Have you ever been in a cult??

[Aditi]

either well known or tiny and hidden??
what was it like
mind, sharing experiences

[ericf]

The word cult means many things to many people. Are we talking robes, new sneakers, and special punch cults? Or maybe the mormons (they're a cult to some people)? Or what? I was a mormon for a while does that count? I've never been in a good cult -- but I'm still looking. :D

[Aditi]

yeah yeah yeah i've been in thoudands of cults technically

answer however you wanthowever the question strikes you -- which is exactly what you did

[VanAstral]

I wanna hear about freaky secret goat-sacrificing cults.

[ericf]

Frankly, the most cultish group I was a part of was a fundamentalist church. I won't name the denomination (pentecostal though) but there were some freaky things in that church. Dating was off limits... you were expected to have an accountability partner to keep you from "sexual temptation" aka if you jerk off your supposed to tell your buddy about it... you must speak in toungs and be filled with the holy spirit... the pastor was the unquestionable authority from God (questioning him was disobedience)... I was at that chuch 5-6 days out of seven... everyone who wasn't part of the church was being misled by satan... everything you do should concern God, saving others, and the church since the rapture is going to happen any second... etc. It was a real freaky experience.

My mom is still semi-involved in that movement. I went through the whole thing after I stopped believing but I had to pretend. Had I not pretended I would suffer constant meetings with the pastors, possible attempted exorcism, or even been thrown out of my house. I know... thinking back this does seem like a bad dream. It made my teenage years great. Imagine being a freethinking hippie in that environment. I had a friend who was forbidden to talk to me for over a month because I admitted that I have willfully lied in the past. His mom didn't want my bad influence on her son.

It was fun. But we didn't get robes, punch, or to dance with rattlesnakes... I missed out.

[TerminalMadness]

Every religion is a cult.

[Iacchus]

Isn't America a cult~ture? God bless America! ;)

[cerridwen]

I was convinced that I started one, back when I was twelve... don't know why... I was so weird as a kid...

[dharmaseeker77]

yeah, back when I was 20 I was in a group of Seventh day Advenstists called "Davidians" it was a really weird thing with compounds and everything. It was awful. I am still healing today.

[MADHUACE]

I was a member of the Scientology group as a course suppervisor

[jay]

Ive allways wanted to join a cult, but MBNA just isnt what i am looking for.


Line used in my exit interview, from an evil telemarketing job selling credit cards.


The people their seem very cultish it was werid. we dident have robes but we had to wear a tie.... thats almost a robe right?

[loverofthewoods]

i grew up in utah and until i was 12 was forced to go to the mormon church...i consider that a cult. the indoctrination that goes on in that place is heavy...especially when your a child, thank god i got out of there and my mind was able to recover....crazy mormons

[Sunburst]

Frankly, the most cultish group I was a part of was a fundamentalist church. I won't name the denomination (pentecostal though) but there were some freaky things in that church. Dating was off limits... you were expected to have an accountability partner to keep you from "sexual temptation" aka if you jerk off your supposed to tell your buddy about it... you must speak in toungs and be filled with the holy spirit... the pastor was the unquestionable authority from God (questioning him was disobedience)... I was at that chuch 5-6 days out of seven... everyone who wasn't part of the church was being misled by satan... everything you do should concern God, saving others, and the church since the rapture is going to happen any second... etc. It was a real freaky experience.

My mom is still semi-involved in that movement. I went through the whole thing after I stopped believing but I had to pretend. Had I not pretended I would suffer constant meetings with the pastors, possible attempted exorcism, or even been thrown out of my house. I know... thinking back this does seem like a bad dream. It made my teenage years great. Imagine being a freethinking hippie in that environment. I had a friend who was forbidden to talk to me for over a month because I admitted that I have willfully lied in the past. His mom didn't want my bad influence on her son.

It was fun. But we didn't get robes, punch, or to dance with rattlesnakes... I missed out.

