History - Dear Franklin Jones - Chapter 1: Waking Up
Jul 24, 2024
Sam and Melissa React to the Shocking Truths of the "Exclusive Brethren" Docuseries
Growing Up in Polygamy
May 11, 2024
"In this captivating video, join Sam and Melissa as they delve into the intriguing world of the Exclusive Brethren through a thought-provoking docuseries. Watch their genuine reactions, insights, and emotions unfold as they explore the beliefs, practices, and controversies surrounding this secretive religious group. Gain a fresh perspective as Sam and Melissa navigate the complexities of faith, community, and identity in the face of extremism."
https://youtu.be/VihnQelFgIc?si=j5efl04QrKDWihoO
https://youtu.be/VihnQelFgIc?si=j5efl04QrKDWihoO
Walking Free from Coercive, Cultic and Spiritual Abuse
This ‘weekend workshop’ is for ex-group members only, and not family or friends. If you have left an abusive group or religion, this weekend is for you! The weekend is non-religious and accepting of all belief systems.
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED!
A WEEKEND WITH GILLIE JENKINSON PhD
Gillie Jenkinson, PhD is a psychotherapist accredited in UK. Gillie has studied cults at Masters and PhD level and asked the question of former members ‘what helped you recover from an abusive cult experience?’. Her book ‘Walking Free from the Trauma of Coercive, Cultic and Spiritual Abuse: A Workbook for Recovery and Growth’ published by Routledge in 2023 is based on all her research and years of working with first second and multi-generational former members. Gillie was a member of a cult herself a long time ago. Gillie has worked with former members for more than 25 years and has facilitated many former member recovery groups and is very much looking forward to coming to Brisbane and meeting whoever attends.
Read more about Gillie here: https://www.hopevalleycounselling.com
TOPICS DISCUSSED WILL INCLUDE:
A roadmap to recovery-introducing Gillie’s book ‘Walking Free.”
- Who are you?
- Introjects-beliefs and behaviours that we have swallowed whole without chewing them over (resulting in a cultic instead of authentic identity)
- Healthy boundary setting ‘Assertive Anger’
- The difference between anger and rage
- Healthy Self-Love
- Understanding Post Traumatic Stress
- Grounding
WHEN: Sat 5th Sun 6th October 2024.
WHERE: Corner of Rossiter Parade and Racecourse Road, Hamilton, Brisbane QLD, 4110
REGISTRATION COSTS: Registration $200 ($180 Early bird booking before 16th August)
Registration includes lunch and morning and afternoon tea.
HOW TO REGISTER:
Email: info@cifs.org.au stating your intention to attend the seminar. If you are not currently known to CIFS
Please include your name, phone, and any other relevant information such as the name of the group you were in and how long since you left etc. We may require a short phone call if you are not known to us to verify your identity and to maintain a safe space for all.
Bank transfer via our website: www.cifs.org.au
0r Westpac:
BSB 032069
A/C No. 215882.
Use your first name and ‘workshop’ as reference identifier.
Please Note: Due to the nature of the group process we regret that we cannot have people attend for one day only and dependent children cannot attend. We will email further details closer to the event time.
Crazy Therapies
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal: Many who consult therapists don't realize that there is little regulation of mental health workers. As a result, some therapists indulge in questionable practices?e.g., "rebirthing," "channeling," "catharsis" (acting out one's hostile emotions). Singer and Lalich (coauthors of Cults in Our Midst, LJ 4/1/95) describe many such methods and offer case studies. In addition, they discern three problems that apply to all these methods: they have not been rigorously tested, and nothing is known about whether people are actually helped by them; people caught up in these questionable therapies are not receiving proven treatment for their initial complaints; and there is a good deal of evidence that many of these therapies are harmful and make use of classic mind-control techniques to keep patients hooked. While not as essential a purchase, this title is a good complement to Jack Gorman's The New Psychiatry (LJ 11/1/96), which concentrates on explaining standards for good mental health care but does not go into detail about the ways in which therapy can be mishandled. Together, the two titles provide a solid background for anyone seeking assistance with life's problems.?Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, Wash.
