I have been out of the system for a few years and, while I don't consider myself to have fully recovered, I sincerely don't have an axe to grind anymore (by God's grace, not my effort).
Having said that, after posting here recently I wondered if part of the reason for my slow recovery has been an inability to articulate my experience, despite many good friends offering sympathy and their best advice over the years. Add to that the persistent thought, "What if they (BCF/RFI) were right?"
It seems that leaving the prison is only half the battle. One must still build a new life in the 'real' world. And if we are truly made in the image of our Father, perhaps
speaking is an important factor in determining our future outside the prison. [Genesis 1:3]
I believe that the Scriptures are true, and as such I believe that it is critical to forgive my abusers. [Matthew 6:12,14; Luke 6:28] I also believe that it is important to give credit where it is due; the sins of Jesus' murderers are documented in Scripture for our benefit even though He forgave them. [Luke 23:34] I don't think it is without honour to document some of the abuses and misleadings I suffered at the hands of certain perpetrators because it may benefit someone else to read my testimony.
For example, one thing the RFI leaders did marvellously was teach me to suppress my voice. At one point, I and the young adults group I was with were told sternly by an elder, in no uncertain terms, that we were "not to have an opinion about anything" (exact words to the best of my memory). I can't speak for anyone else present, but like a fool I accepted the challenge. Let me assure you, that instruction alone is dangerous enough to ruin a perfectly good life*.
*I mean that in the colloquial sense. [Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:12; Mark 10:18; etc]
I don't want to bore you all to tears, so I'll over-and-out here, but hopefully there's some benefit to me writing this. I was encouraged by a Christian psychologist not long ago, that there is power in sharing our testimonies, not just for ourselves but for the sake of others. And if I'm not mistaken (I'm not a Bible scholar so I may be mistaken) it is also an effective end-time military strategy. [Revelation 12:10-11]
P.S. I hope the Bible references don't come across as excessive or condescending. You never know who's reading; maybe they'll find them useful.