Post by JCD on Jan 18, 2018 11:40:29 GMT -8
Do you recognize any of these excerpts in regards to your place of fellowship?
________________
A leader seeks to isolate his followers from outsiders. In the name of pastoring or shepherding or protecting the flock, he seeks to ensure that his followers will only hear the leader’s propaganda. The leader tries to control the flow of information to his followers and between his followers. If the leader has his way, his followers will only hear his slant on the Bible, because he has set himself up as THE teacher…actually the Guru.
Literature and books are closely controlled. And in the age of email and the world wide web, the leader will ensure as much as he can that his followers will be ingrown and inward looking by the control of authorized mailing lists and approved web sites.
_______________
Is your “pastor” a one man show? I would be greatly concerned about this.
If you go to your fellowship’s website, is he the only leader mentioned? Is histhe only photograph prominently displayed? Is he the only one free to speak about truth and error? Must all others agree with him or face the consequences?
Does your fellowship revolve around his personality and the personalities of his wife and family? Do this man and his wife act like benevolent royalty? Do his wife and children have more influence in the church than the elders? Is he the only teacher? Does he have veto power over every detail of the functioning of your fellowship?
Are the “elders” yes-men who really just act as his staff? Or is there a continuing line of former elders who have tried to speak up and were slammed?
Did your fellowship begin by a gathering of people at this man’s feet? Or if he were to go on to bigger and better things, would half to three quarters of his audience leave?
Do people refer to your fellowship as “John’s Church” or “Pastor John’s Church” or “Pastor Smith’s Church”?
Are people induced to stand in line to speak to him? To shake his hand? Does their heart go pitter-pat when he mentions their name from the pulpit? Do they wonder if he’s thinking about them? Do they yearn for his approval and fear his wrath?
____________________
How many of these characteristics can you list in your mind about your current place of fellowship?
Submission:
*Complete, almost unquestioned trust in the leadership. Leaders are often seen as prophets, apostles, or special individuals with unusual connections to God. This helps a person give themselves over psychologically to trusting someone else for their spiritual welfare.
Increased submission to the leadership is rewarded with additional responsibilities and/or roles, and/or praises, increasing the importance of the person within the group.
*Exclusivity
Their group is the only true religious system, or one of the few true remnants of God's people.
*Persecution complex
Us against them mentality. Therefore, when someone (inside or outside of the group) corrects the group in doctrine and/or behavior, it is interpreted as persecution, which then is interpreted as validation. *example........they are speaking against us, therefore we are correct in our 'doctrine'.
*Control
Control of members' actions and thinking through repeated indoctrination and/or threats of loss of salvation, or a place to live, or receiving curses from God, etc.
*Isolation
Minimizing contact of church members with those outside the group. This facilitates a further control over the thinking and practices of the members by the leadership.
*Love Bombing
Showing great attention and love to a person in the group by others in the group, to help transfer emotional dependence to the group.
*Special Knowledge
Instructions and/or knowledge are sometimes said to be received by a leader(s) from God. This leader then informs the members. The Special Knowledge can be received through visions, dreams, or new interpretations of sacred scriptures such as the Bible.
*Indoctrination
The teachings of the group are repeatedly drilled into the members, but the indoctrination usually occurs around Special Knowledge.
*Salvation
Salvation from the judgment of God is maintained through association and/or submission with the group, its authority, and/or its Special Knowledge.
*Group Think
The group's coherence is maintained by the observance to policies handed down from those in authority. There is an internal enforcement of policies by members who reward "proper" behavior, and those who perform properly are rewarded with further inclusion and acceptance by the group.
*Cognitive Dissonance
Avoidance of critical thinking and/or maintaining logically impossible beliefs and/or beliefs that are inconsistent with other beliefs held by the group. Avoidance of and/or denial of any facts that might contradict the group's belief system.
*Shunning
Those who do not keep in step with group policies are shunned and/or expelled.
*Gender Roles
Control of gender roles and definitions. Severe control of gender roles sometimes leads to sexual exploitation.
*Appearance Standards
Often a common appearance is required and maintained. For instance, women might wear prairie dresses, and/or their hair in buns, and/or no makeup, and/or the men might all wear white short-sleeved shirts, and/or without beards, or all wear beards.
________________________________
Here are 10 warning signs of a potentially unsafe group or leader.
• Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
• No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
• No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.
• Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
• There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
• Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
• There are records, books, news articles, or broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader.
• Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
• The group/leader is always right.
• The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
______________________
All of the above are identifiers of a cult....
A cult is: A shared belief system which disallows or discourages individual thought, it encourages group thinking, in particular, the leaders thinking.
