The Most Common Cult Tactics ~ Steer Clear

Deception is the number one tool of the adversary – to include lies, manipulations, cons, exploitation, insincere flattery, trickery, gaslighting, and obvious contradictions.

Domination is about power. They want to gain power over you, especially your mind. These tactics include thought reform, intimidation, shaming, ganging up on you by manipulating others, and by making multiple accusations. They want you to believe you are bad, and only they know what is best for you. Truthfully, they are doing what they think is best for themselves.

Control is their objective. Not only do they want to control your activities. They want to control your thoughts, your mind, and take away your God-given free will.  

Cognitive dissonance is another tactic similar to gaslighting. The objective is to confuse you, and cause you to doubt your own perceptions, faith, thoughts, sanity, and discernment.

Emotional abuse is often used as an alternative to physically attacking you, because there are no laws against it, and it leaves no outward injuries. But emotional abuse takes a toll, and leaves long lasting scars. The intentional infliction of emotional abuse, regardless of where it comes from – is something we need to avoid in order to protect ourselves, just as we take measures to protect ourselves from physical assault. 

They want to keep you busy and distracted, to the extent you will not even have time to take care of yourself, or your own life. They know that as Christians we are inclined to serve others. But there is a difference between serving, and being a malleable people pleaser, at the whim of highly manipulative people.

Staring is another form of intimidation, and is often used to make you feel uncomfortable, or put  you under a microscope. It is an intense and unwavering scrutiny, drilling down to the core of your soul, because you are so bad.

There are many variations of being under the evil eye. It is mentioned in Proverbs 23:6, and refers to those who are greedy, or miserly, because they will not tell you the truth. Staring is another example of being under the evil eye. When someone stares at us without blinking, we instinctively shrink away for very good reasons. 

Singling you out, and targeting you, especially if there is increased vulnerability due to family circumstances, a death in the family, illness, or some other crisis. 

Telling you how special you are. This includes claims you are chosen by God to carry out what they want, or that God has told them something about you. This is also deception. Christ is our intercessor, not some cult teacher. 

They are superior, and never mention the fact that they too, need to repent. They are above the law, above the ten commandments, are judgemental, and do not have a shred of humility. They will never admit wrongdoing, no matter what they do. 

If someone is violating what it says in the bible, and exalting themselves to be some kind of deity or supreme authority, you know it is a con. If they claim they are a Christian, but are lying, or contradicting what it says in the bible, how can you believe them?

Financial gain is a strong motive for people who pretend to be Christians. They are looking for gullible people to send or give them money. Con artists have no guilt because they convince themselves the victim made the choice. They might want your house, your labour, your assets, your abilities, or even the food in your freezer. They are always looking for a mark to exploit. 

Anytime someone says “God told me this or that”, like they are some kind of divine recipient of messages directly from God – don’t believe it.

They want to make you believe you owe them something. You have a debt of gratitude, even though you never asked them for anything. First they create a pretence, a con, or give the impression they did some remarkable thing for you. This is a ploy to create bondage. 

They want to crush your spirit. To do this, they will attack your mind, emotions, and all relationships, especially your relationship with God. 

They want to change your identity, and craft it into their web of lies. They will pretend you are not who you are, were not raised by the family you were raised by etc. They will tell you your mother is wicked, evil and non-redeemable. This is another way of causing shame, with the objective to yank you out of your own identity by the roots.

After all, the the fifth commandment tells us to honour our father and mother. Anyone who defies this commandment, by condemning their own father or mother, or by insisting that your parent is evil – is very unbiblical. 

Spiritual abuse, and the bondage that goes with it – is one of the cruelest, and most sadistic things that can be done to a person. Once you escape the trap, never go back to it. If you open the door a crack, they will push their way in. Let them shun and punish you, because it is nowhere near as damaging, and soul-destroying as it is if you allow the entrapment to continue. 

One of the most sobering realizations about cultish people, is that they know full well what they are doing. Atheists and non-believers may act a certain way, or take advantage of people, but it is strictly based on carnal, worldly desires. They may be ruthless, but they are not trying to destroy your life here on earth, in addition to sending you to hell. 

But the cultist knows there is a spiritual world, and is well aware that God does exist. But for some reason, they choose to use what they know to cause harm, to deceive, and to inflict spiritual abuse.

You only gain a full realization of the scope of their destruction after you get free them, and have the opportunity to reflect, without all the gaslighting, shaming, and lies. Why they would set out to destroy another person’s life both now, and for all eternity is mind boggling. They have a closer connection with the dark side than most of us could ever understand or grasp. They will mock your gullibility. 

God’s word is the bible, and it is there for all of us to read and learn from. Those who make claims to get messages from God about the lives of other people, or world events, are deceiving themselves, and those around them. They have a perfect fallback, because who can deny their secret messages, or dreams, or whatever. They can make up anything they want to make up. Either that, or they could be delusional or psychotic, if they truly believe they are getting commands from God. 

The prophecies are in the bible. If someone tells you a prophecy, it should be backed up with sound doctrine. During biblical times, a prophecy was proven or disproven based on whether or not it came true. Consider how many various cults have set dates for the return of Christ, or other great events. Those dates came and went, which was proof they were false. Yet people will still follow those religions with the same fervour. Ellen White from the SDA church made many such false claims, but regardless, they still have a following. 

There is no doubt – God answers prayers, and gives us internal guidance, because for the believers, he is with us all the time. But there is a difference between being quietly obedient in our own lives, and knowing God, versus proclamations that God is telling us to direct someone else’s life. We all have God-given free will. Ultimately, cults are out to control us, and take away our free will. 

If anyone preaches a different gospel, adds to, or takes away from what is in the bible – they are treading upon cult territory. There are bibles in circulation that have been significantly altered, enough to know they are teaching and preaching a different gospel. This is nothing new. There are many warnings about it throughout the bible. 

Leaders of cults tend to exalt themselves, and are treated with reverence by the followers. Some classic examples are JW, Mormon, Seventh Day Adventist, The Catholic church, and many others. Dispensationalism is also a different doctrine.

It is not for me, or anyone else to say whether or not people who follow a false doctrine will be saved. Countless people have been steeped in religious deception, and eventually saw the light. Only Jesus knows our hearts and our motives. We can’t fool God. People can be deceived, and then learn the truth. It is of utmost importance to genuinely seek and love the truth. 

Christians are not all wonderful. We are all sinners, called to repent and believe in the gospel, and we are saved by the blood of Christ. It is a gift, and is something we did not earn. 

Shunning is another telltale sign of a cult. If they cannot control you, they punish you. They know that relationships, especially family relationships are very important to us. They want to break our hearts, and break our spirit. They are out to steal, and destroy – just as the bible describes. 

This is an important time in history to be wary of cults, and to avoid being deceived. Jesus warned us not to be deceived, and described the end-times deception as being so sophisticated, even the elect can be deceived. 

The best thing we can do for ourselves is to read, or listen to the bible. If we learn what it truly says, we are less likely to be led astray by false teachers. 

There is a spiritual realm, and a great battle going on around us, of which we are all a part of. We need to protect our mind, heart, emotions, and spirit from deception, temptation, vanity, anger, etc. 

Recognizing the gravity of our own sin is quite devastating. It can be overwhelming, and very difficult to forgive ourselves. It humbles us, which is a good thing, because through the process of sanctification, we are given hope, which takes away our shame (Romans 5:5). But even so, we should remain humble. 

The central gospel promise is to believe in, and accept Christ, and our sins will be forgiven. The hope within the gospel message overshadows our own sin, only because of the gift of grace and salvation. Even though we do not deserve it, we are forgiven, if we sincerely repent. 

The bible, especially the New Testament is full of love, guidance, good advice, comfort, assurance, and good will. For those who embrace it early in life, they will be spared a lot of grief. 

Regardless of when we accept Christ, repent, and turn away from our sin, it is the greatest blessing ever bestowed upon us. We may suffer, and be downtrodden, or realize the bondage we were ensnared in for so long – but true freedom comes from Christ. It is liberating. 

We know Christ is the way, the truth and the life. God dwells in the light, not in darkness. 

Anything that is dark, oppressive, coercive, shaming, blaming, accusing, or deceiving – is not of God. 

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2025). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Historic Premillennialism Is Not Dispensationalism

Christians have been thrust into multiple different teachings, especially when it comes to end times teaching, or eschatology. Although I do not like to attach labels to our Christian belief systems, there are some very important distinctions to be made, and the labels already exist, so we might as well sort them out for ourselves. 

