Remnant Fellowship 20: Popping Popcorn, Waiting for the Bewigged Tiger King....

[MomJeans]

38 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I have to say one thing about the documentary that I’d never thought of before. Her rise in popularity was in the 90s. And to be honest, that seems like the perfect time in history to start a godly weight loss cult. I look back at the 90s and realize how completely insane it was about thinness. Look at all the popular shows. The women were expected to not only be thin, but a size zero thin. Runway models were expected to be very thin. Everyone in magazines had to be very thin. And diet crazes were everywhere. I’m not saying things are great now. But damn, the 90s were fucked up about thinness. 

Yes the "heroin chic" look of fashion modeling permeated all of the 90's.    I was cleaning out some boxes recently, and found a stack of Vogue magazines from the mid 90's.  It was shocking how much the look was propagated.  To my eyes now it looks out of place, even though beauty and skinniness are still worshipped. I look back and remember seeing Shalom Harlow on MTV and wishing I didn't have hips and breasts.  (Not calling out Shalom, I'm sure that was her natural weight/body shape.)

At the same time, I recall everyone's mom doing Weigh Down in a church group on Wednesday nights.  As you said, it wasn't a coincidence. 

[Alisamer]

2 minutes ago, quiversR4hunting said:

"Permission to watch" wow, that screams cult. I don't understand adults joining a place with free will and then giving in to people telling what they can and cannot do in mundane everyday things such as TV shows/internet/books, etc. I don't understand how they can give up their own curiosity to the world. To me it's mind boggling. 

 I agree totally. The second the word "let" or "permission" gets mentioned I'm like "NOPE."

Unless it's something work related I'm asking my boss about, I don't need permission to do anything, thank you. Especially not for something as mundane as watching or reading something. 

[formergothardite]

14 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

Thank you so much for that clarification, I appreciate it. I personally believe that the documentary crew posses a high degree of integrity, unlike Dan (who has really shown his true colors within the last 4 weeks). Their business with that man was strictly, as stated, business.

I haven’t seen the documentary yet, so I don’t know if they present him as a voice of reason or a wacky guy with a YouTube channel who is off his rocker. But if they present him as a reasonable person who tangled with the cult and do not edit the future episodes to include the fact that he is a pretty nasty guy who not only attacks children in RF but then heaps blame on those children for his abusive behavior, then I’m going to question their integrity. It wouldn’t be hard to edit in a black screen filled with words that explain Dan started claiming the children of RF were not innocent, he was giving them a taste of their own medicine and he has zero empathy for these poor kids. That is 100 percent an update that needs to take place because it changes how people will view everything he says. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

37 minutes ago, MomJeans said:

Yes the "heroin chic" look of fashion modeling permeated all of the 90's.    I was cleaning out some boxes recently, and found a stack of Vogue magazines from the mid 90's.  It was shocking how much the look was propagated.  To my eyes now it looks out of place, even though beauty and skinniness are still worshipped. I look back and remember seeing Shalom Harlow on MTV and wishing I didn't have hips and breasts.  (Not calling out Shalom, I'm sure that was her natural weight/body shape.)

At the same time, I recall everyone's mom doing Weigh Down in a church group on Wednesday nights.  As you said, it wasn't a coincidence. 

Plus there’s just so much more than just the heroin chic look. I could go on for days with the examples. All talk shows loved to talk about weight loss. Oprah featured it on her show because she dealt with her weight. I have no problem with talking about your weight issues publicly. But having extra weight was always seen as very bad. And it was a poor reflection on you as a person. Like you weren’t strong enough to be thin. You didn’t have enough discipline. You must be lazy. Talk shows loved before and after stories of weight loss. Weight was even an issue when the Monica lewinsky clinton scandal was exposed. People were making jokes about Monica’s weight and I was always thinking, “she’s fat? What? She’s not fat. If people think she’s fat, I would hate to know what they would say about me.” And there was basically no plus size clothing for young people. It was only in the older women’s department. So what were teen girls supposed to do in the 90s? They didn’t want to wear mom clothes! Which let all the teens know no one cares enough to make clothes for them. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by JermajestyDuggar

[RFSurvivor_2]

30 minutes ago, quiversR4hunting said:

"Permission to watch" wow, that screams cult. I don't understand adults joining a place with free will and then giving in to people telling what they can and cannot do in mundane everyday things such as TV shows/internet/books, etc. I don't understand how they can give up their own curiosity to the world. To me it's mind boggling. 

