By Ox Drover
My own personal opinion is that most humans, as a species, have a component that comprises “spirituality.” Evidence from some of the earlier cultures of our species when our ancestors were still living in caves indicate that these people had some idea that there were unseen gods or spirits in the heavens or in their worlds.
I think for many of us our spirituality is also part of our healing path and helps us to set a moral compass to follow in our actions and thoughts. Most of the sacred writings of several belief systems I have read all indicate that kindness to others, charity, and doing good to your fellow man is primary to following that belief. Though history and ancient evidence also indicate that some belief systems at least in the ancient past induced their followers to sacrifice their children by burning them before the altar of the idol, or offering blood sacrifices of captured enemies to the deity, those seem to be in the minority of belief systems.
Unfortunately, today there are many psychopaths who take advantage of what I believe is human nature to believe in something “higher than yourself” and to seek some one or some way to “contact” that “higher power.”
Tony Alamo presented himself as one of these “prophets of god” starting, along with his wife, Susan, preaching to the downtrodden in California, but eventually recruiting these people who fell under their spell, to work for them in profit making enterprises.
Alamo and his wife Susan came to Arkansas where they made the local news when after a losing bout with cancer, Susan’s body was kept above ground for months, with Alamo claiming that he was going to raise her from the dead. Even after he failed in the task of raising Susan from the dead, those disciples under his emotional and spiritual control did not desert him en mass.
Alamo’s many illegal antics attracted the ire of the IRS and he was convicted of tax fraud and spent about four years of a six-year sentence in federal prison. Though there was a great deal of information coming from those who had left Alamo’s discipleship that his “church” was sanctioning polygamy and underage sex with young women and girls as young as nine, Alamo, subsequently managed to stay un-indicted for these alleged crimes until recently when he was arrested while fleeing from authorities.
The judge ruled that he would not be allowed bail and six minors were removed into foster care from his compound and from his followers. Alamo was The Barely Legal Empire of Tony Alamo by Maria Luisa Tucker, May 13, 2008.
I am relieved that this man is finally behind bars, apparently forever.
Oxy: Excellent post, girl you have got it nailed!
sabrina:
You mean P’s are watching this blog to see how to ‘hone their skills’? I can believe that, if so. P’s know the ‘words but not the music’.
ROTFLMAO!!! A tee shirt and NO DIAPER. it is cute on a 12 month old lbut NOT on an adult! ROTFLMAO
My P-son also wrote a letter to a minister friend of our family’s complaining how UN-Christian we were because we did not give him “UN-conditional love.”
His version of UN-conditional love, however, was that no matter what he did to us or anyone else, we had to “love” him and give him everything he wanted. Unfortunately, for FAR TOO LONG we did give him unconditional love, but I came to find out that ANY love except to an infant MUST BE CONDITIONAL, because when the person we love starts to abuse us, in order to survive, we must LET GO of the creature, human or animal that is abusing us.
I’ve had a “rule” here on the farm about animals.
If it is Bigger AND meaner than I am, it goes to the slaugher plant. It can be smaller and meaner, or larger and not as mean, but if it is both, it is dangerous and I don’t need a large animal here TRYING to hurt me.
I now apply that “rule” to humans as welll. If anyone on this place is “meaner” than I am—OUT DAMN SPOT!!!! And basically that is a good rule, because if people don’t treat me like I treat others (with consideration and kindness) I NEED THEM WHY?
The golden rule says “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Good idea.
I think the “silver” rule should be: “expect others to treat you the way you treat them, and if they don’t, then get rid of them.”
LOL Oxy. It’s true, a large 200 lb infant is disgusting to look at. LOL.
Narcissism is truly a case of emotionally arrested development. They have the body and intellect of an adult but emotionally they cannot get past all the needs of an infant: to be the center of attention, to be taken care of, to get everything they want. They are stuck. I know S’s have always existed, but it seems like there are more now in our society than ever before. check out this link:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-florida-diaper-scam-bn081009,0,5067079.story
Sabrina – I have read numerous times on S/P sites(in my re-search into pond slime)where they are giving each other ‘advice’ about how to contol others: that the ‘best way to learn how to exploit people is to go on ‘victim site’ like this one.
Gives me the creeps, but there is no way to stop it. we are ‘feeding’ just by being here:(
BUT
I think that the help this site gives to people, the strength it gives to survivors OUT WEIGHS EVERYTHING, because it doesnt matter how much they ‘learn’ – when people cotton on to them, their existence and how to spot them(no matter what’s coming out of their mouths) they’re dead in the water.
Oxy: as usual-excellent post.
My older daughter complained the same complaint: I did not have unconditional love. I mean we still love them [or a memory]: but we cannot tolerate nonstop disregard and abuse. What kind of ‘relationship’ is that???? Seems pretty conditional to me. They will be with us on the ‘condition we take the abuse’. It’s kinda like tolerance everyone is screaming about…..tolerance is for the OTHER guy.
Regarding animals: I am an animal lover. In the beginning I tolerated some bad animals. Time has taught me there are too many good ones to make room for bad/dangerous ones. I have zero tolerance for the ones that are bad/killers etc. And…I have zero tolerance for mean and cruel people in my life. I don’t have nor do I want to have time for this any longer. When I was young I believed that love could change and cure everything……..60’s ya know.
You know, it’s my opinion p’s not only cruise victim sites for info but also to wallow in the pain of others. They just so enjoy their cruelty. I know my PX did. He would watch women on TV crying. I can remember he was watching a news story [while we were on vacation supposed to be resting and enjoying ourselves. ha….] on TV where this woman was crying and crying over what this pedophile did to her son….it was just so pitiful and he sat there in a trance with a goofy look on his face. It gave me the shivers….and I asked him why he was sitting there watching that and obviously enjoying himself. *shudder*
Also: he LOVED to pit all the females in my family against each other—even our own daughter against me. I can recall my daughter and I had a disagreement and he was running from her room to my room in a mad dash…almost dancing with delight till I stopped and looked him in the face and said: “You are enjoying this!” He looked like I had slapped his face and ran from the house and was gone for hours. Listen: these warped males enjoy our pain. Big time! Sickos. Twisted!
I DEFINATLY FEEL FOR ALL THE PARENTS WHO HAD TO GIVE UP THEIR CHILDREN IN THIS WHOLE MESS,ITS HEARTBREAKING,BUT ON THE OTHER HAND I DONT SEE HOW THEY CAN BE SO BLINDED TO THE EVIL TACTICTS OF ALAMO,AND HIS REAL MOTIVES AND INTENTIONS FOR THEM.
Dear Adrina,
There is a book called “The Betrayal Bond” which is about the “trauma” bond that cult leaders and abusers use to keep their “followers” loyal to them. the Jim Jones cult who left the US and went to South America and then when it was being exposed most participated in a mass suicide (those that didn’t were killed) it is so difficult for us to believe that they could be so “deluded” but it is so true.
I suggest that you read the Betrayal Bond, it is available here on LF in the store or you may find it on Amazon a used copy. Though it is a difficult concept, I think many of us here can relate in a lesser way to how we were “conned” by those we loved and/or respected and trusted.
UPDATE on CBS news:
Tony Alamo, Christian Ministries Pervert Preacher, ordered to pay child brides $500,000 each
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/14/crimesider/entry6096803.shtml
Five young women testified at his trial that they were abused. All five suffered PTSD, anxiety and depression.
At the restitution hearing, Alamo “scowled and sighed” during testimony against him. he blames the government and the Vatican for his and the world’s problems.
At least some justice has been served.