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Post by midwestchristian on Apr 23, 2016 15:12:45 GMT
I found this site a few days ago and have read through many of the threads. I have to say I have found it incredibly cathartic, as so many of the experiences relayed here are so similar to what my wife and I experienced. I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and tell you my story.
My wife was born and raised in the PRC. She's from a big family, almost all of whom are in the PRC today. I was not raised PR, but was raised in a good Christian home. When I met my wife, I fell in love with her very quickly and she felt the same way about me. This was obviously a touchy situation, as I wasn't from a "pure church," and our relationship was kind of stuck for a time. We went on for a while as simply "friends," but we had great discussions and it was obvious we were both searching for something deeper than what we had. My wife was yearning for something more than just doctrinal knowledge. She wanted to talk with other Christians about her struggles and how to grow personally in the faith. She was also really frustrated by the young people in the PRC, who attended church faithfully twice on Sunday and said all the right things, while engaging in personal behavior the rest of the week which violated even basic Christian standards. I actually wanted more doctrine at that stage of my life and thought the PRC might be the place for me. After a period of time, I decided to join the PRC. My wife and I dated for a couple years, then got married. At this point, we were probably seen as a great PR couple. My wife had proved her worth by "standing firm in the truth,", not leaving the church for a guy, and I was an example of someone who had come to see the light and had come to the truth.
Behind the scenes, however, my wife and were really struggling with serious questions about the PRC. We came to strongly disagree with the position on divorce and remarriage. We had concerns about particular aspects of worship in the church. Most importantly, we came to really disagree with the manner in which PR people viewed and treated other Christians who were not a part of their denomination. The doctrine of the antithesis was actually applied to other Christians, including my family, which was not PR. We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me.
After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful.
This all happened more than 10 years ago. Today, my wife and I have a great marriage. We attend a terrific church. God has blessed with three beautiful children who are doing great. We have made wonderful friends who love us and are consistently there for us in challenging times, as we are for them. As many have posted on this site, we feel like we can breathe again and I cannot imagine any circumstance where we would ever go back to the PRC.
Much of my wife's family is still PR. There are still hard feelings there. However, some of her family members are also starting to leave the PRC as well. The dam is slowly starting to break as they are finding freedom in Christ outside the walls of this denomination. I think part of the reason the PRC is so tough on those who leave is if they show any softness or understanding when people leave the church, they know huge numbers of people will flood out the door. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many many people are in the PRC simply out of obligation and/or fear. Their hearts aren't in it. They would love to leave, but they can't bear the cost. We have had quite a few PR people whisper these kinds of sentiments to us over the years.
I hope this doesn't come across as mean or vindictive, but it's my sincere hope and prayer that the PRC, as a denomination, falls apart, and the people in this denomination are able to find freedom in the gospel, as opposed to bondage to this denomination. I could say so much more, but I just want to thank those who have set up this site and those who post here. Despite the slander that you undoubtedly face from some in the PRC, you are doing a great thing.
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Post by Admin on Apr 24, 2016 0:00:20 GMT
Hi MidwestChristian, thanks for posting!
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Post by freefromprc on Apr 24, 2016 13:39:47 GMT
I found this site a few days ago and have read through many of the threads. I have to say I have found it incredibly cathartic, as so many of the experiences relayed here are so similar to what my wife and I experienced. I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and tell you my story. My wife was born and raised in the PRC. She's from a big family, almost all of whom are in the PRC today. I was not raised PR, but was raised in a good Christian home. When I met my wife, I fell in love with her very quickly and she felt the same way about me. This was obviously a touchy situation, as I wasn't from a "pure church," and our relationship was kind of stuck for a time. We went on for a while as simply "friends," but we had great discussions and it was obvious we were both searching for something deeper than what we had. My wife was yearning for something more than just doctrinal knowledge. She wanted to talk with other Christians about her struggles and how to grow personally in the faith. She was also really frustrated by the young people in the PRC, who attended church faithfully twice on Sunday and said all the right things, while engaging in personal behavior the rest of the week which violated even basic Christian standards. I actually wanted more doctrine at that stage of my life and thought the PRC might be the place for me. After a period of time, I decided to join the PRC. My wife and I dated for a couple years, then got married. At this point, we were probably seen as a great PR couple. My wife had proved her worth by "standing firm in the truth,", not leaving the church for a guy, and I was an example of someone who had come to see the