Review
"Professionals will find the book valuable in that it provides a different perspective on many of their own therapeutic approaches...[it is] worthwhile because it courageously challenges the shamans and rattle shakers, the opportunists and the fakes, and those parts in all of us." (Transactional Analysis Journal)
"A timely, important, much-need and sane expose. If you are considering any kind of alternative therapy, you need to read this book. If you thought you already knew just how crazy therapy can be, guess again. You had no idea until you read this book." (Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of Against Therapy)
"This book is an intelligent, witty guide for anyone who is considering an "innovative" or unconventional approach to mental health or personal transformation."
"Singer brings educated skepticism to her topic--the wide-open field of fringe psychotherapy." (Dallas Morning News)
"A compelling, fascinating, well researched and informative book. By informing consumers of the serious dangers of quack psychotherapies, Singer and Lalich have performed a much needed public service." (R. Christopher Barden, Ph.D., J.D., L.P., adjunct professor of law, University of Minnesota, president, National Association for Consumer Protection in Mental Health Practices)
"Singer and Lalich reveal the dark side of a host of modern, Crazy therapies in which therapists can become persuasive agents of destructive influence. The authors' perceptive, critical analysis is must reading for all mental health professionals, for all current and potential clients of psychotherapy, and for all those interested in how reasoned traditional therapy lost its mind and in our time." (Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Stanford University and author of The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence (1991))
"Crazy Therapies is a much-needed book to help consumers navigate the unregulated filed of psychotherapy."
"This is a consumer guide to help sort out what might be right for you." (The Denver Post)
"Written in a clear, highly entertaining, and popular style, "Crazy Therapies" is just the book for anyone trying to wend their way through the daunting therapeutic maze."
"Tells a sad but fascinating tale of pathological therapies that abound throughout the country."
"This title is a good complement to Jack Gorman's The New Psychiatry. Together, the two titles provide a solid background for anyone seeking assistance with life's problems."
"A startling--and often amusing--expose of the alternative philosophies and practices that can be found in today's ever-growing psychotheraputic marketplace. This book is an intelligent, witty guide for anyone who is considering an 'innovative' or unconventional approach to mental health or personal transformation." (Feminist Bookstore News)
"Crazy Therapies is fascinating reading and would be helpful for anyone considering any innovative approach to mental health or personal transformation."
"...a must read for anyone who believes that there is sometimes little difference between some mental health practices and the occult. This is that rare book that is both highly entertaining and deeply disturbing..." (Behavioural Interventions, April 2001)
From the Inside Flap
Crazy Therapies is a startling--and often downright amusing--expose of the alternative philosophies and practices that can be found in today's ever-growing psychotherapeutic marketplace.While it is true that millions of people are greatly helped by psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, group, and other types of legitimate therapies, each year thousands of vulnerable and unsuspecting individuals go to and trust practitioners who persuade clients to accept with various unfounded and fanciful methods. Generally these enthusiastic--and perhaps ill-trained--therapists are themselves convinced of the healing powers of an array of techniques, some dating back far into time, that range from hilarious to hazardous.
Some clients are helped--most likely as a result of a placebo effect; some lose precious time and money; and yet others are psychologically damaged by some rather offbeat and irrational procedures. Past-life therapy, alien-abduction therapy, rebirthing, and skull bone adjustments, to name a few, might be laughable if the results of some of these bizarre practices weren't so potentially wasteful and at times harmful.
Written by Margaret Thaler Singer and Janja Lalich, the book describes actual case histories of people who participated in a variety of controversial therapies. Methods and guidelines distinguishing a legitimate therapeutic approach from one that is irrational, possibly harmful, and sometimes unethical are outlined by the authors. They also offer specific advice on how to avoid the risks of emotional and psychological entanglement with an influential practitioner putting forth a seductive theory. Crazy Therapies is an intelligent, witty guide for anyone who is considering an ?innovative? or unconventional approach to mental health or personal transformation.
