by one tough mother S.O.B. ("Scourge of the Board")
(Rated: PG-17)
On how a noble soul was entranced by an enigmatic cult, struggled with the still, small voice within, was liberated from false authority, escaped the pod people, and found his way back home.
  
Once upon a time there was an aspiring young chiropractor with a passion, working from his soul's deepest desire, who became sceptical about a group of CCA members with an seemingly intractable position.
  
After a while in his profession he began to see and hear things he didn't expect, and appeared unseemly, and questions arose which he respectfully tried to have explained.
  
Even in the face of daunting authority, however, he listened to the still, small voice within, without being ashamed at challenging those higher up.
  
To cope with with his adversaries he rejected engaging in self-hate or putting himself down for his bull-dog behavior.
  
He refused to resort to "mea culpa" by repeating the sacred affirmations, or redoubling his efforts to conform to the sacred teachings, however beyond his comprehension they may have been.   After all, they sounded so   authoritative,   esoteric,   practical,   and mysterious.
  
He initially approach the leadership respectfully, but was repeatedly barred by the inner circle for getting too near the truth. After years of toeing the line and giving it his best shot, however, the pressure of truth overwhelmed any existing fears and his convictions would give him no rest. He approached once more to unburden his soul, but they only looked at him with pity, scorn, and disbelief. "How could you doubt the path, or judge the actions or good intentions of our beloved leaders, with your obviously unenlightened mind, you quack?!," they asked, ignoring his painful inquiry and plaintive and hysterical cries.
  
Finally, trying to make his best case, he laid it all on the line to the group, but whose chief spokesman coolly dispatched him with indignance, before one of the Annointed Ones humiliated him and sent him a stern warning, thus shattering any illusions he once had of their solicitude and regard.
  
After running some scenarios in his head, our hero gathered his self-control and with new-found strength skillfully feigned indifference, girding his loins and standing his ground, while making his position crystal clear, letting the chips fall where they may.
  
But this only riled up the papparazzi who swiftly closed ranks, trying to silence the heretic before he went public with scandalous revelations.
  
His every movement being watched, he luckily avoided incarceration, and fighting off sleep, lest his body and mind be completely taken over, deftly made his escape, being rescued with the support of fellow friends of the truth.
  
Still possessing his freedom, he sent a few choice parting words to the leader to put closure on his ordeal and cement his position.
  
He awaited the expected response, but before receiving it countered with one of his own.
  
He then sought the one responsible for his involvement with this crazy cult, to speak his peace as one of thousands and prevent future tragedy.
  
With his heart thus purged, he dropped to his knees and humbly prayed to God to keep him on the straight path and grant him renewed life.
  
His prayers answered, he emerged back into the light, somewhat battle-weary but full of resolve , older but wiser wiser, and come full circle, with his convictions intact, to the place and convictions whence he began and never really left.......... yet not quite the same, but possessed with hard-won knowledge to guide him further on his journey.......
                                                                    
"The End of the Beginning"