light and had come to the truth. Behind the scenes, however, my wife and were really struggling with serious questions about the PRC. We came to strongly disagree with the position on divorce and remarriage. We had concerns about particular aspects of worship in the church. Most importantly, we came to really disagree with the manner in which PR people viewed and treated other Christians who were not a part of their denomination. The doctrine of the antithesis was actually applied to other Christians, including my family, which was not PR. We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me. After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This all happened more than 10 years ago. Today, my wife and I have a great marriage. We attend a terrific church. God has blessed with three beautiful children who are doing great. We have made wonderful friends who love us and are consistently there for us in challenging times, as we are for them. As many have posted on this site, we feel like we can breathe again and I cannot imagine any circumstance where we would ever go back to the PRC. Much of my wife's family is still PR. There are still hard feelings there. However, some of her family members are also starting to leave the PRC as well. The dam is slowly starting to break as they are finding freedom in Christ outside the walls of this denomination. I think part of the reason the PRC is so tough on those who leave is if they show any softness or understanding when people leave the church, they know huge numbers of people will flood out the door. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many many people are in the PRC simply out of obligation and/or fear. Their hearts aren't in it. They would love to leave, but they can't bear the cost. We have had quite a few PR people whisper these kinds of sentiments to us over the years. I hope this doesn't come across as mean or vindictive, but it's my sincere hope and prayer that the PRC, as a denomination, falls apart, and the people in this denomination are able to find freedom in the gospel, as opposed to bondage to this denomination. I could say so much more, but I just want to thank those who have set up this site and those who post here. Despite the slander that you undoubtedly face from some in the PRC, you are doing a great thing. So many of us have ongoing pain and sorrow as a result of the PRC. You seem to have managed those emotions and have written a meaningful helpful post. Thanks for that!
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seeker
Seminary Student
Posts: 351
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Post by seeker on Apr 24, 2016 15:13:32 GMT
I found this site a few days ago and have read through many of the threads. I have to say I have found it incredibly cathartic, as so many of the experiences relayed here are so similar to what my wife and I experienced. I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and tell you my story. My wife was born and raised in the PRC. She's from a big family, almost all of whom are in the PRC today. I was not raised PR, but was raised in a good Christian home. When I met my wife, I fell in love with her very quickly and she felt the same way about me. This was obviously a touchy situation, as I wasn't from a "pure church," and our relationship was kind of stuck for a time. We went on for a while as simply "friends," but we had great discussions and it was obvious we were both searching for something deeper than what we had. My wife was yearning for something more than just doctrinal knowledge. She wanted to talk with other Christians about her struggles and how to grow personally in the faith. She was also really frustrated by the young people in the PRC, who attended church faithfully twice on Sunday and said all the right things, while engaging in personal behavior the rest of the week which violated even basic Christian standards. I actually wanted more doctrine at that stage of my life and thought the PRC might be the place for me. After a period of time, I decided to join the PRC. My wife and I dated for a couple years, then got married. At this point, we were probably seen as a great PR couple. My wife had proved her worth by "standing firm in the truth,", not leaving the church for a guy, and I was an example of someone who had come to see the light and had come to the truth. Behind the scenes, however, my wife and were really struggling with serious questions about the PRC. We came to strongly disagree with the position on divorce and remarriage. We had concerns about particular aspects of worship in the church. Most importantly, we came to really disagree with the manner in which PR people viewed and treated other Christians who were not a part of their denomination. The doctrine of the antithesis was actually applied to other Christians, including my family, which was not PR. We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me. After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This all happened more than 10 years ago. Today, my wife and I have a great marriage. We attend a terrific church. God has blessed with three beautiful children who are doing great. We have made wonderful friends who love us and are consistently there for us in challenging times, as we are for them. As many have posted on this site, we feel like we can breathe again and I cannot imagine any circumstance where we would ever go back to the PRC. Much of my wife's family is still PR. There are still hard feelings there. However, some of her family members are also starting to leave the PRC as well. The dam is slowly starting to break as they are finding freedom in Christ outside the walls of this denomination. I think part of the reason the PRC is so tough on those who leave is if they show any softness or understanding when people leave the church, they know huge numbers of people will flood out the door. