Christian Cults
I seem to attract cults like flies. My more recent experience is that with Born Again Christianity- Hill Songs/AoG to be exact. I was snagged through the medium of a youth group, converted, and for a while was a fully paid up God Botherer. This lasted for about 5 years, between the ages of 15 and 20. First of all I left the church when I realised the pastor there was in fact a complete and total idiot, mainly because of his hate fuelled rants against, well anything that didn't fit with his world view, i.e. homosexuality (which never even bothered me as a Christian), certain TV shows... well anything your average b3tan wouldn't even care about, or some of us hold dear. So, I left that and stumbled on for a couple of years, and then one night I realised I was just playing at being a Christian. I was offering lip service to something which didn't ring true for a while. I then became deeply depressed (as anyone would when they take away a mental support system which they have relied on for years), but gradually realised I was better off out of it all.

The thing was though, it was there at a time when I needed something to support me, and I managed to find solace and managed to grow as a person, so in a way said cult did me a service, i.e. teaching me social skills, get me my first social circle (who were genuinely nice people, apart from the pastor), and that first sense of belonging which as a child I had craved more than anything. Now I realise I don't need to belong, and am quite happy in myself, but there are times when a person needs help. I still maintain a quasi-Christian moral system (i.e. being nice to people and not screwing them over), just taking God and his more choice bits out, like homosexuality etc. As my dear old Mum said, religion actually did me some good. So it's not all bad.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Tue 31 Jan 2006, 18:10, Reply)