Over the next few days, Samuel watched the news and
read the paper carefully. He saw no mention of Ricky, an arrest, or The
Apostles. It confirmed an impression formed by his continued research. The
Foundation taught that it was the focal point of all human history, that it
would lead humanity through the final battle between good and evil. In fact,
most of humanity barely knew the Disciples existed.
He resumed his research as soon as he could. He
expected to look at some websites that would raise eyebrows if noticed, so he
confined his efforts to lunch breaks at work, and convenient late night
sessions at home.
The midweek Gathering featured a long part about
the evils of the Internet. Two objections to the Internet predominated. The
first was the multitude of pornographic sites. Samuel had no interest in porn
and didn’t understand why anybody did, yet he knew that many Disciples secretly
did look at it. He thought New
Jerusalem’s frequent rants on the subject only sparked more curiosity about it.
Once more, the Apostles couldn’t treat people like adults.
A Disciple caught engaging in any kind of improper
entertainment faced, at minimum, a review committee and counseling. Persistent
viewing of immoral material or looking at “perverted” types of pornography
could lead to being Cast-out. The Servant conducting the part at Gathering found
it necessary to read out a laundry list of “perverted” literature found on the Internet.
Samuel thought the material inappropriate for an
audience that included young children, or teenagers. He suspected the latter
might use it as a study guide. Either New Jerusalem thought it necessary, or
the speaker added a personal rant. He found both possibilities offensive.
The second part of the presentation discussed the
abundant supply of Internet material by Forsakers.
“If you are not looking at
the official website of the Word of God Foundation you are looking at material
directly from Satan.” The speaker went on to say that mentally challenged and
morally depraved former Disciples with nothing better to do flooded the Internet
with lies about The Word.
“They have nothing up building, nothing of value. They seek only
to destroy The Lord’s Word and undermine the faith of its Disciples. Those that
deliberately leave The Word embrace Satan’s will and teachings. First Corinthians 10:21 tells us, ‘You cannot drink the cup of The Lord Almighty and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the The Lord Almighty’s table and the table of demons.’ So we learn not to even think of viewing Satan’s words.”
He included a quote from some Disciple named Andrew from the United Kingdom, “I started looking at perverted material on the Internet as a teenager. That led me to looking at Forsaker material. Before I knew it, my faith was undermined, I stopped going to Gatherings and sharing in Disciple-making work. Fortunately the Servants in my Gathering determined my problem and provided help and guidance in breaking free from demonic influences. I’m now an Assistant Servant and working full-time in Disciple-making.”
That night, as he sat in his home office thinking about the talk, a soft knock sounded on the door behind him. He turned to see David standing behind him, holding out a book. He took it and read the title: 1984.
“I dug this out for you. I think you’ll find it thought provoking.”
“Thank you. Can I ask a couple of questions?”
“Sure.”
“What did you think of that part about the Internet?”
“Do you want to know what I really think?”
“Yes. I’ll keep whatever you say to myself.”
David told him the part about pornography was a waste of time. Every teenage boy he knew, including Disciple kids, and many of the girls had looked at pornography on the net. He said the Disciples were worse than Outsiders, and some of the kids he talked to knew Servants that looked at it.
“I won’t name names, but I no one kid in our Gathering who says his Dad doesn’t know how to clear his search history and it’s always full of porn sites he’s looked at.”
He added that all the kids regarded “Andrew” as a fake. He showed up all the time in articles and parts where they wanted to show an example. He lived in many countries, mostly the United States, but also the Britain, Canada and Australia. They also used the name Andre for South Americans. Whatever he’d been through always fit precisely with the point they wanted to make.
“It’s obvious they just made him up and put words in his mouth when needed.”
“Have you ever looked at Forsaker sites?”
His son hesitated. Admitting that could lead to major repercussions. “I won’t say anything to anybody.”
After another moment of silence, “I’ve looked at some websites critical of The Word. Forsakers didn’t write all of them, some serious academic research went into many them. They supply ample footnotes and have their facts right.”
Now it was Samuels turn to mull over his next words. “Do you have a recommendation?”
David smiled. “Take a look at a site called ‘The Word’s Words.’ It’s a compilation of quotes running all the way back to Michael Clifton Adderly. I thought it was a real eye-opener.”
“Son, do you believe The Word.”
David thought that over before answering. “Dad, why don’t you take a look and then we’ll talk about what we believe.”
“Okay. That sounds fair.”
It was late, going to bed seemed like a good idea. He decided to continue his research tomorrow night.
**
Yet another meeting of Servants took place the next night. This one concerned managing public statements and statements to the Gatherings about Ricky Halbert’s indiscretions. As Caleb was working in the South Gathering, Robert Brown summarized the current PR efforts.
The public part was easy, don’t talk to anybody. Speaking to Disciples required greater care. Whenever possible, Luke wanted them to say that responsible men from New Jerusalem continued their investigations. Disciples should not concern themselves with it, The Lord would take care of everything. No one, even an Apostle, was beyond discipline. Samuel thought the repeated references to the Apostles was counterproductive, it just called attention to the connection.
