Thoughts On The Libel Suit?

ExChurchKid · 11-18-2020, 11:53 AM

Hi all,
What are your thoughts on the 1985 Lee et al v. Duddy et al? See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_..._controversies for a broad description, and the actual court judgment is at https://contendingforthefaith.org/en...y-and-the-scp/ (I'm not a fan of that website, it's just the only place I could find more details about the case). I actually read through the judgment, and it makes me pretty angry that the local churches actually won the libel suit. It seem to be mostly because the defendants didn't show up. According to the Spiritual Counterfeits Project (SCP, who helped publish Duddy's book), whom I called recently, the whole thing was very traumatic for them. They said the local churches were just too powerful and rich. Which is so hypocritical to me based on what I was taught when I was forced to grow up in the church! From the ruling:

"The false statements also convey to the readers that plaintiffs are engaged in a program of deceptive recruiting practices that prey upon weak and vulnerable people in order to bring them under the plaintiffs' total subjugation; that plaintiffs control every area of Local Church members' lives through the use of fear and other various techniques of mental manipulation and social isolation..." (p.24)

There's more in the concluding summary, and the ruling goes into more detail on each point, but so much of what was declared libelous strikes so true to me. Examples:

"The express and implied statements in the defendants' publications that plaintiffs and Local Church leaders control every aspect of church members' lives, including discouraging friendships, prohibiting dating, arranging marriages, controlling the use of finances, dictating where members should live or work are all false and defamatory." (p.9)

"The express and implied statements in defendants' publications that Witness Lee and the Local Church elders isolate members from society and forbid or discourage members from watching television, reading newspapers, going to movie theaters, and participating in sports, is false and defamatory." (p.11)

No it isn't! I was taught those things growing up! I wasn't allowed to date, even in college. I had to live in the sisters' house. I was shamed when I talked to a boy one-on-one on campus. I was discouraged from non-church friendships, or friendships that weren't for the gospel. I wasn't supposed to watch TV. I was supposed to be isolated from the world. This ruling makes me feel so powerless, frustrated, and angry that the truth was legally hidden from the world! I should mention, I haven't actually read Duddy's God-Men yet. I'm looking to get a copy; it isn't in print anymore due to the libel suit.

Anyways, what are your thoughts?

Ohio · 11-18-2020, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExChurchKid

Anyways, what are your thoughts?

Some of us lived thru that lawsuit in the aftermath of the Jonestown massacre, so we supported the lawsuits. The tension surrounding the LC, and that was back in the day when the LC's had meetings full of the Spirit, was almost unbearable for some. The books had the families of the saints just spooked. A number of young people were hijacked and "deprogrammed." Many were never the same. It's hard to compare today to then. While I disagree with lawsuits against Christians, some of us lost everything due to those books.

ExChurchKid · 11-18-2020, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio

Some of us lived thru that lawsuit in the aftermath of the Jonestown massacre, so we supported the lawsuits. The tension surrounding the LC, and that was back in the day when the LC's had meetings full of the Spirit, was almost unbearable for some. The books had the families of the saints just spooked. A number of young people were hijacked and "deprogrammed." Many were never the same. It's hard to compare today to then. While I disagree with lawsuits against Christians, some of us lost everything due to those books.

What do you mean hijacked and deprogrammed? How were they never the same? In what way did you lose everything? Sorry, I don't mean to interrogate! I'm curious as to your experience, as someone who was alive at the time.

Ohio · 11-18-2020, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExChurchKid

What do you mean hijacked and deprogrammed? How were they never the same? In what way did you lose everything? Sorry, I don't mean to interrogate! I'm curious as to your experience, as someone who was alive at the time.

There were a number of people in Ohio who were basically "kidnapped" by so-called "de-programmers" who were paid by their families. I was told they learned their techniques from the military. When they returned, they were badly shaken up, kind of like PTSD.

ExChurchKid · 11-18-2020, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio

There were a number of people in Ohio who were basically "kidnapped" by so-called "de-programmers" who were paid by their families. I was told they learned their techniques from the military. When they returned, they were badly shaken up, kind of like PTSD.

I...find that hard to believe. Why not include that in the libel suit? It's a little far fetched for there to not be a record of it.

Ohio · 11-18-2020, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExChurchKid

I...find that hard to believe. Why not include that in the libel suit? It's a little far fetched for there to not be a record of it.

Think about it. Who would you sue? Your own family?

11-18-2020, 11:53 AM	#1
ExChurchKid Member Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 150	Thoughts On The Libel Suit? Hi all, What are your thoughts on the 1985 Lee et al v. Duddy et al? See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_..._controversies for a broad description, and the actual court judgment is at https://contendingforthefaith.org/en...y-and-the-scp/ (I'm not a fan of that website, it's just the only place I could find more details about the case). I actually read through the judgment, and it makes me pretty angry that the local churches actually won the libel suit. It seem to be mostly because the defendants didn't show up. According to the Spiritual Counterfeits Project (SCP, who helped publish Duddy's book), whom I called recently, the whole thing was very traumatic for them. They said the local churches were just too powerful and rich. Which is so hypocritical to me based on what I was taught when I was forced to grow up in the church! From the ruling: "The false statements also convey to the readers that plaintiffs are engaged in a program of deceptive recruiting practices that prey upon weak and vulnerable people in order to bring them under the plaintiffs' total subjugation; that plaintiffs control every area of Local Church members' lives through the use of fear and other various techniques of mental manipulation and social isolation..." (p.24) There's more in the concluding summary, and the ruling goes into more detail on each point, but so much of what was declared libelous strikes so true to me. Examples: "The express and implied statements in the defendants' publications that plaintiffs and Local Church leaders control every aspect of church members' lives, including discouraging friendships, prohibiting dating, arranging marriages, controlling the use of finances, dictating where members should live or work are all false and defamatory." (p.9) "The express and implied statements in defendants' publications that Witness Lee and the Local Church elders isolate members from society and forbid or discourage members from watching television, reading newspapers, going to movie theaters, and participating in sports, is false and defamatory." (p.11) No it isn't! I was taught those things growing up! I wasn't allowed to date, even in college. I had to live in the sisters' house. I was shamed when I talked to a boy one-on-one on campus. I was discouraged from non-church friendships, or friendships that weren't for the gospel. I wasn't supposed to watch TV. I was supposed to be isolated from the world. This ruling makes me feel so powerless, frustrated, and angry that the truth was legally hidden from the world! I should mention, I haven't actually read Duddy's God-Men yet. I'm looking to get a copy; it isn't in print anymore due to the libel suit. Anyways, what are your thoughts?