"Religion Gone Bad" Is the Focus
of Powers' "Matches in the Gas Tank"

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

With much of the world focused on religion, this time of the year, Carla Powers, a successful attorney in Houston, Texas, takes us on a journey into "religion gone bad!" Powers, who grew up in the clutches of Herbert W. Armstong's Radio Church of God, in nearby Big Sandy, Texas, delivers a powerful message about religion that is taken too far. Join Powers in this memoir, as she offers a "first-hand" account of her family, destroyed by the influences of alcoholism and the restrictive powers of religion.

Anyone who grew up in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's will readily identify with some of the major religious issues that Powers reflects, as she reached adulthood in a community some 70 miles to the east of us. You'll smell the pine trees, see the lakes, and identify with the "oil patch" economy that drove that part of Texas. You'll see how she coped with the restrictions of an overbearing religious influence and watch as she and her family work within the realms of the restrictions.

Many will identify with the culture of which her father, a poor and uneducated Arkansas farmboy, was "ripe" to be influenced by Armstrong's fateful religious philosophy and doctrine, as a means of lifting himself and his family to a better life. However, when the religion failed him, he turned to alcohol and lost his family in the process.

"Matches in the Gas Tank" is a self-evaluation of anyone who grew-up in Northeast Texas during the turmoil of the 1950's - 1970's, and the influences that have affected their lives. You're sure to identify with Powers, as she struggles to achieve and to find a place in life, after suffering a "misguided" upbringing, in a remote area of Northeast Texas, amidst a religious cult atmosphere!

Once your start the book, you can't wait to turn the page, to see what happens next!

As Powers learns, forgiveness is the secret to moving toward a better life, and one must learn to forgive before they can reach the next step.....A powerful read that makes the reader assess their own values and influences in life!

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