He was glad he didn’t have to work with the South Hill people. According to the Caleb to Sophia to Judith grapevine, several young women in the Gathering claimed to have complained about Ricky’s conduct to the Servants. The Servants denied having heard anything. The parents of the girl threatened legal action and wanted copies of all correspondence among the Servants.
The “responsible men from New Jerusalem” clearly wanted only to control the spin. Ricky Halbert and his parents, as the source of all this trouble faced review committees. Even if they could prove their version of events, that girls kept throwing themselves at Ricky and no one ever said anything bad about him, the bad publicity would likely lead to expulsions from the Gathering. At minimum, Disciple Halbert could not continue as a Servant. Judith passed on a rumor that Ruth Halbert suffered a breakdown and confined herself to her bedroom. She added that she’d heard the girl was naked when the cops pulled the car over.
“Passing along rumors like that is irresponsible,” Samuel admonished, “we’ve been told to keep quiet.”
“Well,” his wife sniffed, “Sophia hears Caleb and Luke talking about it, I’d think they know what they’re saying.”
“I think they should take their own advice and shut up.”
That comment ended the discussion and led to another night in the guest bedroom.
Among Disciples, removal as a Servant involved a considerable loss of status. According to The Word, Servants had no lofty status, they were humble men guiding The Lord’s flock. In reality, they had prestige and power. Ricky had been clearly on his way to a position as Servant, something that attracted young women by the busload at Disciple events. Perhaps that contributed to his problems. Certainly, his relationship to an Apostle didn’t help him.
Samuel brought his mind back to Disciple Brown’s words. He hoped no one noticed he’d been woolgathering.
“Wednesday night the girl’s father showed up at the midweek Gathering and started yelling at everybody.”
“That must have been interesting,” Benjamin Oldendorf observed.
“They had to call the police,” Brown continued, “but he left before the police got there. New Jerusalem thinks he’s going to sue.
“By the way, we’re keeping the girl’s name out of the public awareness. The news won’t use it because she’s a minor and there isn’t yet a court case. We still hope to avoid that. It will be a real mess for The Word.”
Once again, the complete focus of discussion concerned managing public perception. The people involved did not concern New Jerusalem. Weren’t Christians supposed to love each other, and show concern for Outsiders? That’s why the preached. This displayed the complete opposite.
That night, Samuel went home determined to move on with his research. He needed to know the truth about his religion. Did it really represent the God of the Bible? Were the problems he saw the result of imperfect men making poor decisions, or was this the result of systemic flaws in the structure of the Word of God Foundation?
He must continue his reaserch, but at what personal cost? David had not said so, but clearly he did not accept all the Word’s teaching. He might not consider himself as a Disciple at all. If that was the case, staying in the religion meant losing his son. The Servants would Cast him out, possibly even declare him a Forsaker.
But leaving meant losing his wife. If he abandoned their faith, she would leave him. In theory, they could remain together, but he knew her. She would leave even if the Servants did not sanction a divorce. Could he convince her to leave with him? He saw that he was spinning his wheels, but what could he do?
Their parents Disciples, he and Judith had both been Disciples their entire lives. They met at Grand Gathering in 1996 and married a year later. Like many Disciple couples, they had been young, twenty-one and nineteen, and had led sheltered lives.
Both had close ties in the Disciple community, family and friends that would cut off all contact with them. He could not imagine Judith turning her back on her sister. He needed to prepare, if he was to have any chance of keeping his family together. Maybe he could convince her to change, to follow him to a new life.
He included a quote from some Disciple named Andrew from the United Kingdom, “I started looking at perverted material on the Internet as a teenager. That led me to looking at Forsaker material. Before I knew it, my faith was undermined, I stopped going to Gatherings and sharing in Disciple-making work. Fortunately the Servants in my Gathering determined my problem and provided help and guidance in breaking free from demonic influences. I’m now an Assistant Servant and working full-time in Disciple-making.”
That night, as he sat in his home office thinking about the talk, a soft knock sounded on the door behind him. He turned to see David standing behind him, holding out a book. He took it and read the title: 1984.
“I dug this out for you. I think you’ll find it thought provoking.”
“Thank you. Can I ask a couple of questions?”
“Sure.”
“What did you think of that part about the Internet?”
“Do you want to know what I really think?”
“Yes. I’ll keep whatever you say to myself.”
David told him the part about pornography was a waste of time. Every teenage boy he knew, including Disciple kids, and many of the girls had looked at pornography on the net. He said the Disciples were worse than Outsiders, and some of the kids he talked to knew Servants that looked at it.
“I won’t name names, but I no one kid in our Gathering who says his Dad doesn’t know how to clear his search history and it’s always full of porn sites he’s looked at.”
He added that all the kids regarded “Andrew” as a fake. He showed up all the time in articles and parts where they wanted to show an example. He lived in many countries, mostly the United States, but also the Britain, Canada and Australia. They also used the name Andre for South Americans. Whatever he’d been through always fit precisely with the point they wanted to make.
