Gwen Shamblin 4: Lick the Fork

[formergothardite]

Gwen is essentially making the focus of her life a stomach growl. 

1 hour ago, formergothardite said:

You take the Way of Escape, push the food away, and you are immediately back into waiting for the next growl.

Every moment she is waiting for her stomach to growl, then she finally gets to eat, eats a bit, and then goes right back into focusing on her stomach. What a sad way to live. 

[Kailash]

I would be a hateful, crying, shaky mess pretty much constantly, if I had to live like this. I’d rather join a pack of wild dogs, seriously.

[SuperNova]

20 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

Gwen is essentially making the focus of her life a stomach growl. 

Every moment she is waiting for her stomach to growl, then she finally gets to eat, eats a bit, and then goes right back into focusing on her stomach. What a sad way to live. 

Yes, but it makes her followers so much easier to control. 

[SJWaterford]

7 minutes ago, Kailash said:

I would be a hateful, crying, shaky mess pretty much constantly, if I had to live like this. I’d rather join a pack of wild dogs, seriously.

Haha, my husband is a grouchy man when he doesn't eat or doesn't realize he's hungry. Would never work out at our house. Constantly thinking about food leaves little time for anything else, like paying the babysitter, or taking acting lessons. 

[Kailash]

They’re doing it wrong. If someone wanted to control me they’d keep me in good coffee, delicious and abundant food, and books. 

[Destiny]

I would be a very unpleasant person if I had to live like this. I can’t obsess on food to this degree. I danced with ED before though never actually had one, but I already obsess on calories and weight more than is likely good for me when I’m in one of my I hate myself frames of mind. Being forced by religion to do so would be severely fucky for my mental health.

[bird]

1 hour ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Take it from someone who had an eating disorder once upon a time - every one of the therapists I had to see about this would have considered this very, very disordered thinking around food.

My daughter (14) has just been discharged from the eating disorder clinic after the worst year of our lives. I wouldn't wish this way of living on anyone. My precious girl was just broken. I am so grateful her journey was short and her recovery was strong. She has tea and biscuits every day and her smile and infectious giggles have returned to our home. I am truly sad for anyone spending precious moments of their life waiting for a growl. What a waste. 

[RFsurvivor]

17 minutes ago, Destiny said:

I would be a very unpleasant person if I had to live like this. I can’t obsess on food to this degree. I danced with ED before though never actually had one, but I already obsess on calories and weight more than is likely good for me when I’m in one of my I hate myself frames of mind. Being forced by religion to do so would be severely fucky for my mental health.

From experience it does fuck with your mental health. I had no ED problems before joining Remnant and ate carefree and healthy naturally. RF/WD teachings cause me to focus so much on the food that I have a terrible outlook on food and I have been out of that cult for a few years now....

[formergothardite]

I would be miserable all the time if I spent all day waiting to be hungry. My eating habits tend to be on the hobbit side. 

It is just insane that she admits she is teaching people to make the focus of their life waiting on their stomach to growl. Not serving Jesus or helping others, just going all day waiting to be hungry enough to eat so you can go immediately back to waiting to be hungry. I'm pretty sure that isn't in the Bible. 

[Calypso]

Honestly having to wait for a growl sounds worse to me than straight up anorexia. At least in that case you know you're not going to eat and you can spend your time accordingly, doing other things with your day. Waiting for a growl means that you're spending all your time waiting for something. You're still expected to eat at some point but you dont have the option of planning around mealtimes. Instead you just have to sit and wait and second guess your stomach noises all day.

[Winneepoo]

I’m researching anything I can about this controlling cult church because my family recently got sucked into it about a year ago. It’s insane how they have changed, there’s hardly any communication anymore and they all do what they’re told, like robots but with “pure joy”. Gag. Anyways, my family members told me that Gwen’s ex had wanted a divorce and filed long ago. I found her divorce decree online and she in fact was the one who had filed. Lies and cover up, that’s what I’m finding out Remnant is good at.

[formergothardite]

6 hours ago, SJWaterford said:

It's a shame that his children are just rolling with whatever their mother says. I can't imagine how hard all of this is for them to watch.

Gwen appears to be a very manipulative person. She has created a system where her children's entire lives revolve around her.  I feel sorry for them because the amount of control she appears to wield over them is astounding and breaking out of that will be very difficult. No matter what they really feel about the divorce there is no way she will allow them to openly share those feelings. 

[bird]

36 minutes ago, Calypso said:

Honestly having to wait for a growl sounds worse to me than straight up anorexia. At least in that case you know you're not going to eat and you can spend your time accordingly, doing other things with your day. Waiting for a growl means that you're spending all your time waiting for something. You're still expected to eat at some point but you dont have the option of planning around mealtimes. Instead you just have to sit and wait and second guess your stomach noises all day.

I agree this is no way to live but I would very gently disagree that people with anorexia are casually going about their days not being consumed by thoughts of food. 

[Calypso]

2 minutes ago, bird said:

I agree this is no way to live but I would very gently disagree that people with anorexia are casually going about their days not being consumed by thoughts of food. 

Thank you for the correction you are absolutely right. Sorry if I worded that too harshly. I struggled with an eating disorder for several years so I'm fully aware of how they suck up the majority of your thoughts and life. Either way the mindset is extremely harmful and is a horrible way to have to live. 

[Winneepoo]

On 11/6/2018 at 4:08 PM, RFSurvivor_2 said:

To add to this:

RF considers any form of "serving the kingdom" an opportunity for a member to "earn jewelry for their crowns in heaven" and "obtain blessings for obedience". Unfortunately this mindset and belief within the cult is double edged sword....

