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Cal · 03-07-2019, 08:13 AM

The problem I have with writings like these is the us-vs-them mentality and the air of superiority they display, as if nothing compares to their little corner of the Church. It's an idealized view. It says nothing of the failures of the movement and the people who have undeniably been hurt by it. It's all sunshine and angel choirs.

They have this extreme attitude because they think part of being faithful is to live in denial. We are not talking about just emphasizing the positive. We are talking about believing that even recognizing the negative is somehow destructive. A mind like that is not reasonable. And such an attitude is self-reinforcing. There is no fail-safe. The bombers are on their way to Moscow, and nothing can call them back.

I watched "Leaving Neverland," the documentary about two grown men who have come out to say that Michael Jackson serially molested them when they were young boys. One thing that kept them from telling anyone for so long was that Jackson convinced them that he was their best friend, and that if anyone found out about it they would suffer and go to jail forever. The boys truly "loved" Jackson and even wanted to protect him. They did not know they were being abused.

Sorry to say, the LR uses the same approach. It convinces people that it is their best friend, and if they betray their best friend they will suffer. It's a powerful inducement. I know. I lived it for years.

I understand, a little I think, the conflict those two young men experienced.

03-07-2019, 08:13 AM	#150
Cal Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: USA Posts: 4,333	Re: Do you think Christianity is degraded? The problem I have with writings like these is the us-vs-them mentality and the air of superiority they display, as if nothing compares to their little corner of the Church. It's an idealized view. It says nothing of the failures of the movement and the people who have undeniably been hurt by it. It's all sunshine and angel choirs. They have this extreme attitude because they think part of being faithful is to live in denial. We are not talking about just emphasizing the positive. We are talking about believing that even recognizing the negative is somehow destructive. A mind like that is not reasonable. And such an attitude is self-reinforcing. There is no fail-safe. The bombers are on their way to Moscow, and nothing can call them back. I watched "Leaving Neverland," the documentary about two grown men who have come out to say that Michael Jackson serially molested them when they were young boys. One thing that kept them from telling anyone for so long was that Jackson convinced them that he was their best friend, and that if anyone found out about it they would suffer and go to jail forever. The boys truly "loved" Jackson and even wanted to protect him. They did not know they were being abused. Sorry to say, the LR uses the same approach. It convinces people that it is their best friend, and if they betray their best friend they will suffer. It's a powerful inducement. I know. I lived it for years. I understand, a little I think, the conflict those two young men experienced.