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many many people are in the PRC simply out of obligation and/or fear. Their hearts aren't in it. They would love to leave, but they can't bear the cost. We have had quite a few PR people whisper these kinds of sentiments to us over the years. I hope this doesn't come across as mean or vindictive, but it's my sincere hope and prayer that the PRC, as a denomination, falls apart, and the people in this denomination are able to find freedom in the gospel, as opposed to bondage to this denomination. I could say so much more, but I just want to thank those who have set up this site and those who post here. Despite the slander that you undoubtedly face from some in the PRC, you are doing a great thing. Not only has the PRC ruined many many lives and families, it continues to suck the life blood out of the existing members. When you leave that church.......and you get a chance to see what a shockingly horrible cult it actually is.....and you see siblings and children still there.....getting poisoned week after week after week....it is enough to rip your heart out.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2016 16:08:28 GMT
After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This is what Truth means? This is Christ? This is The Church? This is a story needlessly repeated. This is their truth. This is their christ. This is their church. This is their lie.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2016 16:24:11 GMT
I found this site a few days ago and have read through many of the threads. I have to say I have found it incredibly cathartic, as so many of the experiences relayed here are so similar to what my wife and I experienced. I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and tell you my story. My wife was born and raised in the PRC. She's from a big family, almost all of whom are in the PRC today. I was not raised PR, but was raised in a good Christian home. When I met my wife, I fell in love with her very quickly and she felt the same way about me. This was obviously a touchy situation, as I wasn't from a "pure church," and our relationship was kind of stuck for a time. We went on for a while as simply "friends," but we had great discussions and it was obvious we were both searching for something deeper than what we had. My wife was yearning for something more than just doctrinal knowledge. She wanted to talk with other Christians about her struggles and how to grow personally in the faith. She was also really frustrated by the young people in the PRC, who attended church faithfully twice on Sunday and said all the right things, while engaging in personal behavior the rest of the week which violated even basic Christian standards. I actually wanted more doctrine at that stage of my life and thought the PRC might be the place for me. After a period of time, I decided to join the PRC. My wife and I dated for a couple years, then got married. At this point, we were probably seen as a great PR couple. My wife had proved her worth by "standing firm in the truth,", not leaving the church for a guy, and I was an example of someone who had come to see the light and had come to the truth. Behind the scenes, however, my wife and were really struggling with serious questions about the PRC. We came to strongly disagree with the position on divorce and remarriage. We had concerns about particular aspects of worship in the church. Most importantly, we came to really disagree with the manner in which PR people viewed and treated other Christians who were not a part of their denomination. The doctrine of the antithesis was actually applied to other Christians, including my family, which was not PR. We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me. After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This all happened more than 10 years ago. Today, my wife and I have a great marriage. We attend a terrific church. God has blessed with three beautiful children who are doing great. We have made wonderful friends who love us and are consistently there for us in challenging times, as we are for them. As many have posted on this site, we feel like we can breathe again and I cannot imagine any circumstance where we would ever go back to the PRC. Much of my wife's family is still PR. There are still hard feelings there. However, some of her family members are also starting to leave the PRC as well. The dam is slowly starting to break as they are finding freedom in Christ outside the walls of this denomination. I think part of the reason the PRC is so tough on those who leave is if they show any softness or understanding when people leave the church, they know huge numbers of people will flood out the door. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many many people are in the PRC simply out of obligation and/or fear. Their hearts aren't in it. They would love to leave, but they can't bear the cost. We have had quite a few PR people whisper these kinds of sentiments to us over the years. I hope this doesn't come across as mean or vindictive, but it's my sincere hope and prayer that the PRC, as a denomination, falls apart, and the people in this denomination are able to find freedom in the gospel, as opposed to bondage to this denomination. I could say so much more, but I just want to thank those who have set up this site and those who post here. Despite the slander that you undoubtedly face from some in the PRC, you are doing a great thing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2016 16:25:38 GMT
You have articulated well the experience of so many. Thanks, and welcome!
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Post by freefromprc on Apr 24, 2016 16:59:56 GMT
After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This is what Truth means? This is Christ? This is The Church? This is a story needlessly repeated. This is their truth. This is their christ. This is their church. This is their lie. EXACTLY!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately you can't see it for what it REALLY is until you escape. It's a shame.
