exbkmember wrote:It was helpful to me to share my experiences and thoughts on this site. Being BK was such an important part of my life and moving on from it and the grieving process involved in that was not easy
... although I very much would like organisation to be more open and honest.
In a way, your use or experience of the BKs is what a good ashram should be. The important part being something Pink Panther mentioned not too long ago ... that once you feel better, or are through the difficult part of your life; you move on, you are encouraged to move on, you feel fine about moving on. Onwards and upwards.
Although in the BK case, I agree, the full costs of it (personal ones more than financial), are questionable. I believe that the leaders encourage addiction to the cult as they live off the cult and that other followers encourage addiction to justify and support their own addiction. It's seems to work in highly addictive manner, mentally, and entraps some kinds of individuals.
On the financial side, I think I broke even with my BK connection, I did give them loads of money but someone who perhaps realised this and maybe worried about bad Karma helped me out by putting me in touch with someone who saved me lots of money after I left them.
I think you should estimate how much and write a formal letter to the BKWSU asking for it back on the grounds that you were in a vulnerable state and they had exercised 'undue influence' based on false predictions of the End of the World, false representation of their religion and so on. We can help you in what to say.
You don't have to accept it for yourself if you don't want (although you have a perfect right to). If you don't want to, you can always give it to a proper charity. Better a cat and dog home or starving children had it than the BKs.
It might take courage to do so, you might not want to stomach having any contact with them, but it would be interesting to see how they responded.
I think, at the bottomline, it's the only thing the leaders are really interested in and the language they understand best.
Or, if it is a lot, you could get a lawyer to do so. It may seem confrontational to you or it may not be your style but I hope people do. I think its the only way to get them to stop them abusing people. I would not allow possibly superstition beliefs to allow them to escape responsibility.