Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.
- Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
- No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
- No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
- Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
- There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
- Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
- There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
- Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
- The group/leader is always right.
- The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible. more in link at bottom.......
Ten Signs of a Safe Group/Leader
1) A safe group/leader will answer your questions without becoming judgmental and punitive.
2) A safe group/leader will disclose information such as finances and often offer an independently audited financial statement regarding budget and expenses. Safe groups and leaders will tell you more than you want to know.
3) A safe group/leader is often democratic, sharing decision making and encouraging accountability and oversight.
4) A safe group/leader may have disgruntled former followers, but will not vilify, excommunicate and forbid others from associating with them.
5) A safe group/leader will not have a paper trail of overwhelmingly negative records, books, articles and statements about them.
6) A safe group/leader will encourage family communication, community interaction and existing friendships and not feel threatened.
7) A safe group/leader will recognize reasonable boundaries and limitations when dealing with others.
8) A safe group/leader will encourage critical thinking, individual autonomy and feelings of self-esteem.
9) A safe group/leader will admit failings and mistakes and accept constructive criticism and advice.
10) A safe group/leader will not be the only source of knowledge and learning excluding everyone else, but value dialogue and the free exchange of ideas.
Source: Cult Education Institute
5 comments:
Certain ACOG leaders will undoubtedly try to convince their followers that the good standards are actually the world 's (or Satan's).
You cannot be a serious Armstrongite without being a total fanatic, and allowing the church to co-opt your entire life. This has always defined the shades of meaning between Laodicean and Philadelphian. Oh, and even suggesting accountability is the worst kind of rebellion! It would probably be a lesser offense to seduce your pastor's wife than to question his absolute authority.
BB
Sounds like Dave pack's cult. So Dave, when is the next big thing that god has revealed to you and only you. :) Yeah right, what a kook, what a loser, what a fraud, what an anal retentive psycho you are! Ruin any marriages lately Dave, cause any more suicides? Take the money and run dave, get out of town before the Feds come lock your boney ass up.
Anyone heard of the group leader of ME?
That's who I follow.
It is clear that no one who has graduated from Ambassador College (/university) should ever be trusted as a minister or religious leader -- even if they dump the toxic eschatology: They are warped beyond recovery and associating with them is dangerous.
It isn't commonly known, but there are quite a number of suicides in David Pack's Restored Church of God.
If you value your life and sanity, eliminate any influence of the Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia.
Speaking of thinking, and its capacity for becoming warped, I'm reminded of a baptism I once attended at Ambassador College. Now, I must point out that it was not my habit or custom to attend baptisms, but I happened to be on my way to another activity with a friend of a friend who wanted to make a quick detour to this particular baptism, so I went along.
After the baptism took place, the student who had just been baptized was explaining why he hadn't been baptized prior to near the end of his sophomore year. He said that he had been too steeped in the logic and philosophy which were taught as part of the world's educational system, and that this had immunized him against what he was hearing and learning at Ambassador College. He actually put into words something I had realized about myself early in my freshman year. The difference is that this student began to see those natural defenses in a bad light, succumbed to "Ambass-think", and managed to complete his four years and get his unaccredited degree. I only lasted two years.
At least I never have seen his name on any of the internet abuser-predator ministerial lists. And, believe me, there had been some initially really nice individuals who seemingly became little Hitlers on the day they graduated, got married, received their lease car, and got sent into the field. They didn't teach ethics or our constitutional freedoms at Ambassador College. Just the meaning of the word "authority".
BB
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