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Post by crusader on Apr 24, 2016 20:55:43 GMT
I found this site a few days ago and have read through many of the threads. I have to say I have found it incredibly cathartic, as so many of the experiences relayed here are so similar to what my wife and I experienced. I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and tell you my story. My wife was born and raised in the PRC. She's from a big family, almost all of whom are in the PRC today. I was not raised PR, but was raised in a good Christian home. When I met my wife, I fell in love with her very quickly and she felt the same way about me. This was obviously a touchy situation, as I wasn't from a "pure church," and our relationship was kind of stuck for a time. We went on for a while as simply "friends," but we had great discussions and it was obvious we were both searching for something deeper than what we had. My wife was yearning for something more than just doctrinal knowledge. She wanted to talk with other Christians about her struggles and how to grow personally in the faith. She was also really frustrated by the young people in the PRC, who attended church faithfully twice on Sunday and said all the right things, while engaging in personal behavior the rest of the week which violated even basic Christian standards. I actually wanted more doctrine at that stage of my life and thought the PRC might be the place for me. After a period of time, I decided to join the PRC. My wife and I dated for a couple years, then got married. At this point, we were probably seen as a great PR couple. My wife had proved her worth by "standing firm in the truth,", not leaving the church for a guy, and I was an example of someone who had come to see the light and had come to the truth. Behind the scenes, however, my wife and were really struggling with serious questions about the PRC. We came to strongly disagree with the position on divorce and remarriage. We had concerns about particular aspects of worship in the church. Most importantly, we came to really disagree with the manner in which PR people viewed and treated other Christians who were not a part of their denomination. The doctrine of the antithesis was actually applied to other Christians, including my family, which was not PR. We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me. After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This all happened more than 10 years ago. Today, my wife and I have a great marriage. We attend a terrific church. God has blessed with three beautiful children who are doing great. We have made wonderful friends who love us and are consistently there for us in challenging times, as we are for them. As many have posted on this site, we feel like we can breathe again and I cannot imagine any circumstance where we would ever go back to the PRC. Much of my wife's family is still PR. There are still hard feelings there. However, some of her family members are also starting to leave the PRC as well. The dam is slowly starting to break as they are finding freedom in Christ outside the walls of this denomination. I think part of the reason the PRC is so tough on those who leave is if they show any softness or understanding when people leave the church, they know huge numbers of people will flood out the door. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many many people are in the PRC simply out of obligation and/or fear. Their hearts aren't in it. They would love to leave, but they can't bear the cost. We have had quite a few PR people whisper these kinds of sentiments to us over the years. I hope this doesn't come across as mean or vindictive, but it's my sincere hope and prayer that the PRC, as a denomination, falls apart, and the people in this denomination are able to find freedom in the gospel, as opposed to bondage to this denomination. I could say so much more, but I just want to thank those who have set up this site and those who post here. Despite the slander that you undoubtedly face from some in the PRC, you are doing a great thing. You said..."We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me."
This is why it is virtually impossible for a PR woman to leave the church. Its not only the church she will leave, but she will have to completely restart her life. New social group, new places to go to when in public for fear of running into them, new everything right down to spouse and children. They will all disown you. I am not sure it is worth it.
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Post by midwestchristian on Apr 25, 2016 16:07:32 GMT
I found this site a few days ago and have read through many of the threads. I have to say I have found it incredibly cathartic, as so many of the experiences relayed here are so similar to what my wife and I experienced. I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and tell you my story. My wife was born and raised in the PRC. She's from a big family, almost all of whom are in the PRC today. I was not raised PR, but was raised in a good Christian home. When I met my wife, I fell in love with her very quickly and she felt the same way about me. This was obviously a touchy situation, as I wasn't from a "pure church," and our relationship was kind of stuck for a time. We went on for a while as simply "friends," but we had great discussions and it was obvious we were both searching for something deeper than what we had. My wife was yearning for something more than just doctrinal knowledge. She wanted to talk with other Christians about her struggles and how to grow personally in the faith. She was also really frustrated by the young people in the PRC, who attended church faithfully twice on Sunday and said all the right things, while engaging in personal behavior the rest of the week which violated even basic Christian standards. I actually wanted more doctrine at that stage of my life and thought the PRC might be the place for me. After a period of time, I decided to join the PRC. My wife and I dated for a couple years, then got