When I was in the
PCG I noticed that no one ever "left" of their own accord;
they were "disfellowshipped." The public announcement was always delivered with such a harsh tone and a damning condemnation. It made me realize just how fearful the PCG is of public litigation.1
My wife and I exited PCG
last year, and I realized something. Apparently, no
announcement was made.
When we left, my exit letter included a very real threat:
"I will not tolerate any harassment or suspicious occurrences. Be assured that I’ve made certain any pertinent information has been passed on to the proper authorities. Any further contact will be viewed as harassment and I will quickly file suit against the PCG for harassment. Consider that your one and only warning. You can tell the poor people in the PCG how we’ve fallen away, and you can even stand at the pulpit and declare us 'disfellowshipped and marked,' (rest assured, however, that if I hear of it, I’ll sue for slander and defamation of character)."
The result is that even after two years and two months, no "public" announcement has been made. To my knowledge, even those that have been told we're no longer in the church, were not told we were "disfellowshipped and marked." This kind of behavior speaks volumes of the fear that is present within the PCG ministry. They know what they're
doing is wrong--and they know there are "spies" within their congregations. To not make that announcement says they were afraid it would get back to me, and that they would have a nice, public lawsuit on their hands.
Also, no one from the PCG ministry has contacted us since I mailed our
exit letter. If the PCG was "the one true church of God," with its
members' well-being in mind, wouldn't they have contacted us further, and
tried to save and/or help us? They remained silent.
I greatly appreciate the
ESN,
and my wife is finding it a vast help in the healing process. The
correspondence she's had with another PCG exiter has helped her greatly.
Just knowing someone else is out there who understands helps.
Thanks, and with love and
prayers.
By Rob Blaize
October 9, 2005
Footnote by ESN:
1 One former PCG member told us they didn't think PCG was
necessarily fearful of litigation but that, whether they win or lose, it
still costs them money--money they don't want to spend in that way,
unless there is a bigger payoff for them, such as
the six year lawsuit with Worldwide Church of God several years ago.
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