From the Back Cover
"Crazy" Therapies is a startling--and often hilarious--expose of the alternative philosophies and practices that can be found in today's ever-growing psychotherapeutic marketplace.While it is true that millions of people are greatly helped by psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, group, and other types of legitimate therapies, each year thousands of vulnerable and unsuspecting individuals go to and trust practitioners who persuade clients to accept with various unfounded and fanciful methods. Generally these enthusiastic--and perhaps ill-trained--therapists are themselves convinced of the healing powers of an array of techniques, some dating back far into time, that range from hilarious to hazardous.Some clients are helped--most likely as a result of a placebo effect; some lose precious time and money; and yet others are psychologically damaged by some rather offbeat and irrational procedures. Past-life therapy, alien-abduction therapy, rebirthing, and skull bone adjustments, to name a few, might be laughable if the results of some of these bizarre practices weren't so potentially wasteful and at times harmful.
About the Author
MARGARET THALER SINGER is a clinical psychologist and emeritus adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley. An expert on post-traumatic stress and cults, she lectures widely in the United States and abroad. She is the lead author of Cults in Our Midst (Jossey-Bass, 1995).
JANJA LALICH is a writer, consultant, and specialist in cults and psychological manipulation and abuse. She is also the coauthor of Captive Hearts, Captive Minds (1994) and Cults in Our Midst (Jossey-Bass, 1995).
NCJRS Virtual Library
The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Typology of Domestic Violence: Intimate, Terrorism, Violent Resistance, and Situational Couple Violence
Typology of Domestic Violence: Intimate, Terrorism, Violent Resistance, and Situational Couple Violence
NCJ Number 225580
Author(s) Michael P. Johnson
Date Published 2008
Length 172 pages
Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
Language: English
Country: United States of America
NCJ Number 225580
Author(s) Michael P. Johnson
Date Published 2008
Length 172 pages
Annotation
This book delineates three major and dramatically different forms of domestic violence: intimate terrorism, violent resistance, and situational couple violence, with a goal towards creating a theoretical framework to differentiate the types of partner violence, offering a better understanding of domestic violence among academicians, researchers, policymakers, and service professionals.Abstract
The central theme to this book is that there is more than one type of intimate partner violence. The distinctions made among types of violence are as much about control as they are about violence. The approach taken here is to distinguish among types of violence on the basis of the control context in which they are embedded. “Intimate terrorism” is violence embedded in a general pattern of coercive control. It is the violence that is encountered most often in shelter populations, in emergency rooms, and in law enforcement. In heterosexual relationships, it is perpetrated almost entirely by men. “Situational couple violence” is not about general control, but is a type of violence that comes from the escalation of specific conflicts. However, neither of these two types of violence looks much like the “violent resistance” that is seen among women trying to cope with intimate terrorism. The goal of this book is to consider what is known and what is unknown about these different types of intimate partner violence. It is a reassessment of 30 years of domestic violence research. It shows that the failure to distinguish among these types of partner violence has produced research literature plagued by overgeneralizations and ostensibly contradictory findings. The typological approach utilized in this book is relatively new, first proposed in 1995 and only recently becoming the focus of research designed to test its implications. Organized into five chapters, the book presents and outlines this new typology in domestic violence: intimate terrorism, violent resistance, and situational couple violence. Appendixes A-C, notes, references, and indexAdditional Details
Sale Source: University Press of New England Address1 Court Street, Lebanon, NH 03766, United StatesPublication Format: Book (Softbound)
Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
Language: English
Country: United States of America
CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/22/2024 (Plymouth Brethren, Book, India, Bhole Baba, Maharishi, Beatles, Adnan Oktar, Turkey, Yoga Retreat In Bahamas)
Plymouth Brethren, Book, India, Bhole Baba, Maharishi, Beatles, Adnan Oktar, Turkey, Yoga Retreat In Bahamas
" ... Out of Faith: A Mother, A Sect and A Journey to Freedom by Maria Compton (writing under a pseudonym) will be published in hardback, audio, and e-book on August 15th, 2024."
