Saturday, March 14, 2009

Index of Posts Defining Spiritual Abuse



How Can I Tell if my Church is Abusive?

(A review of how spiritual abuse and
Robert Lifton’s model of thought reform manifest in churches and parachurch organizations)

SPIRITUAL ABUSE PROFILE
by
Watchman Fellowship

Characteristics of Spiritual Abusers
(Information collected from authors on the subject of spiritual abuse)

Podcasts about Spiritual Abuse
(“Thatmom” Karen Campbell interviews Cindy Kunsman in a series of podcasts about spiritual abuse, thought reform and how to resist covert manipulation)

Understanding Cognitive Dissonance
(The collection of a series of blog posts about how thought conversion works and how subtle pressures affect us from the Under Much Grace Blog)

Bounded Choice
(Systems of control that appear as though an individual has options of choice but are bound to a limited number of "givens" that are determined by the group; expands upon the concept of cognitive dissonance)


New Cults of Biblical Christianity: Theological Innovations in the Postmodern Age

(Article published in June and July 2004 issues of Christian Culture)


The Spiritual Abuse Network’s Questionaire

(Questions To Help Identify Specific Areas of Spiritual Abuse, Deception, and Fraud from a Questionaire by Chris Lawson)

Is Spiritual Abuse Biblical?

(A display of collected references discussing spiritual abuse)


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES on the Under Much Grace blog


Finding Help and Healing


Examples of Manipulative Techniques


Conformity Studies (Video Documentaries)

  • Bad Apples or Bad Barrels: Video Overviews of Zimbardo’s Lucifer Effect (Philip Zimbardo lectures on how systems of control and social pressure promote evil behavior and encourages individuals to become “everyday heroes” in the face of social and environmental pressures.)
  • The Wave (A video that depicts the disturbingly true story of a classroom experiment in a history class in a California high school. The teacher sought to demonstrate to the students how German citizens so readily accepted the Third Reich to his class by exposing them to some of the behavioral techniques used.)
  • Stanford Prison Experiment (The Hierarchy Effect?) (How an investigative study produced disturbing behaviors among a group of students at Stanford University)
  • The Milgram Study (Study evaluating willingness of subjects to follow instructions given by a perceived authority figure)
  • Asch Conformity Study (Study evaluating how subjects respond to social influence and popular opinion as a force that powerfully affects perception)
  • The Power of the Situation (A documentary reviewing conformity studies and the powerful effect that social pressures, authority figures and circumstances pose upon individuals)
  • Be Heroic! (About Zimbardo’s Hero Project campaign to teach people to be everyday heroes and resist situational influences.)




Thursday, March 12, 2009

How to RESIST UNDUE INFLUENCE Index


Spotting Logical Fallacies and Propaganda Techniques
(List of common fallacies used by spiritually abusive systems to enhance thought reform)

(Review of the “Weapons of Influence” defined by Cialdini to help you resist manipulation)

(Excerpts from “In Sheep’s Clothing.” A review of common tactics used by manipulators to help you identify how covertly aggressive individuals typically behave.)

(Excerpts from “Who’s Pulling Your Strings” and the Chapter entitled “Seven Keys to Resist Manipulation”)

(More excerpts from “In Sheep’s Clothing” discussing tools of empowerment and helpful realizations to help you resist manipulation.)

(Philip Zimbardo’s list of helpful ideas to help you resist unwanted influence and covert manipulation.)

(Excerpts from the Chapter of “First Order Protections” against cultic manipulation from his book “TM and Cult Mania”)


(How the conference environment can be overwhelming for participants, can predispose a person to easy manipulation, and measures a person can take to resist undue influence and manipulation in this setting.)




Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Hegemonic Patriarchy by Andrew Sandlin