I hope this has helped someone in some way to the Glory of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. If you have any questions or would like to talk, I will listen and help to the best of my ability with Jesus as the center. You can send a private message here or use my personal email..... twoflames11@yahoo.com God Bless you Greatly
________________
A leader seeks to isolate his followers from outsiders. In the name of pastoring or shepherding or protecting the flock, he seeks to ensure that his followers will only hear the leader’s propaganda. The leader tries to control the flow of information to his followers and between his followers. If the leader has his way, his followers will only hear his slant on the Bible, because he has set himself up as THE teacher…actually the Guru.
Literature and books are closely controlled. And in the age of email and the world wide web, the leader will ensure as much as he can that his followers will be ingrown and inward looking by the control of authorized mailing lists and approved web sites.
_______________
Is your “pastor” a one man show? I would be greatly concerned about this.
If you go to your fellowship’s website, is he the only leader mentioned? Is histhe only photograph prominently displayed? Is he the only one free to speak about truth and error? Must all others agree with him or face the consequences?
Does your fellowship revolve around his personality and the personalities of his wife and family? Do this man and his wife act like benevolent royalty? Do his wife and children have more influence in the church than the elders? Is he the only teacher? Does he have veto power over every detail of the functioning of your fellowship?
Are the “elders” yes-men who really just act as his staff? Or is there a continuing line of former elders who have tried to speak up and were slammed?
Did your fellowship begin by a gathering of people at this man’s feet? Or if he were to go on to bigger and better things, would half to three quarters of his audience leave?
Do people refer to your fellowship as “John’s Church” or “Pastor John’s Church” or “Pastor Smith’s Church”?
Are people induced to stand in line to speak to him? To shake his hand? Does their heart go pitter-pat when he mentions their name from the pulpit? Do they wonder if he’s thinking about them? Do they yearn for his approval and fear his wrath?
____________________
How many of these characteristics can you list in your mind about your current place of fellowship?
Submission:
*Complete, almost unquestioned trust in the leadership. Leaders are often seen as prophets, apostles, or special individuals with unusual connections to God. This helps a person give themselves over psychologically to trusting someone else for their spiritual welfare.
Increased submission to the leadership is rewarded with additional responsibilities and/or roles, and/or praises, increasing the importance of the person within the group.
*Exclusivity
Their group is the only true religious system, or one of the few true remnants of God's people.
*Persecution complex
Us against them mentality. Therefore, when someone (inside or outside of the group) corrects the group in doctrine and/or behavior, it is interpreted as persecution, which then is interpreted as validation. *example........they are speaking against us, therefore we are correct in our 'doctrine'.
*Control
Control of members' actions and thinking through repeated indoctrination and/or threats of loss of salvation, or a place to live, or receiving curses from God, etc.
*Isolation
Minimizing contact of church members with those outside the group. This facilitates a further control over the thinking and practices of the members by the leadership.
*Love Bombing
Showing great attention and love to a person in the group by others in the group, to help transfer emotional dependence to the group.
*Special Knowledge
Instructions and/or knowledge are sometimes said to be received by a leader(s) from God. This leader then informs the members. The Special Knowledge can be received through visions, dreams, or new interpretations of sacred scriptures such as the Bible.
*Indoctrination
The teachings of the group are repeatedly drilled into the members, but the indoctrination usually occurs around Special Knowledge.
*Salvation
Salvation from the judgment of God is maintained through association and/or submission with the group, its authority, and/or its Special Knowledge.
*Group Think
The group's coherence is maintained by the observance to policies handed down from those in authority. There is an internal enforcement of policies by members who reward "proper" behavior, and those who perform properly are rewarded with further inclusion and acceptance by the group.
*Cognitive Dissonance
Avoidance of critical thinking and/or maintaining logically impossible beliefs and/or beliefs that are inconsistent with other beliefs held by the group. Avoidance of and/or denial of any facts that might contradict the group's belief system.
*Shunning
Those who do not keep in step with group policies are shunned and/or expelled.
*Gender Roles
Control of gender roles and definitions. Severe control of gender roles sometimes leads to sexual exploitation.
*Appearance Standards
Often a common appearance is required and maintained. For instance, women might wear prairie dresses, and/or their hair in buns, and/or no makeup, and/or the men might all wear white short-sleeved shirts, and/or without beards, or all wear beards.
________________________________
Here are 10 warning signs of a potentially unsafe group or leader.
• Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
• No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
• No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.
• Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
• There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
• Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
• There are records, books, news articles, or broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader.
• Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
• The group/leader is always right.
• The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
______________________
All of the above are identifiers of a cult....
A cult is: A shared belief system which disallows or discourages individual thought, it encourages group thinking, in particular, the leaders thinking.
I hope this has helped someone in some way to the Glory of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. If you have any questions or would like to talk, I will listen and help to the best of my ability with Jesus as the center. You can send a private message here or use my personal email..... twoflames11@yahoo.com God Bless you Greatly