I read somewhere this list of signs your church/group is unsafe. It included:
>The leader should not be questioned
>It is the only way, all others are wrong
>You are discouraged to learn about other beliefs/religions
>You are forced or made to participate in practices before you are personally ready to


That's friggin scary, friend, I'm sorry youn had to go through that. Of course, in the end it makes you stronger, so:)

[Nathan11]

yeah yeah yeah i've been in thoudands of cults technically

answer however you wanthowever the question strikes you -- which is exactly what you did
What 'cults' are you talking about, if you don't mind me asking?

I've been part of many cults
o.+.o & silver star
sub rosa
What are these cults?

[brokenwingz425]

what is silver star? ive never heard of that one

[thehipsterdufus]

Is anyone familiar with the International Churches of Christ (the Boston Movement)? I was invilved with that group back in the mid-90s, and there is a lot of information about them being a cult, or having cult-like doctrines.


I have heard of Silver Star, but don't know much about them.

[brokenwingz425]

You cant spell culture without first spelling cult

[Hari]

Christ family was my weirdest, but for me they were stepping stones to my individuality.

[NightOwl1331]

My friend always tells me I'd make a great cult leader. :X

[Hari]

Cults allow you take giant steps.
Churches are a mockery of any spiritualty or self-search; only in a cult you feel any connection at all, yet I think ultimately, it is you yourself you need to get to know. And that can be done even by your own lonesome self.

[Genesis]

...you had someone you had to tell when you jerked off?




thats...not very nice.....i mean...i know guys talk about it to eachother...least the guys i know...but it must be weird being "required" to do it...


i thought those impond thingies were a myth. no word of a lie. i saw then depicted on the simpsons once....yeah i never thought they actually happened..


only thing i associated cults with was satan and stuff liek that...only cos a nun told me that once when i was a kid

[Hari]

nuns=nunsense

[loveflower]

to me, all religions are cults

[loveflower]

(not a bad thing)

[ericf]

...you had someone you had to tell when you jerked off?

thats...not very nice.....i mean...i know guys talk about it to eachother...least the guys i know...but it must be weird being "required" to do it...
Yeah it was weird. The worst part about it was that it was different from guys standing around joking about it. You were supposed to be ashamed and repentant and all that garbage. I never really got in to sharing most of that stuff with my accountability partner because it was none of his damn business. But I saw enough people confessing an "addiction to masturbation" to know they weren't kidding when they meant it was *evil*.

Honestly, do you think I could tell someone every time I jerked off? I would be on the phone all day. On top of this, I found out what masturbation actually was shortly before I deconverted. I had been doing it for years but never knew that was what they were talking about in church. Oops, I guess being too protective in defining things backfired there. Frankly, for most of my young Christian life... I had no idea what the hell masturbation could be. I figured it was so bad that I didn't have to worry about it because I would know never to do it.

The accountability partner crap started when I was like 15 or 16 which was a couple years after I started to realize it was all BS. Yeah, it was great fun. Imagine 24/7 being surrounded by people who think jerking off is about as evil and sexually sinful as you can get... when you are a liberal hippie-type in your head. I spent almost all of my teenaged years with two dialogs running all the time in my brain: the real me (must maintain absolute silence) and the Christian "me" that was allowed to express itself.

[ericf]

Do I think it was good or bad in the end? I don't know, I am kindof okay with it. I'm not one of those people who would change the past since it is already done. I guess I would have liked to date once or twice in high school. But I'll survive. ;)

[Darth Yhwh]

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. I never really thought of them as a cult untill I heard some one at work call them one. Now that Im on the outside looking in I fell that they definatly could be considered a cult.

[thehipsterdufus]

i've been in various cults

now i run my own
much more profitable that way

[exhibita]

Ive allways wanted to join a cult, but MBNA just isnt what i am looking for.


Line used in my exit interview, from an evil telemarketing job selling credit cards.


The people their seem very cultish it was werid. we dident have robes but we had to wear a tie.... thats almost a robe right?
In my opinion it's best to join one that's open and honest about being a bizarre mind control cult that wants profits like The Church of the SubGenius. http://www.subgenius.com or start a similar one of your own.

I'm still waiting for my membership BTW. Praise Bob!! :D

[Nathan11]

I am a member of foamy card cult...
are you a chosen one?I'm a card carrying member as well.
PRAISE TO THE HIGHEST: FOAMY!

