Escaping God Through Oklahoma: Satan, the Exclusive Brethren and Surviving Excommunication

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Stafford Ray

Escaping God Through Oklahoma

Satan, the Exclusive Brethren and Surviving Excommunication

Stafford Ray

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English

Stafford Ray
08 May 2025

Memoirs; Religion: general; Psychology; Sexual behaviour

This story is told through a series of sessions with a psychiatrist as an older man come to terms with damage to himself by others, and to others by himself as a co-dependent sex addict.

Brought up in the Exclusive Brethren sect, frequently belted with a leather strap to exorcise Satan, where sex is only ever explained in terms of sin and damnation, the young child is exposed to sexual experiences and information that he had no tools to process nor trusted adult to consult.

His self-esteem suffers under constant belittling by his father, who denies praise to maintain control over the boy, who develops a severe stutter and wets the bed. Puberty is a nightmare of misunderstood biology, sinful feelings and holy retribution.

A series of risky behaviours, some self-generated and others set up by his father, threaten to end the child's life on many occasions. The gift of a rifle at fourteen, coinciding with his peak of self-loathing, almost gets him there.

Relief comes in the form of a significant friendship with another loner, a child of an Atheist communist family where he is offered alternative social structures from his Brethren family models. Here, he is appreciated for his musical ability and ideas. He hears poetry and stories that are not from the Old Testament. This rich environment supports him when the Brethren turn on the family and they are 'withdrawn from', an excommunication that devastates his father, but eventually comes as a relief to the boy.

As the sessions come to an end, he is still challenged by his instincts of co-dependence, but avoids actions that might threaten his integrity. He no longer needs to 'buy' affection and enjoys warm and trusting relationships with his children and partner, built on respect and empathy.

By: Stafford Ray
Imprint: Stafford Ray
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 517g
ISBN: 9781763888890
ISBN 10: 1763888894
Pages: 388
Publication Date: 08 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Stafford Ray was born into a the fundamentalist Exclusive (Plymouth) Brethren sect. Of course, radios were banned and TV had not yet been invented, so information was passed along by print and for most of his childhood, that was limited to the Bible and other Holy texts.His maternal grandmother, Eusebia Turnbull, had the Sydney Morning Herald delivered along with the mail and milk cans six days a week, so when he was dumped on her to be looked after, which was often, he had access to comic strips and the Children's Section. But also at the farm, his resourceful uncle Owen had set up a wireless radio, so the wonders of music, the news and best of all, radio dramas, or serials, were shared.At about the time his family was 'withdrawn from' he changed schools to Parramatta High School and it was there that was loaned Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species'. Suddenly his observed world made sense and so began a lifelong love of science.At primary school, his soprano voice was in demand to school musicals, then a few years later a gift of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, being one of the very few non-biblical texts allowed in the house, he read several times, probably out of desperation for something to read. But a love of drama and music was born that would manifest in the writing of many musical plays for classroom use, then later in life, three novels, a collection of short stories and poems, then this memoir. He also spent many years in Sydney as a TV and recording musician, known and Ford Ray, backing famous entertainers from around the world. His first recording that gained attention was on guitar for Jimmy Little's Royal Telephone and his favourite, playing bass in the Daly Wilson Big Band with Kerrie Biddell. (Hear on Spotify).Stafford's plays can be downloaded, free of charge. Help yourself at: www.staffordray.com to free downloads of librettos, songs and backings to take you from first rehearsal to final performance.There you will also find a Model Lesson Plan that not only makes drama teaching easy and fun but ensures that every student is busy all the time, while using all of his or her learning styles, thus multiplying the efficiency of your lesson time. Run a couple of plays and watch your reading ages jump.