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Human beings are social creatures, and so, we’re hardwired for connection and community. We want our lives to have purpose, and we crave to feel like we belong. But unfortunately, some individuals manipulate these natural feelings for their own selfish ends and try to trick you into joining their creepy cults.
Inspired by internet user Sarah (@stillsarah_), former cult members opened up about the moments when the scales fell from their eyes, and they realized that something was incredibly wrong. Scroll down for their red flags that prove you’re very likely stuck in a cult, and you need to find a way out.
Image credits: stillsarah
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
1.they started to remove Jesus and put his name instead when reading the bible
2.they sang songs about the leader and not God/Jesus
3.they used to say that the money you make at work is not yours it's his...so you need to give it to the cult leader coz he gives you grace to wake up every morning
4. we were not allowed to take medication coz you are supposed to have faith that you will heal and about the ones that didn't, it was said that they were not the chosen ones.
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#2
Being taught paying 10% of my income each month to the church would get me into heaven #exmormon
#3
being told by the elders that wanting to go to university after HS wasn't gods plan for me, I should focus on building a family. I was 15
Cults don’t necessarily have to be religious. They can also be philosophical, political, or centered around a specific lifestyle.
The tricky thing—probably the main reason why cults are so seductive—is that believing like you’re part of something bigger than yourself is a great feeling. Most of us probably want to feel like we’re special, that what we do matters, and that we’re needed for some grand mission.
While anyone can fall prey to emotional manipulations and end up in a cult, you’re more likely to be targeted if you’re particularly vulnerable. It’s easier to trick someone who is depressed, anxious, addicted, or desperately searching for purpose and community than someone who already has a strong social support network.
#4
When they said that people who leave, always get mortally sickness because you're no longer "under the umbrella shadow". They would tell a lot of stories about this.
#5
asked my mother "if god asked you to sacrifice me, would you?" she said yes with no hesitation
#6
“If you leave, your family can never speak or interact with you again because it’s bad association”
Cult leaders tend to be charismatic, self-interested narcissists who are very good at reading and manipulating other people.
Getting out of a cult is no easy feat, especially if the person has been isolated from the outside world for a long period of time. One thing that can help is to encourage them to get involved in various activities and people outside of the cult.
#7
When they kept preaching bad about other churches instead of focusing on Christ
Marianne 6 hours ago
It's so weird how in the US, different churches are viewed as separate from each other. It took me years to understand this. I'm a catholic German and here, it really doesn't matter which church you visit. You can just go to whichever you like and choose a different church each sunday. Also abroad you can just walk into any catholic church and attend a service. I did that in a catholic church in the US and people were eyeing us. It seems they just don't normally have strangers just walk in and sit down.
#9
i was held down in a chokehold by an adult man telling me to give up fighting because thats the only way the “demon” can leave my body, realised at this point that maybe the whole god thing is just propaganda Lol
As The Guardian points out, some major red flags that an organization might be a cult are that in it there is:
- The belief that only the leader or the group knows the truth about the world
- Authoritarianism without accountability
- A sense that the leader or group is always right
- No tolerance for questions or criticism
- No financial disclosure about the budget or expenses
- Unreasonable fear of the outside world
- Massive criticism of anyone hoping to leave
- A vast number of articles, broadcasts, and reports of the leader or group’s wrongdoings
#10
When the pastor walked into a program and people high key surrounded him and started shouting and crying. Like they were kneeling and all he did was walk in. And bro had body guards and that suit he wore could have fed the most of the unfortunate people in the church
#11
First sign was the priest saying to stop asking questions and then further claiming that my science teacher was trying to corrupt me. Science teachers serve Satan apparently. Second was when faced with a family tragedy, myself and my family were told it was gods plan and he loved us. Seriously? I was a child and could see how immoral that was. I grew up luckily and now I'm proud to be an atheist.
#12
My ex pastor used to tell us not to go to hospitals instead he will pray for us and he lost his daughter because of that but he said it was God's will
This is a sensitive topic, but we’d like to hear your perspectives if you’re willing to share them, dear Pandas.
Have you ever been in a cult? Do you know anyone who has been a cult member? What happened? How susceptible to a cult leader's manipulations would you say you’d be?
Let us know in the comments down below.
#14
When the priest told me to get on my knees and pray while he was wearing a crown 👑 of gold.
#15
When the founder said God spoke to him while he was washing his car and told him to start a "church". And that God gives him more vivid visions when he flies private.
#16
When they interrogated me, 5 adult men in one room with me as a child
#17
when I decided to test the waters and tell my parents that I was no longer a message believer and they actually tried to disown me
Harry Gondalf 9 hours ago
happens quite often I've personally known several recipients of this treatment.
#18
when I was forced to pay membership fee despite economic struggles and being manipulated into thinking that when I don't fast or pay tithes I'm done for
#19
When the other lady ran to the ladies gathering service because her husband was beating her up and her sister- whose a member- was told to cut her off because she practices witchcraft with her in-laws.
#20
When pastor’s daughter who was delivering twins needed a blood transfusion and he refused … she barely survived
#21
Watching a documentary about my church hit me so hard.
Hillsong a megachurch exposed
#22
When I questioned the prophets teachings and they told me everything he said was true and not to question
#23
we went to a forest called prayerland, had all our festivals and holidays there at strange hours of the night in a circle in the forest…and we had a hierarchy in the church where the pastor was the father and his “wife” was called god morher😳and then one day i just had a dream the pastor turned into a demon…something felt off
#24
They made me sit in the middle of a circle of everyone around me while saying why I’m a bad person lol I was like wait .. this is not cute
#25
when the pastor said God chose our country's leaders for a reason and therefore should be respected. I live in the Philippines.