[Pollux]

yes, I have been catholic christian (you know the ones that follow this white old shakking man who helps HIV propagation by forbiding condoms).

[Hari]

I travelled withe Christ brothers. That was a heavy trip, like an extention of the sixties
Christ style. Everybody liked them.

[MrRee]

The Church of the SubGenius. http://www.subgenius.com (http://www.subgenius.com/)
I'm still waiting for my membership BTW. Praise Bob!! :DI've got two Church of Subgenius Tee shirts. I won't join, but. Been there, done that!

In did the guru thing a while ago with Sai Baba after reading about him and went to India to see if it was all true & ended up going 5 times. He did things that were indeed miraculous to me, and I saw things done that convinced me he was very unique or a living divinity. So I got caught up in it for 9 years, attaining reasonably high office in the movement here.
Then I found out that he sexually abused many boys at his colleges, which explained the very first statement that I heard from one of his followers ~ "don't believe what some people say about swami - that he has homosexual sex with boys, because the devil wants to destroy him!" Hearing and knowing that, I couldn't claim that I wasn't forewarned.
Sadly, people who are searching for god outside of themselves will always be easy prey for those who claim greater knowledge, ability, or divinity.
Cults and religions all claim direct links with The Divine, yet The Divine is within each and every one of us.
I know now that the 'kingdom of god' is indeed within, and one need not look further than ones-self for answers.

[Libertine]

I was practically a cult leader until I realized it...and ended it.

[Levi]

Ugh.

About 12 years ago, maybe, I was hanging out in Tuscon, Arizona, having a lovely time. I was a traveller then. I had stopped for the winter in Tuscon and met a lot of nice people. Some of them started teaching me yoga.

I had been doing yoga all of my life, so this was not a radical act for me. I really liked their particular regimen, though. I felt great. Everything was just peachy. So, a couple of guys we knew said to my friends and me, "Hey, if you like this yoga, you should all really come with us to the Catskills to a yoga retreat. You can learn even more yoga. It will be fun."

"Duh, okay." my friends and I said. (Well, not really like that.) "This will be fun. Let's go."

So, we go to New York and as soon as we get there things get weird. The 'retreat' was way up in the hills, far from people. We were told that we could stay at the 'yoga center', but when we got there, they announced that we couldn't sleep there, we had to rent hotel rooms. Also, the men and women couldn't hang out together. Also, we couldn't use their kitchen. It was the off season and the kitchen at the hotel was closed. We were hungry and broke now.

There was no yoga teacher. We did no hatha yoga. Instead there was an old man from India. He had one big dread with beads held onto it with a diaper pin. I can't remember his name. He was supposed to be a representative of 'Babaji' though. (We, of course, couldn't see Babaji because we weren't spiritually advanced enough.) He announced that classes would be held in the middle of the night, that we would not be allowed to call our families because this was our new family, and proceded to tell us what we were allowed to eat and do.

I was really scared. They said we had to worship Kali. I said no. They said that I had to pray to the idol. I said no.

I was very scared and upset. What was really scary and upsetting, though, was that all of my friends ATE IT UP. So, they all started pressuring me to accept Babaji or whatever. The guru made an example out of me. He said that I was fighting Babaji and as long as I didn't accept him, I was bad. they tried to break me down.

I think this went on for two weeks. We were malnourished when we left. When we got back to Tucson, all of my friends were absorbed and obsessed with this thing. I got the hell out of there.

I have had contact with those folks I think twice since then, one phone call and running into one lady at Reggae on the River about five years later. They were more involved than ever.

I had another scary cult experience when I was travelling. I wrote about it in another thread a long time ago. It involved kool-aid and crap.

I think I'm a dork magnet.

[Libertine]

Damn. That would've jilted me too, man.

That's downright fucked.

[Libertine]

Ok my story is not as fascinating as some of you guys. But here goes...

Back in 1993, I graduated from a Christian academy and went on to receive several awards. After completing my studies, I "rebelled" for a while and tried to find myself for about 7 or 8 years (smoking dope, boozing, fornicating, exploring the occult, etc.), but returned to the Christian religion under a self-discipline to return to my roots. I was already trained in Hebrew/Greek, Jewish history and Biblical apologetics, so I began to become involved with a ministry that was very conservative and extremely disciplined, but seemingly liberal in some areas-- no hell, women were allowed to wear pants and even preach.