" ... The author was born and raised in The Plymouth Brethren Christian church believing the end of the world was near. She was married as a teenager to a man she barely knew.
Compton said: 'Writing this memoir has been one of the most difficult yet therapeutic things I've done since I escaped the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. As I immerse myself into the chapters of my life within this strict sect, my hope is for my story to not only illuminate the trauma and sacrifices of breaking free but also to show the empowering journey of finding freedom and embracing my true self.'"
EEW: Tragic Stampede at Bhole Baba's Gathering: Understanding the 'godmen' Phenomenon
"In the small village of Bahadurnagar, India, 85-year-old Ramkumari claimed that a simple pat on the back from preacher Bhole Baba made her kidney stone disappear. Although she offered no proof, such stories of miraculous healings have skyrocketed Baba's following in northern India.
Last week, a massive gathering in a crowded field to hear Bhole Baba speak drew a staggering 250,000 people, resulting in one of the deadliest stampedes in the country's history, reports Reuters.
Born Suraj Pal Singh Jatav, Bhole Baba, which means "Innocent Elder," left his job as a police constable in 2000 to join the ranks of Hindu preachers known as "godmen." These figures are sought after for their supposed miracle cures and spiritual guidance, wielding significant influence and often attracting political attention."
Highbrow: 'Meeting The Beatles in India' Highlights the Fab Four's Encounters With the Maharishi
" ... For any Beatles fan, the documentation of this period is a holy grail. The images and anecdotes captured by Saltzman provide insight into the group's creative process and its eventual culmination in The White Album. Throughout this journey of self-discovery, Saltzman recounts being a firsthand witness to the inception of songs like "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" or "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill." For any fan (myself included), these moments are awe-inspiring and, in some ways, even comforting to see the beauty unfold. Yet, therein lies the fundamental flaw of the film's storytelling: nostalgia left unchecked.
It is an impossible task to uncover in the span of 800 minutes, let alone the film's runtime of 80 minutes. As a result, Saltzman's retelling of his time there feels nostalgic, almost to the point of blissful ignorance. The film presents a narrative with rose-colored glasses, focusing on the positive reactions of TM and the beliefs of Yogi, while seemingly avoiding the spiritual guru's alleged sexual misconduct. Mia Farrow, briefly mentioned in the documentary as one of the high-profile celebrities studying under Yogi and interacting with the band, has been candid about her experience there. The film spends little of its runtime discussing Farrow's alleged sexual assault at the hands of the spiritual guru, which ultimately is believed to have been a factor in the band's decision to leave Rishikesh."
Duvar: Court of Cassation upholds 8,658-year prison sentence for Islamic televangelist cult leader
"Turkey's Court of Cassation upheld 8,658-year prison sentence given to Islamic televangelist cult leader Adnan Oktar who involved in sexual assult, deprivation of liberty, torture and many more crimes.
The Court of Cassation, Turkey's highest appeal court, on July 10 upheld the 8,658-year prison sentence delivered to notorious cult leader Adnan Oktar.
In November 2023, a local court sentenced Oktar to 8,658 years in prison over the charges of "leadership of a terrorist organization," "sexual abuse," "holding a person against their will," "torture," "interruption of the right to education," and "recording personal data," along with other members of the cult."
True Crime Travel: Man MISSING 11 Years Ago From Yoga Retreat In Bahamas Before Taylor Casey!
News, Education, Intervention, Recovery
Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.
CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.
CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.
Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.
The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view to promote dialogue.
Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.
CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/23/2024 (The Saints, Medical Abuse, Australia, Legal, Lev Taho Conspiracy Theories)
The Saints, Medical Abuse, Australia, Legal, Lev Tahor Conspiracy Theories
Alleged texts sent by members of a cult-like religious group as a young girl lay dying from insulin withdrawal have been revealed.
"Texts sent by members of a cult-like religious circle on trial over the death of a young diabetic girl have been revealed in court, including one from her father to the group's leader.
Elizabeth Rose Struhs, 8, allegedly suffered for days after members of the circle – which included her parents and older brother – withheld her lifesaving insulin for days in January 2022.
She spent days vomiting, struggling to use the toilet, and eventually falling into unconsciousness before she died between January 6-7 that year.
Elizabeth's father Jason Richard Struhs, 57, and 62-year-old Brendan Luke Stevens – the leader of the religious group known as The Saints – are both charged with her murder."
"The three brothers Yakov, 34, Shmiel, 28, and Yoil Weingarten, 36—all leaders of the Guatemala-based Lev Tahor cult—were sentenced to 14, 14 and a dozen years, respectively, on Tuesday for "child sexual exploitation and kidnapping offenses," the U.S. Justice Department stated. Each will also have five subsequent years of supervised release.
"The sentencing of the Weingarten brothers holds them accountable for kidnapping children from their mother in the middle of the night, including for the purpose of coercing a child into a sexual relationship with an adult," said Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York."
ABC Australia: These former conspiracy theory believers were deep down the rabbit hole. Here's what pulled them out
" ... When Joel Hill's friend and sister were both seriously ill and needed medical intervention to stay alive, it threw his world of conspiracy theory beliefs into chaos.
Joel, who lives in Sydney, was born into conspiracy theories, in a family where alternative beliefs were shared. He grew up being congratulated by adults around him for his knowledge about conspiracies.
They included theories like the government is "trying to dumb us down with fluoride in the water … to make sure that you don't revolt and overthrow the government because they're inherently evil" — and that modern medicine is "the enemy".
He believed vaccines were poison designed to make people more sick so they had to buy more medicine.
It wasn't always a very positive existence."
Hollywood and pulp fiction have unwittingly—and sometimes intentionally—spawned real-world conspiracy theories, from lizard people to the #Illuminati.
"In The Truth Hurts, a series of VICE documentaries, Bupé Bhima explored the roots and spread of modern conspiracy theories: why they're dangerous and how they become violent. After conducting extensive research into where conspiracy theories come from, the results were surprisingly out in the open. In fact, they're right in front of our very eyes.
"Here's an unfortunate red pill for the conspiracy community: Whole sections of your worldview have been ripped off from random bits of pop culture trash. Hollywood blockbusters, daytime TV, pulp novels, and kids' comic books," Bhima said.
One of the most well-known conspiracy theorists is David Icke, a former professional soccer player who declared he was the son of God on a British talk show around 30 years ago. Since then, he's developed countless theories, claiming a race of shapeshifting, pan-dimensional lizard men were set to take over the world. He publicly claimed the coronavirus was a hoax—a narrative that got Icke banned from traveling to much of Europe."
News, Education, Intervention, Recovery
Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.
CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.
CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.
Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.
The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view to promote dialogue.
Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.
CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/24/2024 (Awards, Folie à Deux, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Terrorism, Centrepoint Restoration Project, John Samuel Barker)
Awards, Folie à Deux, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Terrorism, Centrepoint Restoration Project, John Samuel Barker
ICSA: Board Leadership Award
"ICSA's Board of Directors voted to give a special award to Board President Debby Schriver. Although it may not be immediately evident to many or even most ICSA members, Debby has been an extraordinary leader during a time of great challenge and transition. From dealing with an international pandemic, to the transition from founding Executive Director Michael Langone to our new ED Jackie Johnson, to overhauls to our website and our conferences, and revising our By-Laws, Debbie has invigorated ICSA with renewed energy and a solid path toward continued growth. We salute you, Debby Schriver!"
