I was in an apostolic cult that was a "cell church" and they had shepards that led each cell of the church....the shepards were there for one purpose to get intimate information from you to tell the leader, so he can mention it "as a message from God" sheparding is really bad, it creates a situation where there are no secrets, and identity is fused with the shepard, so the
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

my friend and I had a big arument over that film....she said it was the best triology ever. I tried to get her to use that 3 pounds of grey matter...she got real mad I told her that it was very hipocritiical 1) christians claim that violence on tv is evil...but yet they honor a movie about slaying thier messiah 2)kids whom christians claim to be "the lost generation" are encou
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

Wow that is so sad...funny thing is ...I get emails like that all the time. "help me I am a nigerian woman...my father died and he left me money, but it is american bills...I need your account number to transfer it to your account" Once I was selling my parrot, and I kept getting overseas replies..they had someone in the states to pick him up. But the person picking him up owed t
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

well that dude is crack (note crack cociaine stimulates the part of the brain that creates the emotion of love) so what I am saying is he is highly addictive, dangerous, and bad for your health. I tried alternitve medicine, most (with the exception of few) just create the plasbo effect the only things that I found that actuly work, is taking a leaf from an aloe plant putting in on a b
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

mr James is quite the circus freak.....I read one of his books....he is very charasmatic as well as convincing...I actuly kinda believed it untill I noticied personal frustation in my thoughts trying to achieve the level of peace he spoke about. then I realized that somthing is not right. I was getting less peace with myself trying to achieve peace. A sign that I was in cult thought. I learned
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you so much for your imput.....I value it very much. ya I seen a group go from slightly funkified to hazardous to one's life in a year and a half after merging with a more extreeme group...It happened to my church. first it was your typical "holy rolling" church then the pastor became more and more bizzare then a secondary group came in " World Apostolic network&q
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

thats a good point "R", ya the cult I was in definately had a leading personality, Frank Spencer, talked about god's love, on one hand, but told outlandish lies about acts of god's wrath. Once he said that united states will soon come under marshal law. I told my dad, who worked for the government and had a security clearance, and he said that it was bull. I did not belie
Forum: Destructive Churches

I never said all apostolic churches are the same...I said I was in an apostolic cult....there is a difference. any church can become a cult. but not all churches are cults...sorry for the misunderstanding JoAnne
Forum: Destructive Churches

hey Ioann, I am JoAnne, I see you are learning to be a critical thinker, that is good. welcome to the real world. so how are you doing so far in your recovery?? JoAnne
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hey my name is JoAnne I was in an apostolic cult...well I am proud of you for breaking away! congrats! that takes alot of courage. so how are you doing now?? JoAnne
Forum: Destructive Churches

That does sound kinda cultish...I agree.....dont make the mistake my mom made.....when she found out that I was in a cult ...she declared......"your in a %$#& cult!" that only put a wall between us...because I was taught those who think it is a cult are the enemies including family members.....so rick ross has a section on what to do if a loved one is in a cult.....somewhere
Forum: Destructive Churches

The catholic church has its dark side....and, in my opinion, semi-cultic in nature. I watched a true story documentary..called the Magaline sisters...a true story of catholic institutions in ireland that nuns sevierely punished un-wed mothers untill someone came and got them or they ran away. the last insitution was closed in 1996. not to mention the molestations, and many of my catho
Forum: Destructive Churches

thank you all ya I am going to try to use my anger in a good way....but I will let my anger burn itself out. I am not typicaly an angery person, but I feel as if my anger protects me from these groups, but I also see how it hurts me though I just get very upset when I see religious groups act like any other faith or belief/lifestyle is evil......this really burns me But I will work on c
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

hey all ...well I was in a psycho bible based cult and lately I have been quite the anti-christian..and it is bothering me....I want to stop being so angery....my friend and I got into an argument about the passion of the christ movie ....I told her that the violence was repulsive and christians are hypocrits for watching it because they can exuse volence if it potrays killing a savior but any
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

hey I picked up a book callled "emissary of ligh"t which is basd off the program claled "course in miricles" at a bargan book sale got to reading it..and it is kinda cultish claims that glabal peace can be won by meditations and acceptoing our negitive thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them whats cultish is this too good to be true tone and a guarentee of
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

to answer your question from a ex-cultee experience.....if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck.....it is a duck meaning the actions speak for itself.....a babysitter club book reading group could be a cult if ran like one BUT dont blame yourself.....dont fall into motherguilt ( mother guilt is a whole seperate breed of guilt...it is totaly irrotional blame mothers pl
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

hey Toni!! it is wonderful that you are refugee for those born into cults....normalcy is soooo important....and yes normalcy sometimes is about facing the unknown.....ai read a quote once that I live by......"the moment when you think you have all the answers....you are living in a lie" but ya cultthink.....I never thought about it but your right ...cults seems to have instant fix
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Toni, your welcome on the compliments your an amazing person..how did you realize that it was a cult and how did you get out..I have a friend that is a 4th generation cult member ....she resorts to drugs and prostitution to escape her reality...I would like her help her. congrats on getting out JoAnne
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Toni, thank you for your help....it makes me feel better that this is the usual path of recovery for this type of event.....I love my mom, she is awesome and your right she does not know what I am going through..I need to see a therapist....I dont know if I will be lucky enough to find one that is educacated on cults in middle georgia...Georgia has a perverse way of dealing with things...they
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hey all, I was in a cult in easten georgia....I cant stop thinking about things. It has been 4 years, but it was 6 mo. ago that I realized that it really was a cult. mom dragged me home and placed me in rehab..I am out of rehab, but now I feel alone..mostly because if I tell my mom or other family..they just say "stop obsessing" like it is a on off switch. I wonder alot of how I ca
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families