Personally I reject all the eschatological belief systems, with the exception of historic premillennialism. It represents the beliefs of the original church fathers, adhering to covenant theology, without any hint of the pre-tribulation false rapture doctrine.

This is what was believed by the people who were present during the significant historical biblical timelines. After Christ was crucified, the Apostles were left to preach, and spread the truth of the gospel. The early church leaders were privy to those teachings.

The Darby inspired dispensational belief system, is a different doctrine in multiple ways, and is not limited to falsehoods in just end times eschatology. Darby and Scofield rewrote the entire bible, and advanced a different doctrine into innumerable mainstream churches.

Darby divided the bible into seven dispensations, and added a range of false teachings, mixing it with the truth contained in the original bible. When truth is mixed with falsehood, people are more inclined to believe all of it is true. If they see elements of truth, they assume the rest of it is true. It is a common practice of skillful deceivers. 

Some people believe Darby was a brilliant man, offering teachings with a more comprehensive, and concise scope. Although I do not know his true motives, or his ultimate destiny, I do not think for one moment all his deceptions were unintentional, or mild deviations from biblical truths. The ramifications of this false teaching is extensive, and in my opinion, it is a wicked doctrine. There is far more to it than meets the eye. 

It seems people literally get blinded to the truth when they become steeped in dispensationalism. They confuse stubborn adherence to false doctrine with faith. They refuse to repent, and are arrogantly self assured. They are uncharitable, and more concerned with Sunday services, and superficial appearances, than they are with seeking the truth. Like modern day Pharisees. 

It took a long time before I realized the error of my own ways, and beliefs. I am humbled beyond description. Not only in all the ways I have nearly stumbled into the abyss, been foolish, been angry, off-track, reacted emotionally, and failed those I love the most. But also, in naively believing all Christians essentially believe the same things. I was mistaken. We do not all believe the same teachings at all. There are many false prophets in this world. 

Along with Scofield, and many other false teachers, dispensationalists built on these concepts, in oder to establish a form of Christian Zionism. Scofield added hundreds of his own footnotes to the Scofield bible, many of them were so far-fetched, it is a wonder they even published them.

Therefore, the differences between historic premillennialism, and dispensational beliefs, are profoundly significant.

Like most cultish deceptions, dispensationalism has some similarities with the original bible, but are not based on the same foundational doctrinal beliefs at all. Anyone who is sincere about seeking the truth, must differentiate between all the errant belief systems, and false teaching. 

Historic or traditional premillennialism, is the belief that Christians will meet Christ in the air during the second coming. Then together, we will return to the earth for the millennial reign of Christ, which is described as a thousand years of peace and prosperity. Not in the clouds, or in heaven, but right here on earth. 

Historic premillennialism does not support the belief in the separation of Israel, nor does it support the belief there will be a secret rapture of the church, prior to a seven year tribulation period. In fact, historic premillennialism does not adhere to a seven year tribulation belief at all. 

For those who believe in the bible, it is a good idea to examine what it says, to be sure we are not listening to false teachers. The bible does not say there will be a secret return of Christ to rapture the believers. Christ does not return three times. The bible says the return of Christ will be a spectacular event. There will be nothing secret about it. If the church or body of believers are the bride of Christ, why would they miss the most incredible and long awaited event in the history of the world? In order to escape tribulation? 

This is an example of how prone we are to accept wishful thinking, even if it is not supported in the scriptures. Why are we so gullible? People often listen to what they are told during Sunday sermons, and take it as gospel truth, instead of delving into the truth of the bible for themselves.

The primary reason this deception is so well received, is because of fear. We are to have faith, not fear. And we are not to be cowardly, even though the events as described in the Book of Revelation might seem like something we would want to avoid. The bible says “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). 

In the original bible, it is well documented, and understood that all people, especially Christians, will face tribulation during our lifetimes. As we get closer to the end times, the tribulation for all people increases dramatically until Christ returns. We do not expect to escape tribulation, anymore than the early Christians, or the Apostles escaped tribulation.

Most importantly of all, Christ did not escape tribulation. Although Christ was without sin, and each of us carries a burden of sin, our lives are a reflection of the forgiveness, redemption, sanctification, and ultimate resurrection, gifted to us by the grace of God.

There are numerous hidden deceptions contained in the dispensational premillennialism. Most people who are indoctrinated with this false version of biblical teaching do not even realize it. The implications are very deep rooted, and have given rise to the parable of the wheat and the tares, as described in Matthew 13:24-43. 

Dispensationalism is also part of the end times apostasy, or falling away from sound doctrine, as is described in the bible, so we know that we must be very careful to avoid being deceived. This particular doctrine was only introduced, and embraced by churches beginning in 1830, which in the entire history, and timeline of the bible, is a relatively new teaching.

During the same time frame in the 1800’s, there was a rise in cult doctrines to include Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventism, and Jehovah Witnesses. Mormonism, with false doctrine introduced by Joseph Smith, began in very close proximity to the time Darby created dispensationalism.

Seventh Day Adventism is a false doctrine created by Ellen White in 1863. The Jehovah Witness doctrine was created and advanced by Charles Russell in the late 1800’s. Initially they were called Russellites (1852-1916), but changed their name to Jehovah Witness in 1931, because they had been caught up in what was known as the miracle wheat scandal.

The miracle wheat scandal brought disrepute to Charles Russel, which was published in many major newspapers. It involved charges of libel, and a government investigation. Therefore they opted to change their name to Jehovah Witness, to hide the fact they were charged with fraud.

After the name change, they advanced a very determined system of recruitment, involving door knocking, and massive amounts of propaganda, to advance their numbers, and to spread the false doctrinal beliefs. 

Some people invited JW’s into their homes, and argued for hours, to try and change their way of thinking. Others, often bored or lonely housewives did get taken in, and caused much strife in their families when they joined the cult. And others, like myself, peeked through a window, saw the prim looking strangers, in the standard attire of dark, formal looking clothing, and ignored them, until they went away. 

In all of these cases involving the invention of cult doctrines, they extrapolated many truths from the original bible, and then altered the narrative to suit various belief systems that are not part of the original bible. Scofield as a human being, had a terrible reputation. Ellen White, in some of her writings was charged with plagiarism, and in other cases, she came across as being blatantly psychotic.

Frequently the cultish belief systems involved date setting, giving specific dates on the return of Christ, even though it is made very clear in the original bible that no one knows the date of Christ’s return. When the dates they set, did not turn out to be true prophecy, they made some excuse, and carried on, maintaining a large group of loyal followers, in spite of the many contradictions. 

People become entrenched in cults for a variety of reasons. Much of it is tied to familial entrapments. Countless people remain in cults, because they are afraid of losing their social structure, as well as being shunned and rejected by their own family. Often jobs and livelihoods are tied to these strong cultish infiltrations as well. So it makes the stakes even higher to leave, or go against a powerful and influential leader. 

Leaving or breaking free of a cult, creates a great deal of fear, confusion, and a major stumbling block to people’s faith, and search for the truth. The power of family, and fear of rejection, is a huge detriment for those born into cults, or forced into cults by more powerful family members, and leaders. For this reason, the bible wisely tells us not to put anyone ahead of Christ, and the true gospel. 

Clearly in the cases of all cults, they were developed by men and/or women who developed delusions, or illusions of grandeur. Those who established cults were governed by a galaxy of crossed motives, to include strong delusions, and prideful self exaltation.

Obviously, a high percentage of them are motivated by lust, greed, power, and control. They want money, they will molest children, and they will try to control the minds, and actions of their followers to the smallest details. They want to take the place of God, in the lives of other people. It is really just a replication of what Satan tried to do. 

The list goes on and on, when it comes to the various cult leaders who gained a following, to include Mary Baker Eddy who started the Christian Science religion in the early 1900’s, Jim Jones in the mid 1950’s, the Moonies or the Unification Church in the mid 1950’s, Daughters of God in 1832, and many others, often with catastrophic outcomes.

Once people are embroiled in, indoctrinated, and brainwashed by these organizations, it can take years to overcome all the levels of deception. They typically rip families apart, and leave a travesty of broken people in their wake. 

This article does not touch upon the Catholic church system, although it too, does not follow traditional biblical belief systems, and inserts many falsehoods into the teachings. However, the Catholic church has been around a very long time, established around 30 A.D. They too, are symbolically tied to the dragon in the Book of Revelation

The other belief systems that can confuse people, are a-millennialism, and post-millennialism. A-millennialism is the belief that there is no literal millennial reign of Christ, as described in Revelation, and several other books of the bible.

