By Todd Pizeek, used with permission

WARNING! It is true. If you leave the International Church of Christ, you are doomed. Your life will radically change. Consider this a warning! Here is a list of bad things that will happen to you if you leave the ICC:

1. You will no longer be able to rely on someone else to help you feel good about yourself. That will have to come from inside you from the moment you leave.
2. Your time and attention will no longer have a lofty purpose like saving the world or running God's kingdom. You may have to take up a trivial pursuit such as spending time with friends and family or relaxing on your front porch with a glass of wine while you watch neighborhood kids play on the sidewalk.
3. You will no longer be able to boost your self-esteem by the number of names and telephone numbers you can gather from strangers. You will have to find other ways of boosting self-esteem like making your own decisions and deciding how to spend your free time without consulting anyone.
4. Your hobbies and interests will suddenly require your attention. You can no longer put dreams, passions and enjoyable activities on the back burner for the sake of pleasing your discipler or God.
5. You have to decide what to wear EVERY day instead of just trying to look like your discipler.
6. You will have to be sure of how you feel about things rather than mindlessly following the dictates of the group.
7. You will suddenly have to pay attention to your needs and wants. You will have to eat when you are hungry and sleep when you are tired.
8. You will lose your sense of self-importance and power. Your actions will no longer be capable of damning someone else to hell.
9. You will no longer feel safe just by giving time and money to a group or leader.
10. Your social circle will expand and you will find yourself spending time with people that do not think or act exactly like you do.
11. You will get to know and spend time with your family.
12. You will be saddled with the burden of deciding what groups or activities you want to join and/or leave.
13. You will have to engage in a job or education of your OWN choosing.
14. You will have to decide how best to discipline yourself and your family.
15. You will have to take control of your own body including matters of sex and marriage.
16. You will have to demonstrate emotions consistent with how you really feel as opposed to just trying to be fired up all the time.
17. You will have to plan times with friends based on a mutually agreeable time rather than whatever works best for the leader.
18. You may find yourself talking to a stranger at a shopping mall without getting a commitment from them to meet with you at a later time.
19. You will have to live with people you choose yourself rather than having this decided for you.
20. Worst of all, you will be responsible for your own spiritual journey.