There is no such thing as ""leaving clean"" or ""leaving with their blessing"" . These are false statements that do not align with their actual practices. It is only a matter of time before they slander your character, question your authentic Christianity and pressure your family and friends to stop eating with you and cut you off. That window of time depends upon your ability to influence others. If you are influential, they want to cut you off quickly. If you are not influential they will wait a little longer. Like all cults, they dissuade your doubt with false public statements, and then tell you behind closed doors what they really believe. You learn instinctively what they want from their actions, put-downs, body language, jokes, etc. They are pleased when you cut off your family, and displeased at your ongoing relationships with your family who have left the church. That is the truth. \r
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Because they have earned an ugly reputation for shunning, they try to hide their true character. They give you all the reasons for shunning, encourage you to shun, but they won't write down their beliefs and avoid direct commands if possible. They do not want a record of their true doctrines, teachings and beliefs. They want to operate in the shadows, ever-morphing to escape criticism and detection as a destructive community. They are slippery eels, cunning and deceitful - be warned!\r
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The leader of this association makes the unbiblical claim that a commitment to a local church is the same level as a marriage commitment. They use this teaching to justify divorce when a spouse leaves the group or gets kicked out. Of course they have welcomed people who left other churches to join them, so their teaching is rather one-sided in their favor. And they have broken up marriages and families, so people are afraid to leave in case they become the next casualty.\r
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I believe their unorthodox doctrine matters a great deal. Doctrine is a fancy word for what you believe about God. If they understood the true nature of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, they would not treat people so poorly. Their poor treatment of others flows from their wrong doctrine and misguided submission to a fallen, sinful man over Christ and His Word. That's why Christ said to look at the fruit, it's a clue. It's also why cults work so hard to hide the truth and the bad fruit of their beliefs. If you really knew the truth, you would never join. And by the time you learn the truth, the cost to leave is very high. \r
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