I just watched The Giver movie yesterday… I am Jonas :)
I am SO glad this book is required reading in many high schools!
If anyone wants to know what it is like to leave ubf after 20+ years, watch The Giver…
]]>“Thanks for responding Brian. Would love to meet up sometime. Can we direct message each other?”
You can connect with me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/brian.karcher
or just contact me via email: http://www.priestlynation.com/contact/
]]>Something I’d like to share though… I had to stop portraying ubf onto every movie, every book and every organization I encounter. That nearly destroyed my career.
At first movies and songs were very helpful to rejuvenate my emotions and later my conscience, which had been gouged out and suppressed by me. So seeing Tangled, I absolutely loved the mother/daughter scene at the end where Rapnuzel realizes it was her mother who she should have been running from.
But now I am seeing “ubf” less and less in the things around me. All this is more evidence that I had “married” ubf both the ideology and the organization. So I find an odd attraction to break-up songs. This is one of my favorite… The Band Perry :)
]]>Have you read “The Giver” by Lois Lowry (iirc)? You would appreciate the symbolism there.
]]>All of the court cases in the US of churches suing former members have almost always been dismissed with the churches having to spend their members’ offerings on the others legal bills etc.
The reality of the situation is, the posts themselves are on a public forum and concern the basic issue of public interest. Plus most churches can’t disprove what they are saying (aka there is some merit in what was posted & the church would do more harm to themselves by possibly showing it in fact was accurate).
I spoke with my lawyer about this topic a few days ago quite extensively when I started posting as I’m always curious about the realities of lawsuits and threats.
I would love to have one of those people contact me / threaten me in a lawsuit lol. I recently posted on one of the ubf chicagos Facebook about where I could find the UBF’s official statement in regards to the allegations surrounding the suicide of Samuel Choi Jr. I even informed them I would take a screen shot of the post to see if they would respond professionally or just delete it. They deleted it.
What the old schoolers don’t realize is that we have something called the internet. And the internet has information (some wrong some right) With that internet we can make actual conclusions and opinions for ourselves.
I could see the possible scenario of the UBF intimidating someone into backing out of a lawsuit but I find it highly unlikely the UBF would ever successfully pursue or win a lawsuit. Mainly because there is some much documentation about the reforms, books & literature, as well as the obvious negligence they showed in not acting upon these concerns.
Just like my lawyer said, when you have that many people who are also willing to testify against them with clear, specific, and detailed stories and issues; the amount of more severe consequences they could accidentally stumble into wouldn’t be worth it.
I don’t think UBF & even ex-UBF people understand the high likely hood of legitimate lawsuits people could attempt to pursue against them.
In my personal opinion, that Samuel Choi, Jr story alone should be something pursued and looked into. I am excited for the future as I slowly catch up on some websites and blogs. Similar to your website, I hope down the road I can help something like this but on the social media side of things.
]]>The initiation of a lawsuit against a former member in 2007 in Germany effectively ended the 2000 crisis (reform movement). But as we know, a 4th crisis flared up in 2011 and is still going on.
The threat of a lawsuit is very real from ubf.
And I am the primary target for sure. We’ve already said more here on ubfriends than our friend’s website did in Germany back in 2007. When will ubf sue me? That threat is still out there.
In 2012 or so, I received a voicemail and a Christmas card from a certain ubf Korean, and both sounded like threats of a harrassment lawsuit if I ever send email to certain people ever again. So much for responding to any of my questions or concerns…
]]>“One of our most compelling Christian apologetics for the resurrection of Jesus Christ might be James, the brother of Jesus. What would your brother have to do to convince you he is the Son of God? James the brother of Jesus joins the believers after the resurrection.”
]]>The difficulty with what is behind the door of ubf is that ubf speaks truth and lie as the leaders like. But the answer to this puzzle of ubf is very easy because a church should not and must not ever lie. I thought for example about the AL’s message in which he said that ubf “then sends” (after raising and training) people to other churches. What was that? It was just lie because no one has ever been sent to other churches from ubf. (I know that AL corrected the message and now it says that people “leave” ubf. Now it is true, but the opinion about ubf has already been formed. ubf has been using lie, not once, many times and so every one can make his/her decision about whether ubf is a Christian “corporation” or not and whether it is a “fellowship” or a closed system and whether he/she wants to associate with it.)
I liked not all of the former ubf members’s testimonies, but I liked that they were sincere and truthful. I believe that even a truthful unbeliever is better and closer to the Kingdom of God than a false “Christian” who lies.
]]>When we can walk independent in our faith, that is free from exclusivity and membership, we can truly be with God. We can even know if he’s “…in.” However, lying almost always presents itself with those above who don’t want things to be distributed equally. He who has something to lose will bend the truth or blatantly lie to protect his own interests. This means even situations are even bent in order to preserve appearances. Silence is also a reality of this. Indeed, people have left or are strangely absent. “HEY! Who’s that guy and girl in the picture on the wall? Who are they? What happened to them?” I suppose nothing happened. Maybe, just remove the picture and put it in the drawer or maybe even trash it…
Who wants to re-write the History Books? Anyone, please?
You know November 11th is not just Pepero Day. It is a day of remembrance for the soldiers lost in all of the World War’s. Similarly, UBF needs to tabulate among all the ministries all of the past members and then choose a day to mourn and grieve for the losses. When people come forward openly it can be a day of reckoning. However, I do not see mistaken actions and realized abuse as only a means to see your development and growth that you might repent. When you repent – Call the people you wronged and plead with them in Christ.