Why is there such a lack of empathy in the Churches of God?

 

The following was on Exit and Support Network from a former LCG young adult. I could go on and on about similar issues in various COG groups, including the old Worldwide Church of God and the complete lack of empathy that they all exhibit/ed. The blog has had endless posts about the disrespect that the COG's have towards their followers going on 15 years and they STILL cannot do what is right.

I was a third generation Christian. My grandparents (on both sides) started attending WCG when my parents were children. My parents met as students at Ambassador College. They started attending United (UCG) shortly after Armstrong passed and the whole Grace Communion International controversy started. As a child, I attended multiple WCG splinter groups. When I was in middle school we started attending Living (LCG). I was disfellowshipped during high school. I have family members who still attend. I am in my twenties now and incredibly happy with my life. 

 

I endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from my family and the cult members. After I stopped attending, I was stalked by “church” [cult] members on social media and in person. I wish I had someone like me to confide in when I was young. 

 

I was very aware of the hypocrisy and hateful gossip spread amongst WCG members from a young age. For a while, i thought it was just my family. One instance of this that really set my views in stone was when there was a skiing accident at one of the youth camps. A young woman passed away in said accident. Due to the well known negativity surrounding her family, there were adults and teens saying they were glad she had died and hoped her family would learn from her death. I had never witnessed such a lack of empathy and remorse from a group of people calling themselves godly.

I started internally questioning why men in leadership roles were also supporting this negativity. Well respected parents with ordained titles who have children the young woman’s age saying her parents DESERVED to experience this loss. And then those same people would turn around and speak about “loving thy neighbor.” 

 

This same instance with different topics happened time and time again. I got sick of it quite quickly when I recognized the pattern. After speaking up about this amongst peers and eventually adults, I was disfellowshipped for spreading “bad gossip” and dishonoring the ordained. I was told to stop, apologize, and repent, but I said no.