Instead, they believe this concept represents a figurative reign, or spiritual condition. They believe the millennial reign began when Christ was here, and represents the entire church age. To get past the fact that Christ was here 2000 years ago, they simply claim the thousand year reign, just means a very long time.

Many of them also believe Satan is already bound. When questioned about all the craziness, violence, and addiction in the world today, they explain it away by saying, Satan is bound, but is still allowed to have some influence. I find this point of view to be anti-biblical, and nonsensical too. But to each his own.

The post-millennial point of view is equally as implausible. This belief system claims we are currently in the millennial reign of Christ. Supposedly it is a time where the Christian ethics prosper, and everything becomes wonderful and blissful. If it has not happened yet, well it just takes a very long time.

Clearly, such a construct is not happening in the world as we know it, by any stretch of the imagination. Nor can Christians bring about the changes required, in order to bring about peace in this world. We have already been given a very long time to accomplish this, and have failed miserably. 

In fact, the bible tells us in many places that things will get worse, not better, until Christ returns. Once again, this is a doctrine placing the focus on man, not Christ. We can pretty much see where such a fallacy will lead us.

Even though there are some very long-winded, and convincing arguments to support some of these belief systems, we are instructed repeatedly, to examine and test these beliefs, based on what the bible actually says.

The only position I will take, since I have examined some of these other belief systems, is that of historic premillennialism. I believe there will be a thousand year reign, as described in the Book of Revelation. I do not believe Satan is currently bound, because even though we know God has power over all of creation, including Satan, he is not bound yet. He is freely roaming the earth to wreak havoc, and deceive people, as usual. 

When Christ returns, Satan will be bound, and locked up, so he cannot harm people, or deceive the nations for the thousand year period. This allows a period of healing, peace, safety, learning, and understanding God’s way, as it was originally intended to be in the Garden of Eden.

It also represents a period of rest for the earth, and the people who are living on earth. It stands to reason this period of rest will occur, after a period of around six thousand years of history.

It aligns with the description that with God, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day. I believe this gives us a hint, knowing all creation was done in six days, and on the seventh day God rested. So it makes sense this period of rest and restoration is on the horizon, because according to Genesis, people have been here around six thousand years. 

One of the most perplexing developments in the end times scenario, is that after Satan is bound for a thousand years, he is let loose for awhile, and deceives the nations again.

We already know the millennial reign is a period of time where Christ rules as King, with a rod of iron, therefore it is hard to understand how or why this could happen. It is one of the great mysteries yet to unfold, and in time, we will understand it better. 

Some preachers attribute this development to man’s sinful nature, which causes masses of people to rebel against God during the thousand year reign. But if that is the case, it would not be a peaceful period of time, because people would soon resort to their old ways of violence, dominance, and deception. So it must occur after or at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. 

In re-reading what it says in Revelation, I believe the release of Satan, the final deception and battle, takes place after the millennial reign. In a sense, it is like a recap, and ultimate clash between good and evil, thus eliminating all the possibilities for any future Satanic deceptions, or conflicts between good and evil. 

In the Garden of Eden, they lived in a perfect and beautiful world, but they were still tempted and deceived by Satan. The bible says once he is let loose, he will deceive the nations again. Therefore, even though people are still prone to being deceived and following Satan, I think it probably takes place at the end of, and not during the millennial reign. 

I also wondered if when Satan is released, his followers, including one third of the angels who chose to follow him, might also be released for this final battle. Once he does deceive the nations again, and gather more followers, God intervenes, and they are finally destroyed, once and for all. 

This all happens just before the Great White Throne of Judgement, after which the new earth and new Jerusalem are ushered in. This is the true eternity, where God comes down from heaven to live with His people.

The description of the new earth, and the new Jerusalem, is quite different than the earth during the millennial reign. There will be no night, and there will be no sea. The descriptions are more dazzling than we can even conceive of now. It is truly too incredible to fully grasp. 

None of us really understands all of God’s plans, because we are simply not capable. It serves to reinforce why we must have faith, and trust in God’s scope and power over all things. After all, He is the creator of all things, and knows the beginning from the end, and the end from the beginning. We were given the bible to help instruct us, and show us the truth. 

It does make sense to me that there will be a millennial reign of Christ on earth. It will be a time of restoration and peace, as well as truly learning the way, the truth and the life, as promised in the gospels. The bible tells us the earth will be full of the knowledge of God. We will finally understand science, even though the secular world would scoff at such a notion.

It will be a time of preparation for the next phase. There will be so much to learn, and even more to unlearn, because like it or not, we have all been deceived throughout our lifetimes. I will readily admit – I am no exception.

It will be a time to get ourselves planted in our roles, and purpose, as well as to develop the ability to discern truth from deception, because our servitude to Christ will be tested when Satan is released again. 

As I have sorted some of these things out in my own mind, and examined the various different beliefs, what I believe to be true, does make sense. There are many mysteries, and many things I do not understand. But God’s promises, hope, grace, love, mercy, and ultimate triumph over corruption and death, is truly remarkable. 

The key takeaway is – do not put your trust in man, or any manmade deviations from the true gospel. Put your trust in God. Jesus, is the only one who has the power to save us from a certain death. 

Eternity is a very long time. 

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2024). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

 

 

Why Do Cults Infiltrate & Destroy Families?

Psalm 12:8  The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.”

Perhaps one of the most disturbing things about cults, is the way they attack and destroy families. In fact, a very common deceptive cult practice is to target a fractured family, and try to become a part of that family. Or they will target the most vulnerable or youngest member of the family, and claim to have a special familial relationship with their victim. 

In my case, I am talking about a cult steeped in the false doctrine of hyper dispensationalism. To a young or new Christian, the false doctrine embodied in this cult, is not clear at the onset. It took some time to sort it out, even though I knew from the beginning, there was something seriously wrong with this teacher’s attitude and conduct. 

Since I have first hand experience with a high school teacher claiming to be my father, I can tell you how profoundly disturbing it is to have someone make such a claim, and then gaslight you to no end. He acted like I was brain dead. He carried out a galling pretence, as though I did not know who I was, or where I came from. I thought it was absurd. 

Of course I knew who my parents were, and where I grew up. I remember it all very clearly to this day. I also knew I did not join a cult. In fact I was wary of cults. I saw Moonies and Hare Krishna cults trying to recruit people, and took a wide berth around them. But they were easier to spot than the wolf in the classroom, pretending to be a pious Christian, while simultaneously staring a hole through me. 

He stared at other kids too, but he stared at me the most. I was his special target from the time I was about fourteen. Things heated up, before I graduated though, because he was bound and determined he was not going to let me go. He even told me so..”Oh no, you will not get away, I am not going to let you go.” He meant it too.

Normally cults will try to recruit followers. But in my case, I was chased down, forced into a car, taken home with the teacher night after night, and brainwashed until my eyes glazed over. There was no recruitment, and there was no consent.

He abused power to the extent, I was threatened with violence, and complete expulsion from my own family. He also claimed that not only would my family not support me defying him, but God would cast me into outer darkness. I would be separated from both family and God. He told me he was using force with me because “intervention was required”. 

If I got really sassy, and defied him, he would claim I was mentally ill, or emotionally disturbed, and in defiance of authority. If I went along with being his daughter, he was proud, and I was very special, and should be eternally grateful. He told me his love was unconditional. That too, sickened me to the core. It was a molestation of the mind, emotions and spirit. 

How is ANY kid supposed to process such lunacy? He was the lunatic, not me. He was the one who needed intervention. I knew it, yet there was not a thing I could do about it. Part of it was that I felt like I was bad. If I had a better sense of boundaries, and less guilt, I might have been better equipped to fight this guy off.

It all began just two or three weeks after my younger brother was killed in a car accident. I was devastated. We were just a year apart, and he had been my best buddy since he was born. As soon as he could crawl, we were playing together, and going places.

Within a couple of years we were outside running down the cow trails, and trying to catch rabbits and gophers. We wanted to make them into pets if we could only catch one. 

One day, we were out rolling barrels down an incline. We would each get on a barrel and see who could stay on it as it rolled down the hill. Low and behold, a rabbit jumped in front of me, and I rolled over it without being able to stop the barrel.

Although it was unplanned, we finally caught a rabbit. It was stunned, but still alive. So I carefully picked it up and carried it home. We found a box to put it in by the wood stove, and then went out to get it some food from the garden. 

