Category Archives: Criteria for Cults

What critieria should one use to determine if a group is a cult?

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Signs of Abuse in a Church

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  In the previous post, we looked at the work of Dr. Steven Lambert. He gave some insight into the shepherding movement. We compared a few of his insights into what I witnessed at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) from 1992 until 2008. The resource material for that post can be found here: Chapter 2 of “Charismatic Captivation” by Steve Lambert, ThD. (Publisher: Real Truth Publications, ISBN 1-887915-00-1 / 308pp.) Chapter 2 can be found here: http://www.slm.org/pubs/samples/ccbook2.html . Again, by using material form Dr. Lambert’s website, I am not giving a blanket endorsement to all his work. I have not read all his work and caution each reader to judge for themselves what he writes.

   That being said, I did find an article from Dr. Lambert in which he lists signs of abuse within a church. This is the link to the article titled, “33 Signs of Spiritual Abuse”. I will quote several of these signs here and tell whether or not I found them to be in WOFF.  The article begins, “There are at least thirty-three readily identifiable signs of spiritual abuse, or hyper-authoritarianism, practiced by many Charismatic churches. Being able to readily identify the signs and symptoms of authoritarian abuse and psychological enslavement that is rampant among church groups today is absolutely essential for every believer in their quest to know and be personally related to the Great Shepherd, who is the Prince of Peace and the true “Guardian of our souls”.  Lambert implies that these abusive practices will hinder a person from knowing “the Great Shepherd”. I most wholeheartedly agree. It is not possible to review the entire text from Lambert here. I recommend each reader to review the article on their own by clicking the title above. We move on.

–  Apotheosis of the leadership — exalting them to God-like status in and over the group.  Well, have we covered that before on this blog? When I left WOFF, one of the thoughts that helped was seeing that the members were more afraid of Jane Whaley than God. So, is she “God-like”?

  Continue reading Signs of Abuse in a Church →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Cult Leader News, Uncategorized

Update on Black Hebrews Cult and More

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   In April of this year, we reported on a religious cult in Durham, NC. The group is called the “Black Hebrews” and their leader is Peter Lucas Moses, Jr. The original post is found here: “Search for Missing Members of Black Hebrews Cult in Durham, NC” resource link- https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=4018 . A few days ago, there was an update in the case. The title is:  “Seven Charged in Alleged Cult Murder of Woman, Child in North Carolina” the link is here- http://abcnews.go.com/US/charged-bodies-found-north-carolina-cult-murder-case/story?id=13811420

   A short quote:

By CHRISTINA NG and JESSICA HOPPER    June 10, 2011

“The leader of an alleged cult appeared in court today to answer charges in the deaths of a woman and child found buried in the backyard of a house in Durham, N.C. Six other people who police say are members of the alleged cult were also charged with murder.

Pete Lucas Moses, Jr., 27, is believed to be the leader of a cult called the “Black Hebrew Israelites,” ABC affiliate WTVD in Durham reported. He was charged with the murders of Antoinetta McKoy, 28, and 5-year-old Jadon Higganbothan. McKoy was reported missing in February and was last seen in December 2010. Higganbothan had been missing since October.”

Continue reading Update on Black Hebrews Cult and More →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Predatory Religion – by Definition is Deception

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    In a previous post, I put forth the comparison of predatory lending to predatory religion. We looked at the definition of predatory lending and showed the essence of it to be “unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices”. I shared several correlations between the deception in the definition and my experiences at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Therefore, we began explaining my ideas about predatory religion, what it includes and why I believe Jane Whaley practices this at WOFF. One point made the glaring lack of full disclosure to prospective members of WOFF. Prospects are NOT told how far reaching Jane’s power in their lives will be if they become a faithful WOFF member. Before a person becomes a member of WOFF, they are not told the long list of rules for members, changes they will need to make to become a member and how this will affect their relationships to family and friends outside the group. This is all part of the hoodwinking deception.

    Does Jane consider this process one of deception? My thought is probably not. She considers it telling folks what they can handle, for in WOFF there are levels of truth that are only revealed the members as they are ready. I did not progress to main leadership level and therefore there were things I was not told because, “I was not walking in that place in God”. Some of these things I have learned after I left. For instance, I learned about the jet skis and the houseboat stored at the house in Isle of Palms, SC for Jane and her leadership – AFTER I left. This would have been hard to reconcile while I was inside. After I left, I learned that Jane has/had at one time, not one, but two satellites for her television viewing pleasures. If I had been told during WOFF days that Sam had a big screen in his bedroom separate from Jane’s bedroom and television, I don’t remember it. I learned after leaving that RF had/has highly sensitive listening equipment to listen to conversations inside the homes of others. I have been told by several that RF has a gun stash, that I have no way to confirm. I learned that at least one woman in leadership struggled with her sexual orientation.

