Tag Archive | cults
A Biblical Perspective on Spiritual Authority and Critical Thinking
When I was in a cult I believed that my pastor’s claims to authority obligated me to obey him. I accepted what he said uncritically. I thought he spoke for God. Today, I understand that when I blindly obey someone who claims to have spiritual authority I put myself at risk of spiritual abuse. Evangelicals can […]
Eight Ways to Identify Religious Brainwashing: The “Sacred Science” (Part 5 of 8)
This is the fifth in an eight-part series on how to identify brainwashing in a destructive group or cult. It is based off of Dr. Robert Jay Lifton’s “Eight-Point Model of Thought Reform” and borrows from several other authorities on the topic of religious mind-control.* 1.) Part One: Milieu Control 2.) Part Two: Mystical Manipulation 3.) […]
A Son Speaks Out: Westboro Baptist Church and Fred Phelps
Sometimes a single document can offer supreme wisdom about a mind-blowing issue. Wisdom which a thousand other articles, documentaries, and interviews can only embellish but not improve. Wisdom with far-ranging application. I believe that this is such a document. The following letter by Mark W. Phelps, son of Westboro Baptist Church pastor Fred Phelps, originally appeared in […]
Eight Ways to Identify Religious Brainwashing: The Cult of Confession (Part 4 of 8)
This is the fourth in an eight-part series on how to identify brainwashing in a destructive group or cult. It is based off of Dr. Robert Jay Lifton’s “Eight-Point Model of Thought Reform” and borrows from several other authorities on the topic of religious mind-control.* 1.) Part One: Milieu Control 2.) Part Two: Mystical Manipulation 3.) […]
Someone Like Me: Anatomy of a Cult Member
I find this post somewhat embarrassing to write, but they say “our scars become our ministry” and I think God gets all the glory for that. In this blog I have focused often on cult leaders and what makes them tick, and it seems only fair to turn the lens around and focus on what […]
Eight Ways to Identify Religious Brainwashing: Demand for Perfection (Part 3 of 8)
This is the third in an eight-part series on how to identify brainwashing in a destructive group or cult. It is based off of Dr. Robert Jay Lifton’s “Eight-Point Model of Thought Reform” and borrows from several other authorities on the topic of religious mind-control.* 1.) Part One: Milieu Control 2.) Part Two: Mystical Manipulation […]
The Bay of Legalis: A Parable
The chaplain wore dark glasses. He jumped off the ship, his hands full of chains and the chains attached to caskets and in each casket a living human being—100 in all—men, women, and children. On every casket shone a crooked cross. He jumped with a grin on his face and the sun shining and the scent […]
We Swallowed Camels: Reflections of a Legalist
“There are no disputable matters,” my pastor said to the small group of men gathered for fellowship on a Saturday morning in the late 1990s. Mid-October maples flamed outside the church windows while Canada geese honked overhead. Leaf crumbs littered the floor. I liked to sit on the side of the table where I could […]
Wisconsin Faith-Healing Case May Set Precedent
Faith-Healing Case Goes to State Supreme Court In 2008, Wisconsin 11-year-old Madeline “Kara” Neumann died after her parents prayed for her recovery but did not take her to see a doctor. Before her death, Kara’s father saw that she looked dehydrated and so he recommended using Pedialyte. However, her mother said that would “take glory […]
Eight Ways to Identify Religious Brainwashing: Mystical Manipulation (Part 2 of 8)
This is the second in an eight-part series on how to identify brainwashing in a destructive group or cult. It is based off of Dr. Robert Jay Lifton’s “Eight-Point Model of Thought Reform” and borrows from several other authorities on the topic of religious mind-control.* You can see the first post here. 1.) Part One: […]
Liberty for Captives 