married. At this point, we were probably seen as a great PR couple. My wife had proved her worth by "standing firm in the truth,", not leaving the church for a guy, and I was an example of someone who had come to see the light and had come to the truth. Behind the scenes, however, my wife and were really struggling with serious questions about the PRC. We came to strongly disagree with the position on divorce and remarriage. We had concerns about particular aspects of worship in the church. Most importantly, we came to really disagree with the manner in which PR people viewed and treated other Christians who were not a part of their denomination. The doctrine of the antithesis was actually applied to other Christians, including my family, which was not PR. We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me. After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This all happened more than 10 years ago. Today, my wife and I have a great marriage. We attend a terrific church. God has blessed with three beautiful children who are doing great. We have made wonderful friends who love us and are consistently there for us in challenging times, as we are for them. As many have posted on this site, we feel like we can breathe again and I cannot imagine any circumstance where we would ever go back to the PRC. Much of my wife's family is still PR. There are still hard feelings there. However, some of her family members are also starting to leave the PRC as well. The dam is slowly starting to break as they are finding freedom in Christ outside the walls of this denomination. I think part of the reason the PRC is so tough on those who leave is if they show any softness or understanding when people leave the church, they know huge numbers of people will flood out the door. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many many people are in the PRC simply out of obligation and/or fear. Their hearts aren't in it. They would love to leave, but they can't bear the cost. We have had quite a few PR people whisper these kinds of sentiments to us over the years. I hope this doesn't come across as mean or vindictive, but it's my sincere hope and prayer that the PRC, as a denomination, falls apart, and the people in this denomination are able to find freedom in the gospel, as opposed to bondage to this denomination. I could say so much more, but I just want to thank those who have set up this site and those who post here. Despite the slander that you undoubtedly face from some in the PRC, you are doing a great thing. Not only has the PRC ruined many many lives and families, it continues to suck the life blood out of the existing members. When you leave that church.......and you get a chance to see what a shockingly horrible cult it actually is.....and you see siblings and children still there.....getting poisoned week after week after week....it is enough to rip your heart out. This has been our experience as well, as we see my wife's siblings in the PRC living very apathetic lives in terms of their faith, yet her parents assuming things are fine because they attend the PR church twice on Sunday. There is such a spiritual deadness there. It's hard to see.
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Post by cannalily on Apr 25, 2016 20:33:23 GMT
Not only has the PRC ruined many many lives and families, it continues to suck the life blood out of the existing members. When you leave that church.......and you get a chance to see what a shockingly horrible cult it actually is.....and you see siblings and children still there.....getting poisoned week after week after week....it is enough to rip your heart out. This has been our experience as well, as we see my wife's siblings in the PRC living very apathetic lives in terms of their faith, yet her parents assuming things are fine because they attend the PR church twice on Sunday. There is such a spiritual deadness there. It's hard to see. Thanks for sharing this! The problem is that you only see these things AFTER you leave. Very cult like. There are a few other resources on this site that talk about how cults operate- I'd highly recommend reading them. All of these things that you've mentioned can be applied to cult thinking.
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Post by monica on Apr 26, 2016 17:21:54 GMT
Great post
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Hello
Apr 29, 2016 13:07:55 GMT
Post by freefromprc on Apr 29, 2016 13:07:55 GMT
I am not praying for the demise of the P.R. church...I pray for a revival in their midst. There are tremendously good things to embrace and cherish in this culture....namely, the people. What I pray for is the move of the Holy Spirit to help people have the courage to "stay" in this religion and to just keep putting pressure on the system's that are not Christ like. I pray for JESUS to show Himself personally to them...and for His shepherding hand to really guide and help them along. I pray that the Holy Spirit would in turn then incorporate some of these wonderful qualities that are in this system...and turn them into a mighty burning fire of healing love and power. I pray that this particular culture or religious system would just be lit up in the love of God...lit on fire for His love and joy and peace. That's my hope for this PR system. The longing for God is within them, I've witnessed it and it's just...unfortunate that the doctrine's that define this system keep many of them in bondage to fear. I pray for a tremendous upheaval...for a burst of revelation for many of them...but, I pray they don't leave...but STAY. This would take a great move of the Holy Spirit...but, that is just what God does...MOVE. This cannot happen in the PRC because of what they teach and believe. What you are expressing is that they all change to a brand new religion, and, that cannot be the same as the PRC. I agree that no one ever should hope for the demise of individual people, rather that they stop their awful behavior. However the demise of the organization would be beneficial to every member there.