It was then that some young people around me took under my tuteledge and began studying under me in private home studies. Finally, I took a college-age Church class and begin teaching them my interpretations of the Bible. They ate it up. I didn't realize how many feeble minds I was dealing with.

Finally it grew to around 20 or so. And the classes got more intense, the studies grew and people would automatically silence themselves whenever I spoke--it was weird. I didn't notice much until a friend of mine mentioned it. I just shrugged it off.

However, the finale came when many of the females in the group would call me or tell me private things about their lives, seek my advice about their relationships. I began to realize this was becoming something I wasn't wanting. I encouraged everyone to study and think for themselves, but most of them would just ask me what I thought or believed and clinged to it like it was concrete truth.

At the same time, I was going through a transformation. I have always been an open-minded person, and I continue to evolve. I begin questioning BIG questions. Studying more and more in philosophy and psychology.

Finally, I decided to give up the class and the end the studies. It was a catastrophe. People (girls mainly) were weeping and wallowing in the floor. One of the girl's mothers told me I "crushed her daughter's soul" by stopping the studies. That poor lady didn't have a clue.

I could've taken great advantage of those people, but I chose not to. I could've probably (DEFINITELY IN SOME CASES) talked those girls into sexual favors, but I didn't.

After a few months, I realized that I no longer believed in, not only my former beliefs, but the supernatural in general. I realized I was an atheist. I've been one now for about 3 years. And I've never felt happier or freer.

This was a bit long, but VERY CONCISE as far as the actual story goes.

[Levi]

Wow. Really?

I guess some people just crave a leader. Even an unwilling one.

That's bizarre.

It sounds like it was a learning experience, though.

I think being in the situation you were in would annoy me to no end. "Think for yourselves."

"No, tell us what to think."

I'd be like, "Think for your fucking selves and leave me alone!"

It sounds like you did the right thing.

[Libertine]

Yes, it was both.

A feeling of "I could take advantage" and "this is so frustrating"...

Thanks for the comments.

[2cool]

Is that Cult in Japan that gassed the Subways still around?

[m6m]

I wanna hear about freaky secret goat-sacrificing cults.
Will a sheep-sacrificing cult suffice?

I was in the Love Family for over a year.

They were a well known West-Coast Hippie-Judeo/Christian cult.

We used to share group LSD trips, and yeah, it was a trip!

[cutelildeadbear]

HAHAHAHA MBNA! I know them all too well. Good answer for the exit interview. You mean you never bought a green car? I'm in Delaware the credit card capital of the world. Yay for us. MBNA is a really bad cult be careful people. They suck you in with lots of money then they cut you off from the outside world, then they keep you from your family by forcing you to work "mandatory overtime". Eventually you will go nuts and an ambulance will come take you away. I guess that is why they put their largest facility here (there are many) next to the hospital. :) hehehe.




Ive allways wanted to join a cult, but MBNA just isnt what i am looking for.


Line used in my exit interview, from an evil telemarketing job selling credit cards.


The people their seem very cultish it was werid. we dident have robes but we had to wear a tie.... thats almost a robe right?

[Waylander]

Is it true that to advance in scientology you're expected to 'donate' large amounts of cash?

[free2fly]

Ok, here's my lifetime's worth of experience with a cult: anyone here familar with "The Message"? ...... William Branham? 7th Age messenger ............
--------


PS... hey, for those looking for Sheep/Goat/animal sacrificing cults, just look into "Santeria" . lol.

[themnax]

considering as how there is no belief that is not perfectly rationaly a cult in the eyes of some other, and since i have from time to time in my life affiliated my self with several beleifs, a+b=c.

=^^=
.../\...

[sunshine and pearls]

Yes, it was both.

A feeling of "I could take advantage" and "this is so frustrating"...

Thanks for the comments.Crazy stuff you dealt with.
I would like to say that even though we debate on differnt sides many times that this story of yours has given me a new respect for you. there are few humans who get in a position of power that understand that position and the availabilty of the advantage they have, yet still are human enough to pass up the opportunity to take advantage for that you have my greatest respect. and i have a new understanding of where your arguements with me come from.

peace.

