..WHERE THE HELL IS SHELLY????

Balletlady,
You’re description of what codependence looks like when it’s hard to leave, because of fear is so right on. I love how you name scientology methods. It made me think of women who are beaten and people who are in other cults and children who are home schooled by crazy religious zealots.
Codependency is no joke.

Yep. When one is in its grips to those depths I see zero hope of escape or breakthrough.

Certainty, moral high ground, star-high-eternity purpose, confirmation bias glasses filtering the world view, all upon a foundation of years and decades of entrenched bullshit.

As long as that’s the scene, no hope.

Christ, but it feels good to be free.

The reason for disconnection disassociation is to prevent OUTSIDE ideas from entering your head. IF you’ve never experienced anything else & this is all you know….you feel safe & protected inside the bubble. Forbidden to read, view or listen to anything else…you are only seeing one side of the coin…the side THEY want you to see.

Throw the baby out with the bathwater, into a world they know nothing about, with no money, no housing, no food, no life skills, no friends or family to depend on…FEAR is a great motivator to stay inside where you feel at last somewhat safe….& where on occasion you MIGHT “get to see your parents & siblings”…maybe once in awhile.

In order to hang on to their members, cults know what works….C0-dependence….keep them under the watchful eye 24/7 without access to CRITICAL THINKING…..you cannot compare what you’ve been taught to something you’ve never seen, read, heard about or experience.

I started with Theravada Buddhism but now I do not consider myself part of the main stream. My wife and I have launched out on studying Pali in depth. It puts us in a small group of non-monks who getting into Pali. We do not accept many of the texts in the Canon.