The Hegemonic Patriarchy


The Hegemonic Patriarchy

by P. Andrew Sandlin

The article appeared originally in the January 2004 issue of Christian Culture. Visit the Center for Cultural Leadership web site: www.christianculture.com

~~~~~~~~~~


Today’s secular culture is at war with the family. Lax divorce laws, radical feminism, rampant pornography, legalized abortion, “children’s rights,” mainstream homosexuality, and inheritance taxes — all these and other factors collude to assault the family, particularly the Christian family.

The (Over)Reaction
It is perhaps inevitable that the Christian reaction will at times become overreaction and that the family, a central institution in God’s plan, should begin to monopolize all of life. In fact, a renewed patriarchalism in some quarters is working for hegemony over the other legitimate spheres of God’s authority. But patriarchalists don’t justify their (over)reaction only to the ravenous egalitarian society. They also (over)react to a reckless, egocentric Church that is oblivious to family prerogatives (“After all, I am the elder [or bishop, or pastor, or deacon, or what have you], and I am the supreme authority in the Church”).

But the solution to social and ecclesiastical tyranny is not patriarchal tyranny, which, in fact, is no less culpable than the former. Tyranny is tyranny, and “spiritual” tyranny is perhaps the worst form of all (think: Spanish Inquisition).

Old-Fashioned Conservative Tyranny
Today’s hegemonic patriarchalism seems at points to bear an eerie resemblance to the pagan patriarchy of ancient Rome (before the rise of the Empire). Pre-Empire Rome was a patriarchal culture. The housefather was given virtually unlimited authority. His word was law — not metaphorically, but literally. If his wife bore a daughter, and he preferred a son, he could simply cast the daughter into the streets to die of starvation or be eaten by a wild animal. He could beat and otherwise abuse fellow family members at will. With limited exceptions, the father was the central authority in society. Many other ancient cultures were similarly clan-based, and these extended families (not just Mom and Dad and Junior and Susie, but the grandparents and third cousins and “in-laws”) ruled the countryside by blade and blood. At the center of this tyranny was the patriarch, generally the oldest surviving male of the family. (Mario Puzo’s rendition of The Godfather furnishes an embellished, but generally accurate, portrait of this arrangement.)

For this reason it is sometimes ironic to hear Christians declare that they are championing a “conservative view of the family.” If they are conserving the old-fashioned pagan patriarchy, they are deviating from Biblical Faith, which repudiates this tyranny. We are called first to be obedient Christians, not card-carrying conservatives. Today’s Christian patriarchalists are far removed from the violence of the pagan patriarchalists (in most cases, at least!), but in their commitment to hegemony, they are too close for comfort.

Baby Machines
Some Christian men that I have observed treat their wives as baby machines. The wife is never under any circumstances permitted to work outside the home, despite the fact that the Bible nowhere forbids such work. True, the young mother’s central Biblical responsibility is domestic — her family (1 Tim. 5:14). Today’s “career-minded moms” whose work is a separate track from her husband’s generally conflict with the Bible’s pattern of the woman as a suitable help to her husband (Gen. 2:18-25). However, the Bible does not prohibit women, including wives and mothers, from working outside the home. We must not, therefore, allow “conservative” standards to supplant Biblical standards.

Apron-Centered, Kitchen-Table Tutelage
The authority that some patriarchalists arrogate to themselves truly borders on tyranny. One has written that a father who sends his daughter off to college is guilty of irresponsibility. Apparently, all daughters must maintain residence in their father’s household to be deemed “under authority.” Not a shred of Biblical evidence supports this theory and, in fact, at times the father may be guilty of irresponsibility if he does not dispatch an intellectually gifted daughter to college. (The idea that children should ordinarily stay home and take Internet college courses is fraught with peril. We will never train culture-reclaiming physicians, nuclear physicists, and engineers by such apron-centered, kitchen-table tutelage.)

Day Schools
Other patriarchalists have gone so far as to suggest that Christian day schools are sinful or erosive of the family. While this sentiment is not true of most home-schoolers, among whom are the most dedicated Christians in the nation, an increasing number of patriarchalists are dedicated to squelching top-notch, culture-reforming educational opportunities by subordinating virtually all training to the four walls of the homestead. This is a formula for cultural — and familial — defeat.

Obsequious Sons
Patriarchalists sometimes do even a greater disservice to sons. In ancient, clan-based societies, a son (even one in his thirties and forties) would remain obsequiously apprenticed to his father and would become the new, blood-based patriarch only when his father died. This is a pagan idea, not a Biblical one, even though some patriarchalists today demand almost unswerving obedience and servanthood from their forty-year old married sons. Sometimes in the process they completely trample on their sons’ obvious gifts, which could be used most profitably elsewhere. Any daughter-in-law that that permits such an outrage will suffer greatly for it.

Disservice to the Church
Perhaps, however, the most hazardous element of the new hegemonic patriarchy is its easy diffidence or downright hostility toward the church. This patriarchalism emerges largely because too many churches are anything but “family-friendly”; and, of course, they abdicate their calling when they act so irresponsibly. The solution to this problem, however, is the reformation of the church, not the institution of “The Family Church,” i. e., the Daddy pastor, the Mommy assistant pastor, and the kiddy members. The Church is authorized to do three things that no family in ordinary conditions is ever permitted to do: preserve orthodoxy; administer sacraments; and excommunicate heretics and egregious, unrepentant sinners.

Hammering out and maintaining proper belief is not the responsibility of the family, but the church, or more accurately, true churches throughout the world. A careful scrutiny of beliefs (both true and false) demands greater expertise than the individual father (or mother!) enjoys. Orthodoxy is a communal matter, and the community in question is the church, not the family. Similarly, the church administers the sacraments. Jesus vested the authority to administer both communion and baptism to His apostles as the human foundation of the church, not as fathers in their own families. And the same is true of discipline — and by this I mean ecclesiastical discipline. No husband may excommunicate his wife (though some husbands, I hear, have tried!). No father may excommunicate a child, and so on. Excommunication is the exclusive job of the church (Mt.18). It is for this reason that the family, even an extended family, does not constitute a church. Two or more families joining together pioneer a church, searching for legitimate oversight, may, in fact, constitute a church, but this is a different matter altogether. Simply put, the family is not the church.

Hubris
The new patriarchalists would be less offensive if they couched their hegemonic views, well, less hegemonically. Why not simply say, “We’re attempting to recover a more consistent view of the family, and we know some dear Christians will not agree, and we know that most of orthodox Christianity stands against us, but we would humbly ask that you consider these things.”

No, it often is something like this: “Fathers, until we came along, have been irresponsible, and they are irresponsibly sending their daughters off to college, and they are sending their children to Christian day schools, and they are irresponsibly attending churches that sponsor age-graded Sunday School. They need to quit sinning, and start taking responsibility.”

I am exaggerating, but not by much. Christians, like all humans, are susceptible to fads, and this hegemonic patriarchalism is one of the latest fads that has emerged popularly, and will eventually die quietly. Until then, it may harm a number of wives and children — and, yes, fathers — whom it is creditably trying to help. We will be less likely to fall into its seductive trap if we recognize that our life must be Faith-centered, not State-centered, Church-centered, or even family-centered.

P. Andrew Sandlin, B.A., M.A.




ADDENDUM
:

(Excerpted from a statement
to the readers of
www.SharperIron.com
following June 2007 posting of the artcle)



