Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
Dear brother Matt,
I have expressed my feeling about your recent posts in an honest way. Twice, when we have fellowshipped in the past, you expressed to me how forceful you are capable of being with people, and how you appreciated those who pointed this out to you. For the first time, I am seeing this side of you, so now I am only reminding you of our past conversation.
|
Ohio,
If you think I have been pressing to hard then I am sorry. I'm not completely finished with the topic of idolatry as it relates to this thread which I know you won't like it. Just take it for what it's worth in your mind. If that's zero, then okay. You don't have to agree with me.
Hope has quite successfully responded to what I was thinking and asking about in regards to the environment for kids. Here are the two key paragraphs.
Quote:
|
Yes, having my children in the Dallas church environment was very good for them. Some of the finest Christians I have ever known were in the church in Dallas. I could list names and it would be like an honor roll of faith. The local churches were full of wonderful believers. I like to think of the following verse from Psalms when I think of Bud and Judy Philley, Thurman and Dianna Massey, Leon and Mary Ann Hunter, Gary and Chris Brashears, George and Cleo Whitington, Ed and Jerilyn Lamp, Tim and Valerie House, Mary and Milas Lizby, Buddy and Yvone Britt and on and on. Ps 16:3, As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. NASB
|
This is true. There were (and still are) some excellent christians in the LC who could have a great influence on children. I think the system prevented some of this more positive influence.
In this next paragraph, Hope clearly acknowledges that the only way to protect your children as time progressed in this particular group was to keep them out of various kinds of activities sponsored by the LC system. Eventually this meant removing your whole family from the LC as he did.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hope
On the other hand, as the LSM developed (remember it was not always there) I began to isolate my children from the programs coming from So. California. There were some rotten characters who had wormed their way into "the Work". You will have to wait for the book to get the names but you probably already know some. From 1981 until I left Texas in 1986 I kept my children away from anything coming from Anaheim and kept them away from particular bad apple types.
|
In a subsequent post, Hope has indicated his attempts to seclude Dallas from some of the worse types of influence and has rightly indicated that it was a slippery slope that no one person could prevent the slide. To that end, Dallas may have been a little better while Hope was there but the leadership processes were so bad that one person could not make much difference.
So, thank God for one's like Hope who tried, but it was an uphill battle that was not surmountable at that time and the impacts on children were tremendous. Even more so than I think many parents may want to realize. As a child enters into adulthood they must take responsibility for their situation and all the baggage brought into it. This does not discount the fact that the child is having to face many things that were introduced as a result of the environment they were set in as children.
Matt