Phantom of the Church Opera

Chapter 1

Phantom of the Church Opera has been birthed out of the pain and suffering experienced by my siblings and I and many other family members and friends who were a part of the same religious organization. This organization was in charge of our spiritual care and development as children maturing into adults. We were all affected in such a way that many deep wounds and scars are still crying out wanting to be heard, wanting someone to hear the plea of broken promises, and the moan of injustice, due to being preyed upon like defenseless animals. I am envisioning a mother lion searching for food and hiding her cubs in the high grass to protect them which is the natural thing to do. In nature there is always another predator waiting and watching for the opportunity to pounce on those unsuspecting cubs. Just as I hear those little cubs crying out for help, if we listen closely, the cries of the children can be heard and seen through grown men and women whose lives are or have been full of chaos and turmoil. So many of these men and women had dreams of being someone important, of making a difference in this world but those dreams became nightmares. They were unable to wake up and get free of the clutches of the unknown predator. The time has come for the unknown predator to be exposed for exactly what it is. Until we understand and know what we are dealing with there is no combating this force. We have been systemically brain washed to the point of being too trustworthy and leaving our children open to attack. The blinders are so powerful it is impossible to see or hear the cries of the very ones who must carry the torch into the future. The question is what type of future will that be and how much light can the torch really produce?

I am moved in my heart every time I hear a report either on television, or the radio, or the internet, or just word of mouth how children suffer at the hands of individuals put in positions of authority to watch after and care for them. I cannot pretend I understand everyone’s situation and circumstance due to the things they may have endured at the hands of these predators. I can only sympathize because of what I was subjected to as a child along with my siblings and other family members and many other children in the religious organization we were a part of. I believe the residue of hurt and pain continues to impact and influence many who were a part of the organization I was associated with as a child. What I mean by this is most of the individuals who were responsible are dead or no longer a part of the organization. As a matter of fact the organization no longer exist. Even though they may no longer be a part of that organization the scars on the outside and the scar tissue on the inside are still causing discomfort to so many. Others have started their own religious organizations or joined ones already established. The wounds and scars have remained, and have been transferred. As a result other organizations and generations that come after these damaged goods have inherited the side effects. Instead of seeking to get the proper diagnosis and the right medication prescribed people just moved on. As the old saying goes, how can the doctor prescribe the right medicine if you don’t tell him your symptoms? I’m convinced it has become a generational curse, if the problem isn’t acknowledged and dealt with and eradicated it will pass from generation to generation. This was the master plan of the enemy, the devil. If the enemy can keep us focused on our own selfish desires and off focus of others wellbeing then we cannot diagnose them properly or prescribe the right medication! Until it is brought out in the open and dealt with head on, there will be no healing for those individuals who suffer from this disease or better translated state of dis-ease. For the most part it has been swept under the rug of religious bigotry. I believe there were many people down through the years that could have made a difference by standing up and crying out with a loud voice saying enough is enough but instead turned a blind eye, took a bribe or didn’t think they stood a chance going against the religious hierarchy. Because of this negligence many lives have been destroyed, many have lost faith in GOD. This God who was portrayed to them as a loving protector, healer, deliverer and rock has become a God who they believe abandoned them. I personally have seen family members and individuals I grew up with or knew from a distance fall by the wayside, turn to alternative lifestyles, crime, drugs, alcohol, etc. Everything they believed in turned out to be a lie and most everyone they trusted took advantage of their innocence, stole their childhood, and caused many to be mad at the world. It took me a while to realize I too was one of these people.