~~~~~~~~

The charge that my essay from several years ago “The Hegemonic Patriarchy” was deficient in that it did not cite Scripture is understandable. That article was written for he CCL audnce, almost none of whom would question whether its argument was Biblically warranted. I do understand that a wider audience reading that article might arrive at a different conclusion, and one day I may draft a subsequent article on the topic that will carry explicit Biblical evidence.

I maintain only one actual misgiving about the article “The Hegemonic Patriarchy”: that I did not speak more forcefully and resolutely. I consider the “Patriarchy Movement” a pestilence that should be opposed and exposed, and I am grateful for all Christians who oppose and expose it responsibly.
~~~~~~~~

P. Andrew Sandlin, an ordained minister, is president of the Center for Cultural Leadership, a Christian educational foundation dedicated to reclaiming contemporary culture for Jesus Christ and teaching elder at Church of the King, Santa Cruz, California. An interdisciplinary scholar, he holds academic degrees or concentrations in English, English literature, history, and political science. He has written several monographs and books, including The Full Gospel: A Biblical Vocabulary of Salvation; Totalism: God’s Sovereign Claims in All of Life; Christianity: Bulwark of Liberty; and hundreds of essays and articles, both scholarly and popular. His book Lord of the Dead and the Living: The Significance of the Christian Resurrection is forthcoming. He was formerly a pastor, Christian school administrator, president of the National Reform Association, and executive vice president of the Chalcedon Foundation.

Andrew and his wife Sharon have five children.



Watchman Fellowship's SPIRITUAL ABUSE Profile







Reproduced with permission from The Watchman Expositor and the Watchman Fellowship Website. (21Aug07)

Written by David Henke



Founding Date:
Spiritual abuse is as old as false religion itself. While the practice is old, the term "spiritual abuse" may have been coined first by Jeff VanVonderen.

Organizational Structure: Can occur under virtually any organizational structure, but "top down" hierarchical structures are especially well suited to systemic spiritual abuse.


DEFINED
Spiritual abuse is the misuse of a position of power, leadership, or influence to further the selfish interests of someone other than the individual who needs help. Sometimes abuse arises out of a doctrinal position. At other times it occurs because of legitimate personal needs of a leader that are being met by illegitimate means. Spiritually abusive religious systems are sometimes described as legalistic, mind controlling, religiously addictive, and authoritarian.



COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

#1) Authoritarian

The most distinctive characteristic of a spiritually abusive religious system, or leader, is the over-emphasis on authority. Because a group claims to have been established by God Himself the leaders in this system claim the right to command their followers.

This authority supposedly comes from the position they occupy. In Matthew 23:1-2 Jesus said the Scribes and Pharisees "sit in Moses' seat," a position of spiritual authority. Many names are used but in the abusive system this is a position of power, not moral authority. The assumption is that God operates among His people through a hierarchy, or "chain of command." In this abusive system unconditional submission is often called a "covering," or "umbrella of protection" which will provide some spiritual blessing to those who fully submit. Followers may be told that God will bless their submission even if the leadship is wrong. It is not their place to judge or correct the leadership - God will see to that.

#2) Image Conscious

The abusive religious system is scrupulous to maintain an image of righteousness. The organization's history is often misrepresented in the effort to demonstrate the organization's special relationship to God. The mistaken judgements and character flaws of its leaders are denied or covered up in order to validate their authority. Impossibly high legalistic standards of thought and behavior may be imposed on the members. Their failure to live up to these standards is a constant reminder of the follower's inferiority to his leaders, and the necessity of submission to them. Abusive religion is, at heart, legalism.

Abusive religion is also paranoid. Because the truth about the abusive religious system would be quickly rejected if recognized, outsiders are shown only a positive image of the group. This is rationalized by assuming that the religion would not be understood by "worldly" people; therefore they have no right to know. This attitude leads to members being secretive about some doctrines and the inner policies and proceedures of the group. Leaders, especially, will keep secrets from their members. This secrecy is rooted in a basic distrust of others because the belief system is false and can not stand scrutiny.

#3) Suppresses Criticism

Because the religious system is not based on the truth it cannot allow questions, dissent, or open discussions about issues. The person who dissents becomes the problem rather than the issue he raised. The truth about any issue is settled and handed down from the top of the hierarchy. Questioning anything is considered a challenge to authority. Thinking for oneself is suppressed by pointing out that it leads to doubts. This is portrayed as unbelief in God and His anointed leaders. Thus the follower controls his own thoughts by fear of doubting God.

#4) Perfectionistic

A most natural assumption is that a person does not get something for nothing. Apart from the express declarations of salvation by grace through faith God has given in the scriptures, it would be natural to think that one must earn salvation, or at least work to keep it. Thus, in abusive religions all blessings come through performance of spiritual requirements. Failure is strongly condemned so there is only one alternative, perfection. So long as he thinks he is succeeding in his observation of the rules, the follower typically exhibits pride, elitism, and arrogance. However, when reality and failure eventually set in, the result is the person experiences spiritual burnout, or even shipwreck of his faith. Those who fail in their efforts are labeled as apostates, weak, or some other such term so that they can be discarded by the system.

