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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 0:12:12 GMT -5
I just find that the Holy Spirit has been SO ineffectual in this respect. Surely God must know the hurt caused to his own. I’m glad the Holy Spirit reached out to you but why not others? Almost as if the Holy Spirit does not exist. No? ~~~ The friends, the worker, and myself were victims of the abused ourselves! That why, the Holy Spirit moved and used us to sound the trumpet and it wasn’t well received at first either, Many of the workers and friends NEVER had CSA experience themselves so, they couldn’t fully understand what was that all about! So, they just go on with their lives and ignored us. We were just a voice crying in the wilderness back in the year 2000. Thanks be to God, he heard the cries of the helpless children! And He something about it with DeanB gate just a pebble throws across the pond and the beautiful ripple effects…. . Here is what I have learned about CSA, is the work of Satan in destroying the soul/energy or the life force of a child for the long term. Many lost their childhood innocence and continue on through their entire adult life. Many victims will become abusers themselves! This is how Satan uses this method to pass/continue this Pure EVILNESS ALIVE from one generation to the next generation for centuries! This EVILNESS of CSA has to be STOPPED then Satan can’t ruin and destroy the children mind and soul. Once the mind is gone they don’t have right mind to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior! Most victims do not grow up to become abusers. |
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 0:15:39 GMT -5
It's such a taboo subject...I'd say most churches have never got right on this with the very first report...most took some time to get going on reporting and punishing this. There is no record generally of this from a church perspective. the Truth will have to do some serious catchup just like some others already did... ~~ When I was in the work from 1986 -1993 we encountered CSA within the fellowship we had very little guideline on how to handle it. We told the victims to forgive the abusers, Pray to God and move on with their lives and NOT to bitter about. God will deal with the abusers according to His time. I was in Montana field and we recommend the abusers and victims of CSA to find a professional help, who was professing man so, they went to see him. After I left the worker 1993 in the year 2000 we few of us professing friends come together trying to inform, educate and warning the 2x2s about CSA happens within the fellowship and ministry on my website and on TMB. I posted about the RCC CSA articles in the years 2000 how the priests who committed crimes against children, the archbishops moved them to different area where they continued on with their evil deed to others children. I was hoping the overseers read the RCC mistakes and NOT to follow their evil doing by moving abusive workers to an another field or country, hoping they would REPENT and change their evil lifestyle. Well, many overseers followed the RCC leadership in the same way of taken care the CSA abuser problems, ship them to another field or country. Now, they must deal with the clean up MESS of these overseers mistakes. So, I have been following CSA situation since 1980s and watch how the 2x2s leadership deal with it. Dean B. fiasco changed how the 2x2 deals with CSA, sexual abused and so on. Lyle S. Overseer was the first worker that I know who took CSA situation very seriously, he had all workers from Texas took CSA courses on line. I talked to Lyle S. and to encourage him to talk to other overseers to jump on board with him to tackle CSA head on he said, he is just a small fish in this big pond. He tried but very slow progress! Resistance in many places. Doyle S. The overseer in Oregon just sent a CSA guideline for workers, church elders, and the friend to adhere to. Zero tolerance CSA policy. NO, CSA abuser allow to attend meetings where children are present. They can’t attend gospel meetings, but they can listen the workers gospel on the phone. CSA are improving much better today than in 1980s. People more aware of it and see how EVIL this is and it must be eradicated around the world. Thanks, be to God the 2x2s finally WOKE up! and doing something about it these days! It’s about time. Save the children. Yes and I had people write to me very concerned about the advice you had written on your website about sexual abuse saying victims should forgive their abuser. That was traumatizing for some. Hopefully you've changed your stance on that. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 5, 2024 0:17:22 GMT -5
As a (happily) ex-member of almost 3 decades now, I am surprised at how much processing I have personally had to do over the 2X2 events of the past year. And I'll tell you what surprises me (no criticism here at all), that after 3 decades away from the F&W meeting church, you still have such a strong interest and connection. And you're not the only one, many many others ( snow included, even longer I think). I don't know for sure, but I feel if I left the F&W fellowship, that would be it - clean break, certainly no energy or time for internet F&W forums. But who knows? Maybe there's something really strong from those formative years of us all growing up in such a unique culture/system? Interesting and definitely puzzling to me  |
