Experience with getting family member out of religious cult?

Question

My mother has been going to one of those "born again" bible thumping, Christian churches. The whole nine yards, end of the world coming, one world government, Satan, Bush lovin' zealots.

I cannot help but think that my mother was slipping into schizophrenia or something but then I went to church with her and sure enough, their preacher was sitting up there planting these ideas into their heads. "Reading" from the bible seemed a lot more like reading INTO the bible. Whatever he felt like manipulating within the text he did, for example, they believe Barrack Obama is the antichrist.

I looked over at my mother who I have always thought of as somewhat intelligent and realized that she was buying this c**p hook, line, and sinker.

She has become very upset and has set about on her little personal crusade against the world; she actually believes that Satan is attacking her. She believes that her boss and others at work are possessed/evil and her church only assures her that she is correct. She has literally hundreds of other people feeding her delusions twice weekly. Furthermore, these church members are feeding off one another’s hysteria and only perpetuating their paranoid delusions.

Has anyone out there ever successfully confronted a family member caught up in this insanity and rescued them from this cult like behavior?

I do not mind that she is a Christian, or that she enjoys the stories in the bible, believes Jesus was the son of God, and volunteers at the local soup kitchen, etc. However, this intense form of hatred "Jesus-Warrior,” screaming at the top of her lungs and alienating everyone else around her c**p has got to stop...it's just gotten waaaay out of hand. She makes herself and everyone around her miserable. I am not religious, but I know that is not what Christianity is supposed to be about, you would not have seen Jesus walking around like this. What ever happened to exercising love and compassion, since when did Christians become militant and violent in their belief systems...I'm afraid they're going to down some Kool-Aid and hijack a plane.

Answer 1

I am sorry to admit I have no clue, but I wish I could help you.

I did see a tv show the other night on discovery or something about this very subject.  There was a link to some resources at the end of it which I didn't pay attention to.  The program was called "the cult".

Good luck.  I hope you find someone who can help, but it will probably take a lot of work on your part to change anything.

Answer 2

http://www.carm.org/cults/cultic.htm  Information on this webpage is informative.  Yes, I have had several experiences with cult members...unless you physically separate them from the cult your time is going to be very frustrating.  They have been brainwashed.  The tactics used are the same used for brainwashing.  At this point if you can watch her assets...try to prevent her from giving money/home/etc.  That is very important.  If you know of a religious person outside the cult she respects you might talk to them and try to get her to talk to them also.  There are many groups like this all over the US right now...armed.  Your concern is very justified.  (psychologist)

Answer 3

Wow, I believe you may have every right to think she has joined a cult, under the guise of "Christianity". Making the congregation think just the same way as you, with no room for questions and a differing opinion, is definitely a cult.

What does she get out of it though, because in order to give over her will to believe those teachings, she must have been needing something...love and belonging?  Someone to give her opinions so that she can know what to believe, thinking she is right, or righteous? ...instead of finding it out for herself?

By the way, the God I love, does not ask me to take my brain and put it on the shelf and swallow malicious teaching that undermines the fabric of society. If what is preached is not foundational to love, then it is just men's opinions and misguided ones at that.

Does she feel love toward the human race, or does she look at everyone as a threat, (I think you have alluded to that with her workmates...) then she is in a cult, again, if it doesn't help you love everyone, because God does, and be there to help the human race then it is in error.

You may have to learn to ask her empowering questions, ones that will make her think, not information gathering ones for you. Like for example, what I said before, "what do you get out of attending there?" "Do you think you love everyone more now or do you not?" "Do you think God loves everyone, or just the people who attend your particular Church?" "Have you sat and spent time asking Jesus about the things that these people ar preaching, does He back them up with His life in the Gospels or are they different to the Jesus in the Bible?"

They may make her think and might also make her angry with you because you are making her doubt, but hang tough, because I believe you are correct. She should love God, but not follow man.

oh, and by the way, John 3:16 and 17 say, "For God so LOVED the world, that He gave his only son so that all men shall have eternal life and not perish....He came not to CONDEMN the world but to SAVE it."..so a personal vendetta AGAINST the world is actually in direct contradiction to what God did by sending Jesus in the first place.

All the best with this....

Mel

Answer 4

with this kind of stuff you may want to contact the police. they would know more about this and look into it so see if there is a chance of a real threat. id say call them