I also gave it warm milk. It was kind of lethargic for awhile. But sometime throughout the night, it livened up, and jumped out of its box. It was jumping all over the place, and leaving rabbit turds wherever it went. We could not even catch it. 

Finally we brought the dog in, and he chased it outside. I did not want to scare it into having a heart attack or something, but it was uncontrollable. 

After that we did not try as hard to catch wild animals. But we did put a bat in a jar, to see if it would eat flies. Eventually we let it go, because it was ugly, and never even moved. We could hardly tell if it was dead or alive. 

My brother and I played together outside all the time, and when we got older, we were each other confidants. His death broke me. He died in November, and his funeral was on a bitter cold day. I felt frozen inside and out, like a walking human iceberg. Everything was bleak. I felt so guilty. The last time I saw him was at a basketball game. I told him to tuck in his shirt. 

And then, he was gone. Just like that. Two or three weeks prior to the accident, he was in a fender bender while out with friends. I told him I had a dream he had been killed in a car accident. He said, “thanks a lot”. 

I felt guilty, and lost. I went from being sort of zombie like, to hyperactive. I was involved in everything, cheerleading, basketball, student’s union, school yearbook, you name it. Anything to find or create a distraction. Of course I was emotionally disturbed. Who wouldn’t be?

I still went to school. In fact I still passed with honours, and graduated when I was sixteen. So it was not like I was smoking crack. But I was drinking, and out partying by the end of the school year. I was no angel. 

Even so, the teacher had no right to do what he did. Because I felt guilty, I was much more vulnerable. It took many years for me to realize it did not matter what I was doing, even if I was smoking crack. It would still not justify what this man did, and how much damage he caused to me, and my family.

It compounded the grief and family trauma a thousandfold. It created a lifelong complex trauma and PTSD. Nowadays people will claim to have PTSD if they fail a grade, or if they don’t make the team. I would never admit to having PTSD, as I was so afraid of being labelled as mentally ill, which would give them more ammunition to control my life. 

I just tried to cope. Finally I was forced to take stock, and realize it all had a profound effect, and I was fearful, getting flashbacks, drinking, and drowning in sorrow. They had me right where they wanted me to be. When I was at my worst – they were beaming with pride. 

I no longer have PTSD. I have overcome it. But there is no way I would have ever overcome it if I had not freed myself of the teacher con. Part of the destructiveness enmeshed in that plot, was to keep me locked into the past. How can you deal with the past if you have someone lurking, and dominating you with a complete denial of who you are, and what your past involved? 

The teacher was denying me the fundamental right, not only to be who I am, but also to come to terms with the grief and trauma of the past. He interfered with, and prevented healing on all levels. 

When I was thirty-five, my husband was killed in an accident. The teacher was on my doorstep all over again. It was a nightmare. The emotional impact once again, not only of the sudden death and loss, but worse yet, having this looming goon, lying and conning, and taking great pleasure in my pain, was more than I could bear. He was saying the same things as he said after my little brother died. It was like I was looking at a demonic influence, and archetype that I could not shake for the life of me.

The hallmarks of all cults are religiosity, deception, identity assault, mind control, coercion, and an arrogance that takes the place of God. They are the ultimate authority. You have no choice but to obey. They have the power to punish. They infiltrate a family, in order to rip the family apart, because that is how they gain access, and control over a victim. It is also a tactic used to weaken, and dominate. It is kind of like a wolf, or apex predator that separates the calf from it’s mother. 

Our sense of self and identity is closely tied to our mother, and our immediate family. The cultist is driven to rob you of your identity. They will insist you are not who you think you are, and claim you are someone else. 

Even though I was a teenager, with a very good memory, this guy would repeat colossal lies over and over, literally hundreds of times. When you are kept awake all night, with repetitious shaming, and strangeness, it is beyond what the mind can comprehend.

At the time, I did not realize his religion was a cult. I knew something was seriously wrong with the whole experience, but I had no power of veto. I was the proverbial bad girl, and he would not take no for an answer. 

He even went as far as telling me what he “liked to believe”. He liked to believe he had me since I was a very young child. He liked to believe my mother was not really my mother. She was wicked and non-redeemable, and therefore she did not deserve to be my mother. He liked to believe I was special, but not gifted (as in being a gifted student). That too, was shameful. 

He would repeatedly tell me I was his daughter, God told him to adopt me, and I was his precious gift from God. He said I was very lucky, very special, and he was so proud of me. For crying out loud – he was a teacher. As it turned out, he was an authentic nutcase. I mean, who concocts such nonsense, other than a nutcase? 

Every time he told me he was proud of me, I almost puked. I found it to be so repulsive, I had a visceral reaction. He would tell me I had the “exact same IQ” as his wife. He repeated that lie hundreds of times.

He would say raising me gave him premature grey hairs. He would talk about how I could be a difficult child, and had kept him awake many nights. Really? He was the one who was keeping me awake. What a twisted jerk. 

He never raised me at all, in any way, shape or form. He was just over a decade older than I was. How could he have possibly raised me since I was a young child? He really should have been arrested, and lost his teaching license.

His behaviour was brazenly exploitive, criminal, and outlandish. He had no right to force me into a vehicle, and then forcibly confine me for hours on end. This is not a he said, she said case. At least half the grade twelve class witnessed him chasing me through the bush, and putting the grab on me. They saw him order me to “Get in that car or I will STUFF you in that car”. Anyone from the era, who is from my home town, knows this teacher did what he did. 

He was a complete and total stranger to me. I was never once under his jurisdiction. I found him to be an atypical oddball, and very scary. I was afraid of him. To this day, I would put nothing past him. He was capable of anything. He had no morals, no empathy, and no respect for the laws, boundaries, truth, or professional guidelines. He was above the law. 

As a teacher, he was very solemn, and was often yelling at students with a booming voice. He liked to strap kids, or grab them, and muscle them out of the classroom. He was more prone to physical violence by far, than any other teacher in the school. 

What is even more icky is that he would tell other people, including members of my own family, the same warped things. He acted as though his choice to be a religious zealot made him untouchable, pious above all reproach, and arrogant beyond belief. He was a twenty eight year old teacher with a massive ego, and God complex. 

Cultists target vulnerable people and families, because they do not have a good sense of boundaries. The ultimate goal is mind control. Psychology Today calls it soul murder, which is actually true, because they target the mind, spirit, will and emotions, which is our soul. 

He stared without blinking. It was one of his most chilling traits. When he forcibly confined me all night long in his house, it was especially hair-raising and spooky, because he had large horn rim glasses, and all I could see was the reflection of his glasses, without seeing his eyes. 

There were times I wondered if he was going to kill me. It took almost a lifetime to realize the extent of damage he did to me and my family. It took a very long time to finally go to the police, and it took even longer to deal with the PTSD from those nights of torture. 

I could not extricate myself, because he was invited to every family function, and was treated with reverence. He was far more important than I was. 

There were times I resisted. Many times. I also begged, cried and pleaded with him, and every member of my family. I tried reasoning with them, knowing full well they knew I was not adopted by the teacher, and had never been up for adoption anymore than they had been up for adoption. 

This was an extension of family violence. It was a way of continuing the abuse into adulthood. When I pleaded to get out of the trap, a few times the teacher would finally say, “Okay then, you can be our special friend”.

I would gag. I did not want to be their special friend either. They were the last people I would ever be friends with by choice. They had no sense of humour. They were dreary, tiresome, flat, bland, insipid, arrogant, controlling, quiet, stodgy, and mind-numbing. All conversation was superficial and boring. I hated being around them. Every minute was like an hour.

It was like watching paint peel. I would find every excuse to go for a walk, take the garbage out, run an errand. Anything to break away for a few minutes. When I did, I never wanted to go back. I wanted to run for the hills, and disappear. 

The only reason he gave permission to be special friends, was because it meant he was still the one who was defining the relationship. He was still in control. It meant he would still have access to me. It meant he could continue lying to everyone, pretending to be my “daddy”. It also meant that within a short time, the special friend would turn into the daughter, all over again. No boundaries means, you just keep on pushing. 

Over the years, he probably gave me at least fifty or maybe even a hundred syrupy, sparkly cards. They were DAUGHTER cards, plastered with out of context Bible verses. Many of the cards were cards you would give to a six year old child. He had me locked into childhood trauma, and he was quite determined to keep me there. 

Every chance he got, he would repeat the mantra “you are our daughter”. This lie was repeated thousands of times. He was literally drilling it into me. When his kids got older, he told them to tell me I was their sister. As if the statement itself was going to make something so blatantly false, into truth.