[Autumn_Mama]

When I was much younger, I fell prey to a group who called themselves "Holiness". The women were required to wear long skirts or dresses, no makeup, must have long hair, and wear no jewelry. If you went swimming, you had to wear your dress with some shorts underneath. You were not allowed to read anything without the pastor reading it first to make sure it was OK. I remember many days in the summer heat with a long dress on working in the field for the pastor. Only gospel music was allowed. Even classical music was frowned upon because it was allowing satanic thoughts to creep in. Often, I was kept out of school to scrub the baseboards of my pastor's house. We were told that we needed to be like the pastor to get to heaven. We were not allowed to watch movies, go to school functions or we were in a "backslidden state". Everyone was going to hell except for those who "believed". Similar to another poster's experience, we were in church atleast 6 out of 7 days...atleast. The church was no bigger than a regularly sized livingroom.
I do not consider myself or anyone else who gets caught up into these cases gullible or easily led. I think when people are at a low point in their lives they need something to believe in and acceptance. That is exactly what the leaders or pastors feed on. They make you feel needed and loved. I worked like a dog to prove my worth in the pastor's eyes, deceptfully thinking I was getting closer to God that way.
I was angry and bitter for a long time. But I have faith that is my own now.
At any rate, I lived to tell and there are many who were in worse case scenarios than I, and others who can never tell their story.

[Autumn_Mama]

Ok, here's my lifetime's worth of experience with a cult: anyone here familar with "The Message"? ...... William Branham? 7th Age messenger ............
--------


PS... hey, for those looking for Sheep/Goat/animal sacrificing cults, just look into "Santeria" . lol.
I've never heard of that, but am interested to learn of it.

[DQ Veg]

My friend and I seriously considered starting, for the purposes of a tax shelter, The First Volcano Worshipers Church, registering it as a non-profit religious organiztion, and getting a big model of a volcano to put in the living room so that the faithful could bow down to it. We never did it, though. I could have solved some of my financial problems that way.

[free2fly]

I've never heard of that, but am interested to learn of it.
The Message, or Santeria?

[Raving Sultan]

I used to be a christian!

[dudenamedrob]

When I was a kid I was forced to be part of this horrid cult, we had to go to this building once a week, forced to sing songs, forced to bow our heads in prayer, and forced to pretend to like a bunch of stuck up holier than thou republicans, I got out as soon as I got sense, thankfully so did my little sister and my parents..........the cult was called "The Presbyterians" some evil evil shit.

[free2fly]

I used to be a christian!
lol ... *grins*

[Autumn_Mama]

The Message, or Santeria?
The Message

[free2fly]

google a search on William Branham

If you have been in Holiness stuff before.... the teachings of The Message is quite similar. :(
But with a "prophet" for this day ....

I know quite a bit about it .... I used to study so many of the books .... the doctrine and all is quite in depth. I can answer any questions you may have... although its something Ive definately tried to put behind me ... trying to learn to live normally...

[Morning Myst]

I've been in two cults: the catholic church, when I was baptized against my will when I was 1 month old and Falun Dafa, when I went crazy after a nasty breakup. Wasn't much better.

[Autumn_Mama]

google a search on William Branham

If you have been in Holiness stuff before.... the teachings of The Message is quite similar. :(
But with a "prophet" for this day ....

I know quite a bit about it .... I used to study so many of the books .... the doctrine and all is quite in depth. I can answer any questions you may have... although its something Ive definately tried to put behind me ... trying to learn to live normally...
Ok...thanks.
I can identify with your wanting to put it behind you. I went through a long period of grief---Grieving the part of me that I had lost while succumbing to the deception. Ahhhhh---can't go anywhere but forward, right Sister? Keep it up!

[Autumn_Mama]

I looked up a few sites about the man. It surprised me that Kenneth Hagin dubbed Branham a prophet...Hagin is a well known author in the Christian community. It is unsettling how they make their beliefs seem Christ centered, but they are all really Branhamists. How can someone place themselves so high?
Branham taught that the Word of God was given in three forms: the zodiac, the Egyptian pyramids, and the written scripture....is that what you were taught? How in the world did he manage to slip the zodiac way of thinking past a bunch of bible believing people?

