I think it's interesting how many religions look at current events and make them fit religious teachings to confirm their views about whatever. The Christians have their view about end times and these Jews have identified Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson as the Messiah. I'm not knocking their beliefs, it's just an observation.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Here's a quote I got from something I picked up at a ex-cult site relating a cult experience to a bad personnal relationship. "Another way to look at this is through the eyes of a long suffering, battered woman—she got that way most likely because her expectation of love in a marriage was confused by attempting to perform for a husband who can be charming, but has an anger disorder.
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Hello Hope Here's a good link (on this web site) pertaining to all the problems ex-cult members can encounter during recovery. I'm still in the process of recovery and sorting things out. I went through the whole range of emotions from grief, anger, depression, emptyness, etc. It felt like a divorce to me. Hope that helps Larry
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Hi Hope I got this off of a web site. It's short, but to the point. "There are three main reasons why people join cults. The first reason is that they are having problems at home and feel if they seek a new family that understands them they will be happy. The second reason is that some people have no where to go in life and need someone to guide them .The third reason why people joi
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Here's a good article about how a controlling person thinks. Hope you find it interesting Larry
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Re: ALL CULTS ARE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. NO EXCEPTIONS Do you know how stupid that reasoning sounds? Get real. Simplistic minds give simplistic answers. Give us some facts.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I also got myself in trouble following the church leadership. I realized that what they believe and how they treated me are a reflection of their own convictions or the pastor's. What is important is to develop my own views concerning God and try to sort things out for myself instead of playing "follow the leader". I really believe my former church think they were being very "
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

This is my experience, escape and recovery from a Christian cult. I came from a small, mostly independent, Reformed Baptist church and although I don't regard Reform Baptists as cultic, I do regard my former church as being that way. I spent 15 years in a church that preached legalism and fear instead of love and mercy. Combining this with an authoritarian, controlling pastor who had an obse
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

I think there is a lot of truth in what you say. I came from a disfunctional home and upon refection I believe I was looking for a father figure and a stable family structure that I could be part of when I joined the church. Unfortunately, due to being naive and immature, I put my faith in the pastor, who saw himself as above the rest when it came to holyiness. I think this had something to do wi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am not Pentecostal, but I'd like to give my view on this. The greatest of commandments is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy soul and all thy mind" and to "love thy neighbor as thyself" Mark chapter 12 verses 30 and 31. That is a sign of being a Christian, not speaking in tongues or rolling on the floor. Taken as a whole, the Bible doesn't say a whole lot about
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I am in a verbally abusive relationship with my brother-in-law. I visit my sister and my neices/nephews often so I ended up spending some time with my sister's husband. At first he was charming, excellent conversationalist, cheery, fun, but that was on the outside. I shared my vacation with him and my sister's family and found him insistant on having his own way. If he didn't get i
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

When a spiritual leader becomes something more than just a person, but holier than the rest or God's representative here on earth than there's room for abuse. When unchallanged, these leaders get a bloated self-image and will play God, becomming dictatorial and repressing free expression of thought if it doesn't conform to their views. Instead of people thinking and acting for them
Forum: Destructive Churches

I left a Christian cult after 15 years of attendance. It's been 4 years now since I left and I'm still learning about how to cope with it all. I was the only one who left the church (a small independent fundemantalist church) although I heard others had left years before I became a member. Immediately after I left (actually I was excommunicated and turned over to the devil) I had panic
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups