Here is another story from a person who grew up in Armstrongism and the abuse she received and witnessed. Scores of rabid Armstrong worshipers deny anything like this ever happened. Everything is always rainbows, lollipops and unicorns in their eyes.
Here is another sad story of a childhood robbed by Armstrongism.
From Exit and Support:
I just read the story about the boy who ran away from home at an early age to escape abusive parents. His dad quit his government job as did my dad in 1972. I never knew this was a command of HWA until I read it here. I have called my mom as my dad died, and she refuses to discuss anything. Typical mind controlled member in a remnant group.
I was not allowed to attend SEP because of what happened to my elder sister there. Her things were stolen and she learned to smoke there--imagine that. Now I realize why I was never encouraged to go to college, which I did on my own in 1986. Again, HWA didn't believe in any college other than his own.
Luckily I had a very good imagination and sat through all those long sermons on Saturdays pretending I was traveling in space and never understood what WWCG was about. However, I knew enough to know I was going to escape as soon as possible.
My mom would beat the hell out of me at times and then make me thank her for the correction and smile to show her my attitude. Another revelation I had this week is that HWA taught her to do that. Finding this site has been good for me.
My parents never kept us from our school friends or "unbelieving" family, thank God. I think my dad definitely used his own thinking power on that one. I think feeling weird and ostracized and missing so much school hurt me the worst. Also, now realizing how deceived my mom and sister still are makes me sick. The language they use is the epitome of a cult but they are sheep nonetheless.
I saw many of my age mates in the WWCG get severely abused--starved, burned, beat, just to name a few. I also remember the year that the state department of children showed up in St. Petersburg at the feast and the paddles were removed from the walls of the Mother's Room (i. e., the "beating chamber"). The members were told not to spank at services.
My sisters and I knew how to obey like good little girls. I was a smart child and refused to go spend the night with any WWCG members that I knew were cruel to their children. My sister was not as smart and I will never forget a few times my parents had to go in the middle of the night to pick her up because she was sick. When we would go back to bed, she would relay terrible stories of things she witnessed, one of which a child being burned terribly bad for playing with matches. My parents tried to talk to the minister, but were politely told to mind their own business.
