Cults and un-healthy "churches" and organisations.

Information control; 

shaming;

intolerance;

elitism;

conspiracy fears;

shunning of individuals experiencing revelation.

These are traits of sick groups! 

(my twitter summary of below)

From  The Free Believers Network

‎

on  Facebook

1. Does your church [organisation] tightly control the flow of information within its ranks?

2. Do they use public shaming as a method to gain the compliance of followers?

3. Are your [spiritual] leaders intolerant of questions or critical inquiry?

4. Are your [spiritual] leaders the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation?

5. Do they have unreasonable fears about the outside world such as evil conspiracies or persecutions?

6. Are you discouraged to associate with former members, being warned that they are "evil" or  defiling"?

7. Is leaving your group to join another [organisation] church equal to leaving God [the cause]?

8. Does the surrounding community view your church [organisation] as exclusive (cultish)?

9. Does the organisation consider it evil persecution when criticized or questioned?

10. Do the goals of your [spiritual] leaders seem to supersede any personal goals or individual interests?

11. Do you fear being rebuked, shunned, or ignored for expressing a different opinion?

12. Do former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances?

If you answered "yes" to three or more, 

your church [organisation] is showing signs of being unhealthy. 

If you answered "yes" to six or more, your organisation is very unhealthy. 

If you answered "yes" to eight or more, your "church" [organisation] is more than likely a full-blown authoritarian cult.

[[ wow ...... i answered "yes" to at least 10 of these !!!

i was a participator in some these descriptions ... please forgive me people ...

Jesus has ..... YES ..... so grateful to Him.

Jesus got me out of this cult to which i felt indebted some years ago.

I have moved into the Joy of the Gospel of Grace ever since.  ]] 

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You could say that the religious are insane - but I think it’s worse than that, 

it’s insanity with a cause and a message. - Benjamin Dunn

The religious are caught in their own snare... that's punishment enough! - David Hynes

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Symptoms you may be suffering from a religious behavior management disorder:

1. You feel spiritual pressure to be a good Christian, 

rather than confidence that you are able to live from your new and supernaturally-strong heart.

2. The message you’re hearing from church leadership is chiefly about avoiding sin, rather than indulging the goodness of your new heart.

3. Fear of not living up to God’s or others’ expectations is stronger than your sense of God’s delight in you.

4. Spiritual heaviness.

5. You're constantly being asked by leadership to be more committed.

6. Every message is about getting you to do something, or to stop doing something.

7. The leadership is more concerned with managing people's sin, than releasing a new life that is now within them.

~ Ted Nelson posted by Free Believers Network on Facebook

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