After hearing Michael Maynard's horror story with his children at Philadelphia Church of God summer camps, and the stories on Exit Support Network, you have to shake your head in disbelief that some so called minister in PCG would make such a statement as follows:
In five weeks, 144 teenagers from around the world will arrive on the campus of Herbert W. Armstrong College for our annual youth camp. Our camp is designed to ensure these young people go home mentally charged and focused, their attitudes and spirits refreshed and renewed.
We also plan to send them home utterly exhausted.
For three weeks, these teens will spend their days mountain biking, canoeing and practicing archery, as well as playing basketball, water polo, soccer, softball, volleyball and flag football. They will walk, and sometimes jog, between activities, as well as to breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the evenings they will engage in other taxing activities, including a track and field event and camp dances. And if all that activity isn’t strenuous enough, much of it will occur in daytime temperatures hovering in the mid 90s.If you’re like me, simply reading that paragraph is enough to make you sweat. As much as I love sports and the outdoors, the thought of spending six to seven hours a day out in the sizzling Oklahoma weather chasing balls, paddling across lakes and biking through ravines isn’t nearly as appealing as it once was. But to the teens who attend camp, God says this three-week display of physical strength and endurance is glorious and honorable!
You can read His admiration in Proverbs 20:29: “The glory of young men is their strength.”
Obviously, good physical health is an important and praiseworthy quality that we all should be striving for. But isn’t it interesting that God identifies explicitly physical strength and energy as a defining and glorious quality of youth? In God’s mind, being a physically fit and healthy teenager—a young man (or woman) with strength and agility, someone who is robust and energetic—is a splendid and honorable accomplishment.Parents, this is a state of being that God wants all children and teens to experience!
How could any sane minded parent allow their child to be abused by these fools? But never fear, PCG will inculcate the 'word of god ' into their little minds so that they can become PCG zombies that turn their backs on parents, brothers and sisters and relatives that have left PCG. Endless hours of PCG indoctrination of their weird beliefs. Girls learning how to be proper wives who submit and clean house better than all those lazy laodicean women out there.This is why, beyond merely seeking to make camp fun, we have our teens engage in so much physically demanding activity. Together with the high-quality meals and energy-replenishing snacks we feed them, the slew of sports and outdoor activities serve to improve the overall physical health and strength of the teens. It works, too. In virtually every case, teens depart camp stronger, fitter and healthier than when they arrived. Beyond the short-term goal of improving their health, though, our goal during the three-week camp is to encourage our teens to embrace healthy and active living as a way of life. (These words of 'wisdom' are by Brad McDonald)
Of course, our effort to cultivate strong, healthy teens must be balanced, and must be complemented with similarly strenuous mental and spiritual exercises. This is why, in addition to all the physically demanding activities at our youth camps, teens take Bible classes, and classes on leadership and womanhood. It’s why we teach them public speaking and ballroom dance. It’s the reason we have them perform on stage and encourage them to play music and embrace art. And it’s why, particularly in this technology-ridden age of perpetual distractions, we encourage our teens to develop a love for reading, study and meditation.
This cult just get's sicker by the minute!
And as the teens become accustomed to such rigorous activities, they may find other vigorous activities designed to alleviate the stress of living up to controlling cult expectations.
ReplyDeleteIt's a healthy way to start the next generation of cult sychophants, although one may wonder what future the bastard child conceived at camp may have in a destructive mind controlling cult.
Just remember what the scientist said about the impossible possibilities of reproduction in Jurrassic Park: Nature will find a way.
Two guys at camp:
ReplyDelete"Man, with all this sweating, all I can think about is sex!"
"Hey, I'm gay too!"
"Tonight: Top bunk, but we have to be quiet!"
And so it was, a forged friendship at at the controlling conservative cult camp.
It hardly mattered to them that they were kicked out in their twenties: They are so much in love, thanks to their cult camp experience.
Brought to you by PCG.0.
And for that, we thank you.
If it were run the right way, and all the religious garbage was out, such a camp could be a real plus.
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up on a farm/ranch, I can say that hard work and exercise is about the best thing a teen-ager can engage in. It's the brainwashing indoctrination that's the problem, not to meantion that such places are a magnet for deviates who schmooze their way in as administrators, etc. Imperial schools was a good example.