Oh, OH! This reminds me of something.

Hey @RFsurvivor! Remember the Harry Potter incident? 
 

Edited September 30, 2021 by RFSurvivor_2

[Destiny]

Just now, RFSurvivor_2 said:

Hey @RFsurvivor! Remember the Harry Potter incident? 

I know I'm going to regret asking, but, please tell me that RF doesn't do the stupid Harry Potter is witchcraft and teaches kids to be witches crap. Lie to me if you must.

[nelliebelle1197]

17 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

I haven’t seen the documentary yet, so I don’t know if they present him as a voice of reason or a wacky guy with a YouTube channel who is off his rocker. But if they present him as a reasonable person who tangled with the cult and do not edit the future episodes to include the fact that he is a pretty nasty guy who not only attacks children in RF but then heaps blame on those children for his abusive behavior, then I’m going to question their integrity. It wouldn’t be hard to edit in a black screen filled with words that explain Dan started claiming the children of RF were not innocent, he was giving them a taste of their own medicine and he has zero empathy for these poor kids. That is 100 percent an update that needs to take place because it changes how people will view everything he says. 

He is not in the first three episodes that I saw.

[Destiny]

3 minutes ago, nelliebelle1197 said:

He is not in the first three episodes that I saw.

Given that it sounds like he's been a problem in other areas too, I wonder if he will end up not making an appearance at all now. Weren't the rest of the episodes not slated to come out till the New Year?

Edited September 30, 2021 by Destiny

[AmazonGrace]

1 hour ago, Alisamer said:

Exactly. Were they supposed to sneak out their windows in the night and run off to live in the woods? They are kids. Under parental control and supervision, with parental and church authority drilled into them with eternal torment in hell held over their heads as their eventual punishment. On top of the glue-stick beatings in the here and now. 

The kids are not at fault. They are victims of the cult more than anyone else, IMO. 

This is the age of personal responsibility so we should not cut them too much slack.  At the age of five or so, they should have learned their numbers,  gotten a start with the alphabet and coloring inside the lines, and begin asking themselves some hard questions. "This church is what  I was raised into and it's the only thing I've ever known. But  how does it operate? Are the leaders greedy and manipulative? How does the cult make money? Are any of the WeighDown materials that are sold on their website evidence based? Is any of the theology biblical?  if we look at the original Greek can we support the notion that being thin is the main thing that God wants?"

[RFSurvivor_2]

2 minutes ago, Destiny said:

I know I'm going to regret asking, but, please tell me that RF doesn't do the stupid Harry Potter is witchcraft and teaches kids to be witches crap. Lie to me if you must.

I’m sorry but I must go full Abe Lincoln on this. 😂

In summary, a large group of RF youth (including @RFsurvivor and I) got in trouble for planning to go to a midnight showing of Harry Potter. I would like to point out that we were grown ass adults at this point in time. 

[Alisamer]

7 minutes ago, Destiny said:

Given that it sounds like he's been a problem in other areas too, I wonder if he will end up not making an appearance at all now. Weren't the rest of the episodes not slated to come out till the New Year?

Yeah he's only really even tangentially relevant when it comes to the aviation side of things, and wasn't that meant to be covered in the next installment later on?

I'm sure there are far more credible, less attention-chasing aviation experts out there who could be included. Although I think a lot of them are likely to not want to speculate on a crash until the final NTSB report is released. 

[Roscoe]

I don't know if y'all have seen this, but here's the official RF response to the documentary. Wild stuff.