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 0:40:30 GMT -5
Yes and I had people write to me very concerned about the advice you had written on your website about sexual abuse saying victims should forgive their abuser. That was traumatizing for some. Hopefully you've changed your stance on that. ~~~ Jesus said in Matthew 7:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive NOT MEN their trespasses, NEITHER your Father forgive your SINS! The choice is yours to make if you don’t forgive your abusers then your sins will NOT be forgiven in this life or in the judgment day. You better listen and pay attention to Jesus serious warnings and tell your patients about the KEY to forgiveness is to forgive the guilty then it will set you FREE from Satan ‘s shackles/chains and bondage/prison..[be] You are dangerous to be around victims. You wrote earlier: when you were in the work from 1986 -1993 we encountered CSA within the fellowship we had very little guideline on how to handle it. We told the victims to forgive the abusers, Pray to God and move on with their lives and NOT to bitter about. God will deal with the abusers according to His time." You seem to admit here that it was wrong to tell the victims to forgive the abusers but you are still saying it. Your ignorance and lack of compassion makes me cry. Victims are not bound by Satan's shackles, bondage or prison. They did nothing wrong and owe the abuser nothing. You're asking them to forgive their abuser. Who does that serve - the abuser only. Again, your advice is dangerous and abusive. It revictimises the victim. Take the abuser to court, let them get their just punishment. It is not the victims responsibility to forgive the abuser. They've been robbed of enough, don't heap further burdens on them. |
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Post by fixit on Jan 5, 2024 0:42:31 GMT -5
Yes and I had people write to me very concerned about the advice you had written on your website about sexual abuse saying victims should forgive their abuser. That was traumatizing for some. Hopefully you've changed your stance on that. ~~~ Jesus said in Matthew 7:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive NOT MEN their trespasses, NEITHER your Father forgive your SINS! The choice is yours to make if you don’t forgive your abusers then your sins will NOT be forgiven in this life or in the judgment day. You better listen and pay attention to Jesus serious warnings and tell your patients about the KEY to forgiveness is to forgive the guilty then it will set you FREE from Satan’s shackles/chains and bondage/prison..[be] CSA victims have been denied any control over the situations they have been in through no fault of their own. Now you're demanding more from them, effectively adding more abuse. I suggest you stop contributing to this thread until you've done a lot more CSA research because you're showing how little you know about this subject. |
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 0:54:24 GMT -5
Most victims do not grow up to become abusers. Many have and the numbers will continue to grow that is how Satan keeps this vicious cycle continue on from one generation to the next for centuries. For an example, Some men and women feel life has given a lemon/AIDS so, they on purpose to have sex with others to pass on the lemons to make others people lives miserable with much sufferings and pains like someone gave it to them. That is the work of Satan PASS the pains and sufferings FORWARD, please. . Many health issues are hereditary, so is that God's way of passing lemons on to others? There is a big difference between someone deliberately passing on aids and you saying a victim having been sexually abused is going to go on to abuse others. You're saying a victim is doomed to abuse others, like they've caught some disease. Like fixit said, get some education. In the past it has been said that a number of abusers have been abused but... a big but....most victims do not go on to abuse. Today Pornography is a big issue contributing to abuse. |
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Post by Dan on Jan 5, 2024 0:59:03 GMT -5
First of all, they clearly said they were not leaving the truth, that's if you believe Jesus is the truth or some man made church who claims to be the truth. You've said you don't belong to the church - is that still correct? Nothing like the Judas scenario. Judas immediately left so to speak. He did not continue with the apostles, nor did the other apostles move him around, condemn those who spoke out against him or anything like the workers have done or not done to abusers. Judas was dealt with, abusers were not.
Fair enough... Your right, they were leaving the church that I referred to as the Truth. Yes, I quit the church for different reasons, but I've always thought the ministry set-up was biblical.
