One of the arguments I faced countless times while leaving the message was the issue of living a “clean life”. This is my viewpoint of why transformation is an expected result of social pressure, which the church thrives in creating.
If I were asked for one piece of advice to provide people in the early stages of leaving the message and an extreme faith group, I would say this: become endlessly curious, and seek understanding.
Giving yourself permission to step forward, breaking the “script” despite the feeling of fear is hard. It’s one of the most difficult things to do when you leave “The Message”, or any performance-based religious group.
People expect that you should have immediate answers for why you are leaving their faith group and, ultimately, where you are going. So is it okay to not have answers? Is it okay to not be able to explain your belief?
I have decided to step forward after years of silence, and contribute a perspective of the journey away from The Message, as a means of support for those struggling with leaving.
(this is a continuation of Part 4: Doing the Work) Criticisms of Psychology vs Spirituality For anyone who criticized me about this method of spiritual counselling as undermining the power of preaching-ministry, message tapes,...
(this is a continuation of Part 3: Why Message Ministers Are Poor Counsellors) My Last Months Doing Counseling in the Message In the months following my visit to Caring for the Heart, I spent...
Although not unique to the Message, Fundamentalism & Restorationism are part of the fabric of being a believer in William Branham’s message. The affect these have on your thinking, and your ability to leave the message, is significant. Let’s take a look why.
The Message is Branham’s Ark. He’s provided the way of escape by all his claims and promises. And this is the quandary for someone who is concerned about the message, and yet looks outside at the world. Do you get out of Branham’s Ark? It’s a terrifying and paralyzing thought, and the people IN the ark with you have a LOT of fear leverage to you against you.
Early in my post-message life, I would have other former members approach me suggesting their experience was significantly different than what I experienced. Likewise, there were times when I would read someone else’s testimony and be horrified or amazing at how differently their message life was. I also received messages from current believers who tried to convince me that the problem was the church I attended; it was clear to them that the church I attended was not a “true” message church.
Who Shunned Who?
Honestly. This is a question I’ve had to really reflect on.
In the immediate aftermath, it could be well documented in my writing on this website how the message folk effectively ‘shunned’ people who left. I felt very strongly that this did happen, and I felt this was an evidence of how the Message was a “cult”.
But I’ve had to really think about this as the years have passed. And I think I have a little more developed opinion on it now.
The following article is part of my “Barriers of Exit” series. These barriers are cognitive hurdles that make it extremely hard to question or leave the Message. For a questioning individual, they may have...
I’ve spent a long time on Morning Mercy through the years. It’s hard to explain how much was invested in this online space. Most the effort will never be visible on the pages or...
Since leaving the message, one thing I have occasionally done is to listen to archived sermons from various churches and ministries. I don’t do it to load up on criticism or document my greivances....