#5) Unbalanced

Abusive religions must distinguish themselves from all other religions so they can claim to be distinctive and therefore special to God. This is usually done by majoring on minor issues such as prophecy, carrying biblical law to extremes, or using strange methods of biblical interpretation. The imbalanced spiritual hobby-horse thus produced represents unique knowledge or practices which seem to validate the group's claim to special status with God.


BIBLICAL RESPONSE

Examples of spiritual abuse are found throughout the Bible. God describes (and condemns) the "shepherds of Israel" who feed themselves rather than the flock, who do not heal those who are hurting, or seek to bring back those who were driven away but rather discard them, ruling with force and cruelty (Ezekiel 34:1-10). Jesus reacted with anger against the thievery of the money changers in the Temple as they misused God's people for selfish reasons (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47; John 2:13-16). He was angry at those more concerned with rules and regulations than with human suffering (Mark 3:1-5). In Matthew 23, Jesus describes the abusive spiritual leader in great detail. In John 9 the Pharisees "cast out" the man born blind simply because the truth he told about his healing exposed their own corruption. In Acts 7:51-56, Stephen called the Jewish leaders to account over their spiritual abuse. His testimony of Christ vindicated Jesus, whom they had abused, and condemned them. The legalistic Jews were so angry they stoned Stephen to death. In Galatians Paul addressed a performance based Christianity which leads to the abuse of legalism. There are many more such examples.

As God in human flesh, Jesus had legitimate spiritual authority. But He did not exercise it to gain power for Himself, or to abuse and control others with rules and regulations. He said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). The Greek word for "heavy laden" is phortizo which means here "to overburden with ceremony (or spiritual anxiety)" (Strong's Concordance #5412). Jesus gave a balanced perspective on positional authority when he said, "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren" (Matthew 23:8). He gave another key to discernment when He taught, "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory..." (John 7:18a).

Jesus was not "image conscious." He was willing to associate with wine drinkers, cheating tax collectors and even prostitutes. He accused the legalistic Pharisees of "teaching for doctrine the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9) and likened their showy, hypocritical outward rightousness to "whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27).

Neither was He paranoid. His ministry was conspicuously open to the public. When He was on trial (John 18) He was asked about His teachings and His reply was, "Why askest thou me?" Jesus pointed out that He always taught in public, and never in secret, so why not ask His disciples. He had nothing to hide.

Jesus did not fear to criticize the religious leaders or their faulty doctrines (e.g. Matthew 15:1-9; 23:1-39, etc.). And when confronted with criticism or with treacherous questions designed to discredit Him, His response was never to simply demand silence or only positive recognition from His accusers. Rather, He gave answers - scriptural and reasonable answers - to their objections (e.g. Luke 7:36-47; Matthew 19:3-9).

Jesus upheld the high standard of the Law, yet He clearly placed the legitimate needs of people before any rules or regulations (Matthew 12:1-13; Mark 2:23-3:5). The scriptures make it clear that no one will cease to sin in this life (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). Jesus made it plain, however, that one can know in this life that one has eternal life (John 5:24; 6:37-40), a theme developed by Paul throughout his epistles, and by John (1 John 5:10-13).

The Pharisees, quintessential spiritually abusive leaders, were quite unbalanced in their perception of what mattered most to God. Jesus said they, "...pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, - judgment, mercy, and faith...." (Matthew 23:23).


EFFECTS OF SPIRITUAL ABUSE

Spiritual abuse has a devastating effect on people. A very high level of trust is often placed in spiritual leaders. It is, and ought to be, expected that the trust will be honored and guarded. When such trust is violated the wound is very deep. Sometimes the wound is so deep that the wounded person cannot trust even a legitimate spiritual authority again.

An analogous situation exists with the victims of incest. The emotional and psychological symptoms exhibited by victims of incest parallel those of spiritual abuse to a remarkable degree. The main symptom is the inability to relate normally to people who represent the source of their emotional injury.

Besides an unhealthy fear of, and disillusionment with, spiritual authorities, the spiritually abused person may find it difficult to trust even God. "How could (or why did) He let this happen to me?" Anger is also deeply felt. Anger itself is not always wrong - God Himself expresses anger at such spiritual abuse (see Biblical Response, above). However, even legitimate anger, if not properly channeled and dealt with, can degenerate into bitterness and cynicism toward everything spiritual.


RECOVERY FROM SPIRITUAL ABUSE

Healthy recovery from spiritual abuse must begin with understanding what has happened and how. A victim usually thinks he is the only one experiencing these problems. Just being able to give a name to the problem is important. There are many books on the subject (see Resources, below) that will be helpful in learning about spiritual abuse and recovery.

Afterward the abused person must learn the true nature of God's grace, love and forgiveness. This is the foundation for being able to eventually forgive the abuser. Being able to share the experience and what has been learned so as to minister to someone else's need is also very important. This could be done in a support group made up of people with a similar experience who can share the healing love of Christ.

Finally, a lot of time must be allowed for full recovery.




RESOURCES

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse
