Tag Archives: thinking for myself

Books, Resources, Uncategorized

WOFF Fear-Chains are worse than Castro’s Chains….

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First, let me say Thank You to all the concerned readers and friends who have expressed their support during the last few weeks. Some are familiar with the level of personal drama that I have been walking through and all that was involved. It is a fact; things are not always in the condition that Jane Whaley and those inside Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) would have you believe they are; inside or outside that group. The spin factory works overtime within the WOFF camp and it takes a keen eye to understand what is really being said and done. “Truth” does not always resonate from their mouth or from their actions.

There is so much I want to share about the latest drama going on around this nation; I have a hard time knowing where to start. Not very much of it is positive, but, all of it is interesting and much of it gives insight into the past and present state of things at WOFF. The drama unfolding in Cleveland Ohio concerning the captivity and now freedom for the women held by Ariel Castro is mind boggling. The control, abuse and torture he forced on his victims will have people talking for a long time. He apparently used physical force, constraints and lots of fear to control those women for YEARS. Castro used actual chains on his victims.

 “The women were initially kept chained in the basement of Castro’s dumpy home, but later permitted to live upstairs on the second floor.”  Read more here.

Continue reading WOFF Fear-Chains are worse than Castro’s Chains…. →

Behavior Control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

More Bathroom Controls at Word of Faith Fellowship

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February of 2010 on this blog, I wrote about Jane Whaley’s Toilet Paper Revelation. I was in that service when the “revelation” was introduced to the members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Yes, some went overboard and it got out of hand. Jane actually tried to moderate the exuberance with which some began to monitor the bathroom habits of their fellow members. It was in reality a fiasco. But, at the time, I did not understand the lasting detrimental effects. During my stay at WOFF, I witnessed CH get publically rebuked by Mark Doyle for using a urinal in an airport bathroom. It was not God’s will for WOFF members to use urinals. This was just a hint of the controls yet to come. During my years there, the urinals were partitioned off so you could not view the person beside of you. Apparently, this is not the end of the controls of personal bathroom habits. Allow me continue. 

Fast forward to this year and yet more bathroom controls have been explained to me. Recently, I have been told that the urinals were totally removed from the bathroom s at WOFF. For recent visitors- is this true? I have no reason to doubt it. If that were the end of the controls, I would not be writing this post. Reports coming out of this group have gone into more detail. I will try to be as tasteful as possible in explaining the restraints that I understand to be in place at WOFF.

Continue reading More Bathroom Controls at Word of Faith Fellowship →

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Emotional Control, Information control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

“It is never too late to wake-up and leave…” Steve Hassan (video)

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Over the last few weeks, there has been a major increase in the supply of material that is fitting for this blog. It has been hard to focus on what to post next. Today, I received notice of this video and stopped everything to watch it. The speaker is Steve Hassan, a leading author and expert in mind control techniques and an ever-giving resource of help for those wanting to understand cults and their nuances. We have featured his work on this blog before; however, this video has some timely comments on current events surrounding the subject of cults and mind control. We will review a few excerpts and tie them back to subjects discussed previously on this blog.

The video is less than twenty-five minutes long. He recently spoke at the Society for  Ethical Culture in NY and apparently he has many friends there.

Continue reading “It is never too late to wake-up and leave…” Steve Hassan (video) →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Information control, Uncategorized

Why Do Members Stay? (video)

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Over the last few years since leaving Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), several folks at different times have asked this question or one similar. Why do people stay inside WOFF? For many, the idea behind the question is: John, if things are as bad as you say, why don’t folks just leave? For those being more inquisitive, they are asking me: John, if it was that bad, why did you stay for so long? These are very fair questions. In this post, I will share an answer from a cult expert and add my reflections to help complete the answer for my situation.

During my research, I came across a video put out by Steven Hassan. This video is an informal conversation filmed in a hotel room about 2 years ago. The participants were Steven Hassan a leading cult expert, Attorney Paul Grosswald, ex-Scientologist, and Karen Pressley also a former high ranking ex-Scientologist. Much of the content does center on Karen’s experiences and her successes since leaving the group. During the discourse, there are several notable quotes which include answers to why folks stay in controlling groups, as well as other points of interests for those trying to understand the cult experience.

Before we begin, let me explain that I have no experience with Scientology or the Moonies. The purpose of this video is only as an aide to help answer the question: Why do members stay? The video is over fifty (50) minutes long and there is no way I can review the full content here. For this post, we will just hit on some major keys for understanding given by the participants. Some of the terms describing the rules or actions within Scientology were foreign to me and can only be explained by context.

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Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Additional Memories Leading to Exit Drama- Ben McGee

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The following material was provided by Ben McGee. He pulls back the curtain of self-protection and reveals his innermost concerns and thoughts leading up to the previously posted exit drama. Please, do not miss the transparency and the honesty with which he tells his story. These reflections should be a help to us all in managing our own host of memories- however painful they may be.

