#ex cult

Jehovah Christmas- a funny (and hypocritical) family tradition.

Now, I’d like to stress that no, we do not call this event ‘Jehovah Christmas’. While I think suggesting that name would get my sister to laugh- I doubt any of the devout family would be happy about it. Instead it is boringly called ‘The November Party’ but I want to suggest a different name.

This family tradition came about last year, before we locked down fully for COVID. It’s a two day event- one day for gifts, the next for food. With that in mind, it’s more of a Christmas / Thanksgiving combo than a unique tradition.

On the first day, the third Friday of every November, we each (8 of us total) get each other a gift, nothing extravagant but there is no hard price limit. We keep gift bags labeled with our names on a big table, and we all just put our gifts in the bags after wrapped. We all open them, taking turns taking a single gift out of your bag. The following day, my dad and grandma cook a big Thanksgiving-like spread. And then, for the one time a year we do this- we eat together at the big table.

This tradition was obviously born out of a desire to celebrate holidays without really celebrating them. I can’t remember who’s idea it was, though I can assure you it wasn’t mine. While I see the obvious hypocrisy here, I’m not going to bring that up and dash away the chance for my sister to experience that little bit of the holidays. Plus, I love it and wish they had done it when I was a kid.

Anyways, if you and your families had any fun traditions like that, please share them because I’d love to hear.

Growing up in a doomsday cult muddled much of my ability to be emotional about the tragic things happening in the world. Growing up with the belief that everyone who died unfairly would either be resurrected or they weren’t deserving of life anyways makes taking in horrible things a lot easier- it makes it simple to think about, and it sounds on the surface like everyone will receive justice.

But even if resurrected with the memories of the pain erased, those people still lived through injustice that a loving god wouldn’t have put them through. They also aren’t being resurrected yet, so they haven’t gotten their justice yet anyways. But that thought process brings so much comfort- this idea that the universe has a system to sort everything out in a way that is sensible to human comprehension. That isn’t how the world is, though- people suffer everywhere and being complacent with that fact is to close your eyes to reality before you.

I think this realization is what can cause many ex-doomsday cult members emotional distress and exhaustion, because once you realize the unfairness of the world there is no going back to ignorance.

Your cult aesthetic looks like dark cloaks and goblets of virgin blood. My cult reality looked like modest dresses and indoctrination training.

Please don’t forget the real cults that are under the radar and remain mostly unchecked in our society to this very day. Please don’t forget how many people spend years of their lives being abused and misled by these cults.