How Cults Evangelize

1. How Cults Evangelize By Dr. Mel Whittington Licensed Professional Counselor In Private Practice, Tulsa, OK Minister of Equipping Ministries Will Rogers United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK

2. How Cults Evangelize • A cult is a group or movement that exhibits great devotion to some person, idea, or thing. • The group uses a thought-reform program to persuade, control, and socialize members. • Systematically induces dependency in members • Exploits members to advance the leadership’s goals • Causes harm to members, their families, the community

3. Destructive Groups Destructive organizations exhibit many of these common traits: • - Totalitarian in structure: strict top-down centralized control with a "we-they," "us versus them" attitude. Groups become totalistic islands in the midst of society, which reinforces an adversarial relationship with outside groups.

4. Destructive Groups • - Creating enemies: the government, other races, other religious groups, other communities, other nation states, other ideologies. • - Attempts to control all communication into and out of the group as well as the individual's inner thought processes.

5. Destructive Groups • - Leaders' ideas, politics, mission and agenda are "sacred," or "inspired," beyond reproach. This could result in an presumed superiority over all others who do not hold the same views.

6. Destructive Groups • - Frequent use of public confession or testimonials to entrap members/citizens • Attempts to dominate the social lives of members

7. Destructive Groups - A special language, beyond what would be considered normal jargon. -Radical separation of pure and impure: - Exclusiveness

8. The Power of Influence • THE POWER OF INFLUENCE

9. The Power of Influence • Perceptual Contrast- But, they seemed so different • Reciprocation-The old give and take ….and take and take • Commitment & Consistency-Hobgoblins of the mind • Social Proof-Truth R Us

10. The Porwer of Influence • Liking- The Friendly Thief • Authority- Directed Deference • Scarcity- The Rule of the Few

11. The Psychology of Cults Strategies for Resistance • Perceiving Discontinuities • Normal Appearances • Assumed Similarities • Apparent Competence • Cognitive Confusion • Emotional Confusion

12. The Psychology of Cults Strategies for Resistance (continued) • Plays on Choice • Impersonal Structures

13. Taking Every Thought Captive20 Ways to Resist Unwanted Social Influence • Practice being deviant sometimes. • Practice saying “I made a mistake.” • Be aware of others’ frame of reference • Be willing to suffer short-term losses • Assess the interpersonal perspective to determine if it has gained more significance than it merits. • Resist taking actions that you are uncertain of.

14. 20 Ways to Resist Unwanted Social Influence • Insist on an understandable explanation • Be sensitive to the situational demands • Especially note the guest-host relationship established that compromise your freedom to choose and act. • Don’t believe in simple solutions [if it sounds to good to be true …]

15. Taking Every Thought Captive20 Ways to Resist Unwanted Social Influence • Remember there is no such thing as instant, unconditional love from strangers. • Maintain/establish healthy boundaries between you and the agent of influence. • Immediately test the limits of your autonomy • Practice detached concern. Disengage your emotions during confrontation. • Be the most honest, self-assured person you can be.

16. 20 Ways to Resist Unwanted Social Influence • Recognize Guilt and guilt-inducing actions of others. • Resist reacting or making decisions on impulse or habit. • It is not necessary to maintain consistency. You may change your mind. • Illegitimate authority must be rejected, disobeyed & exposed • Be willing to openly defy, disobey, & challenge

17. Recovery • MYTHS: Things NOT to say • “Why didn’t you leave that group?” • “You are the last person I would have expected to join a cult.” • “Why see a psychologist? You know you were deceived in your own spiritual walk. You need to repent of your sins so the deceiver can not tempt you again.” • “It’s been my experience that people who join these groups are troubled or come from dysfunctional families. I didn’t know you had problems. I guess I was wrong.”

18. Recovery Stages of Recovery • Stage One: Developing a Conceptual Framework • Stage Two:Grieving, Reconciliation and Reaching Out • Stage Three: Reintegration into Society

19. Recovery • Stage One: Developing a Conceptual Framework • Focus: Education & self-acceptance • Exit Counseling - gives a framework for post-cultic problems • Recognize the importance of relationships

20. Recovery • Stage One: Developing a Conceptual Framework • Evaluate the Group • Recovery of Fellowship and Recognition • Floating • Trauma

21. Recovery • Stage One: Developing a Conceptual Framework • Thought reform

22. Recovery • Stage Two: Grieving, Reconciliation, and reaching out • Regaining purpose • A need for Reconciliation • Request for Information • Need for Support • Rediscover the Gospel

23. Recovery • Stage Two: Grieving, Reconciliation, and reaching out • Rescue others • Contact by the Cult • Retribution of the Cult • Reemergence of the Past

24. Recovery • Stage Three: Reintegration into Society • Identify the positives of the Cult Experience • Recovery of the whole self • The Self & Religious Commitment • Impossibility of Reconciliation to God by works

25. Recovery • Stage Three: Reintegration into Society • Affirming Acceptance of Self • Recover of the Practical • Recognition of Sexuality & intimate relations • Longing for the friends in the cult