[themnax]

when i was 11 years old, i went on my own, to an "assembly of god" church for a couple of years. i would definately consider evangellical christianity a cult. an uber ultimate cult if there ever was one.

they were always trashing science, or what they claimed was science, as if they had the slightest idea what they were talking about. which, as it turns out, they didn't. not about that anyway.

as to what is greater then ourselves, how anybody can immagine to know what they are talking about, about it, is beyond me.

=^^=
.../\...

[free2fly]

I looked up a few sites about the man. It surprised me that Kenneth Hagin dubbed Branham a prophet...Hagin is a well known author in the Christian community. It is unsettling how they make their beliefs seem Christ centered, but they are all really Branhamists. How can someone place themselves so high?
Branham taught that the Word of God was given in three forms: the zodiac, the Egyptian pyramids, and the written scripture....is that what you were taught? How in the world did he manage to slip the zodiac way of thinking past a bunch of bible believing people?
wow ... didnt know Kenneth Hagin did that ..

Branham was as big as Billy Graham and the others back in the day ... around 50's-60's.... he was well accepted among the masses.... known throughout as a healer and a bunch of amazing stuff...

It is when around 1963 that his ministry "changed" ..... he preached on some far out stuff ..... in Revelations and about the 7 Seals ... he would always type the spiritual to the natural .... he taught that Catholosicm was the mother harlot and the denominations were all offbranches ........ a bunch of stuff, I cant recall at the moment ............

he supposedly was the "voice of god" ..... a 7th church age messenger ........ the end time Prophet..... a man sent from God....

All these things that he did and spoke of .... he never really claimed to be, he said he was just someone to point the way. LIke a roadsign, or whatever. He didnt encouraged his people to believe he was a prophet or anything like that ..... thats the odd thing.... He was a very humble man it seems. He wasnt in it for money, and he was much of a loner. Often up in the mountains etc ... praying and talkign to God they say ....

he was killed in a car crash in 1965 I think....

All of his messages were recorded ... and very widely published and distributed by the "Voice of God" ministries ..... ... like thousands of sermons in book form or tape, CD etc ...

I do think he had some gifts .... obviously that of healing, but he could also tell people all about themselves and what was wrong in their lives by their aura... he was very accurate ...

he wasnt a theologian. He was born and raised a very poor man and had a little, poor education.... but when he got under the "anointing" ..you wouldnt know it at all.... it WAS as if there was something else "speaking through him" ........ there was something that could hook you, chill you, make you believe or drive you away .......... those that were hooked often felt like they were stepping away from the world ... no longer a part, and life from then on out would be different in their eyes......... people who were just following the man didnt see it, the way those who got the "holy ghost" did .....

the changes that would be made, like not cutting hair, women wearing skirts only, modesty, purity, living a "holy" life and always praying and studying..... those things would also determine if you were "Bride" ....

If you were doing it to fit in ... it wasnt right... you were supposed to pray for the desire to live holy........... He would always emphasize the need for the Holy Ghost .... the holy ghost would change the people... make them live a holy life ....................

many people worshipped him..... he didnt want that .....

he was a nature man. He relied on signs and lived in another realm almost.
He would often refer to numerology and things like you mentioned..
odd thing is ... it all made sense, to hear him .......... some of it made a lot more sense to me than most what I have ever heard preached by denominational teachers ....

He gave a very different (so seemingly very STRICT) interpretation of what the bible means....
but if you really look at the bible... it is true that many of the churches dont even preach what the bible really says. It made sense to me. I saw alot of truth in it.

Ive attended alot of different message churches. Ive heard alot of different interpretations of the Message.

It all boils down to this...
the "good" churches would be those that see Branham as a mouthpiece of God...
the "bad" churches are the ones that still worship branham, lifting him above god....

there is an AMAZING array of churches, some are very liberal and then those that DO seem very cultish .... right down to all sorts of weird things like going way beyond anything Branham taught to do. Some ministers have used it as a way of power control and added their own interpretations to it ....

well thats about all I can think of .... probably dont make alot of sense, Im not thinking too good this morning ... *yawns* and im getting ready to leave for work..

here is a website that has alot of the individual "believers" websites and many of the other church websites: www.messagelinks.org (http://www.messagelinks.org) .....