" ... One danger of a highly codependent relationship is the possibility of a psychological disorder called folie à deux. Translated directly, folie à deux means "madness of two" and it involves the transmission of delusional beliefs within a close relationship. Codependent relationships and this type of shared psychosis are interrelated and co-occurring phenomena.
Folie à Deux—A Descent Into Shared Delusions
One of the most famous cases of suspected folie à deux was the Burari deaths in India where a family of 11 members committed mass suicide due to "shared psychotic beliefs" led by the youngest son of the matriarch. The shocking event spawned the Netflix documentary House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths in 2021.
The term folie à deux was first described by French psychiatrists Charles Lasègue Jules and Falret in 1877. It refers to a rare psychiatric syndrome in which a symptom of psychosis, particularly a delusion, is transmitted from one individual to another.
In 1979, the book Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes explained that the disorder typically occurs in close relationships where one partner, often considered dominant, influences the beliefs and perceptions of the other. This can prove dangerous when the dominant partner shows signs of mental illness and the secondary person lacks critical thinking to go against them. This can lead to the secondary partner participating in irrational behavior."
Science Direct: Adverse childhood experiences, education, and involvement in terrorist violence: Examining mediation and moderation
"Most perpetrators of terrorist violence have had some level of post-secondary school education, with many enrolled in education at the time of their attacks. Exploring this premise in the context of prevention, this article draws from data gathered on a purposive sample (N = 206) of radicalized individuals from Europe and North America, half of whom became involved in terrorist violence at the end of their radicalization trajectories. Through a lens of educational participation, we propose novel, non-linear frameworks for understanding radicalization outcomes. To do so, two factors are explored that uniquely intersect when an individual enters a school setting: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and the human capital provided by education. As hypothesized, exposure to ACE was found to be associated with radicalization trajectories culminating in terrorist violence at the bivariate level (OR = 2.08). Consistent with the developmental-assets framework, it was further hypothesized that this relationship would be mediated by enrollment in education; however, results did not support this hypothesis. Instead, consistent with resiliency-based models, it was found that the relationship between ACE and involvement in terrorist violence was significant for those who abandoned education during radicalization (OR = 2.07). As well as contributing to theoretical models of radicalization to terrorist violence, identifying the furtherance of education as a moderator of risk may signal an important preventative strategy for violent extremism. Keeping enrolled students engaged in their programs, even if only nominally, may also forego the need for educators to engage in potentially controversial practices such as alerting the authorities to students who display signs of radicalization."
Website: Centrepoint Restoration Project
"Centrepoint was an intentional spiritual community, active in the 1980s and 1990s in Auckland, and lead by Bert Potter. The story of Centrepoint is one surrounded by complexity, controversy and shame. Many former residents of the community have felt that there is no space for the stories of their difficult experiences to be voiced, and to be heard.
The Centrepoint Restoration Project is about integrating these difficult experiences, through finding connections and sharing stories with safe people, in safe ways. It is about claiming the narrative back. It is about witnessing the truth. It is about acknowledging action taken in the past to address the wrongs, being thankful for those steps, but recognising that what has gone before is not enough. For those who feel that the history is not yet finished, this project is about finding ways to bring about resolution."
"By 1912, John Samuel Barker had convinced more than 70 people living in rural areas along the Lauderdale-Limestone County line that he was Christ. Calling himself the Rev. Barker, the tall, broad-shouldered man who had until then worked mostly as a store clerk began holding religious meetings in brush arbors when the weather was good and in Jim Moody's general store when it wasn't.
Before his reign as leader of the "Barkerites" was over, Barker would strong-arm his followers to give their belongings as "tithes," preach violence against non-believers, and be accused of kidnapping and involvement in the murder of his two-year-old great-nephew.
This is the story of one of Alabama's earliest known cults and its charismatic and terrifying leader.