All of it made me cringe. I would recoil, turn away, shrug it off, and try to ignore those creepy claims. Normally, I would have promptly told a person like that to get lost, pound sand. In fact, in those days, I would not have minced words, and would have told him exactly where to go.

But you have to keep in mind, he was in collusion with a very powerful member of my own family. If not for that, I would not have put up with those ridiculous lies for a country second. If I made the slightest negative comment about this guy, I faced swift, and aggressive  retaliation. 

How many people sit there and repeat over and over to their real son or daughter – “you are my son, you are my daughter”. The answer is no one. People do not have to keep restating obvious facts.

He stared, and repeated flagrant lies. Did he sit there and say that to his own daughter on a daily basis? No of course not. A person only repeats a falsehood, because they are trying to indoctrinate, and use repetition, to get that falsehood instilled into your psyche.

After awhile, I realized the reason he stared so much, is because he was always trying to evaluate the impact of his constant lying. A brainwashing cultist tries to put your mind under a microscope, while simultaneously, and paradoxically ignoring every bit of body language, and every single thing you say.

He alternated between shaming me, and telling me how special I was. When he came to our family functions, he was always given a place of honour, and would be the one to say grace, or a prayer. He had the respect of a godfather, or some kind of deity. To me, he was nothing but a disgustingly corrupt teacher. Yet I dared not say so. 

To those who support this con, and reject the truth of what actually happened, based on my own testimony, since I was the victim of this plot, I want to ask them a couple of questions. 

How do they think this whole saga came about? Since when do teachers adopt students? Since when do teachers make false claims to adopt a student, so they can justify repeatedly forcing the student into a car, and then forcibly confining them all night long?

Clearly those who know about this false adoption claim, know by now, there was no adoption. So how does a teacher take on such a role in a family? How did the false adoption claim come about? And why are they all so afraid to challenge the big lie? 

Is the teacher still going to every family function, pretending to be a pious do-gooder? I got kicked out of my own family, and he remained. People need to ask themselves what is the under belly of this dark con, and why is it so important to them?

He vehemently hated our mother. He did not know her. The men in the family were far worse, from a judgemental perspective, yet he never once said a word about them. 

Initially it was very confusing and traumatizing. I had accelerated through school, and planned to get a post secondary education. I knew my education was paid for until I was eighteen, and also knew I could get a scholarship. 

He was determined to prevent me from taking an academic route, as I had planned. He forced me into a nursing program, and then took credit for the fact I became a nurse. He did use me as a fund raising mascot for his cult religion. But then his wife immediately went back to University. In fact she graduated the same year I did. 

During that time frame, they tried to force me to sign adoption papers, and change my name. I flatly refused. They were livid. At the time I was living in Calgary, and luckily my roommate came home, when they had me backed into a corner. She looked at me like, “What the heck is going on?”

Otherwise, I would not rule out they would have used force, like physically grabbed me. I knew I did not sign those papers, but I thought they might have forged my signature, and filed the papers anyway, because they did not accept, or acknowledge my refusal. They went and told everyone there had been a legal adoption.

Many years later, I contacted the Ministry, and Department of Vital Statistics, and asked if they had filed forged documents. They said no, which I already knew I guess, because by then I had been married, and had a passport, so I knew there had not been a name change.

They lied so convincingly, everyone believed them. Even though I said no, and told people I said no, I was not believed, and they were. 

He did not use the money he raised through his church to put me through nursing. He used the money to put his wife through a nursing degree program. The plan was that she would be my mentor, and mother superior. I was an investment of sorts. Up until she went for her degree, she was very miserable with the fact her husband was obsessing over a young teenage girl.

Part of my attempts to argue and reason with him, was to tell him that following, and chasing me around all the time, was not good for his marriage. I told him his wife was not happy about it. But after she realized there was financial gains to be made, she changed her tune. 

The lie about putting me through nursing was just another lie in the coffin. He had infiltrated the family and made himself into a godfather of sorts. Then he took credit for what I was, and what I did for a living. I owed him my life, my accomplishments, my existence, my identity, and must grovel with involuntary gratitude forever. I was not going to get away. Ever.

My education was paid for until I was eighteen, and then I took out a student loan. Later on when the family farm was sold, the debt was paid off. I knew the teacher did not put me through nursing, and I never asked him to. He was an absolute lying cheapskate. He would be the last person to buy you a coffee. He was cheap to the core, and so was his wife.

They kept track of every penny, and were not the least bit generous. A few times, they were generous superficially, and then went for the pound of flesh. They always extracted way more than they gave. It was like they were some kind of royalty, and were owed everything I ever had, or earned, or did.

When I graduated from high school, I went to school in Calgary, which is more than 300 km. from my home town, or around 200 miles away. The teacher most certainly did not babysit me, and nor could he follow me around outside of school.

It was the one major, albeit a temporary relief, putting some physical distance between me, and the cult couple. They had jobs and young children, so he could not follow me around. Even so, I was far from being rid of them as I had hoped. 

In spite of all his lies about how much I needed intervention in high school, I still managed to go to classes, and wrote the RN exams when I was nineteen years old. I also managed to be on the President’s Honour Roll, and scored in the top percentile on the RN exams. He had nothing to do with it. 

The teacher took all the credit for what I did. In hindsight, this was all designed to prevent me from accepting a scholarship into an academic English literature program. If I had been able to accept the scholarship, I would have been able to establish my own career path in a field of my own choice. Not only did he devise a way to infiltrate my family, and make ludicrous claims to be my father, he also tied himself to my career. He had all the bases covered, for a lifetime of entrapment. 

The reason I stuck with nursing, is because getting a post secondary education was very important to me from the time I was in grade school. Even though I tried to break free when I graduated, I was still very much under the thumb of the teacher, and felt guilty whenever I thought of breaking free.

I did not want to be a nurse at all. It was a huge burden, and there was no credit given to me for going through it. All credit went to the teacher. At the time, I thought I would be able to get out of it, and do something else. 

They acted like they owned my home, my labour, my mind, and dictated what my IQ was. They monitored my every move, what I wrote, and if they disapproved – if I was not the nice obedient nurse, and pseudo daughter, they had the means to punish me. I was easily ganged up on. 

They set a trap, and they closed off all escape routes. Over a period of many years, he never stopped lying, never took no for an answer, and never stopped staring. 

Even as a teacher, I could not stand the guy. His all encompassing authority, and macho man, tough guy swagger was immature and sickening. He had no personality to speak of, and neither did his wife. They were as boring as hell. I had to be nice, and pretend all was well. Just plaster a smile on my face, nod my head in agreement with every banal thing they said, and assume the position. 

For years, I would put on a polite pretence, and go along with the facade, so I would not get brutalized and kicked out of my own family. I was biding my time. What a waste of a life. 

I prayed, and I hoped they would change, and mellow over the years, and eventually just drop it. But they never did. They would not consider it for a moment. They were openly and brazenly exploiting me. Their demands were increasing, and they were getting bolder by the year.

There were times I was so depressed, I could hardly function. I was a mess. A basket case. Eventually I knew I had to get free of them, or I was as good as dead. 

It got to the point where I could not even look at him. He was still getting everyone and their dog to manipulate, and pat me on the head, telling me how fortunate I was to have these wonderful Christians in my life. 

I despised him. The reason I could not look at him, was because I nearly vomited when I did. I shrank away from both of them, and all their lies. When I let them know it was destroying me – they could care less. All that mattered was the lies, and keeping me in the trap. My misery was their goal. So what good was it going to do to tell them how destructive it was? 

They believed I would never get out of it. They were smug, and self-righteous. How dare I hurt their feelings. They would repeatedly tell me that if I thought of “that wicked woman as my mother” they found it very hurtful. They would pout like spoiled children, and make a face, sort of like a mask of pity. It was so fake, and so appalling.

Over a period of many years, it was psychological warfare, with them putting on a pious look of normalcy, and vast superiority. Yet I could never, and would never forget those tortuous nights of being forced to sit and listen to his brainwashing, thought reform, and mind control when I was a kid in school. It was so creepy, it could be in a sci-fi horror movie. 

At the time, I thought I was putting up a barrier. I thought I was able to fend off the twilight zone, of his authoritarian power, cognitive dissonance, lies, and sadistic spiritual, psychological and emotional abuse. It took many years before I realized how much damage he had done.

Getting free of the teacher is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, and in all honesty I cannot take a shred of credit for it, because it was only by the grace of God that I got out of that snare. Otherwise I would have been dead long ago. I had to get out of nursing, and had to be prepared to give up my house, and every single relationship in my life.  

