the funny thing with all of this is that it has absolutely nothing to do with repentance or whether a person believes it to be the truth.....
If the organization stresses the importance of ZERO communication with df'd family members....then OF COURSE they're going to feel horrible and want to be able to have their family back! "do as we say, or we're going to take away everything you love....." and then they dangle it in front of you like a cookie. Having relations with family shouldn't be because the society says so. All it teaches the df'd person is that if they want to have their family back they have to reject their own God-given free will and rejoin the cult. It's disgusting.
my best friend growing up has been df'd a time or two and is currently still df'd. She told me some story about how at the recent CA her oldest brother (uber spiritual, bethelite for 20 some years but left to find a wife and pioneer...hardcore stuff) passed her some note asking if she wanted to go meet up during the session to catch up a little. She told me that he said he wanted to give her a hug but wasn't sure that would appropriate. WTF!?!?!?!?! Where on EARTH are these stupid little rules coming from?!?!
I understand the concept of removing a "dangerous" influence from the congregation. BUT SERIOUSLY??? She's a 28 year old single mother of 3 still living with her parents. I don't care if she is a drug addict or something like that, how on earth does SHE pose a threat having THREE children that she obviously wants to raise within the congregation??? PLUS, if he's already going to meet up with his sister to talk (which, by the way, he hasn't even spoken to her in almost FIVE YEARS she said), why the hell can't they friggin HUG??? That is your flesh and blood FAMILY.
It's just completely ridiculous. Too many man made details that clog up the principles of God.
