I am encouraged by your post here, because it seems to me that you are attempting to be genuine. I feel like there is a human being on the other end that I can dialogue with. Usually, when you are simply judging us from on high, I do not feel that way. I’ll try to respond to a couple of your points. QuoteI think as a core issue here, I have found Trinity's theology to confirm my own exper
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The reason I ask this is that it would be more than ironic if you considered your electronic connection to Trinity to be your church after all the years I have heard Ole rail about the fact that there can be no such thing as an electronic church. In fact, I believe his exact words were, "Being a member of an electronic church is like trying to have sex with a rubber dolly." Ole has
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Actually, Nathan, that brings up a question: Do you have a church? I mean, is there a local congregation that you belong to and that you can rely on both for support and to hold you accountable? It is a vital aspect of the Christian walk to have a body to belong to.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

And what if we get involved with such a place and at some point realize, "I Can't Hear God Anymore." That was our experience, Nathan. There are many former members of Trinity Foundation who because of their experience and time there, are no longer professing believers. When Wendy was interviewing ex-members she was told over and over things like, "I wasn't able to
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteYet, Doug has made a judgement that Ole and others would not repent if he talked to them. Also, I know Ole and the others based on 20+ years experience. You, my friend, do not have a clue.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteI am sorry you feel that way. I do not believe it is all Trinity's fault in this, I think you yourself need to come clean, before you expect others to do so. I do not understand what you think I have to come clean about. If you are uncomfortable publicly accusing me of something on this forum, you are welcome to email me in private. And, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Wh
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

It's funny you mention this, Seeking. When I realized that Ole might have lied about aspects of the original Tilton investigation that was on PrimeTime Live and colluded with ABC to plant those prayer requests that were found in the trash, I actually went to Borders and bought a copy of this CD just to listen to this song. Here are the lyrics: When the truth is found to be lies And all t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I want to expand a little bit further on the idea that we would not have been able to get it right no matter what we did. Now that I think about it, practically everything was like that at Trinity—and with Ole in particular. For example, when I wanted to marry Wendy I talked to Ole about it and he told me I had to first discuss it with my Seder leaders, Jan and Garth Brown. When I spoke to them a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I said, "There is no possible way we could have left the group correctly, because it is a fundamental tenant of the group that the most wrong thing anyone could ever do is leave. Though they may lie to you about this if you ask them, it was a central tenant of the group that to fail to endure (abide, continue, persevere) is to fail to fulfill the call of Christ." I realize, of course
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Nathan, When criticized, all cults engage in ad hominem attacks against their critics—usually former members. You are their willing accomplice in their tactic of not addressing the criticism of themselves and their group and instead making this about Wendy and me, as if there was some procedure we did not follow correctly in our process of leaving the cult. Let me give you some historical b
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThe whole reconciliation thing seems bizarre to me. Good point, Seeking. The truth is that they are not the least bit interested in reconciliation. They have had dozens of opportunities over the last five years to do something conciliatory, and they have passed up every chance. Ironically, the one person who is an exception to this is Ole, who was basically nice to me the first time I saw
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteTo me this is about seeing something for what it is. An endeavor at which you are failing. QuoteI have though come to believe that there is a spiritual mystery which has been at work in TFI's members and I believe that selfish flesh does not take kindly to it. It is the spirit of Christ. That is exactly the line that any cult would use about its former members. “Those poor people
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Nathan, I tend to agree with Cultaware. You are a bit of an enigma. There are rare moments when you seem like an honest seeker of the truth, but more often you seem to be shilling for Trinity. It may be that when you are questioning us you are playing devil's advocate, and that your approach to Trinity is just as adversarial as the one you use with us, but the things you say about your co
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteNathanAAs for the being too black and white thing, I realize it is not all one way or the other. It seems a little ironic that you are tooting this horn though, as you have used the more extreme labels of "narcississt and sociopath" :twisted: to decribe Ole. I stand 100% behind everything I have said. I just wanted you to understand that the fact that Ole has done some good thi
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteNathanAIncreasingly I feel as if there are private issues here that need to be worked out between you and Trinity. I am not comfortable saying in public things that have been told to me in confidence. I have probably shared much of it with you privately already counselor. Yes, Trinity has been conducting a whisper campaign against us. They will not come out and discuss things in a public
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteI don't think that was a straw man, I think that is my admitting that words are not enough, no matter how good they are. That has been one of your main points to me, that I do not know this man's true character even though his words may seem wise. I have no interest in defending a man who is abusive, deceitful, and manipulative. Believe me, if Ole really is this monster you say he
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteWell, for one I am glad to hear from your mouth that it is not true. I think you are aware that Jackie Anon says that in her comments about this situation which you have certainly read. Aside from that, Pete was the one who sent that commentary to me. Though I am not surprised to find Pete playing these kinds of games, I find it to be pathetic. Certainly not very Christian of him—about as
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteHere is something I found supposed to have been written by Ole Anthony. You have to consider if this is something a sociopath or narcississt would write. It is really interesting in light of this current cult controversey. www.singleness.org/dying.shtml I think only a sociopath or a narcissist would allow people to believe he had written this when he had not.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteQUESTION: According to certain individuals, the Duncans went to Benny Hinn and TBN looking for financial support for the book? Did you do that, and were you able to attain support from such sources? This is disinformation that Trinity is putting out about us—a profoundly sociopathic approach to the matter, I say. I believe it falls under the category of “bearing false witness,” which you,
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