[mention=26708]RFsurvivor[/mention] and I are no strangers to the concept of charity, giving and volunteering. [mention=26708]RFsurvivor[/mention] give a lot and help out (within reason) friends, family and our community not for our own selfish gain, but for the betterment of those in our environment and beyond. What we experienced in RF as far as  "giving and volunteering" has been or the most part, "charity" with a hidden price. I am not going to deny that I have personally experienced PURE charity and giving with some members in the cult. As stated before, there are some legitimately good people there that shouldn't be there at all and deserve something better, something more truthful, positive and fulfilling.

During my time there I would quite often question the motives of a lot of members, the Shamblin family and key members of the cult's leadership team (the others I didn't have much of an opinion on for...various reasons). There have been many situations in which myself, [mention=26708]RFsurvivor[/mention], [mention=27015]RemnantSurvivor[/mention] and I as well as many of our former friends and family members would be taken advantage of on a daily basis, all for Gwen and her leadership, or rather, the "glory of the kingdom". I can provide examples upon request.

TL;DR: Remnant Fellowship, like Scientology, HG, etc, takes advantage of their members and chalks up these actions as opportunity to earn favor with Gwen, leadership and (lastly) their god. Many people like [mention=26708]RFsurvivor[/mention], [mention=27015]RemnantSurvivor[/mention] and I have experienced this firsthand.

Examples of serving expected out of members please?

[RFSurvivor_2]

11 minutes ago, Winneepoo said:

Examples of serving expected out of members please?

Can you rephrase your question?

[Kailash]

I think they’re asking for examples of what exactly members are expected to do -  to “serve” in the cult.

[Winneepoo]

57 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

Can you rephrase your question?

I’m just curious as to what “voluntary jobs” were expected of remnant members. I hear my nieces are expected to babysit many times without any pay, my brother is mowing the church lawn, sister in law is part of the floral committee for weddings, many people are leaders for different online groups/classes. Can a member say no or do you have to do what is asked of you?

[HerNameIsBuffy]

9 minutes ago, Kailash said:

I think they’re asking for examples of what exactly members are expected to do -  to “serve” in the cult.

That's what I thought.  Like the people who said they were pushed into babysitting regularly for free.

If I start a church can I get minions to do things around my house I don't enjoy?  Like dog nail care and baseboard cleaning.

[Winneepoo]

Blessings for Obedience..isn’t this all about works, trying to work your way into heaven?

[SJWaterford]

1 hour ago, Winneepoo said:

I’m researching anything I can about this controlling cult church because my family recently got sucked into it about a year ago. It’s insane how they have changed, there’s hardly any communication anymore and they all do what they’re told, like robots but with “pure joy”. Gag. Anyways, my family members told me that Gwen’s ex had wanted a divorce and filed long ago. I found her divorce decree online and she in fact was the one who had filed. Lies and cover up, that’s what I’m finding out Remnant is good at.

Sorry that this has happened to you..... unfortunately you have a lot of catching up to do in your research. 

[RemnantSurvivor]

1 hour ago, Winneepoo said:

I’m just curious as to what “voluntary jobs” were expected of remnant members. I hear my nieces are expected to babysit many times without any pay, my brother is mowing the church lawn, sister in law is part of the floral committee for weddings, many people are leaders for different online groups/classes. Can a member say no or do you have to do what is asked of you?

Examples would include: watching kids during church services, decorating committee, music team (seriously, there is a team of people that play instrumental music for weddings and festivals), babysitting for shamblin/Hannah families (which I will say that sometimes babysitters do get paid but it’s kinda understood that you’re supposed to refuse pay at first), cooking food for weddings and festivals, etc. 

 

Its not explicitly “forced” by any means but it’s expected that you are involved in some sort of volunteer aspect. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

38 minutes ago, RemnantSurvivor said:

Examples would include: watching kids during church services, decorating committee, music team (seriously, there is a team of people that play instrumental music for weddings and festivals), babysitting for shamblin/Hannah families (which I will say that sometimes babysitters do get paid but it’s kinda understood that you’re supposed to refuse pay at first), cooking food for weddings and festivals, etc. 

 

Its not explicitly “forced” by any means but it’s expected that you are involved in some sort of volunteer aspect. 

With the exception of private babysitting, those expectations are par for the course with every fundy-lite or evangelical church of which I'm familiar.

[RemnantSurvivor]

21 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

With the exception of private babysitting, those expectations are par for the course with every fundy-lite or evangelical church of which I'm familiar.

Yes. I think the difference though is how it’s presented. For example, the church I go to now does not make it mandatory (or feel mandatory) to volunteer somewhere. The allow people to sign up to help and don’t belittle them if they can’t help. Remnant has a tendency to belittle someone if they are not in a position to volunteer. 

[bird]

10 hours ago, Calypso said:

Thank you for the correction you are absolutely right. Sorry if I worded that too harshly. I struggled with an eating disorder for several years so I'm fully aware of how they suck up the majority of your thoughts and life. Either way the mindset is extremely harmful and is a horrible way to have to live. 

No you didn't come across as too harsh to me. I don't think anyone can be too harsh about what is going on here. Gwen is unhinged and making money selling disordered eating to a ready made market. Sadly her market wasn't created by her crazy church but by mainstream churches who consciously or unconsciously marginalize woman and especially women on the wrong side of average. I've seen it played out enough to know that churches are full of faithful women desperate to be "thin for Him". Gwen wouldn't be making the money she is making if it weren't for this desperately sad dynamic, in my opinion.