   My doubt as to the total transparency of WOFF started in July of 2006. Jayne Caulder came on stage telling folks to NOT read an article in the local paper; it had a bunch of untruth in it. So, I read it and verified at least some of it as truth. (see post here..  https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=2639). Somewhere along the way the term “WOFF-spin” began to fit as describing much of what I was told and/or not told. Still today, I hear things and have a hard time believing what I am hearing that went on or goes on at WOFF. Some things I have learned about Jane the actions of her leadership have been totally bizarre. 

   Continue reading Predatory Religion – by Definition is Deception →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Predatory Religion?

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    In recent years, a term has come to the forefront in the consumer finance and/or mortgage lending industry. That term is “predatory lending”. What does that term mean? Is it a new practice or a recently discovered term to describe practices that have been in existence for years? A simple search will reveal an explanation for the term. Here are two sources. First, from HUD.gov website link found here: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/pred/predlend – the short intro reads as follows:

“Over the last several years, our nation has made enormous progress in expanding access to capital for previously under-served borrowers. Despite this progress, however, too many families are suffering today because of a growing incidence of abusive practices in a segment of the mortgage lending market. Predatory mortgage lending practices strip borrowers of home equity and threaten families with foreclosure, destabilizing the very communities that are beginning to enjoy the fruits of our nation’s economic success.”

Next, another source at Wikipedia explains the term as follows:

    “Predatory lending describes unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly defines predatory lending as “imposing unfair and abusive loan terms on borrowers.”[1] Though there are laws against many of the specific practices commonly identified as predatory, various federal agencies use the term as a catch-all term for many specific illegal activities in the loan industry… One less contentious definition of the term is “the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against.”[2]… Although predatory lenders are most likely to target the less educated, lowest incomes, racial minorities, the elderly, victims of predatory lending are represented across all demographics.[4][5]  (source link- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predatory_lending )

    Since 1982, I have been involved in some segment of the consumer finance industry. There have been many additional regulations enacted to curb abuses, perceived or real, within the industry since 1982. From the definitions above, the major qualifications for “predatory lending” appears to be “unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices”.  Using the less contentious definition of “the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against.”; it is not difficult to see the association I have made between this and  what I experienced for years at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). I experienced “predatory religion”. Let me explain.

     Continue reading Predatory Religion? →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Family Members Suffer Separation

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    Readers of this blog come from many countries, backgrounds and situations. I receive comments and emails from several survivors of many different cults as well as people who have family members still in a cult. In a previous post, we highlighted a repost from my mother’s blog. She has written from the perspective of those who have a child in a cult and the feelings and struggles of that relationship. Many of the things I have read in her posts have not occurred to me before. I consider her insights as reflective of the emails I get from readers who have a family member still inside a controlling cult group. I have read of their struggles and until recently not been able to understand what I put my family through during my years in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF).

 My Mom, Darlene Eichler, writes here:  http://cultcasualties.blogspot.com

 Family Members Outside the Cult–Part II

The following is an excerpt from “Satan’s Best Friend”:

October 10, 1975
Dear Maggie,
I have written this letter in my head many times in the past few years. It is way past time for me to put it on paper and send it on to you. First of all I want to say how much I love you. Sometimes I don’t think I like you because of your absence from me. We could have been so much comfort for one another after your Father passed away. Those days were the darkest in my life. I still have nights when I cannot sleep because I’m thinking about you and your Father and saying to myself, ‘what if?’

You would be shocked if you came back to………..today. There are new roads, stores and some things have vanished. Of course the old part of town will always remain the same (I hope). All of your friends are married and some have divorced. All have children except for Peggy………………………….
Here I am rambling on about unimportant things. I haven’t asked how you are. I pray that you are happy whatever you are doing. Please write or call me sometime. Would it be asking too much to ask you to come for a visit? You know you are welcome anytime.
With all my love,
Mom

P.S.I know you don’t celebrate birthdays in your church but I hope you have a happy birthday on October 15. I will remember that day and be thankful for such a beautiful daughter.happy in whatever she is doing.’ That is difficult to say and mean it. She is almost finished but saves the real reason for the letter until the end. “Would it be asking too much for you to come for a visit?”

I tried to write this letter to include the ways a mother views her child in a cult. She begins by telling her daughter how she has composed this letter over and over in the years they have been apart. In my experience I would have a running conversation in my head and then I would try to answer for the absent family member. I wonder how many times I got it right. In the third sentence she declares her love for her daughter but states that sometimes she doesn’t like her because she is absent. Sometimes there was anger on the part of the family member. One feels forsaken by the cult member. Then, of course we have the ‘laying on of guilt.” Why not? We want them to know we are having hard times because of their decisions. Along with the feelings of guilt we want them to know their friends have moved on with their lives. The writer realizes she has been rambling and asks her daughter how she is doing. Notice that she opens her heart and prays that she is ‘happy in whatever she is doing.’ That is difficult to say and mean it. She is almost finished but saves the real reason for the letter until the end. “Would it be asking too much for you to come for a visit?”
I will print the daughter’s answer in the next post. Comments are welcome.

