Trauma:How can this be of God?

[Stargazer]

Good evening Streetcar Forum,

I have recently researched these XFs across Australia and am quite perplexed as to how many participants have ongoing trauma, due to the leadership of these social entities. I refrain from calling the XFs a “church”, as the God I serve and worship would never encourage the atrocities I have researched and observed. It clearly is heart breaking and demoralising to see hundreds of people emotionally scarred from ever having contact with these entities.
I understand that there has been news editorial shows, books, online forums to warn the community against the controlling powers of the individual entities across Australia, however the XFs still are in existence. I genuinely ask the question, what is appealing about the XFs?
The following are documented trauma related situations directly linked to the XFs:
-Leadership takes on the role of the ‘messenger’ and all persons are to discuss all private matters to the head of the XFs. This seems to include all financial, housing, family, work, even cloth dressing decisions
-People are told where to live, even when they wouldn’t choose to live in designated area
-People are told who to associate with and not to associate with
-Marriages are separated and some have forced divorces
-Families are separated. Parents from children and vice versa. Children are prohibited from seeing parents.
-If a young adult in the family questions the leadership, the parents are told that the young adult is to find another place to live. The family then do not have much to do with that young adult.
-Financial abuse has occurred. I understand that the head leader in Brisbane XF was taken to court for financial reasons but he chose to settle out of court. He lost the case.
-No questioning the doctrine at all or you will be cut off from all social contact from all persons inside the XFs. One elderly person who questioned things was prohibited from taking communion.
-No communion as God intended(no physical element). It’s the Agape meal. Whatever that means! It seems a made up action.

I could go on and on but I won’t. My question to Streetcar Forum is, how do these places continue to keep active, when there is so much trauma resulting from the Australia wide XFs?

[BreakFree]

Hi Stargazer,
Welcome.
The short answer to your question is that BCF and affiliated groups are a cult. You are right not to call BCF a church as there is nothing christian about the group or their teachings.
The CF group has not tried to grow for a very long time and has relied heavily on children being born to boost numbers. Having said that there are occasionally people who are invited to join stay but as a whole CF doesn't actively recruit. Vic is a textbook cult leader and narcissist and drew people into his web of lies promoting his own agenda. He keeps people in submission through fear and intimidation. When someone new comes to the group they experince 'love bombing' which is where everyone is really nice to them, while the brain washing is occuring. As I was on my way out I watch a family come into the Highlands CF, in the space of 3 months the family went from independent thinkers to parroting the CF message.

The bigger question of why lies within our legal/political system. There are very week laws about coercive control in Australia, so its quite difficult to prove they have actually committed a crime. As well as the fact that very rich conservative lobby groups such as the Australian Christian Lobby are funded by huge religious group who make 'donations' to political parties in order to buy political influence. So governments are very unlikely to touch anything related to religious freedom or freedom of speech because of the implications it would have.

Hope this helps
Breakfree

[Boundary Rider]

Good to see and hear from you, Stargazer

BR

[Dexter]

The bigger question of why lies within our legal/political system. There are very weak laws about coercive control in Australia, so it’s quite difficult to prove they have actually committed a crime. As well as the fact that very rich conservative lobby groups such as the Australian Christian Lobby are funded by huge religious group who make 'donations' to political parties in order to buy political influence. So governments are very unlikely to touch anything related to religious freedom or freedom of speech because of the implications it would have.

You raise some very good points, especially about funding and donations. I would also argue that our education system could be a critical factor. You may be familiar with the late education advisor, Ken Robinson. I listened to some of his lectures a while ago as he discussed the impact of an ‘industrialised’ education system on arts and creativity. I think there’s a parallel with cult mindsets in that people are taught what to think, not how to think, and told what to do without understanding why they’re doing it. After a while, it’s easier just to go along with what the “experts” say. You know, people who say things like, “I have a special revelation,” or “We are your source of truth”. As an example, I was explicitly told by an xCF elder not to think for myself. I didn’t have strong reasoning or negotiating skills at the time so I let myself get coerced and went along with it. After that, I literally didn’t know what to think or do with myself unless someone gave me specific instructions.

The truth is that persuasive coercion is pervasive throughout society, not just in religion. We just tend to call it advertising (or propaganda in extreme cases). You can find it in the spheres of politics, science, news media, etc, and most obviously in business and commerce. Basically, there’s always going to be a shameless peddler somewhere telling everyone to buy what they’re selling. I don’t think we can get away from that, but what I think we can do is learn how to think and reason, like the famous Bereans of the Bible. Maybe a bad example but I went to a non-xCF church once and someone excitedly got up to share their testimony. It turned out to be a plug for a multi-level marketing scheme. I think, judging by the energy in the room, that most people discerned what was going on and just let it slide. The question is, should we shut down testimony time just in case someone brings a weird agenda into the room?

