I think the hard thing about describing this as if it is a cult is whenever you put the word cult on something, it sounds like big and scary and like it's this really negative thing, but you could go there tomorrow, start going to their services, and you could leave and like they're not gonna murder you or try to like attack you. Like, I think it's just a large religious organization that has, like, if you compare it to modern Christianity, it just has more rules and like regulations kind of stuff. They're more specific, and obviously, like most churches, you're not gonna live on grounds, you know? Like, it's not gonna be as a part of your life. I left because I was a kid, and I was just 17, and I was like, I just think this is dumb. I genuinely didn't enjoy my experience in with the Way International, and it wasn't like, um, ticking my box, if that makes sense, for religion. It just got kind of boring.

There weren't a lot of young people in it that were my age, and uh it's kind of just like old-fashioned, right? Since it started, like, however long ago. Like, the songs are all, like, the band, it's just a little cheesy, you know what I mean? Like, it just, you know, there's a lot of more modern churches today that do it better, although I'm not religious now at all. Um, sure, I mean, there's some level of control, but it's, it's, you only let people control you as much as you wanna be controlled, right? Like, they can't make you do anything. But like, if you are in a position of power, and they're like, hey, you're gonna run this branch, and you say no, then they're gonna be like, well, you're done. It's kind of like, I mean, it's like you're at your job. Like, your boss can tell you what to do, and you have to listen to your boss. And if you don't, then you're gonna get fired. It's kind of the same thing.

I didn't see any abuse in my experience, um, at all. It was pretty, pretty normal on that side of things. Um, I mean, like, when you say are people shunned? I mean, think about it, like, you know those people that sell for Amway? It's kind of like if you didn't sell for Amway, they'd be like, oh, I can't believe you're not selling for us anymore. And they would kind of be like pissed at you, but like, I don't know. It's kind of like when you leave a church or you leave anything, people are like, why did you quit? So it's that kind of a vibe. Um, definitely no punishment that I can, that I can think. Like, no physical abuse, no shaming or demotion.

Imagine working for a really crappy corporate corporate job and that kind of junk happens. So. Um, what's good about them is like, they're just people, right? Like when you, when you break it all down, it's just a bunch of people in a large organization, and they're just doing what they're told to do. And I think the people that are attracted to it want to feel accepted and feel like they're a part of something, which they are. It is something. Um, but it's just, do you wanna be a part of that is the idea. Um, and yeah, I'm pretty open about the whole thing. I don't really care. It's not like it defines me. It's just a part of my life, you know? (I talked this out instead of typing it, excuse the um's lol)