It was the most abusive relationship of my entire lifetime, and by far the most tenacious. To this day I do not understand why they would be so determined to destroy my life. It is evil beyond comprehension. They had their own families, lives, and careers. They corrupted their own natural children, who they doted on like most narcissists do, because those darlings are the true extension of themselves.

I was a throwaway, like something they found at a garage sale, and could get some use out of. And yet I was expected to believe I was their child? Why would I believe such a ridiculous lie? Growing up – I was not doted on, by any stretch of the imagination.

Their children were not my siblings. I barely knew them, yet they too bought into the lies. Sort of, but not really. It was like they were mocking me for being so gullible. I was not gullible. I was in a trap that was sprung on me when I was a kid in school. The thing about psychopaths, is they actually believe the victim deserves what they do to them.  

The biggest regret I have is not screaming blue murder, and getting the police involved immediately. But I was very afraid to do so. This man was a teacher, and he had aligned himself with some of my own family. I knew there would be an immediate retaliation if I went to the police. I also feared I would be kicked out of school, or persecuted so much in school that I would not be able to graduate. 

At the time, I was just months away from graduating, and moving away from the small town and school, so I thought I would get free of him then. I got married, and thought I would be rid of the teacher. And yet, those events did not get rid of him. 

It took until I was fifty years old to finally say, I will not spend one more minute with those horrible people. The last time they were at my house, I sat and watched the second hand on a big clock on the wall go round, and round. Every minute that went by, I told myself, I will not spend one more minute with them. Ever. 

Fortunately, I made a choice many years ago to stop drinking alcohol. I did not have to go to rehab, and have never been treated for a mental health disorder. I do not have any judgment toward those who do need help, or cannot quit on their own. The reason I am glad, is because if I did need help, they would have used it against me. The stronger you get, the more they double down. If you are weak and floundering, they are happy as clams. 

When they attempted to make claims I was mentally ill as a student in school, it was just another lie. There was no referral, no diagnosis, and no basis, other than to intrude into my mind, and shame me for doing well in school. He was determined to take over my mind, discredit what he wanted to eradicate, and take credit for what I did accomplish. 

It is incredible to me, how powerful men can simply make the claim someone is mentally ill, without any basis for making the claim. Gaslighting is illegal. But of course they do not care about what is legal. They use the mentally ill claim to control and stifle dissent. They use it to prevent disclosure about their own conduct, and history. 

When I terminated the relationships, I never told them outright, while they were in my home, because deep down, I was afraid of both of them. They killed numerous family pets. They were sadistic toward my feelings, and they were also cold and determined to keep exploiting me, and keep up the facade of being family, when they were not family. After they were gone, I sent them a letter terminating the relationship, and told them I wanted no contact with them. 

What did they do? They turned around and came right back to Haida Gwaii to seek me out, and challenge me. They reverted back to the stalking behaviours. Fortunately in a small town, news travels fast, and I heard they were back.

Haida Gwaii is a long way from Alberta. But they clearly were not prepared to take no for an answer. I put the chains on the doors, checked all the windows, dead bolted the doors, turned out all of the lights, and was prepared to call the police if they tried to get in.

I was doing diabetic teaching at the time, and they managed to find where the office was located. They left a note on my office door. That is as close as they got. Fortunately, I was out seeing a patient when they showed up there. I am not sure if both the teacher and his wife were there, or just one of them. 

After that, the roller coaster ride of fury, and grim orders, veiled threats, followed by absolute contempt and rejection, has been part of the punishment for getting free of that cult teacher. 

Few things could be more dangerous than having someone stay in your home who you do not trust, and do not feel safe with. In Australia, the Exclusive Brethren cult are called the Brethren bullies. They are full of cloak and dagger tactics, to include death threats, and staging suicides. In 2007 the Australian PM declared they were a destructive cult that rips families apart. In my opinion, they are part of a network of organized crime. 

Once I made the decision, it has been a major and ongoing battle. I was given a timeline to get back into it. I said NO. I was coerced, bullied, threatened, and then rejected by my own family. I have stood firm. Is it any wonder I had no power over this kind of dominance, when I was a teenage kid in school, without parental protection? I did not stand a chance. 

I guess a word of caution, is to be careful, especially when it comes to religious authority. Don’t assume they are real Christians. Be wary of push in predators. And above all, never let someone lie so much they are claiming to be family.

That is the single, and biggest red flag of all. They are using a false front to push themselves into a place of intimacy, knowledge, control, manipulation, and involvement where they do not belong – well past all natural boundaries.

The hallmark of a cult, is to claim you are not who you think you are, and they are your family. No they are NOT. Many books of the Bible, go to great lengths to describe who begat who. These lying cults will circumvent every natural law, and natural relationship God created. They also take away our God given free will. They are evil masquerading as good. 

All relationships need healthy boundaries. The cultist pushes past those boundaries, which is why he seeks to infiltrate a fractured family. When those boundaries are crossed, and those bonds are broken, he has robbed natural affection, and destroyed natural loyalties.

Through his lies, and lawlessness, he has taken the seat of the father, as well as God the father. He has pushed himself into a place of ultimate importance, centrality, control, power and authority. He is full of lying wonders. 

If anything a cult can teach is, is to know the depths of Satan. To get free of it is by the grace of God, we are plucked out of the fowler’s snare. 

As I look back, there were so many signs. So many brazen lies. So many contradictions, and things that do not align with God’s word, or character. I do remember telling him “God does not force us into a relationship with Him – so who are you to do so?”

When he told me God told him to adopt me, I said to him, “Does God talk to you out of the sky, or the walls or what?” Then I asked him, “Since it is my life, why wouldn’t God tell me too?”

It fell on deaf ears. In my experience with cultists, they will not listen, they cannot be reasoned with, they will not admit wrongdoing, or repent. 

I know we are supposed to forgive one another. This is the one aspect of my own life’s experiences I find most difficult to forgive. I can forgive my family, because I love them, and know they too have faced hardship. 

But to forgive the false teacher, is a tough one. He brought greater harm to an already fractured family. He has his own family. He has children and grandchildren. He used me, and he used our family, for personal and financial gain. 

One of the saddest things, is in knowing how many people have been lied to, and corrupted over the years. Entire systems have been corrupted over this nefarious teacher plot. 

One of the reasons I am writing, to share my testimony, and also writing some political commentary on a couple of social media sites, is to prove I am not mentally ill. Otherwise, if you have no visibility, they will lie, fabricate, and scheme up more false claims. People tend to believe it, especially if you have no visibility or voice. Just to be clear, the only time in my life I have been accused of being mentally ill, is when I refuted the teacher’s adoption lies. Cultists are liars. 

Just to present some alternate and hypothetical scenarios, to help highlight how preposterous this plot has been. Imagine if the situation was reversed, and a student adamantly, and falsely claimed to have been adopted by a teacher.

In order to create a parallel type situation, imagine if that student repeatedly claimed they were the son or daughter of the teacher. What if they insistently made false claims that there had been a legal adoption, and also showed up at every one of the teacher’s family functions, as well as repeatedly showed up on the doorstep of the teacher. 

What do you suppose would happen to the student? They would be called crazy for sure. They would be forced into treatment, evaluated, and diagnosed as delusional and psychotic. The police would be contacted, and there would be a restraining order put in place, to protect the teacher and his family. If it went on for years, the student would probably have spent time in jail, or a psych unit.

This is an example of the audacity involved when someone in authority decides to abuse power over someone who is considered to be powerless. If it was done in reverse, it would never be allowed to continue. How did he get away with it? There are hundreds of people who know about this teacher adoption claim. At the time, many people raised eyebrows, and questioned how it came about. Yet no one protected me. 

The second scenario, is to imagine an adult man, who has the hots for young girls. He has carefully set himself up to have access to young girls. He pretends to be a do-gooder, a Mr. Hot Shot, and thinks he has a good cover. He has targeted a specific girl, and is obsessing over her day and night.

So he concocts a plan to tell people he is going to adopt her. He does this so he can justify stalking her, and putting the grab on her. After all, in his mind – she needs some discipline, intervention, authority, and control over her life. It gives him an excuse, under this psychotic daddy delusion to carry out his fantasy of overpowering his victim, and being alone with her for hours on end.

It could be a delusional and psychotic mindset, where he actually starts to believe God told him to be her daddy. Or it could be an intentional criminal scheme, to abduct and forcibly confine his dream girl, without facing consequences. Either way, should he actually be able get away with such a devious scheme?

