(After my dad went to live with him)
I just wanted to tell you of yet another example of PCG “Christianity” and madness.
Approximately 7 years ago when we were in the PCG, my elderly father who was also a member and was living with us went to live with the local minister and his wife.1 He was having health issues and my wife and I were both working full-time and thus unable to give him the care he wanted, so the minister’s wife offered to take him in for about $450.00 a month. While staying with them, he became more demanding (these were mental health issues more than physical health; that is why I said we couldn’t give him the care he wanted rather than needed. He was wanting attention more than anything else and was a bit of a hypochondriac.) The minister’s wife told him if she had to stay home with him all the time he would have to pay $800.00 a month–for meals and a bedroom that wasn’t much more than a closet with a bed in it! He required no physical help at all! He agreed to it.
Fast-forward a year. We leave/get kicked out of the PCG for asking the wrong questions. On a Sabbath, while everyone but my father was at services, we went up to see him. He was very upset and unhappy with the situation and wanted to come home with us. This happened to be the Sabbath before they left for the FOT, so he left a note saying he would see them after the feast. In the meantime, he decided he wanted to stay with us and not go back with them. After they returned, the minister turned up at our door requesting to talk to my father. We didn’t hear the conversation, since he took him to his van to talk, but we imagine he gave him the “lake of fire” line and such for living with a couple of disfellowshipped people. When I went out to see what was going on, the minister said that Dad wanted to go back with him. Dad was in tears. The minister told him it wouldn’t be for long (indicating that we would be back to the PCG). We were told from a good source that they had an unconverted son sit on the porch with a gun every Sabbath, in case we tried to get Dad again!!
Well, six years went by without us seeing each other since they weren’t allowed to talk to us because we certainly had no intention of going back. Then this past Sunday I got a call from the minister’s current wife (the other had died) telling me that my dad had fallen and broken a hip and shoulder and the hospital needed a family member to sign consent forms. She said that they had been with him at the hospital all day. I was a bit upset, wondering why I hadn’t been called earlier, it was now 8 p.m.
Well, the answer was amazing to say the least. An hour later, we arrived at the hospital and stopped at the nurses station to tell them who we were. Their jaws hit the floor. They were told by the minister and his wife that my dad didn’t have any family! To top it off, he had been in the hospital since Friday, almost three days earlier! The only reason the wife had informed me he was in the hospital was because of the consent forms. If not for that, they had no intention of telling me! The staff was appalled and more than a little upset. We told them the whole story, down to the nitty-gritty details of that cult. I told them they were not to allow those people in the room or give them any information.
While the nurses were in the room with us, who showed up but the minister and his wife, smiling at us like we were long lost friends. The nurse told them to leave because only family was allowed. He walked in and sat down anyway! When I confronted him about telling the staff that Dad had no family he replied, “well, no close family.” He sat there and tried to lie in front of the staff he had already lied to! He offered no explanation as to why we were not called the day Dad was admitted. He didn’t have to–we all know the cult reasons, including the nursing staff at that point. To top it off, Dad was now unconscious. He was awake and talking until that morning! So, we will probably never see each other again because he is 96 and not expected to make it. Nothing this group does ever surprises me anymore.
Your website is excellent and has been very helpful to us. Keep up the good work!
By Wade
August 24, 2008
Update: We were later informed that this man’s father died about a week later.
Footnote:
1 This minister’s wife was later put out of the PCG.