A Seat for Every Butt

Not being Flow Chart Design literate,  may I suggest a similar flow chart to help people negotiate the Splits, Splinters and Slivers?  I would suggest it continue from "You Should Be Jewish" or in the case of leaving the COGs completely and not happy with Grace Community International,  you begin with "You Should Just be a Boring Generic Christian Then" and go on to find a stable Christian denomination that suits fits one's needs.. 

Should one end up "Atheist" perhaps an additional couple of boxes to indicate a preference for  being thrown in the Lake of fire alive or dead or "Eternal Punishment" vs "Eternal Punishing"?

OR...

“And above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling…the question should never be: ‘Do I like that kind of service?’ but ‘Are these doctrines true: Is holiness there? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to move to this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike for this particular door-keeper?”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity 

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."   Susan B. Anthony 

          But as best as we can and everyone already believes they do...

“Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing”

Thomas Huxley

This Day In History...The Sit In

This screenshot is from an article in the PostBulletin, Minnesota.

Photos: Today in History: Jan. 24

I spent a couple of days parked in the Hall of Ad with others as "tools" of the administration as it sought to fight the Receiver from entering the building.  Outside where Police and Sheriffs, with even more staged down at the Rose Bowl area in preparation for a massive strike.  Many of the Pasadena Police called in sick that day or refused to have anything to do with what was anticipated to happen.

One would have thought the WCG would have learned a lesson during that time, but no.  The corruption and massive amounts of money being spent on things that had nothing to to with the gospel continued on unabated.  Those same corrupt people ar enow parked in UCG, COGWA, PCG, RCG and elsewhere, still spending money.

Leaving the COG and the Personal Trauma It Can Cause

Leaving the Fold

Religious Trauma Syndrome

by Marlene Winell

Religious Trauma Syndrome is the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination. They may be going through the shattering of a personally meaningful faith and/or breaking away from a controlling community and lifestyle. RTS is a function of both the chronic abuses of harmful religion and the impact of severing one’s connection with one’s faith. It can be compared to a combination of PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). This is a summary followed by a series of three articles which were published in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Today.

Religious Trauma Syndrome has a very recognizable set of symptoms, a definitive set of causes, and a debilitating cycle of abuse. There are ways to stop the abuse and recover.

Symptoms of Religious Trauma Syndrome:

• Cognitive: Confusion, poor critical thinking ability, negative beliefs about self-ability & self-worth, black & white thinking, perfectionism, difficulty with decision-making

• Emotional: Depression, anxiety, anger, grief, loneliness, difficulty with pleasure, loss of meaning

• Social: Loss of social network, family rupture, social awkwardness, sexual difficulty, behind schedule on developmental tasks

• Cultural: Unfamiliarity with secular world; “fish out of water” feelings, difficulty belonging, information gaps (e.g. evolution, modern art, music)

Causes of Religious Trauma Syndrome:

Authoritarianism coupled with toxic theology which is received and reinforced at church, school, and home results in:

• Suppression of normal child development – cognitive, social, emotional, moral stages are arrested

• Damage to normal thinking and feeling abilities -information is limited and controlled; dysfunctional beliefs taught; independent thinking condemned; feelings condemned

• External locus of control – knowledge is revealed, not discovered; hierarchy of authority enforced; self not a reliable or good source

• Physical and sexual abuse – patriarchal power; unhealthy sexual views; punishment used as for discipline

Cycle of Abuse

The doctrines of original sin and eternal damnation cause the most psychological distress by creating the ultimate double bind. You are guilty and responsible, and face eternal punishment. Yet you have no ability to do anything about it. (These are teachings of fundamentalist Christianity; however other authoritarian religions have equally toxic doctrines.)

You must conform to a mental test of “believing” in an external, unseen source for salvation, and maintain this state of belief until death. You cannot ever stop sinning altogether, so you must continue to confess and be forgiven, hoping that you have met the criteria despite complete lack of feedback about whether you will actually make it to heaven.

Salvation is not a free gift after all.

For the sincere believer, this results in an unending cycle of shame and relief.