What do you think would happen to this guy, when it was realized he was lying through his teeth, was forcing a teenage girl into his car, and taking her home with him? Even though he had crafted a ruse to try and get away with his crimes, should he be able to lie his way out of it? It would not be the first time a criminal abducted a child, and made false claims to be their parent.

But in such a case, when caught, the person would have been sent for a psych evaluation, or charged with kidnapping, and forcible confinement. It would have been all over the news, and he would have faced a long jail sentence. Abduction is a serious crime. 

Back to the teacher in my life. Personally, I don’t care if this guy was religious or not. He did what he did, and there is no excuse for it. His religious stance, and teacher authority do not condone what he did. The familial collusion is a whole other Pandora’s box, yet to be addressed. 

Now, even though this is still very much part of my life, and I do want to get it resolved – I lead a quiet life with purpose, and am not the least bit miserable. There are many things to enjoy, and be thankful for. Peace of mind, a sound mind, and the simple things in life, are the most rewarding. I keep reminding myself “the just shall live by faith”. It brings great comfort. 

I know eventually the truth, and the motives behind all of this, will come to light. I just have to be patient. 

I cannot help but believe he used the opportunity to score one for the devil. He did not succeed, thank God. When his day of reckoning comes, I hope he realizes the enormity of harm he has done, and repents. 

One of the positives in this story, is that our mother accepted Christ years before she died. I was fortunate enough to visit her on her deathbed, while she was still lucid. She was radiant, and had no fear of death. She knew she was dying.

She told me she had already walked on the road with Jesus. She had so many near death experiences, I knew she was being candid. It was such a blessing to see her before she died. It was very important to both of us. I thank God to have seen her.

If not for the teacher, our dysfunctional family background would not have been disclosed. In order to get free of him, after trying for years to speak directly to them, as well as members of my own family, I had no other choice. When people do not respect boundaries, it means you have to go to the authorities. 

In addition to contacting the police, I contacted the Alberta Teacher’s Association, The Canadian Teachers Federation, the school board, and the school I attended. I contacted the Ministry of Children and Families, and Alberta Victim’s of Crime. 

It took all of that and more, to get this bullying teacher off my back. The RCMP acknowledged the wrongdoing, and the potential for charges. They also talked about the fact it might be difficult to get witnesses to agree to making statements, especially after a number of years had gone by.

But I know what he did, and I also know many others were witness to it. Most of us know it is a crime to force anyone, let alone an underage kid into a car, and then forcibly confine them all night long. He did this many times, from late November, until I graduated in early June. 

The discussion I had with the RCMP, was enough to convince me that if this case had been brought to them at the time, he would have been arrested for abduction, forcible confinement, and making repeated fraudulent claims. I am not prepared to be punished, or scapegoated any longer for the crimes he committed. 

One of the primary reasons cults do not want you to get away, is because it takes until you do get away, to piece together all the brainwashing tactics, coercion, theurgy, and bewitching mind control. 

They were always so concerned with what I am thinking. They can read my blog, because finally, I am freely sharing what I am thinking. I hope he reads this, and realizes he did a crappy job of thought reforming me.

I would like him to know he has no power over me. Yes I do think about what he did, because it went on for so long, and involved so many people. But I take it as an experience that drew me closer to God, and the truth in the Bible. So in an indirect way, the hoodoo sortilege, helped me to sort things out. 

After our mother died, it confirmed in my mind in the weeks, and months to follow – just how barbaric the teacher was. What kind of person forcibly confines a person, to repeat a litany of lies, identity assault, and tells a kid their mother is wicked and non-redeemable? It just goes to show the magnitude of his arrogance, deception, and cruelty. I do not care who judges me for the fact I reported him to everyone I could think of. They pushed me to the limits of human endurance. 

In my opinion, this is an example of a long and drawn out crime, because those who set it up, were not held accountable at the onset of this depraved plot. 

I am glad I am not in a position to judge him, because I am not quite sure how I would handle it. God can deal with him. I never could. The contradictions of biblical truth compared to what this teacher did, are glaringly obvious.

The reason I find it so difficult to forgive the teacher, is because it is next to impossible to separate the broken record of lies surrounding my own identity, from his disordered character and persona. I reject all of the lies, and therefore I reject him as the gross entity, or assemblage of those lies. 

It is kind of like looking at the reflective glare of his glasses during those all night brainwashing sessions, without being able to see the soulless character behind the glare. It is like trying to forgive a blinding mass of lies that came out of a cavern somewhere. 

When someone lies like that, and you barely knew him to begin with, you do not know who, or what, you are trying to forgive. I reject all the lies, as a matter of preserving my own soul and identity. If I try to separate him as a person, from all his lies, what is left? Not much.

I guess to try and figure out this Christian conundrum, enigma, or quandary surrounding forgiveness, it requires an ability to see the heart and humanity of the person somehow. It means we should separate the sin from the sinner. When I try to do so, all I see is an empty shell. I pray to be able to find a way to forgive this person, without accepting any of the lies. 

It is also difficult to let go of something so hideous, when the punishment for setting a boundary, and commitment to truth – continues to flog me. When family is so deeply involved in such a scheme, it is next to impossible to stop the punishment, if they will not agree to stop it. 

God tells us to honour our mother and father. It is mentioned throughout the Bible, and is the fifth commandment.

God hates a liar, and a lying tongue. It is at the top of the list of things condemned by God. Proverbs 6: 16-19, Proverbs 18: 21, Revelation 21:8 says ALL liars will go into the lake of fire.

The book of James talks about the poison of the untamed tongue: James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

The Bible also tells us the fate of someone who claims ownership, or to be a parent of a child that is not their own: Jeremiah 17 10-11:

10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

As far as family betrayal, the Bible tells us it is part of the end times scenario. Mathew, Mark and Luke all contain verses about family betrayal.

The verses from 2 Timothy speak volumes when it comes to what I have experienced:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

I was a silly woman, and certainly did have sin in my life. The teacher did try to creep in and take over my house. They seemed to think my home was going to be their retirement home, complete with maid service.

As I become more familiar with the Bible, there are hundreds of verses to contradict the indoctrination and lies drummed into me by this pseudo Christian teacher. I wish I had been strong enough, and well versed enough to refute those lies. By their fruits we shall know them – Mathew 7:15-20:

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

One of my all time favourite verses is Galatians 5:22-23:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

There is still rage and punishment toward me for rejecting the teacher and all his lies. But now I understand it better:

Psalm 12:8

The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

Jude 1: 12-19

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

At the end of the day, and the end of the age, can we finally see, understand, and hear why God tells us to repent? If so, we have much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday. May God bless this thanksgiving, with peace, truth, and love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are Cults On The Rise? How Do We Identify & Avoid Cultish Beliefs?

There is no doubt that people have the right to believe what they choose to believe in politics, religion, and personal choices. Beliefs shape a person’s day to day actions. As long as the actions are within the scope of the law, we all have a right to manage, maintain, or change our beliefs.

No one can really force us to believe something. Even if a person is tortured, they may comply, or even make false admissions, but they still have their own beliefs about what happened, and what is happening.

Oppressive regimes try to control people’s thoughts, but are not successful in doing so. At least they are not able to control all of the people’s thoughts, for a sustained period of time. History has many examples of the uprisings that occur after periods of enduring oppressive and regressive regimes. Out of the contrary thoughts, there is a spark that often ignites a greater awareness, or a change in beliefs.

The laws have been structured to cover and protect a wide range of personalities, cultures, religions, lifestyles, traditions, and activities, without prejudice. Therefore, people practice cultural traditions, expressions of faith, and certain rituals based on their own personal, often historical beliefs.

Beliefs can surround things other than religion, and become just as obsessive. Some beliefs are fear based. Others are faith based. They can be knowledge based, or based on prior indoctrination. They can be based on identity, as we have all learned by now.

Our beliefs are shaped by our parents, ancestors, family, friends, education, knowledge, values, desires or will, emotions, choices, circumstances, memories, sometimes deceptions and betrayals, and spiritual searching. To some extent, there is also a neurobiological component, such as with trauma, addictions, diet, gut biome, genetic markers, intrinsic stability etc.

All of these things provide feedback for the central nervous system, and neurobiological loops within our systems. Dopamine affects our mind and mood. Serotonin also affects our mood. Melatonin affects our sleep. Stress affects our system through corticosteroids, surges of adrenalin and so on. All of these things contribute to our ability to learn and evaluate the world around us.