 

https://www.remnantfellowship.org/official-response-from-gwen-shamblin-church-to-hbo-documentary/

[Destiny]

5 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

I’m sorry but I must go full Abe Lincoln on this. 😂

In summary, a large group of RF youth (including @RFsurvivor and I) got in trouble for planning to go to a midnight showing of Harry Potter. I would like to point out that we were grown ass adults at this point in time. 

Dammit, I TOLD YOU TO LIE TO ME! I mean,  you COULD learn some Latin from watching Harry Potter. You know learning Latin leads DIRECTLY to summoning demons from the depth of Hades, right? You clearly needed guidance on proper behaviour.

(I know JKR is problematic AF, but I LOVE Harry Potter. Yes, I have a hard time separating the two, and it does give me pause sometimes.)

ETA: I'd have been happy to invite you along in my Harry Potter events. They were huge in my circles, like 30+ people at the bookstore or theatre, and we were all ... grown ass adults was an understatement. LOL

3 minutes ago, Roscoe said:

I don't know if y'all have seen this, but here's the official RF response to the documentary. Wild stuff.

 

https://www.remnantfellowship.org/official-response-from-gwen-shamblin-church-to-hbo-documentary/

That is a MAJOR TL;DR. TBH, the majority of RF things are though. Holy shirtballs y'all.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Destiny
more words

[MayMay1123]

I binged all the eps today, I I have to say, it was intense. I'm glad that light is being shined on this cult, and I hope it helps both members, and others, realize that they don't have to live like this. And I most sincerely hope that Natasha has regained full custody of her daughter.

[Roscoe]

I'm a former RFer.

Weirdly, Harry Potter itself wasn't a problem. We read and watched the Harry Potter movies and Gwen even played some of Chamber of Secrets to illustrate the idea of the phoenix. I think the midnight screening thing was more about kids being excited for something that wasn't church. She did the same thing with the Hunger Games.

[Jacked]

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Please someone help me out here. The Angers are no longer in leadership positions. Why is that? It was probably mentioned a million threads back but I just can’t think of it. Tedd Anger has always made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. When he talks, it scares me. He scares me. Just as much as Gwen. What’s currently going on with the Angers?

Oh goodness. I absolutely see what you’re saying. I observed that in all his social media pics Mr Anger is almost always showing his teeth. That can often be a subconscious/conscious defense mechanism.

After being rescued from a cult as a child, it was pointed out to me that I was so scared/angry I walked around with my fists balled up constantly. And I never smiled unless showing my teeth.

Terrified people can be terrifying.

Hope he finds healing if he wants it. If he doesn’t want to heal I hope he at least learns something.

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Jacked

[Roscoe]

RF was super weird about media. Really any movie Gwen liked was like "spiritual and full of symbolism," like the Matrix or Man of Steel or Rocky. Any movie Gwen didn't like was a part of the demonic Hollywood elite corrupting the youth. She did a whole sermon about not wanting kids to see the Hunger Games because it promoted violence against children or something.

 

I think if kids were interested in ANYTHING and were too excited about it, it became a problem. We were supposed to be the most excited about watching sermons and Weigh Down classes and if we got too into any media, it was considered sinful.

[Jacked]

Just want to let all the survivors know that I am sending all the good vibes. I can’t fathom what this documentary might be bringing up emotionally.  But I can let you know I see you. And I hear you.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Jacked

[Destiny]

Just now, Roscoe said:

I think the midnight screening thing was more about kids being excited for something that wasn't church. She did the same thing with the Hunger Games.

What the all-encompassing fuck is that shit? O.O

It's okay to be excited about things (says the woman that was also in the midnight line for Hunger Games. I love my YA even though I'm old. Don't judge me!*) Life is often crappy, and having things to look forward to makes things a little more happy. A full life includes a variety of interests and people, and it's sad to me that the members of RF were / are being denied that.