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The WOFFIA…

In order to set the time frame, let me say that these memories are from the period just two weeks before I was forced to leave.  I removed myself from the church, and would not attend regular services, but stayed in the church discipline room because I struggled with a conversation between Jane Whaley and myself.  The one statement that troubled me the most was when Jane stated that if I decided to move off church property- I would do so alone, as she began poking her finger into my chest.  I took this to mean that she was going to keep my family from me, if I attempted to move away from the church property. (I must ask- would Jesus make a threat like this?)

I struggled with this threat for some time. Pam was not present for this event.  I knew we could not afford to leave, but desired to do so and decided money or no money we were not going to stay trapped.  I wanted to discuss with my ex-wife how I felt but, she was alienated from me completely.  She would not listen to me and would go straight to the church leadership and tell them everything I had said which was a pattern already well established in our marriage.  This probably became extremely important for her after the confrontation with Jane.  I must confess I did likewise to her when she would get out of control and abusive in the past. I was afraid of her past use and abuse of drugs.

Continue reading Additional Memories Leading to Exit Drama- Ben McGee →

Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Emotional Control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Former WOFF Member Files Report of Assault

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Before I begin with the content of this post, let me acknowledge there will be some who disagree with my position to present this information in this forum. Some survivors of WOFF choose to “forgive and forget” and attempt to put everything that happened to them as far away from them as possible. That is a choice each is free to make, but, I don’t recommend it. Privacy prevents me from sharing the emails I receive on a regular basis from survivors of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and other groups. Many of these emails contain regrets for waiting so long to process the events that happened to them in years of being involved in a controlling group. Trying to ignore the injuries, the injustices, the hurts, the confusion and the emotional trauma will not prove helpful in the long run. The emails I receive with these aches and hurts are from survivors who were in WOFF and relatives of those who are now or have been in WOFF. It is with that understanding that I proceed to share the ongoing story of a survivor of 21 years of involvement in WOFF.

In a previous post titled, “Another Exit Drama Unfolds …” found here: https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=4782 . In that post, we did not name the survivor for various reasons. As of a few days ago, by his choice, his name was put into public record and therefore we will mention it here. Michael Lowry was born in 1990 in Rutherford County while his family was a part of WOFF. The family was from Michigan and have lived in the area every since his birth. He grew up in WOFF as his only social environment. In the previous post, we recounted his experiences in the “fourth building”. Those experiences had been traumatic to say the least and were a major part of his decision to leave his family and the only group of “friends” he had ever known. Today, we will give you excerpts from an incident report he filed with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s department outlining some of the events in the fourth building.

  Remember, this report is listed as “Further Investigation” needed. The people listed in this report are innocent until proven guilty.  No event or claim in this report has been proven in a court of law and no person in this report has been convicted of any crime(s). This is an incident report that is in public records that anyone can obtain a copy of from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s department.

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

WOFF Members are NOT Brainwashed- Really? (2)

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   During a review of recent posts, I found the first post in this series had been inadvertently moved to the trash. I have no idea how that happened. But, the original post was rescued and restored to its place on this blog. Now we will continue with the review of the resource material found in Steven Hassan’s book, “Combatting Cult Mind Control” (Copyright©1988, 1990- by Steven Hassan, Park Street Press, ISBN-0-89281-311-3). We were reviewing material found in Chapter 4 titled:  Understanding Mind Control.

   Hassan writes, “When I lecture in colleges, I usually challenge my audience with the question, “How would you know if you were under mind control?” After some reflection, most people will realize that if one were under mind control, it would be impossible to determine it without some help from others. In addition, one would need to understand very clearly what mind control is.” (page 53) From the previous posts I wrote, “WOFF members do not believe for one second that they are under either brainwashing or mind control! I know since I did not have any idea that the “gift” that Jane operated in was full of mind control techniques.” In light of this acquired disbelief, it does little good to tell WOFF members they have been brainwashed or are under mind control. Hassan writes, “Whenever people yelled at me and called me a “brainwashed robot”, I just took it was expected persecution. It made me feel more committed to the group.” (page 53)  

   We also reviewed the basic difference between brainwashing and mind control: “Brainwashing is typically coercive. The person knows from the outset that he is in the hands of the enemy. It begins with a clear demarcation of the respective roles—who is the prisoner and who is the jailer—and the prisoner experiences the absolute minimum of choice…” (page 55).

   “Mind control, also called “thought reform,” is much more subtle and sophisticated. Its perpetrators are regarded as friends or peers, so the person (being influenced) is much less defensive… Mind control has little to no overt physical abuse… The individual is deceived and manipulated – not directly threatened – into making prescribed choices. On the whole, he responds positively to what is done to him.” (page 56)

  Continue reading WOFF Members are NOT Brainwashed- Really? (2) →