  ____________________________________________________________________

  Looking back, I can see now how the times between visits to family was too long during the WOFF years. I would say that was by design, Jane Whaley’s design. After all, Jane said God did not want us to celebrate ANY holidays because they were all PAGAN. When do most families take time to visit each other? When do most folks get off work? Well, for years, Jane used certain holidays to have seminars and conferences! For other cult survivors, does that ring a bell? Of course, in the WOFF culture, we were kept so busy that we would lose track of how long it had been between visits to family members outside the group. We actually needed letters like the one above to remind us of what was important. So, for those with family members still in cult groups, keep in touch with them as much as possible.

   Next, my Mom wrote a post which reflects the letter back from the daughter who is in the cult group. Here is the next post in this series:

    Continue reading Family Members Suffer Separation →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Survivors of NTCC Share Concerning Blind Zeal

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    Don and Angela Tumioli are survivors of the New Testament Christian Church (NTCC). We have mentioned their work and their blog in previous posts. (blog is here: http://ntccxerblog.blogspot.com/ )

As a comment to the post- “Not “If”, But “When”?”, Don and Angela wrote the following about blind zeal. The piece contained  honest observations and encouragement so, I have reprinted it for the foundation of this post. Don, Angela and I have been shocked at the similarities between their former group and Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Here is their comment:   

 Submitted on 2011/06/06 at 12:59 am

“Just because you may be a part of a “non-denominational, Protestant church” as WOFF bills themselves, does not mean it requires blind zeal to be in that church.”

The similarities between the NTCC and WOFF are alarming. The blind zeal is definitely prevalent in our former church. Zeal was almost an understatement. We would raise our hands and work ourselves into a frenzy during many of the services. I’m not saying that the raising of hands is wrong but we really took zeal to a whole new level. Most of our members were young male soldiers in their teens and twenties that were already trained to follow orders and were motivated to be all that we could be. We opened our services in prayer which consisted of “holy hands being uplifted to God”. This would include a very loud offering of voices at maximum decibels in addition to the pastor’s amplified voice often enhanced by a sound system.

Then we would have our song service which many times would consist of singing loudly, clapping, dancing and sometimes running. I’ve seen folks doing somersaults around the altar on occasion. The preaching would usually be loud and in your face. Ultimatums would fly from the pulpit. The primary thrust was to create more tithe payers and to get folks to give more in offerings. There was an altar call that involved much pleading and the supposition that all non-members were lost. Those of us who worked the altars were taught to “make the people realize they are lost” so they could be saved. We were expected to hound them and be persistent to the point that many would walk out of service during the alter call. People were made to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. People that prayed were called brother or sister, but people who claimed salvation already were not called brother or sister. They must first receive NTCC style salvation. Some exceptions were made for tithe payers or givers.

There was definitely blind zeal in our former group. If we questioned anyone, we were rebellious. If we looked in our bibles to find references while the preacher was preaching we got blasted from the pulpit. If we did not act or think or live the way that we were expected, we were also castigated and demeaned. The only way to live a Christian life was to follow their non-biblical policies and doctrines with unwavering faith and blind zeal.

Continue reading Survivors of NTCC Share Concerning Blind Zeal →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Show Me the “Church-Facts”! (1)

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   Who besides faithful WOFF members has not seen the cute commercials that advertise the CARFAX® service? While a customer is looking over a potential used car for purchase, the “Car-Fox” somehow catches the eyes of the prospective car buyer and prompts then to ask the unwilling car salesman to “Show me the CARFAX®.” To which the car salesman replies with a statement meant to divert the customer to another great “feature” of the car. The advertising is effective. I have used the service in my line of work and for myself when considering the purchase of a used car. The reports include many things such as service records, any reported accidents and mileage verifications. The data is supposed to provide some level of comfort and knowledge about the used car or truck being considered. The reports can be found here www.carfax.com .

   This week, it occurred to me, wouldn’t it be helpful to centralize in one place the facts about a church or group that one may be considering joining? Would it have been helpful to know the facts about Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) before I slipped among them in 1992? I had heard a vague report from someone who had heard from someone else… but, that did not catch my attention as it should have. What is there was a central location to keep the facts about churches or groups that one could or would join? What would be included?

    Okay, there are some websites out there like www.freedomofmind.com and www.factnet.org that would be helpful for ANYONE to check out before joining a church or group. But, who knows about these sites before they or one of their friends ends up getting burned by one of the groups listed? I did not know about these websites, were they even around in 1992? Now that the tool of the Internet is available, what would be or should be included in a report on a church? What would be in the “Church-Facts”?

    Continue reading Show Me the “Church-Facts”! (1) →