John Samuel Barker was born to John and Nancy Shoemaker Barker in western Limestone County in November of 1861, just seven months after the start of the Civil War. He grew to be known as an "eccentric." Still, it wasn't until he went to Oklahoma in 1900 and began preaching to Native Americans that he realized his words had impact. In fact, he learned he could use the words of the Bible to manipulate people to his own benefit.
A descendant of Barker's who was interviewed in 2010 said the family passed down tales of their notorious family member. "He knew the Bible from over to cover and could quote any part of it, but he used it for his purpose and not the purpose of God," said Sally Hess, whose father was one of Barker's nephews, in the book "Forgotten Tales of Alabama."
Barker returned to western Limestone County, Alabama in about 1908 and put that knowledge to work. He grew his flock and began isolating them, first by decreeing that it was a sin to bathe and to change their clothing and then that "it is a virtue to assault all who are not believers in his doctrine," according to a July 1912 article in The Decatur Daily. It was enough to keep even the most curious outsiders away.
But Barker wasn't satisfied with that. He also taught his followers that the devil would possess one person in each family and that sometimes that "devil" was one of the children. Those who were possessed, he said, should be killed."
News, Education, Intervention, Recovery
Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.
CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.
CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.
Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.
The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view to promote dialogue.
Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.
Send an email to: cultnews101+subscribe@
Influencers driving extreme misogyny, say police
Francesca Gillett
BBC News
July 23, 2024
Online influencers like Andrew Tate are radicalising boys into extreme misogyny in a way that is "quite terrifying", police are warning.
Senior police officer Maggie Blyth said young men and boys could be radicalised in the same way that terrorists draw in followers.
The National Police Chiefs Council described the issue as a "national emergency" as it published a report into violence against women and girls.
The NPCC estimated at least one in 12 women in England and Wales would be a victim of violence every year - or about two million women.
And it said the problem had been growing, with "more complicated types of offending".
Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said officers who focused on violence against women and girls were now working with counter-terrorism teams to look at the risk of young men being radicalised.
Speaking about harmful content online, she said: "We know that some of this is also linked to radicalisation of young people online, we know the influencers, Andrew Tate, the element of influencing of particularly boys, is quite terrifying and that's something that both the leads for counterterrorism in the country and ourselves from a VAWG [violence against women and girls] perspective are discussing."
Mr Tate is a controversial British-American influencer and self-proclaimed "misogynist" who rose to fame after appearing on Big Brother in 2016.
He is currently awaiting trial in Romania over allegations of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women - charges he denies.
Schools across the UK previously told the BBC they were encountering increasing numbers of pupils who admired Mr Tate.
The wide-ranging report by the NPCC and College of Policing published on Tuesday said violence against women and girls had reached "epidemic" levels.
The report estimated that one in 20 adults - or 2.3 million people - were perpetrators of violence against women and girls every year.
"Nobody in industry and in other sectors and across the public understands just the scale and impact of these crimes," Deputy Chief Constable Blyth told BBC Breakfast.
The report identified several key threats facing victims including sexual violence, domestic abuse, stalking and child sexual abuse.
It found there had been a 37% increase in the number of violent crimes against women and girls between 2018 and 2023.
Police say more than one million such crimes were recorded in England and Wales last year alone, accounting for 20% of all crimes recorded by the police.
Police chiefs say domestic abuse is growing and remains one of the biggest demands on officers.
Some of the rise has been driven by an increase in reporting and more awareness of those crimes.
The College of Policing says it is creating a central hub which would offer police forces help by providing specialist knowledge and training.
The government says it welcomes the hub and aims to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has previously made clear that violence against women and girls will be at the top of her agenda.
So far the detail on government plans has been light, but in its manifesto, Labour said it would introduce new specialist domestic abuse workers in 999 control rooms and put specialist rape investigation units in every force across England and Wales so that early opportunities for prevention and protection were not missed.