Stopping the Cycle

You can stop the cycle of abuse, but leaving the faith is a “mixed blessing.” Letting go of the need to conform is a huge relief. There is a sense of freedom, excitement about information and new experiences, new-found self-respect, integrity, and the sense of an emerging identity.

There are huge challenges as well. The psychological damage does not go away overnight. In fact, because the phobia indoctrination in young childhood is so powerful, the fear of hell can last a lifetime despite rational analysis. Likewise the damage to self-esteem and basic self-trust can be crippling. This is why there are so many thousands of walking wounded – people who have left fundamentalist religion and are living with Religious Trauma Syndrome.

Mistaken Identity

Religious Trauma Syndrome mimics the symptoms of many other disorders –

post-traumatic stress disorder
clinical depression
anxiety disorders
bipolar disorder
obsessive compulsive disorder
borderline personality disorder
eating disorders
social disorders
marital and sexual dysfunctions
suicide
drug and alcohol abuse
extreme antisocial behavior, including homicide

There are many extreme cases, including child abuse of all kinds, suicide, rape, and murder. Not as extreme but also tragic are all the people who are struggling to make sense of life after losing their whole basis of reality. None of the previously named diagnoses quite tells the story, and many who try to get help from the mental health profession cannot find a therapist who understands.

What’s the problem?

We have in our society an assumption that religion is for the most part benign or good for you. Therapists, like others, expect that if you stop believing, you just quit going to church, putting it in the same category as not believing in Santa Claus. Some people also consider religious beliefs childish, so you just grow out of them, simple as that. Therapists often don’t understand fundamentalism, and they even recommend spiritual practices as part of therapy. In general, people who have not survived an authoritarian fundamentalist indoctrination do not realize what a complete mind-rape it really is.

In the United States, we also treasure our bill of rights, our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion. This makes it extremely difficult to address a debilitating disorder like RTS without threatening the majority of Americans. Raising questions about toxic beliefs and abusive practices in religion seems to be violating a taboo. No one wants to be pointing fingers for fear of tampering with our precious freedoms.

But this is the problem. Sanitizing religion makes it all the more insidious when it is toxic. For example, small children are biologically dependent on their adult caretakers; built into their survival mechanisms is a need to trust authority just to stay alive. Religious teachings take hold easily in their underdeveloped brains while the adults conveniently keep control. This continues generation after generation, as the religious meme complex reproduces itself, and masses of believers learn to value self-loathing and fear apocalypse.

There is hope

Awareness is growing about the dangers of religious indoctrination. There are more and more websites to support the growing number of people leaving harmful religion. Slowly, services are growing to help people with RTS heal and grow, including Journey Free. We are discovering the means by which people can understand what they have been through and take steps to become healthy, happy human beings.

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What it means to leave

Breaking out of a restrictive, mind-controlling religion is understandably a liberating experience. People report huge relief and some excitement about their new possibilities. Certain problems are over, such as trying to twist one’s thinking to believe irrational religious doctrines, handling enormous cognitive dissonance in order to get by in the ‘real world’ as well, and conforming to repressive codes of behavior. Finally leaving a restrictive religion can be a major personal accomplishment after trying to make it work and going through many cycles of guilt and confusion. 

However, the challenges of leaving are daunting. For most people, the religious environment was a one-stop-shop for meeting all their major needs – social support, a coherent worldview, meaning and direction in life, structured activities, and emotional/spiritual satisfaction. Leaving the fold means multiple losses, including the loss of friends and family support at a crucial time of personal transition. Consequently, it is a very lonely ‘stressful life event’ – more so than others described on Axis IV in the DSM. For some people, depending on their personality and the details of their religious past, it may be possible to simply stop participating in religious services and activities and move on with life. But for many, leaving their religion means debilitating anxiety, depression, grief, and anger. 

Usually people begin with intellectually letting go of their religious beliefs and then struggle with the emotional aspects. The cognitive part is difficult enough and often requires a period of study and struggle before giving up one’s familiar and perhaps cherished worldview. But the emotional letting go is much more difficult since the beliefs are bound with deep-seated needs and fears, and usually inculcated at a young age. 

