ex-l wrote:Whew ... sounds like your local BK scene was no joy. It sounds like you have been through some fairly intense scenes with your mother but at least she has woken up now and the BKs are not living off her any more.
Exactly. And fortunately she is not missing at all her past life. She is too busy at the moment, which makes me quite happy to see that. And making the BKs not to live off her was in this process of "recovering" the most important step to be made.
Do you have problems with the BKs still chasing her, or did you have to put them in their place too?
No, not at all, which is very suspicious to me. It happened exactly the same thing like in my own experience of quitting. The BKs just stopped contacting with my mother, when I cut them off of her money (they have no more reason and get no benefit). No money (no living off), no fun.
You said you are from Eastern Europe? Pink Panther mentioned about how the BKs exploit the prior influences of Catholicism. What proportion of the followers lived under the Communism era and do you think that makes them more susceptible to BK "state control"?
Yes. Well, basically I have no idea about exact proportions. The strict BK rules are very similar to extremely conservative Polish Roman-Catholic Church and its leadership. Many of the BK leaders were growing up in the conservative paternal Catholic families, where the women have to be obedient to men, as well as children and they were very religious and blindly following. Very often in such families also happened the acts of physical violence - the obedience of wife to husband and of children especially to their Father is important element in traditional Catholic family.
Or, on the contrary, some of the BKs (the younger generation) were growing up in some more tolerant and open families (atheists, first Buddhists, or Catholics, but not following the teachings of the Church), and they felt confused because of the infinite freedom they had, and no limits set. And later they were looking for another, this time disciplined, lifestyle in the BKWSU.
I suppose, the real BK boom in Poland started after 1989, when the activists of "Solidarity" social movement were forming the first government elected in the first free election after the fall of Communism, and Peoples Republic of Poland, changed to democratic country - the Republic of Poland.
Generally, for many Polish BKs (these who were growing up in traditional Catholic families) converting to the BKism was a natural transition as (specifically) the Polish Catholicism is mostly blind faith, disallows to free thinking, demands absolute loyalty and obedience to the Church and the teachings of the Church. Not to the Bible. The Bible is just the source. Every religious and practising Catholic must be obedient to the teachings of the Church, which in many aspects are completely contradictory not only with the Bible but with universal morality and ethics as well.
For example the Church shortened the Ten Commandments and split in two the last one, throwing out that one about not doing "idolatry".
Or another example. The greatest sin in Catholicism according to the teachings of the Church (composed of many Popes dogmas, canon laws and private opinions of some archbishops in the past) is not to kill a man but to challenge the teachings of the Church, and to openly critize them. Another one is to make a sin against the Holy Ghost.
These are one of the heavy sins. Even the paedophilia, or rape is not considered as a heavy sin, but the light one.
Challenging the Church and sinful acts against the Holy Ghost are unforgivable blasphemy and deserve to excommunication or even apostasy which is the heaviest penalty in the Catholicism - you are banished from the Church, you are an outlaw unable to receive the Holy Sacraments but even though you are still obligated to participate in every mass and to confess your sins for the rest of your life, unless you eventually decide to formally quit the Catholic Church writing an application (a statement of will with demand to be erased from the parish records) to your parish.
If someone is interested, I recommend to take a look at the light sins and heavy (unforgivable) sins in Catholicism (a part of Canon law). It is a very interesting and somehow terryfing reading, especially for those who genuinely act in moral and ethical way and don't need any religion or spiritual leader to do so.
That stuff about sugar is not a bad thing even if her approach was all wrong, there is too much of it in our foods and it is hard to avoid, but has nothing to do with BKism.
You are right. I usually use small amount of stevia instead of white sugar and try to avoid as possible to eat outside. The white sugar, and especially the corn syrup is very unhealthy but cheap and unfortunately accessible worldwide.
But I was meant the situation when you are violently forced to admit someone else's opinions and make them rules. Not being convinced to them and the same letting you the freedom of choice - take it or leave it and don't be afraid you will be punished if you refuse to do if you don't seem to like it what you hear.
We were terrorizing by her and in (hidden) panic we were often trying to hide the sweet food or sugar-bowl before she come. And I saw many times some of younger BK Sisters who were brought to tears by her and trembled, even though she never yelled at anyone, never raised her voice.
I saw how can you verbally harm someone in peaceful and sweet manner - she used to talk very calmly, almost whispering but you were terrified and unable refuse her or discuss with her. Agree with me or you will regret. In the BKWSU this was possible.
Quite the opposite! It sounds like they were operating their own private little kingdom dominating their guru status over anyone sucked into BKism. I suppose she wore a completely difference when the Seniors were in town ... who was your Zone-in-Charge ... Sudesh?
You know very well of the "double standards" in the BKWSU - no matter if you are in the UK, in Poland, Spain, etc. Of course, even the grass was "painted green" when we were expecting some Special Guest, and Mrs "Sugar Terrorist" was sitting quiet at that moment smiling or distributing awfully sweet toli (I suppose it was a real torment for her).
No, my Zone-in-Charge was Janki but national co-ordinator was BK Halina. Sudesh was Zone-in-Charge a little bit to the West.
I am so glad I am out of the BKWSU and away from all of the crazies. It's also why I stopped editing on the Wikipedia ... I just did not want to interact with them any more. Although they wear placid, sanctimonious masks, scratch the surface and the more dominant types of BK are endlessly dishonest, twisted and conniving.
I stopped to edit anything in Wiki as it started to remind a "cult" and became undemocratic and far from being neutral. The Wikipedia is created by people, some of them are more influential, some of them less and those influential ones and stronger fight to expand their influence. Wiki become more and more a battlefield.
You did so much to make people aware of the BKWSU and make them to start thinking so far. It's time to think of yourself and change some priorities.