is this the group that put out "The Plain Truth" magazine? H. Armstrong's group? If so, i was talking to a counsellor a while ago, and he mentioned to me that there was one branch of this group which apparently has become orthodox in its beliefs/structure recently.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteBurningBushI'll state first thing that my experience contradicts all that is being said. I attend The Door Christian Center in Fairfield CA. They are very passionate about people's salvation. We outreach most Saturday's and give our testimonies to all (believers & non-believers) In no shape or form have I seen scare tactics being utilized at any of these events. I
Forum: Destructive Churches

ephesians, thanks again.
Forum: Destructive Churches

ephesians, thankyou for your detailed post. How long have you attended the church?
Forum: Destructive Churches

thankyou for your post, ephesians. A couple of questions regarding your post:- 1. What do you mean by subjective? 2. How would one know that there was a better teacher of the bible than Bobbie? 3. What happens to those who do leave the church? what do those remaining in the congregation think of those who leave? does anyone take the time to ask those who have left, why they left? and finall
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hi, all i can suggest is that you type in 'cult', 'recovery', 'jw', 'counselling', 'dallas', etc. into google or similar. I've just done this and come up with:- www.exjw.meetup.com/lists/us/tx/dallas/ (ex-jw individuals are listed on this site, looking for meeting/counselling. There may also be pro counsellors listed on here) Als
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

the confidence being arrogance (and dogmatic) is a true observation. The last few posts here, point out very similar character traits that exist in my family members (especially my brother) who are under the spell of a personality cult. These observations are helpful for what i will be going through shortly in addressing the issue.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

prshaw, set aside some time to read through this forum section, and i think that many of your questions will be answered.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

lightwolf, i was just reading through your comments about landmark people and caring about the experience and not the facts..... "They have a great experience, and that's all that matters." Me, "So what's this thing all about?" Lekkie, "I am having great experiences, and that's all that matters! (gush!)" Me, "Is that a fact?!"
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

what's is the chance of James appearing on the show? :wink: I'm going to send Sunrise an email asking when this show may air.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi, Your description of the high level of program/involvement required for your old church matches exactly the same as i found in my old church, which was a potter's house church here in oz. I was a member for 7 years. I've been to Mitchell conferences, and so on, and so on. I left CFM in 2000, and it has taken me this long to finally feel like i am on way to recovering from my inv
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hi Oz, I made some comments in the LGAT area regarding what i had thought was some unusual terminology that i was listening to when looking for a church home here in Perth. (I didn't know at that time about LGAT's). I guess with Hillsong being very large and influential and a 'modern' assembly, that this kind of thing could possibly exist.
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hi, You might find some contact points through this site:-
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hi, For a while i have been wondering why many of the new types of christian 'community' churches were using phrases such as 'being authentic', 'community', and others, in there spiels in advertising/marketing material. I am a christian, and i have visited a couple of larger churches and listened to the preaching with such words thrown into language.... "We
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hello, Is it possible to observe if someone has entered a trance or altered state as they listen to a 'teaching' cassette tape. I won't go into the details here, as it would take way too long, but this group has all the 8 criteria which Robert Lifton defined. All the Maragret Singer conditions for a coercive persuasion/thought reform group etc. etc. All of Steve Hassan's i
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Leftcoast8, i think that giving your friend such a present on their 'birthday' would most likely make your friend distance themself from you mentally if not physically. Even more so, as you mention that this person is already involved in Landmark. Have you yet discussed in a calm way, any concerns about the program with your friend? If not, then it might be best to bring up one poi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Greetings, I came across a large ad in the weekend paper for a weekend seminar about how to break through to wealth. (Now that i am learning about LGATs i keep an eye out for their ads in the newspaper :) ) "This is the ultimate weekend for accelerating your wealth, health and success to create the life of your dreams. In just 2 and a half days, you will conquer whatever is stopping you
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Ho Hum!.... Here comes the "sacred science" (see Robert Lifton's 8 themes of a totalistic cult).
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hi, After educating myself somewhat about LGAT's, i came across this article by Richard Ofshe on this site. It's about 10 A4 pages long, but it's the best article i have read to date on the subject. Though it is not specifically written about the LGAT groups, it nails them!
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

having read that document about signing a form absolving them from any possible psychological damage, i cannot for the life of me see why anyone would proceed beyond this point.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

All i can say is, what a mess!
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I've had a look at the Turning Point website in Australia. I'll be interested to see where this police investigation leads to, if anything. The seminars are available in Perth also, so i'll check out the weekend newspaper, as these kind of events often have small ads in the paper.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Kate, i am very sorry about your loss. At the moment i have been dealing with religious 'cult' group/family issues. I began looking at the LGAT posts on this site as an aside to my research, and i feel that these groups are even worse than what my family is involved with. I realise though, that the same processes/techniques are present in the group dynamic. Over here in Perth there is
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Worried Dad, I am in australia, and there is a man here in Perth who runs Concerned Christian Growth Ministries. He has a VERY good knowledge of this groups early history (back in the 70/80's the Rajneesh had a high profile here in Western Australia). CCGM has a very large library on all sorts of groups, Christian and non. I am sure that there would be a large research resource on Raj
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

bluefireMA, thanks for your comments. From reading your post, it seems that you (having attended the 'bible doctrine' church) came out, without experiencing the effects that this environment can have on people who remain in these churches for years, from what i have read of other people's stories i have collected. What made you decide to attend this church in the first place, a
Forum: Destructive Churches

Concerned Oz, Would you be able to send me a PM with contact details for the psychologist on the Central Coast who did his internship with Wellspring in Ohio? thanks.
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

I've just come across this reference article on this site. It may help you. If the Praise Chapel you are talking about has a connection with CFM, then i would say that yes, it is a high demand group, remember though that there will be some differences between these churches depending on the personality of the pastor. My old CFM template church, from what i have read of other ones, was not q
Forum: Destructive Churches

"the door" aka CFM, Potters House, Victory Chapel et.al.... was my old church. Any questions just ask. :D
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hi jocie, i have just read through your posts regarding your sister Lou. Having read your comments on the things you are observing, they seem to be classic symptoms of coming out of a cult group. I myself entered a goup in late 92 and walked out in 2000. Five years later i am still in recovery mode, mainly because i had no one to turn to, and i knew nothing about mind control and post-group
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

what you are describing sounds like ICoC to me.
Forum: Destructive Churches