[Curious]

Back then, the fresh and living experiences of Christ, and genuine fellowship there, were bountiful (albeit, admittedly quickly fading)! It is obvious to me, and so many others on here, that the LC has now turned WL and his teachings into a bona fide cult figure, which has totally replaced Christ and the Anointing!

In writing of my own experience and observation, I cannot tell if I witnessed what is widespread or only a particular situation. So responses on the forum help fill in the picture further. Tho’ the longer I observed the more I assessed the problem being systemic, with my final conclusion being; there was nothing I could do to help, they weren’t about to listen to me anyway.

To StG
What I love about your responding comment is that you had wonderful experiences of both Christ and brotherly love in the early days. It is wonderful you had that, so many people in the world have not been blessed in such a way. It never leaves a person, the imprint of God, and it is delightful to learn of such a time in a person’s life, regardless of any other factors.

Also, to balance my last post, I said that in SRA they deliberately and systematically break a person up and fragment their personalities…. in the LC cognitive dissonance is merely an unintended side-effect of funny theology and harmful practise, but not at all intentional. There is always much to be grateful for and blessing to be found in each of our journeys of life, and I don’t want to be critical in a narrow way.

Now I have made a whole list of dysfunctional behaviours I observed in LC people, as I became more and more tuned in to what was going on around me. As listed on another post, they are: Judgementalism, relationship breakdowns, dramas, blame shifting, pretence, and I will add, anger to that list, both suppressed and explosive. I want to say, this behaviour sets in when people are in an environment that is emotionally unsafe. Everyone is protecting themselves, running for cover, passing the buck. No-one wants to be the fall-guy. Those who are cleverest at these tactics become the most successful within the social strata, but through means of deception and manipulation. When people are trapped within such a closed system, that’s all the reality a person knows.

So I’m not going to just leave it there. I want to not just talk about a problem without pointing towards help with the solution. Knowing people have been taught not to read other Christian authors, and that the gaps in LC teaching and practise will make it quite an unknown territory to look for help, especially in areas invisible to LC world view… I have some suggestions. (I hope this is not stepping outside of the brief of this forum!!) Here goes…

‘Boundaries, when to say yes, when to say no, to take control of your life’ Henry Cloud and John Townsend. (They have other books and resources as well, including anger.)

‘Caring enough to Confront – how to understand and express your deepest feelings towards others’’ David Augsburger.

Healthy boundaries are not permitted or respected in the LC. This book will help dismantle the overemphasis on authority. When everyone has healthy boundaries and healthy respect for the other persons boundaries, then conflict and need for ‘authoritative direction’ is automatically greatly reduced.

Anger as a result of suppressing injustice, being exploited, and for some, outrightly abused. Being taught to rubbish your own feelings, opinions and individuality hurts deeply and anger is a mask for hurt. (show me an angry person and I’ll show you a hurting person!) Working through it, allowing time and process to create awareness and empowerment to gain control of anger and diffuse it.

Finding the courage to confront, be honest and transparent and able to develop integrity and emotional intimacy with others, to heal that disconnect that has been referred to so often on this forum.

All the above books are Christian.

My last suggestion is a book that I know nothing of the beliefs of the author. It’s a very simple book, but beautifully describes the journey for one coming out of a long-term oppressive situation, where one has lost a sense of who they are, and is not equipped and is overwhelmed by, the task of finding their way in a world they feel lost in. it is an emotional connection story rather than a self-help or intellectual process.

It’s a children’s picture book titled ‘Nothing’ by an author who goes by the name of Mick Inkpen. The content, though simple, is deep.

These I suggest and I also want to say the following: Nothing is lost in Gods REAL economy. All that happens to us is for a good purpose in Him. The hard experiences of life are our preparation to develop into something beautiful and precious for which there IS a plan and a purpose. No matter how deeply something has hurt or robbed us, He can restore us, though it takes time, and He can use it to protect and rescue others. ‘what man intended for harm, God has used for good, to accomplish the saving of many lives’ genesis 50:20. This applies to all of us, if we let it.

We need to very honest with Him about how we feel about what we’ve been through, He can handle it. He will use what has been forged in us for His glory, to accomplish things that could not be accomplished in another way. In the long term we can live to be glad for what we’ve gone through. There is hope, no matter how dark or messy the journey out can seem at the time.

I’m not going to tell my pre-story, and why I would track the LC without joining. But I will say, I can promise hope for the journey from my own experience. I have also come through trials, and on the pathway out there have been some very dark spots, and I’ve paid a price.

I hope these resources may help some people. I believe they will.