New Podcastjon atack, family & friends: moving beyond the guru - with Joe KellyIn this interview, Joe Kelly recounts his nine-year involvement with Transcendental Meditation (TM) and his subsequent transition into cult exit counseling. Raised in a conservative Catholic environment, Kelly was drawn to TM in the early 1970s, inspired by the Beatles and the era's counterculture movement. Seeking alternative consciousness and world peace, he quickly escalated from a student to an active volunteer and instructor, interacting with diverse groups of professionals drawn to TM's promised pragmatic and spiritual benefits.
After fourteen and a half years involved in TM and another group, Kelly describes the profound disorientation of leaving his high-demand environment and returning to a normal life. This transition involved moving back with his confused parents and attempting to rebuild his independence from scratch. He also details participating in a lawsuit against the TM organization, which ultimately concluded with an out-of-court settlement that refunded his financial investments.
Following his exit, Kelly attended a Cult Awareness Network conference where he connected with exit counselor Kevin Garvey. Under Garvey's mentorship, Kelly began using his own experiences to assist others in leaving large group awareness training, eventually becoming an established interventionist and exit counselor himself.
Legislative & LegalSocialCare.Today: First national call for evidence on spiritual and cultic abuse The UK government is facing pressure to launch the nation's first call for evidence regarding spiritual and cultic abuse, following an open letter submitted by survivors and advocates. Spiritual and cultic abuse involves coercion, exploitation, and manipulation within religious or spiritual groups, often slipping through the cracks of current protective systems. The campaign, spearheaded by Surviving Universal UK, seeks to understand the true scale of the issue rather than restrict religious freedoms.According to a survey by the charity, 75% of the groups reported for abuse were registered charities, and nearly 90% were active places of worship, with Black communities being disproportionately targeted. The campaign draws inspiration from a recent parliamentary inquiry in Victoria, Australia, which resulted in 98 findings and 39 recommendations to combat harm in high-control groups. Supporters, including local politicians and child safety campaigners, emphasize that an urgent national inquiry is a vital first step to provide adequate support for survivors and hold abusive organizations accountable.
Courthouse News Service: 10th Circuit affirms dismissal of Mormon church tithing fraud class action as too late A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a class-action lawsuit accusing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of tithing fraud. Plaintiffs alleged the church misled donors by funneling charitable contributions into a $100 billion investment slush fund, utilizing $1.4 billion to develop a commercial shopping mall in Salt Lake City. The 10th Circuit panel ruled that the plaintiffs missed the statute of limitations to file their claims. The court determined that widespread national media coverage of a December 2019 IRS whistleblower report should have provided sufficient notice to donors regarding the potential misuse of funds. While the court did not explicitly rule on whether the church committed fraud, the decision emphasizes the legal expectation for plaintiffs to act promptly when allegations of institutional financial misconduct enter the public domain.
LawNews: The Latter-Day Saints Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Could Backfire in Ways Nobody Expected The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against John Dehlin, host of the Mormon Stories podcast, alleging the unauthorized use of logos and branding. The church claims the podcast’s marketing deceives listeners into believing it is an official church product, though Dehlin maintains his status as an independent pundit. In a surprising counterattack, Dehlin’s legal team is challenging the church’s intellectual property rights directly. They have requested the court revoke eleven of the church’s trademarks, including the term "Mormon," arguing that church leadership publicly abandoned the term years ago and fraudulently claimed active use to the US Patent and Trademark Office. Legal experts and the ACLU suggest the church’s attempt to enforce these trademarks could backfire. If Dehlin successfully invalidates the trademarks, the church could lose its exclusive legal claim to a term used by communities across North America for generations.
ChosunBiz: Lee Man-hee denies intent in 7.5 billion won tax evasion trial in South Korea Shincheonji Church of Jesus Chairman Lee Man-hee has formally denied the charges brought against him in his first trial concerning a massive tax evasion case. South Korean authorities allege that the controversial religious leader actively evaded approximately 7.5 billion won in taxes. During the court proceedings, Lee’s defense maintained that there was no deliberate intent to evade taxation, challenging the prosecution's narrative regarding the organization's internal financial practices. The trial brings renewed legal scrutiny to Shincheonji, a group that has frequently faced public, legal, and governmental pushback over its high-demand operational tactics and financial transparency.
