Posted by:
forestpal
(
)
Date: November 22, 2010 06:13AM
The "love bombing," or fake-fellowshipping, comes first, when you first become inactive. Mormons do this to try to keep the member from leaving. Obviously, they are afraid your husband will follow you out of the cult.
The "shunning" happens after you resign.
But in between the two, is the "HARRASSMENT." Men would come to my door in groups of two and three, usually after 9:00 at night. Often, these were strangers I'd never met. I have a peephole, and would ask them what they wanted, and they would say they were from "The Stake" or they were missionaries, or from "The Singles Ward" for my kids. I would shout through the door, "I don't know you, and I'm not going to open the door. Goodbye."
Some neighbors came by to invite me to the special class for "investigators and inactives" called "Gospel Principles." I let them in, because I thought they were our friends. In front of my children, they said I needed to study more. I told them that I had graduated from Seminary, had attended the required religion classes at BYU, and had taught Sunday school for many years, had read the BOM 5 times, and did not want to study the same stuff over and over again. They said there was a woman in the class, that I would have a lot in common with. She was the daughter of another neighbor, who had run away from home, gotten pregnant, married and divorced, had lost custody of her children, gotten on drugs, lived on the streets, had been in jail for selling drugs, but now had started going to church again. My son said, "You're saying my mother is like this woman, this street drug dealer? My mother is the most moral, decent, honest person I know! We're done talking with you!" My son, my other kids, and I stood up, and walked to the door, and I opened it. The men left without a word.
That is harrassment!
Mormons gossipping about you is harrassment. Mormons spreading lies to people at your job is harrassment. Mormons stalking your children is harrassment. Mormons teaching your children in Primary that because their parents aren't married in the temple, that their whole family will "pass by each other as strangers in the hereafter" and will not be a "forever family" is harrassment. Telling Primary children that if they don't obey, that they will burn in the Second Coming is harrassment. Taking sides with your husband against you, is harrassment. Interfering in your marriage and family life is harrassment. Interrogating you about your sex life and your underwear is harrassment.
Breaking into my house when I was at church playing the music, and dragging my boys out of bed and onto the floor, forcing them to dress without a shower or combing their hair, literally butt-kicking them down the stairs and into a van, and forcing them to sit in priesthood and Sunday school meetings, while being ridiculed for their bed-head, rumpled appearance--that is certainly not "love-bombing." It is harrassment, plain and simple--and tresspassing, as well.
Yes, these are all manipulative techniques used to control you and/or punish you.
Typical cult tactics.
I'm so sorry you are having to deal with all of this, Loveskids. I've been there, and could not have gotten through it without RFM. The kids and I are being shunned now, and I'm actually getting to like it. The Mormons can't hurt my career or income or marriage, so I can relax more than you can. Sometimes, I miss having friends in my neighborhood--but I have non-Mormon friends a few blocks away, work friends, old high school and college friends, single friends, cousins, etc. You need to concentrate on your TRUE friends, so you don't feel so "outnumbered." Know what I mean?