Re: The Doctrine of Testimony Sharing -- RSQUBF discussion forum

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Date Posted: 10:29:19 12/02/04 Thu
Author: Chris
Subject: Re: The Doctrine of Testimony Sharing
In reply to: SolaFide(aka by faith, not works) 's message, "Re: The Doctrine of Testimony Sharing" on 09:27:08 12/02/04 Thu

I think you have chosen a good nickname. If anybody still is looking for a good name: SolaGratia, SolaScriptura, SolusChristos and SoliDeoGloria are still free ;-)

My observation was that the testimonies became more conform over time. New members had their own style, but it gradually changed until it completely fitted into the pattern. From the testimonies, you could already know how long a member was in UBF. Of course, there were always some relativly new members there who shared "fresh" sogams which sometimes were even interesting to hear. But the rest was very boring, always the same. I remember when they first told me to take part in a testimony sharing session. Our chapter was very small at that time. It was a horrific experience, since the 4 or 5 people before me (Koreans) repeated some sentences from the message (which you had heard before anway) literally in all 4 or 5 sogams. I wasn't used to such a strange thing, and I wanted to run away. But over time, I put up with it. I think "indoctrination by repetition" is one important aspect of testimony sharing and UBF mind control in general that we forgot to mention.

Later, I was forced to take part in even 2 sogam sharing meetings a week (besides the daily bread and fellowship sesssions, where also usually at least 1 sogam was shared). There was the friday meeting (where I was considered to be the alpha dog) with 1/2 younger members and 2/3 older members. The testimonies of the older members were very boring, and they were longer. But then I also had to attend the Sunday sogam session, where all of the male Koreans and some other older members had to share, most of them could not really speak German. It was a real agony. Also, usually I had headache, because we had already been in the same room for the whole Sunday (music preparation, prayer, worship service, eating fellowship, group meeting, coworkers meeting), I had to correct the leader's message and questionnaire at the computer, and the air was stuffy. But I had to sit 2 or 3 more hours and listen to another round of all-the-same sogams of people who could not speak German. When I wanted to skip the meating because of headache, I was told I would not love my brothers because I showed no interest in their prayer topics and struggle of faith. So in order to prove that I love them I had to take part in another boring sogam session.

Of course, they wouldn't speak about their REAL struggles anyway. I remember one Korean missionary who suddenly, out of the blue, left UBF together with his wife. There was no indication of problems whatsoever in his sogams before. And we were never told why he left UBF. He wasn't mentioned anymore, and my leader didn't tell me any more to love him or care for him or pray for him. One other experience was also very revealing for me. I had heard the sogam of one of the new Korean missionaries every Sunday in the official sogam meeting which was - according to the idea of the leader - the best way to show your care and love for your coworkers. But nevertheless I didn't know anything about him in reality. It was not because I slept during the Sogams sessions as some others did. No, usually, I tried to listen. But these sogams were simply too artificial and nobody shared his REAL thoughts in the sogam. Then, one evening, I repaired a computer together with that Korean missionary. We had to wait 2 hours for a harddisk to format or something. So we talked for two hours, and he opened his heart. We talked as normal friends and brothers, not in the UBF sogam style or with a hierarchy between us. It was only in these two hours that I started to know and love him as a brother, not through his hundred artificial sogams I heard before. I think open talk among brothers is a hundred times better than artificial sogam talk. Unfortunately, this is not cultivated in UBF. Luckily, that Korean missionary has meanwhile left UBF. He still is a good friend of mine. We sometimes made Bible study together after he left UBF.

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Replies:

Re: The Doctrine of Testimony Sharing -- PECAS, 12:44:04 12/03/04 Fri
- One more thing... -- Mike K., 06:57:52 12/05/04 Sun
Re: The Doctrine of Testimony Sharing -- bj kang, 18:16:13 12/03/04 Fri