, by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen, Bethany House Publishers. Dynamite! Excellent help for recognizing and escaping spiritual manipulation and false spiritual authority within the Church. 235 pages-$10.

Faith That Hurts, Faith That Heals, by Stephen Arterburn, and Jack Felton, Thomas Nelson Publishers. Very thorough treatment, analyzes beliefs that make harmful faith, religious addiction, etc. as well as treatment and recovery, and the characteristics of healthy faith. 320 pages-$11.

Breaking Free, by David R. Miller, Baker Book House. Speaking first-hand from the experiences of his own family, Miller penetrates virtually every nuance of legalism and its insidious effects on individual and family life. 176 pages-$10.

Wisdom Hunter, by Randall Arthur, Multnomah Press. Taut, fast-paced thriller presents a powerful message about the damage caused by Christian legalism. 323 pages-$10.

Churches That Abuse, by Ronald Enroth, Zondervan. Providing real-life examples throughout, Enroth probes every corner of the abusive church. He also provides help to find the way out, and back to God's healing. 253 pages, endnotes-$6.


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Profile is a regular feature of the Watchman Expositor published by Watchman Fellowship, Inc. Readers are encouraged to begin their own religious research notebooks using these articles. Back issues of Profile are made available at a nominal fee. Resource items are subject to changes in availability and price. Free subscriptions may be ordered from the subscription page.



Reproduced with permission from The Watchman Fellowship.

by David Henke

How Can I Tell If My Church is ABUSIVE?



How Thought Reform Works in a Spiritually Abusive System

CULTIC DYNAMICS IN BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

Robert J Lifton's Thought Reform Criteria
within Bible-Based Cultic Groups
with Steven Martin



Do any of these dynamics sound familiar?


Milieu Control.


This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large. Free exchange of information is tightly controlled by threats of accusation of gossip or "touching not the anointed" leadership. Stories concocted for "damage control" also fall under this category so that members are fearful or reluctant to contact dissident or former members. Information from outside sources is often criticized and discounted to discourage acceptance by group members. Connotation is a powerful tool in the maintenance of milieu control.


Thinking Inside the Box (Pg 9, Martin's summary)
Milieu control is an environment in which the leader imposes a limiation of communication and interaction with the world outside for the group (except, of course, for the purpose of recruiting). This limitation stems from the conviction that their group possessed an ultimate truth, and that reality is their exclusive possession. In order to engineer the soul into this “truth,” they believe that they must bring the person under full observational control. Therefore, one is actually boxed in and hindered from obtaining what is true and relevant outside the group.



Loading the Language.

The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand.
(Link to list of common terms.) This jargon consists of thought-terminating clichés, which serve to alter members' thought processes to conform to the group's way of thinking. Connotation also plays a major role, and accusations and terms such as "gossip", "rebellion", "Jezebel" and the like are avoided at all costs by membership and prevent critical thinking and evaluation of group tactics. Activation of emotions through the use of connotation can create "cognitive dissonance" and temporarily stop critical thought processes so that the message behind the language is not evaluated with usual cognitive processing. If emotion can be dominated, the cognitive stress created by the conflict gives the leader strong influence over thought and behavior. This is also reciprocal: confusion of emotion or thought or behavior gives the leader strong influence of the remaining aspects of self and can instill the group doctrine without critical evaluation by the individual.

The Language of Non-Thought, (Pg 89, Martin's summary)


Loading the language involves the manipulation of words and phrases to produce “thought-terminating cliches.” It is thus a tool and extension of the “Sacred Science” — language that is used in order to stifle doubts and criticism, resulting in a narrowing and constriction of thought processes. It involves abstract words that categorize and judge members within the group and people outside the group. Such language is used for manipulating and even stifiling a members thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

The words and phrases have special meaning within the group -- a kind of language which, of course, exists to some degree in any organization, and all belief systems depend on it. However, the loading is more extreme in totalist groups since jargon expresses the certitudes of the sacred science serving to stifle and control one's thinking.


Mystical Manipulation.

There is manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated by the group or its leaders in order to demonstrate divine authority or spiritual advancement or some special gift or talent that will then allow the leader to reinterpret events, scripture, and experiences as he or she wishes. This technique may also apply to alignment of the group or group leaders with powerful, respected and orthodox others who may be enlisted to make statements or write opinionated articles in support of the cultic group or leaders. Media presentations may also connotate legitimacy when they are well done and impressive. Within Charismatic/Pentecostal groups, collected information or desired behavior may come in the form of messages of prophecy, "Thus saith the Lord."


Illusion to Delusion (Pg 21, Martin's summary)
A powerful means of persuading or instilling belief in someone is to strike a sense of awe and enthusiasm within the person through various forms of “mystical manipulation.” By manipulating circumstances or the environment from behind the scenes in such a way that events look spontaneous or miraculous, observers can be struck with a sense of awe and thus be attracted and misled. The resulting “mystical aura” that surrounds the system and its master is sheer deceit.


Demand for Purity.


