I'm so tempted to print all the responses and give it to my mother. At the moment I think she's wanting to be in denial. She doesn't know where to go.
Poppy: To think that even with proof they ignore peoples plights. If someone else had written this thread and I didn't know better I could easily think that they were just made up stories by bitter people out for revenge. But I have experienced it myself. I have never been a witness and never will be. Apart from not believing most of what they believe I see their behaviour. (and I'm not saying they all behave like that-as I said before I'm sure there are plenty of people that are sincere and good people) A so called Christian community that shows so little regard for the defenceless. I'm afraid that my mother will suck it up and stay in the marriage because she doesn't know anything else.
rosepetal: I agree with the controlling of ones temper. I mentioned to my mother last night that I found it odd that at the hall he's as sweet as can be. A lot of people adore and respect him. But when he comes home he's the total opposite. So he knows how to control himself. He's gotten away with it and he will continue to do it. He wants complete power over a woman, through intimidation. He's not man enough to earn respect so he has his rants and demands repect. But in the end the women most likely don't respect him deep inside and he probably realizes that. But they are submissive, meek, just where he wants them. He doesn't like an equal playing field, where the woman is equal to him as a human being. Because he's a wimp who likes to abuse.
LoverOfTruth: My brother told me today that it did cross his mind and asked her a while back if he was physically abusive towards her. She said no and I do believe her. He didn't physically abuse his 2nd wife. But that was then. Who knows what he will do in the future and that does worry us. I want to believe that she will tell us. She has always confided in me because she knows that she can't with her "sisters" in the cong. Strange hey, the org claims to be loving and supportive towards their own, yet my mother goes to an outsider, someone not in the Org. who lovingly supports her. You would think she would notice that herself and wake up to the reality that, with the Elders anyway, it is all just a facade. There's no real spirituality. Grown boys wanting to hold on to their prized titles; painting their tarnished and rusty images to look good outwardly, like God can't see through the bull.
As you can see I'm venting. If no one else reads this at least I'm getting it a bit out of my system.