“It’s obvious they just made him up and put words in his mouth when needed.”
“Have you ever looked at Forsaker sites?”
His son hesitated. Admitting that could lead to major repercussions. “I won’t say anything to anybody.”
After another moment of silence, “I’ve looked at some websites critical of The Word. Forsakers didn’t write all of them, some serious academic research went into many them. They supply ample footnotes and have their facts right.”
Now it was Samuels turn to mull over his next words. “Do you have a recommendation?”
David smiled. “Take a look at a site called ‘The Word’s Words.’ It’s a compilation of quotes running all the way back to Michael Clifton Adderly. I thought it was a real eye-opener.”
“Son, do you believe The Word.”
David thought that over before answering. “Dad, why don’t you take a look and then we’ll talk about what we believe.”
“Okay. That sounds fair.”
It was late, going to bed seemed like a good idea. He decided to continue his research tomorrow night.
**
Yet another meeting of Servants took place the next night. This one concerned managing public statements and statements to the Gatherings about Ricky Halbert’s indiscretions. As Caleb was working in the South Gathering, Robert Brown summarized the current PR efforts.
The public part was easy, don’t talk to anybody. Speaking to Disciples required greater care. Whenever possible, Luke wanted them to say that responsible men from New Jerusalem continued their investigations. Disciples should not concern themselves with it, The Lord would take care of everything. No one, even an Apostle, was beyond discipline. Samuel thought the repeated references to the Apostles was counterproductive, it just called attention to the connection.
He was glad he didn’t have to work with the South Hill people. According to the Caleb to Sophia to Judith grapevine, several young women in the Gathering claimed to have complained about Ricky’s conduct to the Servants. The Servants denied having heard anything. The parents of the girl threatened legal action and wanted copies of all correspondence among the Servants.
The “responsible men from New Jerusalem” clearly wanted only to control the spin. Ricky Halbert and his parents, as the source of all this trouble faced review committees. Even if they could prove their version of events, that girls kept throwing themselves at Ricky and no one ever said anything bad about him, the bad publicity would likely lead to expulsions from the Gathering. At minimum, Disciple Halbert could not continue as a Servant. Judith passed on a rumor that Ruth Halbert suffered a breakdown and confined herself to her bedroom. She added that she’d heard the girl was naked when the cops pulled the car over.
“Passing along rumors like that is irresponsible,” Samuel admonished, “we’ve been told to keep quiet.”
“Well,” his wife sniffed, “Sophia hears Caleb and Luke talking about it, I’d think they know what they’re saying.”
“I think they should take their own advice and shut up.”
That comment ended the discussion and led to another night in the guest bedroom.
Among Disciples, removal as a Servant involved a considerable loss of status. According to The Word, Servants had no lofty status, they were humble men guiding The Lord’s flock. In reality, they had prestige and power. Ricky had been clearly on his way to a position as Servant, something that attracted young women by the busload at Disciple events. Perhaps that contributed to his problems. Certainly, his relationship to an Apostle didn’t help him.
Samuel brought his mind back to Disciple Brown’s words. He hoped no one noticed he’d been woolgathering.
“Wednesday night the girl’s father showed up at the midweek Gathering and started yelling at everybody.”
“That must have been interesting,” Benjamin Oldendorf observed.
“They had to call the police,” Brown continued, “but he left before the police got there. New Jerusalem thinks he’s going to sue.
“By the way, we’re keeping the girl’s name out of the public awareness. The news won’t use it because she’s a minor and there isn’t yet a court case. We still hope to avoid that. It will be a real mess for The Word.”
Once again, the complete focus of discussion concerned managing public perception. The people involved did not concern New Jerusalem. Weren’t Christians supposed to love each other, and show concern for Outsiders? That’s why the preached. This displayed the complete opposite.
That night, Samuel went home determined to move on with his research. He needed to know the truth about his religion. Did it really represent the God of the Bible? Were the problems he saw the result of imperfect men making poor decisions, or was this the result of systemic flaws in the structure of the Word of God Foundation?
He must continue his reaserch, but at what personal cost? David had not said so, but clearly he did not accept all the Word’s teaching. He might not consider himself as a Disciple at all. If that was the case, staying in the religion meant losing his son. The Servants would Cast him out, possibly even declare him a Forsaker.
But leaving meant losing his wife. If he abandoned their faith, she would leave him. In theory, they could remain together, but he knew her. She would leave even if the Servants did not sanction a divorce. Could he convince her to leave with him? He saw that he was spinning his wheels, but what could he do?
Their parents Disciples, he and Judith had both been Disciples their entire lives. They met at Grand Gathering in 1996 and married a year later. Like many Disciple couples, they had been young, twenty-one and nineteen, and had led sheltered lives.
Both had close ties in the Disciple community, family and friends that would cut off all contact with them. He could not imagine Judith turning her back on her sister. He needed to prepare, if he was to have any chance of keeping his family together. Maybe he could convince her to change, to follow him to a new life.
Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are
products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living
or dead is purely coincidental
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