Problems with self-worth and fear of terrible punishment continue. Virtually all controlling religions teach fear about the evil in ‘the world’ and the danger of being alone without the group. Ordinary setbacks can cause panic attacks, especially when one feels like a small child in a very foreign world. Coming out of a sheltered, repressed environment can result in a lack of coping skills and personal maturity. The phobia indoctrination makes it difficult to avoid the stabbing thought, even many years after leaving, that one has made a terrible mistake, thinking ‘what if they’re right?’

It is truly amazing the pain I went through due to what was inputted into my mind… All I know is it took such a toll on me that I did not care if I died and went to hell to escape the hell I was in and the immense fear it put into my life.

Depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, etc... you name it. It sucks. Probably from years of guilt being a Christian and a sinner, and thinking people I love are in hell.

Making the break is for many the most disruptive, difficult upheaval they have ever gone through in life. To understand this fully, one must appreciate the totality of a religious worldview that defines and controls reality in the way that fundamentalist groups do. Everything about the world - past, present, and future – is explained, the meaning of life is laid out, morality is already decided, and individuals must find their place in the cosmic scheme in order to be worthwhile. The promises for conformity and obedience are great and the threats for disobedience are dire, both for the present life and the hereafter. Controlling religions tend to limit information about the world and alternative views so members easily conclude that their religious worldview is the only one possible. Anything outside of their world is considered dangerous and evil at worst and terribly misguided at best. So leaving this sheltered environment is bursting a bubble. Everything a person has believed to be true is shattered. 

My foundation has truly dropped out from under me. Despite being told I am courageous, tenacious, and this is rugged work, I consistently find wave after wave of grief that overwhelms me. I can hardly believe how upended it has made my life.

My whole sense of purpose, value, and meaning was wrapped tightly around my Christian faith...I kept my doubts buried and crucified, and I tried hard not to think about the troubling things of faith...A year ago, I abandoned evangelicalism...the pain I feel is deep and raw. 

The impact can create problems with day-to-day functioning. 

The amount of inner turmoil during this time was overwhelming. It affected my daily life and many days I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was depressed and anxious at the same time. Being in college was difficult. I could hardly focus on class.

I am utterly confused and at the moment my whole life is ruined as I don't know what to think. I've been off work a month with anxiety. 

I have - for about three years - been dependent on drinking alcohol every night for a very long time.

GCI Institutes New Leadership Model

As Grace Communion International seeks to define itself in being more grace-based, they have come up with a new model of leadership.  Instead of the old pyramid power structure, they are looking at REAL Teams, a model based upon the trinitarian understanding of the Godhead.

New Church Structure

Dear GCI family,

Greg and Susan Williams

Hopefully you have taken the opportunity to see the video series where I spoke about REAL Teams. If not, you can check it out here on our Resources site. It is our goal to be more creative in the ministry tools we are producing, and we are designing these tools for ease of understanding as well as application.

A clear understanding of REAL Teams sets the precedence for what we are hoping to accomplish with the new organizational structure we have in GCI for every circle of leadership.

In short, REAL Teams reflect the perichoretic union of Father, Son, and Spirit; the holy, mutually interdependent, completely harmonious relationship shared by the three members of the Trinity. This same kind of love, intimacy and inclusion was displayed by Jesus in the way he interacted with the original disciples.

In John 15:13-16 Jesus told his disciples that they weren’t mere followers or workers, they were his friends. Friends with whom he shared the insights he received from the Father. Friends with whom he shared life-on-life experiences and in-depth dialogue (Luke 24:13-45). Friends that he shared teachings with, which were not disclosed to others (Matthew 13:36-52). Friends to whom he gave high challenges, always with high support seasoned with grace (John 13:1-17). Friends who received tender acts of love from Jesus (John 13:1-17). Friends who were present to share the deepest and most painful experiences of Jesus (Matthew 26:38). This type of friendship expresses the very nature of the Triune God in which we are privileged to commune.

