Ah, but did you notice Moon, that "Campbell Soup is
under the Moonflower?" So, proper exegesis that includes the correct grammatical/historical means of interpretation would demonstrate that I am the last and have the claim to greater victimization!
As a more serious response to Fib's original question: What did we bring with us, as a psychological issue, before we entered the group? And, can that explain why we became involved?
There were several different general types that were in the group that I observed. Of course, the children didn't have a choice so they don't enter this kind of evaluation.
1.) The wide eyed truly innocent believer of GG teaching.
2.) The egocentric power hungry controller who desired to climb the ladder in the group.
3.) Those that had a mix of both number one and two above.
These attitudes are basic human conditions that are not necessarily "psychological" issues as much as they are maturity and character needs.
I think that honesty re. how GG used both of these human defects to his advantage in our own individual situation could be very helpful in understanding and learning from our past.
Someone, who "fell away" from the group, thinking themselves a great flop, could be in a much better position than one who left thinking that they were just involved in a church with a failed leader. The latter could just carry with them the deep character flaws that allowed them to administrate GG abuses without honestly considering their failure.
So, it's more important what condition I leave the group with than the one I brought in with me.
God Bless, Mark C.