[mark echo]

i was a jehovah's witness from the age of 6 till 17. i was disfellowshiped at 14 after running away to san diego with my two friends. we were put on a sort of trial and forced to confess things in front of a panel of elders. at one point a woman acussed my friend of having sex with his sister, which of course was not true, but shows how ugly the proceedings got. this religion tore my family apart. both my parents and my sister are still devoute members of the group. the crazy thing is, i eventually repented in order to make our home life more comfortable. when i was 17 i finally said enough and formally disasociated myself permanently.
i can barely remember celebrating any birthdays or holidays and fought with my mom so much that we barely speak anymore.
i would never let my daughters alone with my parents. they will grow up free of indoctrination and decide on spirituality on thier own, that i swear!
the greatest thing is when they come to the door preaching, i know the bible and the religion better than most of them do. it makes for intersting conversation!

[Aditi]

i sorry to hear that. cults suck.

did you know prince is a jehovah's witness, and always carries a bible in his pocket?

[mark echo]

that seems a bit strange to me . i think prince is way to sexual to be a joho. larry graham is one, though, but not when he was in sly and the family stone.

[cutelildeadbear]

In my opinion ABSOLUTELY! I fell in with that cult when I was about 14-15. Ruined that part of my life. But at least when I argue with Christians now I know a lot more. LOL. :) Glad to see you made your way out.

[themnax]

i grew up in the 50s. whent to high school in the 60s.
never heard of any Branham. of course my parents weren't all that into
all that kind of thing. my mom was raised jewish and my father, when
i was growing up was a practicing humanist agnostic, who told me to
go out and find whatever i wanted to believe in myself, or not if i didn't
feel like it. i remember we watched, my mom loved television, i think
maybe she almost still does, evey news show on there, and i still don't
remember ever hearing that name or anyone by it. so i don't know
where he could have been that big, other then maybe someplace where
i wasn't. i take it this must not have been anywhere in the u.s.

am i guessing britain? of course we lived smaller towns along the railroad
up in the hills that didn't have ghettos, or suburbs either, i mean the largest
town i lived in except for a couple of years in sacramento in the early 50s,
was maybe 4,000 people, and most of them less then 1,000. so there weren't
any 'store front churches' either. just methodests, catholics and assembly of god.
i think there were a few j.w.'s, but i don't think they's built their 'kingdom hall' in
that town yet either. the methodists were lukewarm oatmeal, the catholics were
a closed and mysterious, at least to me, secret society, that some of the other
kids in school belonged to. and other that it had something to do with the same
christianity as methodists and assemblyists, was pretty much of a closed mystery
to me. the assembly of god were at least entertaining, with their everybody singing
the hymns and all that weaping and gnashing of teeth and 'speaking in toungues'
stuff. but their anti-objectivity trip, well by the time i was 12 even i could see it
was a matter of promoting their organizational self interest, which by then i was also beggining to suspect couldn't possibly have a whole heck of a lot to do with any kind of a god.

=^^=
.../\...

[Archemetis]

i once joined a cult of "space people" for free food and a place to stay when i was homeless. they followed an elder system and the guy at teh top was lord gabrieal "planetary ambasseder of this section of the galaxy" or somthing like that, he wrote all their literature and had the final say in everything. they studied the urantia and the cosmic family volumes all afternoon. it got super wierd so i left. true story.


when in sedona az, stay away from the folks at aquarian concepts...unless you want to join them on the mothership when the rapture goes down. lol

[omgimmatt]

I had another scary cult experience when I was travelling. I wrote about it in another thread a long time ago. It involved kool-aid and crap.

I think I'm a dork magnet.
link please! or repost it

[comeonnow1]

Jews for jesus is a cult. My friend got sucked in, and now he can't jerk off. I told him to go ahead and release some testosterone and just flog himself after.

Go to Youtube and check out clips from Jesus Camp....it's a sicko movie!

