Tag Archive | Liberty for Captives
Stones of Help and Remembrance
An “Ebenezer” is a stone of remembrance–literal or figurative–which someone sets up in order to remind themselves of God’s faithfulness. The concept comes from 1 Samuel 7:12, where Samuel set up a stone pillar and said, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.” This month serves as an Ebenezer for me and my family. I […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
One Who Got Away: Libby Phelps Alvarez, Religious Brainwashing, and the Westboro Baptist Church
We’ve all seen the signs; we’ve all heard the rhetoric of hatred: “Thank God for dead soldiers,” “Soldiers die; God laughs.” The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas remains America’s best-known and least-understood cult. Founded by Pastor Fred Phelps, the rural church believes that the deaths of soldiers and Marines evidences God’s righteous judgment on […]
Liberty for Captives 