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When Someone You Love is in a Cult
The requests break my heart. I often receive emails from readers asking me to help them extract one of their family members from a cult. Other times, a reader will say: “I think my loved one is in a cult, but I’m not sure. How can I know for certain? Please help!” One of the […]
Broken Cisterns: Cultic Codependency (Part 2 of 2)
Every cult leader practices codependent styles of relating. Every cult member struggles with boundary issues and codependency. Codependency is the greatest relational dysfunction in cults and unhealthy religious groups. It represents a form of idolatry where we put someone else in the place of God. God calls such relationships “broken cisterns” which cannot meet our […]
Self-Deprecating Narcissists: Why Some Christian Narcissists Appear Humble
A humble narcissist? I always wondered how my former pastor could appear so righteous and yet act as a narcissist. Even after writing a post about narcissism in the church, I still scratched my head. But no more. Recently, my friends over at “Recovering Grace” re-posted a blog which describes exactly how this behavior happens. […]
Beware “A Tale of Three Kings” by Gene Edwards
This book is easy to read and memorable. It just isn’t true. Despite its lop-sided popularity (you can scan a galaxy of 5-star Amazon reviews), A Tale of Three Kings represents an inaccurate and, thus, harmful perspective on spiritual authority and those who have been wounded by its abuse. Gene Edwards first published A Tale […]
Hail Stones, Strep Throat, and Engine Failure: God’s Punishment, or Occupational Hazards?
On June 13, 2012, a line of severe thunderstorms boiled through east Dallas, just west of Highway 75. I know, because I was standing beside my car in the uncovered parking lot beside our apartment building at Dallas Seminary. I watched afternoon sunlight turn a weird shade of green. I smelled ozone in the air. […]
Broken Cisterns: Cultic Codependency (Part 1 of 2)
“Steve, you sound angry,” my pastor said. His voice dripped like brown caramel on my head. The room spun and roared. “No,” I said, but my fists clenched. Ferris* had just told me that I couldn’t go to college yet—I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t spiritually mature enough. Outside, I could see summer sun lean heavily […]
Why Spiritually Abused People Should Not Repent… And Why They Should
If you carry around a burden of guilt because you were spiritually abused, this post is for you. The question is: Do people who have been spiritually abused need to repent for allowing themselves to be abused? Dr. Stephen Crosby—who himself experienced spiritual abuse in the past—wrote in a recent blog post: “If you have […]
Should We Repent for Allowing Ourselves to be Spiritually Abused?
Should we repent for allowing ourselves to be spiritually abused? Yikes. I am re-posting the following article in its entirety from my friend Julie Anne Smith’s blog, Spiritual Sounding Board. It refers to an original post by Dr. Stephen Crosby. This article will make you think. I came across an article on spiritual abuse Spiritual Abuse: […]
Fifteen Feathers of a Legalist (Part 1 of 2)
Birds of a feather flock together. Ornithologists identify flickers of movement in a thicket as a particular bird. They do so by catching characteristics peculiar to a certain species. Wing feathers, tail feathers, and head or throat feathers all serve identifying purposes. In the two posts in this series you will find fifteen “feathers” to […]
Liberty for Captives 