The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the group and strive for perfection. Dissidents or competing ideologies are labeled as entirely untrustworthy and are given the connotation of near-heresy. (In psychology, this ego defense is termed "splitting.") The induction of guilt and/or shame is a powerful control device used here. Systems of positive reinforcement of acceptable behavior and negative reinforcement of unwanted behavior are employed to promote compliance with the group norm. Favored individuals are often used to model behavior and are rewarded very publicly to promote group compliance.


Getting Nowhere Fast (Pg 36, Martin's summary)
This is a demand which goes to the extreme of labeling certain thoughts, feelings and actions as “sins” which really are not sins at all. Even human limitations, weaknesses, and imperfections are categorized as “sin,” and perhaps looked upon with condemnation. In other words, it is a demand for perfection. It is a kind of purity that is not reachable. It is a standard of purity, of rightness and wrongness, as defined by the leader (the ideological totalist). Every human being has a certain amount of guilt and shame that can be tapped into. At totalist leader can then exploit this guilt and shame:
· To remind the subject of his limitations and weaknesses
· As a manipulative appeal to the subject to strive for the ultimate standard of good as the authoritative leader so defines it.
The result is a burden of man-made rules that come to be accepted as necessary for purity or perfection. But the rules are hard to bear and the goal is unattainable, resulting in undue guilt and shame. Hence, it is a system of legalism. The guilt and shame are used as emotional levers, and serve to prod the member toward continuous reform. The subject keeps on striving painfully to meet the prevailing standard. But it is like being on a treadmill, or pursuing the carrot on a stick. If the subject does not measure up to the standard or keep the rules, he is expected to expect (or willingly accept) punishment, humiliation, and ostracism.


Cult of Confession.

Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group. There is no confidentiality; members' "sins," "attitudes," and "faults" are discussed and exploited by the leaders. Even if not obviously promoted by the group, information is collected (usually automatically without set guidelines for collection) and fed to leadership. Shameful past events may then be exploited to manipulate individual compliance or as evidence for disciplinary actions. This information is also exploited by members who leave the group.


Vocal Self-Degradation (Pg 53, Martin's summary)
This element is associated with the previous element, the Demand for Purity. The Cult of Confession is a mode of open confession in front of the leader and is often in front of the group. It is intended to expose and rid the member of those impurities that the group so labels. What it amounts to, however, is open self-degradation. This leads to exploitation of the member’s vulnerabilities. Under normal and appropriate circumstances, personal confession is therapeutic. In this situation, however, certain actions, weaknesses, thoughts and feelings are labeled as sinful and impure when, in fact, they are not. The member may even be pressured into confessing crimes that he or she has not committed.
A totalist group assumes to have a type of ownership of a person’s inner self. The member, consequently, views confession as a means of oneness with the group, and as a necessary means toward betterment of himself or herself. Fellow group members who confess as well, may also take on the role of judges. Perpetual confession becomes a means of judging others: “the more I accuse myself, the more I have a right to judge you,” thus taking on the identity of “judge-penitent.” The goal of the totalist leadership in the exposure process is to eliminate any confidentiality about personal matters. But the effect is actually quite the opposite and creates an inner conflict: the more one engages in self-exposure and self-degradation, the desire to maintain and protect personal secrets is intensified.


Sacred Science.


The group's doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute. Truth is not to be found outside the group.
The leader, as the spokesperson for God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism. Many such leaders have patterns of avoiding accountability and aggression towards his critics. Leaders often have the appearance of accountability to a presbytery and an internal church government, but often the systems have been designed to avoid all accountability. Presbyters are often friends, associates or subordinates of the cult leader(s).


Thou Shalt Not Question (Pg 69, Martin's summary)
The totalist environment maintains an aura of sacredness around its teachings and practices. Therefore, any doubts or questions about the system are prohibited. The prohibitions may be either clearly evident or subtly implied. The totalists look upon anyone who criticizes or disagrees with what’s happening or proposes alternative ideas as evil, irreverent, and even unscientific. Thus, they exalt the ideas of a human leader to the level of God. If an individual goes along with the teachings and practices, being caught up in the aura of sacredness can give a sense of comfort and security. This leads to a posture and unquestioning faith. But such a position of unquestioning faith. But such a position of unquestioning faith is not easy to sustain, especially if the member’s experiences and reality come more and more in conflict with what he is being told to believe. On the other hand, the “sacred science” can gain such a strong hold over the person mentally that if he begins to feel attracted to contradictory ideas or alternative ideas, he may feel guilt and fear. Consequently, his quest for truth and reality is hindered. (This actually contradicts the character of the genuinely scientific approach.)


Doctrine over person.

Member's personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group. The end ideology of the group must be maintained by any means, even at the expense or suffering of the group members. Love for the system or ideology supersedes that of the people, places or lesser causes. This promotes hatred and intolerance of all opposing critics or ideologies.


Fitting the Rigid Mold (Pg 109, Martin's summary)
