My brother recently joined The Way which is a non denominational church which concerns me. Upon joining, he has become extreemely religious overnight and in all of his spare time he is either in church, with his church buddies, or listening to christian music. He talked to me briefly about one of his bible study lessons which was to read Deuteronomy where God is threatning to curse Israel to living hell for turning away from him. Anyway my brother said that his preacher was talking about how that relates the US and that our nation is cursed by God.

This little bit that I know about it is a major red flag to me because his preacher is not teaching a message of peace or love, but fear and damnation.
I would like to go to his church for a visit so I can see for myself what is really going on.

Do you think I have a reason to be concerned...if so what do I do? or am I just overreacting?

knotty

knotty:

Do you mean "The Way" started by Victor Paul Wierwelle?

I dont know who started it or even the pastors name. I have very little info to go but a gut feeling. Can you give me some links to the The Way which you are talking about?

There is a group, which has been called a "cult" known as "The Way".

See [carm.org]

However, the group may simply have same name, but not be associated with the teachings of Wierwelle.

Also see [www.culteducation.com]

These are some basic warning signs.

I am somewhat experienced in cults because I am a former member of a campus cult and did alot of online research into the structure of cults and mind control techniques after my mom rescued me.
Do you think it would be a good idea for me to visit his church a few times to find out more. My brother is reluctant to talk much about it, which also concerns me.

Knotty

Hi,

My wife entered a cult quite a while ago and I went to a few meetings to find out what they were about. It's a long story but it wasn't a wise choice on my part. I would first find out whether this is the same group started by Victor Paul Wierwelle, as rrmoderator suggested, then find out as much as you can about them through various websites, even their own if they have one. "Visiting the church" a few times may add some legitamacy to the church in your brother's eyes and may raise his expectations about getting you involved. With that said, you don't want to come out against him right from the start. Find out what they are about, then reconsider your options. That would be my advice after my experience.

Good luck.

I don't know much about this particular group but I do know from personal experience how easy it is to get sucked into something like this. The problem is the changes that you describe in your brother are behaviors that MANY small evangelical denominations encourage especially those that have a Holiness/Pentecostal background. His pastor sounds more extreme than most but I can assure you that this kind of thinking is not unusual for these groups. Does that make them cults? Strictly speaking by the standards of this website, no. But you have every right to be concerned.

I can also tell you that it is going to be very hard to convince him to leave the group. Because the problem is not just THIS group, it is evangelical Christian culture in general that you are up against. I am sure that there will be Christians who are reading this and saying that they don't see what the problem is with him reading the Bible, listening to Christian music and associating only with Christian friends. In fact I know quite a few who would count that as a positive step. Now, they might not agree with his pastor's interpretation but they will heartily endorse his new lifestyle even though you and I and others can see what it is doing to him. I've been down that road myself. I am not willing to go down it again. I have learned to guard my mind and my soul and if others think I am a heretic and a nonbeliever so be it.

The thing is right now he has found something in this group that he hasn't found outside. Your best clue is to find out what it is and try to find healthy alternatives that offer the same thing.

try to make him understand.....politely

Thanks all,
sorry I been gone....things have been super busy here, anyway I did get more information. Its a sort of baptist church...not affilated with the one the moderator was talking about.

I decided to take your advice not to visit... here is some info about it.

[www.ourchurch.com]

It seems like your run of the mill church on their site....but the stuff that comes out of his mouth sometimes is troubling.

After Hurricane Sandy, I was discussing with him about the magnitude of this storm and how some say global warming plays a part in the intensification of storms like Sandy. He corrected me and told me that it was "God's punishment on the North East for their rebellion"
My jaw hit the floor....he was always very kind and charitable to those afflicted by natural disasters like the time he volunteered to help get trees off people's houses after a local tornado outbreak. And now, he believes they somehow "deserve it".

My sister also agrees that he has lost his mind since he joined this group.

There was another thing he said that bothered me which he was talking about the rapture and after the rapture any Christians left behind have to cut their head off to get into heaven. Yes it is in the bible....but so is killing your child for being disobediant. I mean some stuff in that book is best to be ignored....but his church leader decided to focus on that which is bothersome. What if that leader decides to tell his congergation that the rapture had occured and they all had to chop thier heads off to get into heaven?

Whats weird is he can be totally rational in every area of his life except religion....enter religion into the conversation and its like a switch flips and he turns into pat robbertson on crack.

He is already pretty well brainwashed...I guess I will have to ride this out and be there when he falls apart. I wish I had more options than to just watch this horror unfold in slow motion.

Knotty

I visited the website, and I agree, appearances can be deceiving. One would not get the impression from visiting their website. But I know enough about that particular mindset that I believe you.

Religious fanaticism is an issue that churches have yet to deal with. They act like it does not exist. Yet people CAN get addicted to God just as much as they are addicted to crack. Your brother IS addicted. Marx didn't say "Religion is the opiate of the masses" for nothing. He knew what he was talking about.

Right now there is a local independent church that I am watching to see what unfolds. I was part of the congregation for two years until I started hearing things that disturbed me (not as extreme as what your brother reports but still, I know where the kind of things I was hearing lead to). I left after the pastor, who was preaching on Genesis, said "sometimes Satan uses science to lead people away from God." I have no doubt that he was referring to those who were not Creationists, which I am not. That was the last straw as far as I was concerned. But a few weeks before that they had a very public excommunication of a member who was not living up to their rules. They named him by name from the pulpit, even though he hadn't been seen in church for several months. This is a small town and many people know the family and were quite upset. But not upset enough, I guess, to walk out.

The announcement of the expulsion took place on the same day that the pastor preached about Adam and Eve being kicked out of the Garden of Eden. He claimed the timing was coincidence. I don't think so. The man's conduct had been known for some time; likewise, this was part of a planned sermon series. So please don't tell me this was routine. It was meant to send a message.

I am still in contact with some of the members who have told me that the church has purchased a plot of land and plans to build on it. We are talking a congregation of about 150 people which has been in existence as an independent church less than five years. I told one of my friends, "Watch out. You will see big changes coming and they won't all be good." Currently they have a very relaxed attitude about tithes and offerings, they don't pass a basket or make a big deal of it, but you can bet as soon as the mortgage is signed that will change--because banks have no mercy on those who can't make payments. I know of another, historic congregation (100 years plus) who moved out of their historic church because it was too small, built a magnificent new one--and lost it within two years when the bank foreclosed. So now they have NO building. So, yes, the pressure WILL be on. How it will change this church, I don't know, but it will change them. As for me, though I miss my friends, I am happy to be out.