The more I read the posts on this Forum the more I realize just how unique the LC experience. And personally unique for each individual participant. And an experience that is hard to understand apart from its historical context as well.
I dont think anyone who wasnt there could ever understand it, and could never be qualified to critique it properly.
I raised children in the LC. To this day I appreciate very much some of those young brothers (who are now no longer young
) who spent time with my children when my kids were teen-agers. I refuse to denigrate their service. The picture of the LC life was not what some here seem to want to paint.
I know for sure that if I had it to do over I would certainly do some things differently. I would have accepted much more responsibility as a father, and I would have depended far less on the corporate church life. That is my fault,,,, not theirs. Living without television or christmas or anything else is not child abuse. In children's meetings we took kids fishing and to the snow, etc High School kids participated in extra curricular things. Many of us parents were just damaged people out of the Sixties scene who had no clue how to raise children so we did the best we knew how,,, and the LC helped in many ways in that endeavor.
It wasnt all bad. Now was it?
Arizona