One would hope that the staff of such a camp would have professional training and experience in working with teenagers, but that has not been the history of these cults.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I had an easy time of it at the original SEP in Tejas back in the '60s, but that was because during the entire summer, I received only about 16 swats, as compared to a minimum of three bareass whoopings per day with a belt or kitchen impliment used to administer 40 lashes per. This was in my very wonderful, loving, and exemplary WCG home.
However, not everyone at SEP had it quite as easy. One of the campers was asthmatic. Often, strenuous physical activity triggers asthmatic attacks. I watched, several times as counsellors came to the back of the pack to deride the camper in the middle of his attack, and to tell him to keep up with everyone else, or face swats for his rebellion at the end of calisthenics.
In another case, one of our dormmates had contracted the flu, and was running a fever. The three counsellors who were running the physical fitness tests at the beginning of camp came to our booth to accuse him of faking in order to get out of the tests. These tests were considered to be vital at the time, because Rod Meredith had just prescribed hard exercise as the preventative measure against homosexuality in his article, "The Shocking Truth About Queer Men."
Beans were frequently served at mealtime, and on one occasion, some campers received swats for causing an offensive odor by passing gas during Saturday night at the movies in the big tabernacle. Farting was not something which would cause counsellors or other campers to call someone effeminate, but it was still considered offensive.
And, there was plenty of other cruel or questionable stuff that went down. The above descriptions are not autobiographical. They involved other campers. As I said, camp was a breeze for me, but simply because my WCG homelife was like a concentration camp. Others with more moderate home conditions probably hated camp.
BB
Yes, anyone involved in running a camp should have extensive training and education so they can guide the ones with the hands on duties properly. Such was never the case with Worldwide, and I doubt it's the case with the majority of religiously based camps.
ReplyDeleteI still wonder, Bob, that you can stomach any aspect of religion after what you have wirnessed and experienced. It's a mystery to me.
I know there are sincere people in a lot of religious organizations trying to do the best they can, but the whole foundation, even the book on which it is all based, is a ridiculous fabrication. Might as well build a religion around the Illiad or the Odysey.
What has been described here seems to be nothing more than criminal child abuse.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to believe that prison sentences shouldn't be involved.
Allen, I guess I just came full circle. I burned out on "having it my way". That just never did bring the happiness which I had anticipated, so I gradually began thinking in terms of there being much more to the picture. I had to admit that the Christians whom I had felt were Zombies or dupes were somehow always taken care of.
ReplyDeleteMy mind opened up, and I began to realize that God or Jesus did not cause the problems in my earlier life. Man did. A false, man-made religious system.
With that change in line of thinking came some healing which I had been seeking all of my life, although it has not exactly been a picnic. My shift was not caused by the recession, but anything which one does during a recession becomes more difficult. Five years ago, you'd never have found me saying this, but I now realize that I missed God, and had never fully appreciated Jesus.
I'm by no means unique, either. Others are sharing similar experiences here and on other forums and blogs. One thing is very plain, though. It's not something which you could talk someone into. For three decades, I had my mind protected by a three lock box. The minute I knew someone was into any type of religion, as you suggested might be the case, I did shut them out, whether it was Scientology, Wiccanism, mainstream Christianity, Hare Krishna, Mormonism, or you name it.
Seems like the processs I've been through just kind of happened naturally, for reasons which I don't totally understand, but am grateful for.
BB
Douglas, I agree there are no other words for it than criminal child abuse.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with ACOG camps is that those who organize them rely almost soley on "authority" rather than training and experience in molding young minds and bodies. That is not a very good substitute, in fact it's a disasterous one.
BB
"The problem with ACOG camps is that those who organize them rely almost soley on 'authority,'"
ReplyDeleteThat statement hits the nail squarely on the head. It's the problem that rears its ugly head in all authoritarian regimes.
The assumption that one has ultimate authority puts them above all. Hence, there is no conscience or feeling of guilt. They are in authority, and that's that. Any opposition must be crushed and usually is.
There is no reasoning with that mindset.
I sent an email to this PCG joker Brad McDonald, putting them on notice that people are watching them this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for keeping the heat on Banned, maybe Geraldean will start to sweat for a change.
Michael
TTDOCF
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ReplyDeleteAt least after six days of sweating, these youngsters will appreciate the rest of God's Sabbath a lot more. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhoa, they're up to 3 weeks now? Guess the Maynard kids and I got of light!
ReplyDeleteLooks like nothing's changed... So sad.
*off light. Yes, I should proofread before I hit submit lol.
ReplyDelete