I agree, I'm sure much of the disillusionment is a result of the lackadaisical response of head Workers to address the problem. Jesus threw Judas out, but Overseers let the infection fluster, and I can certainly understand the frustration with that. Many offenders have been excommunicated now, but that fix hasn't sufficed or quenched the anger.
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 1:02:11 GMT -5
CSA victims have been denied any control over the situations they have been in through no fault of their own. Now you're demanding more from them, effectively adding more abuse. I suggest you stop contributing to this thread until you've done a lot more CSA research because you're showing how little you know about this subject. And you better listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ/God who can forgive your sins when you forgive others or you will DIE in your own sins for NOT forgiven men’s sins whatever it is unless is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit then you are doomed forever. you are telling people to go against the teachings of Jesus there, fixit. You are NOT FIXING it but put the victims in chains and bondage of unforgiven and their sins can’t be forgiven by God and Christ. You are putting victims in chains and bondage. They have not committed any sin. Jesus said it is better for a millstone to be hung around their neck and drowned rather than to hurt one of these little ones. Does that sound like God forgives the abuser? And you want to victim to be greater than God and forgive the person who violated their being. You have no idea of what victims have experienced or what is needed to help victims heal. |
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 1:05:46 GMT -5
Many health issues are hereditary, so is that God's way of passing lemons on to others? There is a big difference between someone deliberately passing on aids and a victim having been sexually abused going on to abuse others. You're saying a victim is doomed to abuse others, like they've caught some disease. Like fixit said, get some education. In the past it has been said that a number of abusers have been abused but... a big but....most victims do not go on to abuse. Today Pornography is a big issue contributing to abuse. Life sometimes give lemons but God wants us yeti make lemonade out of it! Look at Job’s life he got a BIG lemon but he made a lemonade out of it without cursing God for it. God blessed Job 10 times with blessings and wealth because he didn’t point his finger because of so and so. Job said after God had tried him I will come forth as gold and he did. He did moan and groans, blaming his wife and three lousy friends for beaten him up with false accusations about him. And what victims are cursing God? It's hardly worth talking to you as you only respond by blaming the victim further. |
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 1:19:08 GMT -5
You are putting victims in chains and bondage. They have not committed any sin. Jesus said it is better for a millstone to be hung around their neck and drowned rather than to hurt one of these little ones. Does that sound like God forgives the abuser? And you to be greater than God and forgive the person who violated their being. You have no idea of what victims have experienced or what is needed to help victims heal. You are NOT obeying the teachings of Jesus you are using men’s wisdom to set people free. When you go against the teachings of Jesus you put them in bondage and prison of their own minds and receive NO forgiveness from God now and in the future when they don’t forgive whoever it is. You have made them a child of LIVING HELL on earth and next world to come. You are using the Bible as a weapon to abuse victims. You show an angry vengeful God, not a loving, compassionate God. The victims have done nothing wrong. They do not need to forgive anyone. Most victims blame themselves for the abuse. Forgiving the abuser is nothing to do with healing. You're presuming the victim needs to forgive the abuser. You want the victim to focus on the abuser and not their own healing. You need to stop. |
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Post by fixit on Jan 5, 2024 1:20:09 GMT -5
It's such a taboo subject...I'd say most churches have never got right on this with the very first report...most took some time to get going on reporting and punishing this. There is no record generally of this from a church perspective. the Truth will have to do some serious catchup just like some others already did... How long is "some time"? wingsfortruth.info/2023/07/08/35-years-ago-to-taylor-wood-and-the-church/ |
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Post by Dan on Jan 5, 2024 1:23:02 GMT -5
~~~ Jesus said in Matthew 7:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive NOT MEN their trespasses, NEITHER your Father forgive your SINS! The choice is yours to make if you don’t forgive your abusers then your sins will NOT be forgiven in this life or in the judgment day. You better listen and pay attention to Jesus serious warnings and tell your patients about the KEY to forgiveness is to forgive the guilty then it will set you FREE from Satan ‘s shackles/chains and bondage/prison..[be] You are dangerous to be around victims. You wrote earlier: when you were in the work from 1986 -1993 we encountered CSA within the fellowship we had very little guideline on how to handle it. We told the victims to forgive the abusers, Pray to God and move on with their lives and NOT to bitter about. God will deal with the abusers according to His time." You seem to admit here that it was wrong to tell the victims to forgive the abusers but you are still saying it. Your ignorance and lack of compassion makes me cry. Victims are not bound by Satan's shackles, bondage or prison. They did nothing wrong and owe the abuser nothing. You're asking them to forgive their abuser. Who does that serve - the abuser only. Again, your advice is dangerous and abusive. It revictimises the victim. Take the abuser to court, let them get their just punishment. It is not the victims responsibility to forgive the abuser. They've been robbed of enough, don't heap further burdens on them.