The following chart is the best way to present the new GCI organizational structure. It is not 100% uniform as each region and country has its own set of nuances, but the alignment is close, and it provides me a meaningful way to communicate and serve our pastors and churches around the globe. The biggest upside for me is when I visit one of the six areas around the world, I will meet with 3-4 leaders at one time and it reduces my travel and hopefully amplifies my effectiveness.

Note: GCI has National Boards in most of the countries included above. These are governing boards that provide oversight for their administrative leaders and body of churches. The appointment of national or regional leaders is done in concert with the GCI President with final approval from the GCI Denominational Board.

It is my desire to develop good chemistry with each of the six teams that we call “Communities of Practice,” and to whole-heartedly support each of the Superintendents. I am dedicated to listening, dialoguing, collaborating and planning with each group and as we bathe our times together in prayer. We expect the Lord of the Harvest to guide and bless.

This is a brave new undertaking and several of the leaders are new to the mix, so please join me in your prayerful support of each name on the chart. Even as I more fully step into the shoes of the GCI presidency, several others are stepping into bigger shoes as well, and I truly believe Jesus has raised up the right leaders for such a time as this.

I will work closely with the media team to keep you abreast of what is happening around the world of GCI. “We are GCI” and we are in this together!

Greg Williams

False Prophet Lectures Us On 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, 7G, and 10G Cell Phone Technology And How Satan Will Use It To Attack True Christians

The self-appointed Chief Overseer and self-appointed end time prophet is getting all in a lather over the new 5G technology that the cell phone industry is rolling out as if this has to do with the end times.

Doubly blessed, Elijah, Joshua, Amos, Bob Thiel is reacting to the ludicrous story out of Russia from a Russian Orthodox Patriarch who claimed Satan will be using 5G technology. In the equally deluded day-dreaming false prophet's mind, he believes that Satan is currently attacking him and his work on the Internet, Facebook, Youtube and other avenues of persecution.

What is 5G? Does it have prophetic ramifications? What is 1g, 2G,3G, and 4G? What about 6G, 7G, and 10G? Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill tied some of these technologies to the Antichrist–could there be any truth to that? Could some of these new technologies assist in the fulfillment of prophecies related to Revelation 13, buying and selling, and 666? Are there health risks associated with 5G? What have some suggested? Will these technologies only provide benefits or might the Beast and Antichrist use them for harm? 

This deluded liar has no idea what persecution is and has never suffered any.  As he sits in his warm home in Arroyo Grande, living the good life while peddling holistic quackery pills, and travels around the world, he has no concept of what persecution is.  Other than spout traditional Church of God malarkey on perceived persecution or fantastical future predictions, he has no idea what real Christians face on a daily basis.

As Christians are killed in Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria, and Iraq, God's holy-dreamer dreams fantastical tales of doom and gloom while living a life of privilege in California.  As Chinese Christians have their churches torn down, Bibles destroyed, are thrown into prison, with many being forced into communist education camps, the lying false prophet lives a life of unpersecuted privilege.

The government has ordered an independent review into the persecution of Christians across the globe after 250 Christians on average were killed every month because of their faith last year.

Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, announced the review today, saying it would make recommendations on the practical steps the government can take to better support persecuted Christians.

In what the government described as a dramatic rise in violence, 215 million Christians worldwide faced persecution because of their faith last year. Christianwomen and children are particularly vulnerable to persecution, and are often subjected to sexual violence as a result of their beliefs.

Mr Hunt said he hoped to use the review, which will be led by Philip Mounstephen, the bishop of Truro, to consider some “tough questions” and shape Britain’s foreign policy response to ensure the level of UK support reflects the scale of suffering.  UK government vows to do more to protect Christians from persecution worldwide after 'dramatic rise in violence'

If Bob Thiel really wants to put his shallow faith into action then let us see him start a massive campaign in India, Pakistan, China and Nigeria.  Let him boldly proclaim his god, without consequence.

Don't count on it happening though.  It is much easier to sit in his warm home and say idiotic things as he spreads one false prophecy after another as he claims mounting persecution.