#26
“You use your sister as an excuse to not attend church”. (My sister had cerebral palsy and required round the clock care).
Sam Trudeau 1 hour ago
Heal the sick, don't take advantage of them. Cult of capitalism, I'm guessing is the cult referred to
#27
I used to go to SDA.. they even include the founders of SDA on every national exam as part of the questions.. which was weird tbh
#28
Everything changed when my mom started having seizures. She had been sick for years and this was the final straw. She is the most devoted-to-god woman I’ve ever met. I finally realized that the story of Job wasn’t a story about faith through pain, it was a story about an evil god who was obsessed with proving he can do whatever he wants and people will still love him. He treats us like toys. Like our pain isn’t real. Then the cult-like communion was the nail in the coffin. Mass psychosis. Big old cult.
#29
me being a child, and noticing that only men had roles of "leadership" all the while, my mother was the most powerful person i knew.
#31
when they told me to stop celebrating my birthday, stop eating meat and don’t wear revealing clothes
#33
When we were told that the prophesied prophecies did not come to life because we were sinning
#34
When preachers start talking to me as if the knew me from birth and making up stories for to assist financially
#35
that the cult leader's sons can have multiple wives but I can't
#36
People from church having the founder of the church or priests photos in their homes
T'Mar of Vulcan 3 hours ago
I have a couple of pics of the minister from my church in my home... Granted, they're in photo albums, but still...
#37
When I realized crucifying your own son to yourself for your own sins is actually a blood ritual.
#38
us having to stand up everytime before the service and say "ke matla ntwela" meaning this is power to the photo of the founder/head pastor
#39
When their rules started to get so out of hand that if you break any one of them you’re at risk of being expelled! For example, can’t attend weddings of people outside their church like huh? But when I finally picked up the Bible and read it for myself, 95% were not preached AT ALL in this cult
#40
Going to a random family's house at 16 to learn Korean, but before every lesson, they had a mandatory one hour Christian mass in the basement. I went there for a couple of months until I realised it was.. weird
TheMFKNXerdo 1 hour ago (edited)
I know this church too. Shincheonji or Unification? They also have local chapters in many cities. The Korean community in the city where I live have a bunch of members of these.
#41
If I listen or watch anything that wasn’t Christian, I was committing a sin. Because God is always watching and he would be force to listen to my unchristian content. I wish I was joking…
#42
When I had cancer and they wouldn’t visit me and blamed me for it. I was 18
#45
when i watched a documentary about a cult for the first time, i realized the description of a cult fitted perfectly with my ex religion
#46
when my brothers left the cult and people started treating me differently and I heard all the bad things they said about my brothers I was like 11 I think
#47
when pastor tried to force me to faint from prayer and I didn't allow him to push me back...then proceeded to say there are alot of demons today 😂😂😂coz do people really be fainting like that I never felt that and I'm very spiritual and sincere in my worship...but alhamdulilah I'm muslim now
T'Mar of Vulcan 3 hours ago
Oh, a lot of 'evangelical' churches do this... It's called being "slain in the Spirit". What most people will tell you is that they fall down because they're expected to, not because they actually felt anything (yes, I've asked).
#48
my sister and i would rebel going to church as it was on a SATURDAY! and my mother would basically drag us out. there was only 4 of us attending that "church" and yet it was a "well-known" church. red flag. you needed to be able to see the faces of the 24 elders on a red and blue curtain otherwise youre impure and and youre dammed and not worthy of the kingdom. that verse in Numbers 6 that says "the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you" still haunts me til this day because that was their justification for us NEEDING to see faces in curtains.
#49
When I asked why there were so many discrepancies between the Bible and Branhams teaching and my ex cult leader told me not to question it and only believe 😐😬 that and reading Matthew, Elijah has come and it’s John the Baptist!
Harry Gondalf 9 hours ago
I love this story. the Bible-thumpers deny reincarnation, even though Matt. says Elijah returned as John the Baptist.
#51
The volunteers were overwhelmed with so much events and money contributions, leader added on more tax. In my mind, I was so done
#54
Working 80 hour weeks, getting paid for 35 hours, and having the concept of this branded with “can you believe we get to do this?”
What do you think ?
Serene Rain 4 hours ago
There was no big aha moment. There was a dawning realization that my father was not, in fact, God's last prophet before the end of the world, and his ex-Branhamite followers had simply traded one fase prophet for another.
TheForrestGreene (he/they/it) 1 hour ago
if we think about it, the penguin colony from happy feet was kind of like a cult..
Northern Breeze 1 hour ago
I saw the son of a MAGA elderly couple the other day, asking his parents if they would support Trump if he ordered the army to shoot anyone on sight, including him... They didn't flinch and said ABSOLUTELY... The core of that MAGA movement is definitely 100% a cult...
Serene Rain 4 hours ago
There was no big aha moment. There was a dawning realization that my father was not, in fact, God's last prophet before the end of the world, and his ex-Branhamite followers had simply traded one fase prophet for another.
TheForrestGreene (he/they/it) 1 hour ago
if we think about it, the penguin colony from happy feet was kind of like a cult..
Northern Breeze 1 hour ago
I saw the son of a MAGA elderly couple the other day, asking his parents if they would support Trump if he ordered the army to shoot anyone on sight, including him... They didn't flinch and said ABSOLUTELY... The core of that MAGA movement is definitely 100% a cult...
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