Forgiveness is conditional, not automatic. God forgives the repentant sinner and likewise expects us to forgive (not forget) those who trespass against us when they've truly repented. Problem is, most abusers continue to abuse, so no forgiveness is warranted. If a person does not confess and accept punishment, they haven't truly repented and don't deserve to be forgiven. e.g; If someone stole your car and refused to return it or turn themselves into the police, you don't forgive them, even if they apologize.
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 1:35:09 GMT -5
You are using the Bible as a weapon to abuse victims. You show an angry vengeful God, not a loving, compassionate God. The victims have done nothing wrong. They do not need to forgive anyone. Most victims blame themselves for the abuse. You need to stop. You claim to be a believer but you dont practice what Jesus teaches. What kind of believer are you? God will deal with the abusers severely unless he REPENTS. God will punish him 1000 fold than the victims can do to him/hers. Leave it to God it is a fearful thing to fall into hand of a LIVING God! Vengeance belongs to me said the Lord. Yes, forgiving the abuser is God's job, not the victims. |
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Post by fixit on Jan 5, 2024 1:48:10 GMT -5
Yes, forgiving is God's job, not the victims. That is NOT what Jesus teaches in Matthew 7. You better get it right or people sins are NOT forgiven because of your incorrect interpretation. You should have taken my advice and quit this thread before adding more proof of your ignorance of the subject. Are you an enabler of CSA? |
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 2:03:21 GMT -5
Yes, forgiving is God's job, not the victims. That is NOT what Jesus teaches in Matthew 7. You better get it right or people sins are NOT forgiven because of your incorrect interpretation. The victim has not committed any sins to be forgiven for. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2024 3:32:40 GMT -5
It's such a taboo subject...I'd say most churches have never got right on this with the very first report...most took some time to get going on reporting and punishing this. There is no record generally of this from a church perspective. the Truth will have to do some serious catchup just like some others already did... How long is "some time"? wingsfortruth.info/2023/07/08/35-years-ago-to-taylor-wood-and-the-church/Not a lot of church records anywhere (maybe Catholics?) about things like this. We know the Catholic church has taken decades to address this full on. I doubt it has been different than any other church including the 2x2's... Another female teacher just got charged with sex with a minor...not a lot of screaming going on about that, just wait till a "Christian" does it though...if your blinders are off this is everywhere... America was formed in 1776 but not many if any CSA laws till 1974. Which is longer 198 years or Taylor Woods 35? Would you think that that was "some time"? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2024 3:40:51 GMT -5
~~~ Jesus said in Matthew 7:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive NOT MEN their trespasses, NEITHER your Father forgive your SINS! The choice is yours to make if you don’t forgive your abusers then your sins will NOT be forgiven in this life or in the judgment day. You better listen and pay attention to Jesus serious warnings and tell your patients about the KEY to forgiveness is to forgive the guilty then it will set you FREE from Satan ‘s shackles/chains and bondage/prison..[be] You are dangerous to be around victims. You wrote earlier: when you were in the work from 1986 -1993 we encountered CSA within the fellowship we had very little guideline on how to handle it. We told the victims to forgive the abusers, Pray to God and move on with their lives and NOT to bitter about. God will deal with the abusers according to His time." You seem to admit here that it was wrong to tell the victims to forgive the abusers but you are still saying it. Your ignorance and lack of compassion makes me cry. Victims are not bound by Satan's shackles, bondage or prison. They did nothing wrong and owe the abuser nothing. You're asking them to forgive their abuser. Who does that serve - the abuser only. Again, your advice is dangerous and abusive. It revictimises the victim. Take the abuser to court, let them get their just punishment. It is not the victims responsibility to forgive the abuser. They've been robbed of enough, don't heap further burdens on them. I wouldn't forgive something like that (I also don't forgive those that initiate violence) so may be a hypocrite here, but you(me)anyone will have a hard time explaining why we are ignoring/disregarding Matt 7:14-15 come judgment day over revictimization, just sayin' |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2024 3:45:20 GMT -5