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Hello
May 6, 2016 3:17:25 GMT
via mobile
Post by dustinbla on May 6, 2016 3:17:25 GMT
I found this site a few days ago and have read through many of the threads. I have to say I have found it incredibly cathartic, as so many of the experiences relayed here are so similar to what my wife and I experienced. I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself and tell you my story. My wife was born and raised in the PRC. She's from a big family, almost all of whom are in the PRC today. I was not raised PR, but was raised in a good Christian home. When I met my wife, I fell in love with her very quickly and she felt the same way about me. This was obviously a touchy situation, as I wasn't from a "pure church," and our relationship was kind of stuck for a time. We went on for a while as simply "friends," but we had great discussions and it was obvious we were both searching for something deeper than what we had. My wife was yearning for something more than just doctrinal knowledge. She wanted to talk with other Christians about her struggles and how to grow personally in the faith. She was also really frustrated by the young people in the PRC, who attended church faithfully twice on Sunday and said all the right things, while engaging in personal behavior the rest of the week which violated even basic Christian standards. I actually wanted more doctrine at that stage of my life and thought the PRC might be the place for me. After a period of time, I decided to join the PRC. My wife and I dated for a couple years, then got married. At this point, we were probably seen as a great PR couple. My wife had proved her worth by "standing firm in the truth,", not leaving the church for a guy, and I was an example of someone who had come to see the light and had come to the truth. Behind the scenes, however, my wife and were really struggling with serious questions about the PRC. We came to strongly disagree with the position on divorce and remarriage. We had concerns about particular aspects of worship in the church. Most importantly, we came to really disagree with the manner in which PR people viewed and treated other Christians who were not a part of their denomination. The doctrine of the antithesis was actually applied to other Christians, including my family, which was not PR. We witnessed a situation where a family left the PRC when they moved out of the area and saw the pastor and elders in the church encourage the wife to leave her husband and move back to the area so she could attend a church that taught "the truth." They were actually encouraging her to abandon her husband and children! This shocked me. After a couple years of struggle, we made the painful decision to leave the PRC. This set off an extremely intense round of recriminations from my wife's family, our supposed friends in the church, and the church leadership. I won't post all the things that were said and done to us, but we were basically told our children (we didn't have any at that time), were likely to end up in hell due to our decision, we were being a horrible example to my wife's siblings, and we were "leaving the truth for the lie." Going forward, we were often shunned or simply not invited to family functions, ignored by people who we thought were our friends, and generally treated as outcasts. It was incredibly painful. This all happened more than 10 years ago. Today, my wife and I have a great marriage. We attend a terrific church. God has blessed with three beautiful children who are doing great. We have made wonderful friends who love us and are consistently there for us in challenging times, as we are for them. As many have posted on this site, we feel like we can breathe again and I cannot imagine any circumstance where we would ever go back to the PRC. Much of my wife's family is still PR. There are still hard feelings there. However, some of her family members are also starting to leave the PRC as well. The dam is slowly starting to break as they are finding freedom in Christ outside the walls of this denomination. I think part of the reason the PRC is so tough on those who leave is if they show any softness or understanding when people leave the church, they know huge numbers of people will flood out the door. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many many people are in the PRC simply out of obligation and/or fear. Their hearts aren't in it. They would love to leave, but they can't bear the cost. We have had quite a few PR people whisper these kinds of sentiments to us over the years. I hope this doesn't come across as mean or vindictive, but it's my sincere hope and prayer that the PRC, as a denomination, falls apart, and the people in this denomination are able to find freedom in the gospel, as opposed to bondage to this denomination. I could say so much more, but I just want to thank those who have set up this site and those who post here. Despite the slander that you undoubtedly face from some in the PRC, you are doing a great thing. So many of us have ongoing pain and sorrow as a result of the PRC. You seem to have managed those emotions and have written a meaningful helpful post. Thanks for that! This makes me so sad. Why did you venture into this horrid site? Slanderers. Not helpful at all. They do not believe in the creation as God sets forth in scripture. Divorce AND remarriage is okay. This is the dark path..... They try and say the PRC is a cult. To us...? It's called a guilty conscience. God judges. Not the ex prcs. Ohhhh, satan loves this site. Just remember, anyone who adds or takes away from Gods word will answer. That is terrifying.
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Hello
May 6, 2016 18:07:26 GMT
Post by crazychurch on May 6, 2016 18:07:26 GMT
So many of us have ongoing pain and sorrow as a result of the PRC. You seem to have managed those emotions and have written a meaningful helpful post. Thanks for that! This makes me so sad. Why did you venture into this horrid site? Slanderers. Not helpful at all. They do not believe in the creation as God sets forth in scripture. Divorce AND remarriage is okay. This is the dark path..... They try and say the PRC is a cult. To us...? It's called a guilty conscience. God judges. Not the ex prcs. Ohhhh, satan loves this site. Just remember, anyone who adds or takes away from Gods word will answer. That is terrifying. Oh no! Did you wander in too deeply yourself, but had the strength to throw stones? Well done, good servant! Too bad you couldn't wander far enough to comprehend how much of a cult you're in! Your deflected response is typical of someone struggling with the very questions this site raises! Why not stay a bit and contemplate what your cult does to people and their families? Or would that be too painful of a self reflection for you?
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