There are certain triggers based on past experiences that cause stress and anxiety. Then if we see similar patterns that trigger those associations, we resort to our earlier and ingrained patterns of response to the threat. If we continue allowing the same responses, our beliefs and reactions will be based on fear and vulnerabilities, instead of being based on strength and confidence.

We have to be firmly planted, so no one can pull us out by the roots. The only way we can manage, is by tending to our spiritual life, nutrients, and paying attention to what we put into our minds and bodies – spiritually, psychologically, and physically.

The nutrients, along with some armour and protective forces, will help us to thrive. Sometimes the enemy is more subtle, and tries to make us wither, give up and die. Being fully alive requires a constant renewal of energy and hope.

We get a surge of adrenalin, along with the neurobiological response, before we even formulate a thought. Therefore past experiences do contribute to shaping our beliefs, and reaction to external stressors. To overcome it, we have to be aware of the neurochemistry flowing through us. It has to be recognized, evaluated, and diffused, in order to help us get more clarity. We can find ways to adjust our responses, after we adjust our beliefs to a more confident and stable position.

Faith, and a secure belief in the saving grace of Christ, and the gospel message, gives us hope. It gives us forgiveness, and the ability to forgive others. It gives us a chance to renew our minds, and embrace each day. We know that no matter what happens, whether we live or die, we can trust Jesus. These are the beliefs that have helped me overcome the past. 

Some people prefer to skim the surface, while others are inclined to plumb the depths of our existence. A large percentage of people believe what they are “expected” to believe. They may be hemmed in, and trapped without even realizing it.

Typically we think of cults, or at least I thought of cults as being religious in origin. We can read about the belief systems of hundreds of different cults. They often have different origins, and some uniquely different practices, but some of the things I have noticed about cults, is that they all have an origin based on the specific writings or interpretations of the Bible by a powerful and egotistical leader.

In many cases the powerful leader is charismatic, and can write and speak about their interpretations of the Bible very fluently and convincingly. An extremist cult that rises out of these religious systems, has more focus on the leader than they do on God or the Bible. The followers are told what to believe, based on what the leader believes. Once the leader has established himself as the voice of God, the sky is the limit. At least it is for awhile.

As time goes on, and people buy into the deception, the belief systems become increasingly delusional, and often very controlling and abusive. One of the key methods of evaluation regarding a church, a leader, or teacher of pseudo-Christian doctrines, is to look at the founder. Is he making other claims based on brazen lies? What kind of character does the person have in other areas of his/her life? Are they projecting themselves as being the voice of some kind of divine deity? Is  the person a false teacher, and false authority?

By doing some research into the background of these leaders, you can find out the errors and origins of the known, or suspected cults. You can read about John Darby altering the Bible, to create a completely different gospel, and denial of the original covenants, combined with deception as to what Christ did for us on the cross. The changes Darby made to the Bible, are vast in their scope and meaning, and represent a significant deviation from the truth.

C.I. Scofield picked up on the Darby Bible, and created multiple versions, all with odd footnotes to push his skewed interpretations and beliefs. Scofield is another one, who had a very bad reputation and character.

In fact, you can learn a great deal about the development and rise of cults, based on the background of a specific leader or writer. Ellen White wrote thousands of pages of religious fantasies, and was also known to plagiarize a significant amount of what she presented. She is still revered by the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

What I have noticed, is that if you are open-minded and want to know the truth, you will see the deceptions, contradictions, and sometimes outright madness of the leader, as in the cases of Jim Jones, and David Koresh. But in many cases, people don’t see it until they are out of the cult, get some distance, and have had time to reflect on what led them to the beliefs.

You will also notice that many cults started out with a more dominant religion, and then branched into more selective extremism. David Koresh and the Branch Davidians started out as a sect or branch of the Seventh Day Adventist church. A similar thing has happened within the Baptist churches, Mennonites, Catholics, Anglicans, and Pentecostal churches to name a few. Jim Jones originally started a Pentecostal church, and then became increasingly extremist and insane.

Even if religious beliefs follow a different Bible, or the interpretations of a certain leader, it does not mean they are a destructive cult. A high percentage of people who attend churches of various denominations are sincere in their beliefs, and do not harm others as a result of their beliefs.

The elements of a destructive cult revolve around one or more of the following: financial exploitation, lies, slander, false accusations, sexual molestation of children, attacking the mind, will, and emotions of a person, targeting certain individuals, infiltrating families, and then ripping those families apart. Deception is at the centre of every cult. The Bible tells us God hates a liar. 

Cultists will stalk their victim, and attack physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. All of the victim’s relationships are targeted as well, and adversely affected by the cult. Their aim is to isolate, and turn the victim into a complete outcast, if they dare to defy or defect. They often try to break the spirit of their victim, and drive them to addiction or suicide.

They will use threats, violence, coercion, force, manipulations, gaslighting, slander, mobbing, and profound shaming. They will make false claims to have family relationships with their victims, thus restricting, oppressing, and entrapping them in a falsehood, and cognitive dissonance they cannot escape. They will exhibit an adamant refusal to let a person end the relationship with the cult.

They stubbornly persist in maintaining the control tactics over their victims. They continue the pursuit, in spite of attempts to reason with them, and regardless of the many protests and pleas of the victim. They are very thick skinned, in that they will persist in forcing an unwanted relationship, even after you go to the authorities. They do not expect to get arrested, and unfortunately they seldom do get arrested. This is one of the reasons they are so damaging, as the victim seldom gets justice, or even validation, in spite of the massive amount of harm that has been done to their lives.

Those are the issues and identifiers to help define destructive cults, regardless of the umbrella they are operating under.

We seem to be in a phase of history where not only do we need to filter all the deceptions in religion, but also in politics, medicine, and education. We are presented with a wide range of propaganda, untruths, and half truths in all areas of our existence. The wolves might be wearing sheep’s clothing – but they could be dressed up in just about anything.

The other day I actually wondered if CBC is becoming a cult. They openly admit to abandoning journalistic objectivity. They often have a very specific agenda and bias on what they report, and how they report it. They will not permit open and respectful discourse on the topics they write about. They moderate all dissenting opinions out of the equation. They will not tell the other side of the story, only the one that fits their agenda. I don’t think anyone would call it news. So what is it?

We have entered the era of truth versus deception, erosion of values, limitations on common sense, and divisive accusations – for going against the flow. Even just for questioning it. Oh no, you can’t be doing that!

We can only be responsible for our own beliefs. If others have different beliefs, but are not acting in a way that infringes on the rights of others, then so be it.  Or so we used to think. Because rights themselves have become a central battlefield, all over the world.

Our minds are the minefield. Therefore our beliefs are very important. I believe we should stand firm, tread softly, and live by faith.

Ultimately, what we believe is our destiny. Deception is our enemy. Discernment is a gift. We either embrace truth, or we become hardened by deception, and strong delusion.

We all make mistakes, and struggle sometimes like we have a crocodile clamped onto our leg in deep water. But even the desire to be truthful, and to find truth, in order to help with decision making – will help prevent that croc from dragging us into the depths.

Knowledge is power. There is no barrier to knowledge for those who seek truth with a sincere heart. Truth does not trick, trap, lie, bully, or harm us in the long run. We might be persecuted, but it will not last forever. Knowledge is continually growing, and we can grow with it, especially if we can differentiate truth from deception.

It is like it goes right back to the Garden of Eden, and the tree of the forbidden fruit, where Adam and Eve condemned all of us, by eating from the tree of knowledge from good and evil. Prior to that, they were not exposed to evil. But after they ate the fruit, all humans had to learn to navigate life with a knowledge of both good and evil. The clincher is to be able to distinguish one from the other.

In my opinion, this fallen element of human nature, means all humankind must find a way to differentiate the intense complexities, and battles between good and evil. At the heart of it, just as the Adam and Eve story tells us, is how the serpent beguiled Eve, and how Eve then convinced Adam to eat the fruit.

After that, typical of human nature, each one blamed the other. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.

But it was all about deception to begin with. And deception is something we end with – before there can be a new beginning. We are at the peak period of deception.

The question is – do we slide into the abyss on a rock face of sheer ice, before we reach the summit? Or do we embrace the fact we must seek the knowledge, and truth of what is good? As opposed to following what is based on deception, and results in evil? In our mind, we can gaze at that tree in the Garden of Eden for a very long time, wondering how it contained the knowledge of both good and evil.

This is also the conundrum, the cross, and the crux – where we finally meet up with our free will, and our destiny. Truth is the path to redemption. The truth does set us free. Thank God!

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.