You claim to be a believer but you dont practice what Jesus teaches. What kind of believer are you? God will deal with the abusers severely unless he REPENTS. God will punish him 1000 fold than the victims can do to him/hers. Leave it to God it is a fearful thing to fall into hand of a LIVING God! Vengeance belongs to me said the Lord. Yes, forgiving the abuser is God's job, not the victims. Not biblical again. You are ignoring what God has said on the matter... |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2024 3:51:20 GMT -5
That is NOT what Jesus teaches in Matthew 7. You better get it right or people sins are NOT forgiven because of your incorrect interpretation. The victim has not committed any sins to be forgiven for. You are not seeing the bigger picture. You're saying a victim has never committed a sin before? Doesn't have to be CSA or SA either to qualify as sin. In Matt 7. God isn't saying if you don't forgive a pedo your pedophilia won't be forgiven. It's a general statement "sin" covers everything known and unknown.... |
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Post by Mary on Jan 5, 2024 3:59:08 GMT -5
The victim has not committed any sins to be forgiven for. You are not seeing the bigger picture. You're saying a victim has never committed a sin before? Doesn't have to be CSA or SA either to qualify as sin. In Matt 7. God isn't saying if you don't forgive a pedo your pedophilia won't be forgiven. It's a general statement "sin" covers everything known and unknown.... The subject is Nathan saying the victim needa to forgive the abuser for the abuse. |
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Post by mod7 on Jan 5, 2024 6:00:52 GMT -5
Nathan, on behalf of the Admin team, you are requested to refrain from posting on this thread. This is on the basis of concerns raised with us by victims of worker abuse. You were one of the workers during the period that CSA was rife within this fellowship, and your advice then and now on this topic lacks credibility. TMB will always support and care for the victims of the abuse (both sexual and in all its other forms) as our number 1 priority.
You are very much currently on probation, and are reminded of the privilege of posting on TMB and the need for respect particularly for the victims of abuse.
Your posts on this thread up until now have been moved to their own thread on the private members-only board, if anyone is interested to know what your advice as an ex-worker is.
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Post by maryhig on Jan 5, 2024 6:02:32 GMT -5
You are dangerous to be around victims. You wrote earlier: when you were in the work from 1986 -1993 we encountered CSA within the fellowship we had very little guideline on how to handle it. We told the victims to forgive the abusers, Pray to God and move on with their lives and NOT to bitter about. God will deal with the abusers according to His time." You seem to admit here that it was wrong to tell the victims to forgive the abusers but you are still saying it. Your ignorance and lack of compassion makes me cry. Victims are not bound by Satan's shackles, bondage or prison. They did nothing wrong and owe the abuser nothing. You're asking them to forgive their abuser. Who does that serve - the abuser only. Again, your advice is dangerous and abusive. It revictimises the victim. Take the abuser to court, let them get their just punishment. It is not the victims responsibility to forgive the abuser. They've been robbed of enough, don't heap further burdens on them.
Forgiveness is conditional, not automatic. God forgives the repentant sinner and likewise expects us to forgive (not forget) those who trespass against us when they've truly repented. Problem is, most abusers continue to abuse, so no forgiveness is warranted. If a person does not confess and accept punishment, they haven't truly repented and don't deserve to be forgiven. e.g; If someone stole your car and refused to return it or turn themselves into the police, you don't forgive them, even if they apologize.