Doctrine Over Person consists of fitting everything under the leader’s dominating control into a pre-concieved mold. This involves:
· Human experience and the interpretation of those experiences.
· Human feelings and the interpretation of those feelings.
· Disregarding one’s feelings or sensitivities.
· No appreciation of someone’s talents, individuality or creativity; the only goal is to fit everyone and their personalities into the dominating vies and influence of the one in control, opposing diversity and individual differences.
· The rigidity of the doctrinal mold resists adaptation even when adaptation may prove to be best.
· The rewriting of history to fit the system of the doctrinal mold.
Stating it another way, the controller reinterprets the personal feelings and experiences of the group members to fit his own dominating views and influence. He disregards and remolds past events, individual differences and capabilities to fit his own preconceived mold. In essence, the controller rejects everything that does not fit into his preconceived mold or framework.


Dispensing of existence.

The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not. This is usually not literal but means that those in the outside world are not saved, unenlightened, unconscious and they must be converted to the group's ideology. Within many Bible-based cults, a higher way of living or greater enlightenment may be obtained by striving and modeling the group’s ideals. If persons do not join the group or are critical of the group, then they must be rejected by the members, or may be viewed as lesser Christians. Thus, the outside world loses all credibility as the specialness of the group promotes greater desire for milieu control and a sense of martyrdom. Those within the group who demonstrate non-conformity may also lose privileges or the status of enlightenment, a very potent method of negative reinforcement. In conjunction, should any member leave the group, he or she must be rejected also. Even after leaving a group, the former member tends to have a sense of loss of grace and a programmed sense of shame. Leadership thus makes it difficult to leave such groups, and departure implies a rejection of the only true means of religious transcendence. Link here to
"They told me when I left..."



The Elitists (Pg 138, Martin's summary)
The totalist environment draws a sharp line between those who have a right to exist and those who do not. They claim that those outside their group have no right to exist, or at least say that those outside their group are inferior. The group thus has an arrogant and elitist mentality, considering themselves superior rather than having equal rights as other humans. Those who do not conform to their path of existence are targets of rejection or annihilation.



HERE'S ANOTHER GREAT LIST of Cult Characteristics.



Summary and paraphrase of Dr. Lifton's Thought Reform Criteria excerpted from Steven Martin's "The Heresy of Mind Control" available for download at Recognize Heresy.com. (Please be generous.)

Adapted by C. Kunsman from Robert J. Lifton's Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, 1989 Order it from Amazon.com by clicking here.



Characteristics of Spiritual Abusers


Characteristics of a CULT LEADER:

Does the Shoe Fit?

Part I: Master Manipulator
Part II: Machivellian Personality
Part III: Characteristics of a Cult Leader


PART I: Master Manipulator
The following is an excerpt from the book
Captive Hearts, Captive Minds: Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Abusive Relationships
by Madeleine Landau Tobias and Janja Lalich.




Part I: The Master Manipulator

Let us look for a moment at how some of this manifests in the cult leader. Cult leaders have an outstanding ability to charm and win over followers. They beguile and seduce. They enter a room and garner all the attention. They command the utmost respect and obedience. These are "individuals whose narcissism is so extreme and grandiose that they exist in a kind of splendid isolation in which the creation of the grandiose self takes precedence over legal, moral or interpersonal commitments." Paranoia may be evident in simple or elaborate delusions of persecution. Highly suspicious, they may feel conspired against, spied upon or cheated, or maligned by a person, group, or governmental agency. Any real or suspected unfavorable reaction may be interpreted as a deliberate attack upon them or the group. (Considering the criminal nature of some groups and the antisocial behavior of others, some of these fears may have more of a basis in reality than delusion!)

Harder to evaluate, of course, is whether these leaders' belief in their magical powers, omnipotence, and connection to God (or whatever higher power or belief system they are espousing) is delusional or simply part of the con. .... In any case, beneath the surface gloss of intelligence, charm, and professed humility seethes an inner world of rage, depression, and fear.

"Trust Bandit" is indeed an apt description of this thief of our hearts, souls, minds, bodies, and pocketbooks. Since a significant percentage of current and former cult members have been in more than one cultic group or relationship, learning to recognize the personality style of the Trust Bandit can be a useful antidote to further abuse.


The Profile of a Psychopath

In reading the profile, bear in mind the three characteristics that Robert Lifton sees as common to a cultic situation:

**A charismatic leader who...increasingly becomes the object of worship

**A series of processes that can be associated with "coercive persuasion" or "thought reform"

**The tendency toward manipulation from above...with exploitation--economic, sexual, or other--of often genuine seekers who bring idealism from below.

We are not suggesting that all cult leaders are psychopaths but rather that they may exhibit many of the behavioral characteristics of one. We are also not proposing that you use this checklist to make a diagnosis, which is something only a trained professional can do. We present the checklist as a tool to help you label and demystify traits you may have noticed in your leader.

Characteristics of a Cult Leader

People coming out of a cultic group or relationship often struggle with the question, "Why would anyone (my leader, my lover, my teacher) do this to me?" When the deception and exploitation become clear, the enormous unfairness of the victimization and abuse can be very difficult to accept. Those who have been part of such a nightmare often have difficulty placing the blame where it belongs--on the leader.