*I'm also excited as heck for the Disney+ redo of Percy Jackson! Imma nerd y'all.

[Alisamer]

3 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

I’m sorry but I must go full Abe Lincoln on this. 😂

In summary, a large group of RF youth (including @RFsurvivor and I) got in trouble for planning to go to a midnight showing of Harry Potter. I would like to point out that we were grown ass adults at this point in time. 

That's insane, IMO. I can't imagine my church leaders caring in the slightest what movies I see. (Especially Harry Potter, since the pastor's daughter has Harry Potter stickers on her car.)

 

1 minute ago, Roscoe said:

I'm a former RFer.

Weirdly, Harry Potter itself wasn't a problem. We read and watched the Harry Potter movies and Gwen even played some of Chamber of Secrets to illustrate the idea of the phoenix. I think the midnight screening thing was more about kids being excited for something that wasn't church. She did the same thing with the Hunger Games.

That's... stupid dumb. And ridiculous. 

And honestly, she was crazy rich. If it offended her so much she could have probably had the movie screened AT the church, complete with her bloviating before and after. Side benefit: she could have gotten one large popcorn from a theater and had enough for everyone there to eat enough to quiet "the growl". 

(I don't know if it's the same elsewhere, but in the US at most movie theaters I've been to a large popcorn comes in a giant bucket. And costs a ton.)

[Roscoe]

We kind of lived by Gwen's whims. I remember one year at Summer Day Camp she did this whole thing about how birthday parties were evil, specifically because one of her granddaughters wasn't invited to some other girl's birthday party. So there was a whole sermon to the kids about how birthday parties were evil and selfish and instead you should fill out a RF book with your parents about how grateful you were to be alive.

 

I don't think this "edict" lasted very long, but I remember not having birthday parties that summer.

[Jacked]

5 minutes ago, Destiny said:

What the all-encompassing fuck is that shit? O.O

It's okay to be excited about things (says the woman that was also in the midnight line for Hunger Games. I love my YA even though I'm old. Don't judge me!*) Life is often crappy, and having things to look forward to makes things a little more happy. A full life includes a variety of interests and people, and it's sad to me that the members of RF were / are being denied that.

*I'm also excited as heck for the Disney+ redo of Percy Jackson! Imma nerd y'all.

 Best college assignment I ever had was reading ‘The Red Scarf Girl’ for Modern World Civ toward the end of the semester. There’s a reason that professor is now the chair of the history dept. YA and children’s lit are my fav.

When I worked in politics I would actually run away to the public library to read kid books when things got too overwhelming and I needed a break. 

[RFSurvivor_2]

13 minutes ago, Roscoe said:

I'm a former RFer.

Weirdly, Harry Potter itself wasn't a problem. We read and watched the Harry Potter movies and Gwen even played some of Chamber of Secrets to illustrate the idea of the phoenix. I think the midnight screening thing was more about kids being excited for something that wasn't church. She did the same thing with the Hunger Games.

It was definitely the issue. I personally was pulled into a meeting or two about the nature / context on why the decision was made. “Being excited for someone hunt that wasn’t church” was indeed part of it, but behind closed doors, it was a different story. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by RFSurvivor_2

[Destiny]

1 minute ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

It was definitely the issue. I personally was pulled into a meeting or two about the nature / context on why the decision was made. “Being excited for someone hunt that wasn’t church” was indeed part of it, but behind closed doors, it was a different story.

Again, I'm going to regret my question I'm sure, but what was it about Harry Potter and the Hunger Games that she found so objectionable? If it wasn't the witchcraft, was it the refusal to submit to authority?

ETA: Feel free to tell me to go fly a kite if you don't want to answer. I'm just curious.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Destiny

[Roscoe]

1 minute ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

It was definitely the issue. I personally was pulled into a meeting or two about the nature / context on why the decision was made. “Being excited for someone hunt that wasn’t church” was indeed part of it, but behind closed doors, it was a different story. 

Ooh! What was the reason, if you don't mind me asking?