Yep that's exactly right, it's forgive if they truly repent, and if they truly repent then they will take the punishment for their crime. Anyone who sexually abuses a child should be slung into jail. No ifs or buts. And they should never be allowed near children again. |
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Post by maryhig on Jan 5, 2024 6:16:51 GMT -5
Nathan, on behalf of the Admin team, you are requested to refrain from posting on this thread. This is on the basis of concerns raised with us by victims of worker abuse. You were one of the workers during the period that CSA was rife within this fellowship, and your advice then and now on this topic lacks credibility. TMB will always support and care for the victims of the abuse (both sexual and in all its other forms) as our number 1 priority. You are very much currently on probation, and are reminded of the privilege of posting on TMB and the need for respect particularly for the victims of abuse. Your posts on this thread up until now have been moved to their own thread on the private members-only board, if anyone is interested to know what your advice as an ex-worker is. I'm shocked at Nathan, telling people who have been sexually abused they must forgive their abuser for God to forgive them? What in earth? Forgive them of what Nathan? Being groomed by an abuser and then sexually assaulted? Even as a child? I can't even imagine what those who have been abused have gone through. It could take a lifetime to forgive that. I've suffered abuse as an adult for over 10 years and it wasn't sexual, but it was severe. And it took me 20 years to forgive and that was only when they truly repented. And that was only with the help of God. Never mind sexual abuse or CSA by someone you're supposed to trust in God! Don't judge people Nathan, you don't know what they've been through. Get every single worker, overseer and whoever else that's been abusing children or committing sexual abuse and throw them Infront of a judge. Not hide them in the church. These are supposed to some of the most trusted people in the world, they are supposed to be messengers of God but they are wolves in sheep's clothing. Evil and living by the will of their father the devil. Shear the sheep's coat off them and remove them from the fold and leave the world to judge them, since they live by the lusts of the world. They are filthy, and Paul speaks of people like them in Romans 1 as does Jude. They are not men/women of God, they are false prophets hiding behind the name of the living God and they are a disgrace! |
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Post by haggard on Jan 5, 2024 7:38:56 GMT -5
As a (happily) ex-member of almost 3 decades now, I am surprised at how much processing I have personally had to do over the 2X2 events of the past year. And I'll tell you what surprises me (no criticism here at all), that after 3 decades away from the F&W meeting church, you still have such a strong interest and connection. And you're not the only one, many many others ( snow included, even longer I think). I don't know for sure, but I feel if I left the F&W fellowship, that would be it - clean break, certainly no energy or time for internet F&W forums. But who knows? Maybe there's something really strong from those formative years of us all growing up in such a unique culture/system? Interesting and definitely puzzling to me lm not sure if every victim would feel this way... but l think if they knew some who they respected and trusted,,,left the system and turned there back on this horrid situation they would feel very let down,,and unsupported,,,And even after 24 yrs,,l feel its important to eliminate this corruption and crime ,,.and at this point the pot of gold is still very being very well hid...so any thing that can help expose the true motives of the cartel..and for what it really is..supports those who have been harmed for life. |
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Post by mountain on Jan 5, 2024 8:50:31 GMT -5
The author of the OP is to be highly commended for nailing their colours firmly to the mast. Any right thinking current member of the group will rally round this standard irrespective of whether they choose to stay in the fellowship or remove themselves from it. Waiting for positive, permanent changes to be made to the system and the introduction of realistic, meaningful rules to govern its operation will only lead to frustration and disappointment as the absolute minimum is tip-toed in with the silence of a church mouse. Watching paint dry will have better results.
Others are right to point out the CSA/SA epidemic that has been unfolding over recent months, is not peculiar to the F&W's sect but is part and parcel of most, if not all other forms of Christian religion. This should not be offered as an explanation or excuse for this misconduct but rather should be used to highlight the fact that Irvine's experiment is NOT the one and only true way of Christianity, but merely one department in the broad picture. Also as others have implied, Jesus IS the narrow way........not the concoctions of man. The FaWs should be aggressively pursuing the similar steps as their denominational peers in their bid to seriously tackle the evils of CSA and other forms of abuse and immoral behaviour.