In examining the motives and activities of these self-proclaimed leaders, it becomes painfully obvious that cult life is rarely pleasant for the disciple and breeds abuses of all sorts. As a defense against the high level of anxiety that accompanies being so acutely powerless, people in cults often assume a stance of self-blame. This is reinforced by the group's ma- manipulative messages that the followers are never good enough and are to blame for everything that goes wrong.

Demystifying the guru's power is an important part of the psyche- educational process needed to fully recover. It is critical to truly gaining freedom and independence from the leader's control. The process starts with some basic questions: Who was this person who encouraged you to view him as God, all-knowing, or all-powerful? What did he get out of this masquerade? What was the real purpose of the group (or relationship)?

To heal from a traumatic experience of this type, it is important to understand who and what the perpetrator is. As long as there are illusions about the leader's motivation, powers, and abilities, those who have been in his grip deprive themselves of an important opportunity for growth: the chance to empower themselves, to become free of the tyranny of dependency on others for their well-being, spiritual growth, and happiness.


The Authoritarian Power Dynamic

The purpose of a cult (whether group or one-on-one) is to serve the emotional, financial, sexual, and power needs of the leader. The single most important word here is power. The dynamic around which cults are formed is similar to that of other power relationships and is essentially ultra- authoritarian, based on a power imbalance. The cult leader by definition must have an authoritarian personality in order to fulfill his half of the power dynamic.

Traditional elements of authoritarian personalities include the following:

* the tendency to hierarchy

* the drive for power (and wealth)

* hostility, hatred, prejudice

* superficial judgments of people and events

* a one-sided scale of values favoring the one in power

* interpreting kindness as weakness

* the tendency to use people and see others as inferior

* a sadistic-masochistic tendency

* incapability of being ultimately satisfied

* paranoia


Part II: The Machivellian Personality

From Harriet Braiker's "Who's Pulling Your Strings?"

(Pg 85-87)
In the early 1970s, psychologist Richard Christie and his colleagues identified a distinct personality style that is characterized by manipulativeness, cynicism about human nature and shrewdness in interpersonal behavior. Named after the sixteenth-century political philosopher and Italian Prince Machiavelli, this personality style is very nearly synonymous with being a manipulator. Machiavellian personalities are committed to the proposition that a desired end justifies virtually any means. Machiavellianism is defined as a manipulative strategy of social interaction and personality style that uses other people as tools for personal gain.
Christie developed a test that measures the tendency to be Machiavellian. People who score high on this measure are referred to as “high machs.”… High machs influence or manipulate others in predictable ways, using tactics that are exploitive, self-serving, and nearly always deceptive.
Prince Machiavelli deduced these rules from the political practices of his time:
1.) Never show humility; it is more effective to show arrogance when dealing with others.
2.) Morality and ethics are for the weak; powerful people should feel free to lie, cheat, and deceive whenever it suits their purpose.

3.) It is better to be feared than loved.

In contemporary terms, high machs tend to endorse the following statements:
  • The best way to handle people is to tell them what they want to hear.
  • Anyone who completely trusts anyone else is asking for trouble.
  • It is safest to assume that all people will have a vicious streak and that it will come out when they are given a chance.
  • Most people will work hard only when they are forced to do so.
  • It is hard to get ahead without cutting corners and bending the rules.
And high machs tend to disagree with the following statements:
  • When you ask someone to do something for you, it is best to give the real reason for wanting it rather than giving reasons that might carry more weight.
  • It is never right to lie to someone else.
  • Most people are basically good and kind.
  • One should take action only when it is morally right.
High machs tend to constitute a distinctive type. They tend to be charming, confident, and glib; but they are also arrogant, calculating and cynical, prone to manipulate and exploit.
In the context of laboratory experiment games, high machs display a keen and opportunistic sense of timing,
and they appear to capitalize especially in situations that contain ambiguity regarding the rules.


PART III: CULT LEADER CHARACTERISTICS
From a forum at www.rickross.com.

1. Authoritarian, or those who favor complete obedience, or subjugation to authority, over individual freedom.

2. Usually (or perhaps always?) raised in authoritarian family environments that operated under authoritarian rule.

3. View themselves as super-human or better than most, (or better than all?) other humans.

4. Charismatic, having the ability to easily persuade many others to believe in their supposedly superior abilities.

5. Usually possess a keen above average intelligence.

6. Usually claim to have had paranormal or psychic experiences at least once in their lives.

7. Rarely known to voluntarily abandon or renounce their roles as cult leaders, even despite the most convincing evidence to the contrary, e.g. Hitler at the end of WWII.

8. Often previously employed in professions that required the art of persuasion, before they became cult leaders.


Link here to Amazon and order
Captive Hearts, Captive Minds: Help and Recovery from Cults and Abusive Relationships

Janja Lalich has also released an updated and expanded version of "Captive Hearts, Captive Minds" which you may also like to consider:
Take Back Your Life: Recovering From Cults and Abusive Relationships



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