Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
The story I was told was that the early conferences at the L.A. Convention Center? became too chaotic in nature, and Lee instituted the training format in order to provide a little order. That was just the beginning.
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"It's the life, life, life, that makes me want to shout - Hallelujah!! Praise the Lord!!"
So went the song. Life was pouring in, through our youthful and ignorant enthusiams, trained and manipulated by Lee & cronies. But what happened when the enthusiasms got too extreme? Clamp down time. Beat on a few sheep, and although some will leave, the rest are now cowed into submission. Perfect cult fodder. In Lee's phraseology it was a turn in focus from "life" to "truth".
Here's a testimony from an experience during the 1970s:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave
Your comments remind me of an experience both Don O and I went through in Detroit. This was in 1973. Don and I were sent to Berkeley by the elders because of their growth in young people to find out what they were doing. It was exciting being out there seeing what was going on. We came back and over the next several weeks we instituted changes. All I can say is that young people were attending our meetings like never before. It was a little bit crazy but energizing.
The problem was that Don and I had some concern about the elders support despite sending us out to Berkeley. They seemed to be putting on the brakes. In any case, some of the sisters painted our metal chairs different colors as they were excited about what was going on. It was fun but kind of crazy. What happened next was that a couple sisters talked to the elders and said we were rebelling. In the next meeting Don and I walked in and it was very solemn and the song was "follow brothers"... Don was overwhelmed and cried like a baby in the meeting and I was like "what just happened"? They never asked us anything and just blasted us. In any case, it was probably the beginning of the end for me. Any further effort in trying to reach young people was over. The next step: in early 1974 everyone "migrated" to Ft. Lauderdale and that was another disaster. Ron K went to Anaheim.
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A little bit crazy but energizing. That was the LC that I remember. "Hey - let's paint all the chairs different colors!!" But crazy is only temporary, to separate you from the larger Christian flock. Then the rules and regulations of deadening Local Church Religion come in. That's what the training is: a formalization of dogma, culture, and ritual. Full indoctrination into the Mind of Nee, or later the Mind of Lee. Be conformed to their image.