Remember, most of us put our faith and trust in this way as being God's one and only true way, beguiled into believing it was the perfect way, resulting in us lowering our guard and evacuating our common sense, sound reasoning and logic as we looked up to those whom we placed on pedestals as being righteous and above reproach, thus exposing ourselves and those in our charge or care to the type of abuses that are now being exposed. The sad reality that has been brought to pass is accompanied by many adverse emotions. Bewilderment is putting it lightly.
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nathan2
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Nathan again
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Post by nathan2 on Jan 5, 2024 9:13:51 GMT -5
Nathan, on behalf of the Admin team, you are requested to refrain from posting on this thread. This is on the basis of concerns raised with us by victims of worker abuse. You were one of the workers during the period that CSA was rife within this fellowship, and your advice then and now on this topic lacks credibility. TMB will always support and care for the victims of the abuse (both sexual and in all its other forms) as our number 1 priority. You are very much currently on probation, and are reminded of the privilege of posting on TMB and the need for respect particularly for the victims of abuse. Your posts on this thread up until now have been moved to their own thread on the private members-only board, if anyone is interested to know what your advice as an ex-worker is. ~~ Thanks, that is OK by me. Your board you can do whatever you want but let us be FAIR! and reasonable, Ok. |
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Post by SharonArnold on Jan 5, 2024 14:53:38 GMT -5
As a (happily) ex-member of almost 3 decades now, I am surprised at how much processing I have personally had to do over the 2X2 events of the past year. And I'll tell you what surprises me (no criticism here at all), that after 3 decades away from the F&W meeting church, you still have such a strong interest and connection. And you're not the only one, many many others ( snow included, even longer I think). I don't know for sure, but I feel if I left the F&W fellowship, that would be it - clean break, certainly no energy or time for internet F&W forums. But who knows? Maybe there's something really strong from those formative years of us all growing up in such a unique culture/system? Interesting and definitely puzzling to me I’ve seen it both ways. A couple years after I left, a close friend of mine left as well. She said to me: "Why are you involved in the 2X2 forums? I have wasted so much of my life in 2X2ism, I am not going to give it another second of my time." And she hasn't. As I type this, I realize that I don’t really regard my years in 2x2ism as wasted. Far from it. It taught me so much about myself, about people, and about life. It is part of The Story of Me. I don't regard my time spent in this forum as wasted either. It is still teaching me much about myself, about people, and about life. (Don't get me wrong, for me, this is only a tiny part of a pretty rich and fulfilling life. But, it IS a part.) My years in 2X2ism were deeply formative years. Both of my parents were true believers in 2X2ism, but fortunately for me, they were believers in something bigger as well. My mother was a very spiritual person, wise even. There was a world of ideas, books and literature in our home. And, perhaps, because I grew up on a farm that was homesteaded by my great-grandparents, with animals and lots of plants and trees, where you could clearly see the night sky, I had a deep respect for the natural world, and all that it could teach you. There are only a couple of people from my entire extended family who are not still professing, from roots going back to 1915 on the one side and 1925 on the other side. So there's that. My questions this past year have been “What was I a part of?” "No, really, what was I REALLY part of?" I always had a fairly benign view of 2X2ism, and the little I knew of incidents of sexual misconduct, I thought had been reasonably well handled, particularly for the time. I had no idea. No idea. |
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Post by help on Jan 5, 2024 16:07:03 GMT -5
Liked your story Sharon and I would have to say ditto for myself, very similar past. I agree those years were not wasted as a 2x2, it gave us the experience of living in a restricted cult. Then when we finally got away from it, we enjoyed our new found freedom much more. Gave us greater value of people and deeper meaning to what life is really about. A much richer journey, because of past experience. Great that we can share our story with a wonderful group of people on TMB.
"Be the change that you wish to see in the World." - Mahatma Gandhi.
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