[sunyatasamsara]

Christinsanity

[scratcho]

I,having no parents that cared for me and thusly receiving no religeous brainwashing or any other kind,learned to depend on my own mind at a very young age,like 4 or 5.It has been said that --"no one can do anything to you that you don't allow them to do."It's obviously false,from what I've read here.It's sad how some humans mistreat and manipulate others.I'm glad so many are able to break free of these awfull people.I have gone to various churches when I was younger to see what the fuss was all about.My impression was that the rituals unfolded like stage plays with director and actors dancing some esoteric dance that seemed unnecessarily structered to excercise control and gather money.

[aspirine]

There was the United Pentecostal Church, but I did not really fit in. The way they tapped into the collective unconscience was interesting though.


either well known or tiny and hidden??
what was it like
mind, sharing experiences

[MunaJadida]

I was a Christian till I was 19, which I definitely consider a cult! Especially when I was a member of a Pentecostal church. It wasn't as strict as some - we wore pants outside of church, makeup was allowed, nobody cared about your hairstyle (except for supershort hair on women or past the shoulders hair on men). They still did speaking in tongues, dancing, that weird "EH" after every word in the sermon (if you're from the south you know what I mean), sex that's not procreative is EVIL, etc. I even took part in a "haunted house" that demonstrated what would happen during the tribulation.


I'm 24, so I've been out of Christianity for going on five years (I'm Wiccan now). I'm still fighting its influences. I'm just now able to enjoy sex completely, I no longer feel bad about being attracted to women, I don't have to get up early on Sundays to be bored out of my skull. But I still get that "OMG, what if they're right?" feeling sometimes and I can't help but feel like a bad person sometimes for not being a Christian because I was taught that anyone who knew about Christianity and chose not to follow it MUST be a bad person.

I could go on and on, but that's my experience.

[jneil]

Sure I've been in a cult before. It's called the Pentacostal Church and it was against my will at age 15. My mother and I ran away screaming after hearing the garbage they spewed.

[Dario Western]

I was also involved with a fundamentalist Christian church in the early 90's called the Christian Life Church. The senior pastor gave out some really horrible vibes, used to yell and rant and rave the gospel like Hitler, they spoke in tongues, did 'healings' by pushing people to the floor and have them writhing around, and saw homosexuality as a sin.

The pastor of the church was later involved in a legal battle over his property, and the church folded up. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. These people did not possess any love or compassion that Christ had.

[lifelovefun]

I used to be a Christian, and they're the BIGGEST cult on the planet ! :)

[scratcho]

And an unknowing cult member speaks--a few posts back.Some never learn.So it goes.

[MunaJadida]

Christianity is not a cult. It is the true religion given to us by our only God, Yahweh. Praise the lord, thy whos souls are lost. Seek the light which shines on all, and bring the light of hope and faith. Praise our lord, Yahweh, praise our true creator.
I'm still torn - sarcastic joke or fundie cult member?

[lifelovefun]

LOL - That's a quote from a current cult member!

[Okiefreak]

In thy name I follow and in thy name I smite. And those who stay on shores of ignorance will burn for eternity for it is their end, as they did not know Christ. And all of my brothers and sisters, in our robes of white will follow the Savior into the bliss, which is the Heavens. And we will rejoice for we are the chosen ones, the herd of Yahweh, the children of our Almighty Lord. Praise, the true lord, praise, Yahweh.

Seek the truth my brothers, for the time of sin will not fulfill you soul, but rotten it from inside.Yeh. Sarcastic joke.

[scarynickname]

I was in the Marine Corps.

[Vermilion]

I was baptized as a Catholic when I was born, and apparently (although I don't remember, and I'm glad of it) went to church when I was little (My Grandparents, especially my Nanna, are Jesus freaks IMO). My parents don't believe in anything (not to my knowledge) so I wasn't pressured into anything thankfully.

[sunyatasamsara]

raised catholic, stopped believing at around eight because its irrational to believe in something you cant even comprehend or will ever be able to comprehend. thats why religons use a human figure so the ignorant can go ow thats god and they believe that silly shit cause they are brainwashed from infants. They tried the brainwashing on me but it didnt take, i dont know why maybe cause i have a brain but they do too.

"God is just an imaginary friend for grown ups."