FYI - a book review of I Can't Hear God Anymore: Life in a Dallas Cult was published in the Cultic Studies Review. This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Review, 2006, Volume 5, Number 3, pages 454-455. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound volume. This fact could affect how you
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteNathanAI am in the final pages of the book. Thankyou for your patience. Your wife has some things to say that raise some very serious questions Doug. I am very grateful for your putting up with me for so long on this thread. I now have some very hard questions to ask TFI. I have aimed very much to give them at least an equal challenge to what I have put you guys through. I really don'
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Point well taken, jeannelucille. Your name is what came up when I used the quote feature. I certainly meant to address my comment to GGWO. My apologies.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteGGWO storyQuotejeannelucillethis woman taps into demonic forces to further her career. I have seen her for years. Ask Bob Larson, a professional minister, who has been coming against this stuff for over three decades. I don't want us to take this off-topic, and I agree with your larger point about Sylvia Browne, but I would not quote Bob Larson as an authority on anything. See
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Although there are some doctrinal issues which define Trinity as being out of the mainstream of Christian teaching (they are a neo-Gnostic group), our critique of them as a cult is based much more on behavioral/sociological criteria than it is doctrinal criteria. They are a cult because they wield undue influence over their members and are ultimately harmful to people's personal autonomy
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Keep reading. :)
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteNathanAWell, between checking posts here, the book has arrived in the mail. I am very interested in reading it. I will be quite busy for the next few days, but you can be assured that I will have questions/comments as I read the book. Thankyou. We look forward to hearing your questions and comments.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteNathanAInteresting. Ole would not give me any real feedback on what Doug and Wendy have said because he said their board hoped that reconcilliation was still possible and a public response would only feed the mill. That doesn't seem to make a great deal of sense. You'd think a public response would serve to clear the rumor mill. They do not hope for a reconciliation, they wan
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

In the Charisma article it mentions a 20-page response to the book that John Rutledge, Vice-president of Trinity Foundation, has been showing to reporters. A first step in this process would be for them to make that document public instead of just using it as an instrument in their whisper campaign against my wife and me. If they truly have nothing to hide, why don't they come out and di
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Personally, I am leaving him alone--and everyone else who is still at Trinity. I have never reached in there and tried to pull anyone out. Even in your case, I only responded to you because you came out to discuss things. You were the one who initiated the contact. Someone at Trinity once said something to me about me trying to get people to leave, but there is a statement that is patently
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

It would mean that he has devoted his whole adult life to something that is not what he thought it was. I totally understand him not wanting to deal with this possibility.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"