This would entail more trained police officers and extra resources at a time when policing faced numerous challenges including retention and morale issues.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cne4vw1x83po
Jul 21, 2024
Doomsday’ movement grips youth in the Middle East
Jamie Seidel, News.com.au
July 20, 2024
A cabal of teens. A secret ceremony. A ritualistic raffle. Then a human sacrifice.
It’s not an American Bible-belt cult.
It’s a growing “doomsday” movement among Middle Eastern youth.
Five youths took their own lives in disturbing rituals in the Iraqi governorate of Wasit last month, the Iraqi National Security Services reports. A similar spate took place in Iraq and Lebanon early last year.
“This is not a scene from a Hollywood movie,” says Atlantic Council think-tank analyst Sarah Zaaimi.
Instead, it’s a “worrying phenomenon” linked to a Judgement-day sect called Jamaat al-Qurban (Brotherhood of Offerings).
Five youths took their own lives in disturbing rituals in the Iraqi governorate of Wasit last month, the Iraqi National Security Services reports.
Five youths took their own lives in disturbing rituals in the Iraqi governorate of Wasit last month, the Iraqi National Security Services reports.
BBC News
It’s just one example of the growing international appeal of doom and gloom across religious, political and geographical divides.
“It is important to note that this phenomenon is part of a larger messianic resurgence across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the past two decades,” says Zaaimi.
“Cases of self-proclaimed end-of-day prophets emerge every other day on social media”.
Islamic State rose to power in 2015 in part because it built its unique blend of terrorism and extremist Islam around an old apocalyptic prophecy.
And Jewish Haredi and Christian evangelical movements are once again embracing the notion of the “end times”, thanks in large part to the ongoing Gaza war and the threat of it spilling over into the broader Middle East.
“In a region where the borders between the natural and supernatural remain blurred, it is extremely worrisome … to observe an unprecedented doomsday fever and a high concentration of messianic groups – probably the most important since Prophet Mohammad and Jesus of Nazareth,” warns Zaaimi.
What foul beasts
In June last year, a young Lebanese-Canadian man took his life in Beirut. A day later, his wife suffered serious injuries in a similar attempt. Both were naked. Their two-month-old son only survived after family intervened.
Both were reportedly fiercely anti-technological and insisted on unusual behaviours such as not sleeping in beds. Both have since been linked to Jamaat al-Qurban.
This suicide cult is built around a secretive cleric based in the Iranian holy city of Mashad.
Ali Abd-Moneim Al-Hassani preaches the worship of Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad. The children he had with Mohammad’s daughter, Fatima, went on to found the dynastic leadership that defines Shia Islam.
Believers are promised spiritual rewards for giving up their lives as an expression of gratitude.
Jamaat al-Qurban is a doctrine rejected by mainstream Shia Islam as heresy.
It’s not the only one.
Another, this time based in London, is urging social media followers to donate money for the purchase of three private islands. There, says Sheikh Yasser al Habib, his Twelver Shia congregation (which worships the first 12 Shia Imams) will live strictly spiritual lives in preparation for the return of their messiahs.
A third doomsday cult, led by a beanie-adorned preacher in the United Kingdom, sells a very different message. Zaaimi describes the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light as “a syncretic (combined) faith mixing psychedelic consumption, New Age beliefs, soul reincarnation, ancient Egyptian gods, and space aliens”.
It has converted an old Manchester orphanage into a temple where it preaches the imminent demise of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.
“This is but the tip of the iceberg,” says Zaaimi. “These peculiar incidents – along with the flourishing of tens of other doomsday sects led by self-claimed prophets, charlatans, and characters with a Messiah complex – should be understood as a social phenomenon.”
Sons of light, sons of darkness
Apocalyptic invective is nothing new.
A cabal of teens. A secret ceremony. A ritualistic raffle. Then a human sacrifice.
https://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/doomsday-movement-grips-youth-in-the-middle-east/news-story/ace441f48f384c77275613ea00e644ee
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