I don’t think we can stop the Vic Halls of the world from doing what they do or being what they be, and I think it would take some finesse to solve the cult problem politically or legally, without potentially sacrificing more religious freedom than is necessary or out-donating the current donors, but hopefully we can learn how to think for ourselves and vote with our feet, and help others do the same.

In any case, this whole discussion is outside my pay grade so maybe I should leave it to the experts.

[Stargazer]

Fine line they walk regarding coercive control. Legalities speaking, he certainly makes sure he crosses the Ts and dots the Is. However, coercive control measures of telling others to seperate themselves from family outside their social entities, would suggest there is major mind controlling occurring. Separating husband from wife, unethical… seperate t children from parents, unethical….manipulating people to hand over finances(other than love offerings), unethical, not allowing loving brothers and sisters to attend family celebrations, unethical….All these actions are driven by a leader who is in control of their thoughts, minds and soul. Their current “plot” is around “we do family wrong these days”… what the heck does that mean??

[guest]

My question to Streetcar Forum is:

how do these places continue to keep active, when there is so much trauma resulting from the Australia wide XFs?
Stargazer

This is a very good question Stargazer. Welcome to Streetcar.

Chris Masters / Four Corners ‘God of Broken Hearts’ asked a very similar question in 2008. He asked how perpetrators of abuse get away with it?

I cannot answer this but I do believe we can trust in God’s sovereignty and timing. This trust in God in no way absolves us of our part in speaking up and exposing this harmful behaviour. We pray, we speak up, we oppose evil, and we do good as guided by God. There is a lot happening that we never see.

[Bagel]

Interesting to see a Supreme Court judge in Tasmania this week charged with ‘emotional abuse’ (and assault). If I was running a cult I’d start getting nervous.

[Stargazer]

These places certainly have their way of coercive control, go under the radar. In the last couple of months, I know of at least five families have been told, they are not welcome to spend time with their families inside. This seems to be since the head honcho from BCF gave brainwashing services in September. Is this a new revelation or is this a common practice? I just can’t get my head around why people bow down to these serious cult characteristics of separating loved ones!! Isn’t this coercive control?

[Lillith]

Stargazer can you say which State/City/town those families are from?
My BCF family won’t believe the reports of widespread shunning, and certainly not done by anyone full time.

[Seeker]

Stargazer can you say which State/City/town those families are from?
My BCF family won’t believe the reports of widespread shunning, and certainly not done by anyone full time.

Oh my Lillith, this is the issue with so many here. How do we break into this when no one is willing to hear the truth. I get so much flack from family for not being "joined as one spirit" with my wife.

Of course, the wife is the weaker vessel and must come under her husbands headship.. . Like, OK...how the hell does that happen? Everyone thinks they are in line with the word, but in reality, (if they truly listen and believe/obey pope vic and his little minion mouthpieces) they are in darkness and destined for hell.......hear it for yourselves xcf'rs. It's all there in the many, many recordings on "lampstanf'. Pick one and try to get through it. Listening is the only thing available now as it seems any pdf or word doc is no longer there. Sorry, but as of now, the only way to access 'the word'is having to listen to one of the very puffed up underlings speak.

I'm so concerned how seemingly many normal, intelligent people can totally shut off their brains and not only accept shunning, but find reasons that the great leadership knows best. Heaven forbid it comes after you...but it will. There will be some area of your life the 'gifted, graced messenger in the right hand of Christ (also known as Vic) will dig up, spread rumors about and basically put up a big ol fence between you and 1. Your family 2. Your friends 3. Those in the "fellowship" that may not know you. However, since you are rebellious and fallen, who cares! It's open season to shun. Despite all the sermons on love, love, love, bottom line is there is NO love in the presbytery (aka vic). It starts at the top, with the head honcho of all that is false, yes...it's the great wolf in sheep's (sorry sheep, you don't deserve this!) clothing....the vicmiester... or as he's fondly known; The Puppet Master...

When I was sucked into the xcf deal, I could not understand why those I respected in the word would have nothing to do with the great ones writings. I should have pressed the matter several times, but thought; "Wow, i'm new to this and don't know much, but these people who don't like/believe what
the great one puts down i(n his 493 different books, writings, etc this week!) must be wrong! If I had only known then what I found out later, I could have avoided (or at least lessened ) the huge collision/damage that hit my life....the pain that smacked me in the head and never leaves. All over a man (A MAN!!) who made his own religious dogma based on a lying, cheating, money grubbing pretender. From Offiler to Jackson to Hall. It really does flow downhill.