CultNEWS101 Articles: 3/9/2023 (Mennonite, Women, Abuse, Polygamist, The Legionaries of Christ, Unification Church)

Mennonite, Women, Abuse, Polygamist, The Legionaries of Christ, Unification Church

American Magazine: 'Women Talking' is the Oscar nominee every Catholic needs to see

"The Oscar-nominated film "Women Talking" begins in a revelation of horror: The girls and women of a rural Mennonite community are being systematically drugged and raped in the night. The men of the community insist that their attackers are ghosts and demons, and as bizarre as that sounds, the women have accepted it. Then a child catches sight of one of the community's men as he assaults a woman. Soon an entire group of men is arrested.

Rather than stand by their mothers, wives and daughters, the men of the community leave to bail the perpetrators out, telling the women they have two days to come around to forgiving their attackers for what they have done. As a group, the women must decide how to proceed—"forgive" (i.e., do nothing); stay and fight back; or leave the community forever.

"Women Talking" is an exploration of the way that religion can be used to imprison people—and what's worse, to teach them to imprison themselves."

Missoulian: After escaping 'religious cult', Montana woman faces new challenges with honeyberry farm

"Melissa Allred is out to set examples with her life story, but it hasn't been easy.

First and foremost, she's out to prove she's a successful agricultural entrepreneur who can overcome obstacles and severe setbacks. She wants to be a leader in demonstrating that honeyberries can be a viable commercial  crop in Montana. Also called haskap, honeyberries are a sweet, juicy fruit that, although native to North America, haven't been cultivated on a wide scale in Montana.

Second, and more importantly, Allred wants to prove that women who come from psychologically abusive situations can find freedom.

Allred, who escaped from what she calls a "polygamist religious cult" that she was born into — where she was groomed to marry into a plural marriage and submit to her husband and the church — now owns and operates the largest honeyberry farm in Montana."

ReGAIN: Undiscerned Sexuality and Vocation in the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi: Recent Testimony

"Kevin O'Sullivan spent seven years inside the most secretive Catholic organisation in living memory – The Legionaries of Christ. He thought he was going to spread love and compassion: he ended up among disinformation and lies. He fled to save his sanity.

This is the story of how Kevin found, and then lost, his religion, and how he lost, and then found, his sexuality. On the way, the young teenager clings to what his mother has taught him: to be a good boy. The journey brings him face to face with difficult truths, and ultimately to a far deeper knowledge of himself, as he finds out who he doesn't want to be.

It's a story full of hope about discovering what matters to each of us, even if we don't like some of what we find."

SBS Dateline: The Unification Church: Some call it a cult, others say the church's aim is world peace

"The Unification Church, a powerful religious group commonly derided as 'The Moonies', is under investigation for its role in Japanese politics following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Some call it a cult, while others say the church's aim is world peace."

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‘Women Talking’ is the Oscar nominee every Catholic needs to see

Jim McDermott

American Magazine 

February 24, 2023

The Oscar-nominated film “Women Talking” begins in a revelation of horror: The girls and women of a rural Mennonite community are being systematically drugged and raped in the night. The men of the community insist that their attackers are ghosts and demons, and as bizarre as that sounds, the women have accepted it. Then a child catches sight of one of the community’s men as he assaults a woman. Soon an entire group of men is arrested.

Rather than stand by their mothers, wives and daughters, the men of the community leave to bail the perpetrators out, telling the women they have two days to come around to forgiving their attackers for what they have done. As a group, the women must decide how to proceed—“forgive” (i.e., do nothing); stay and fight back; or leave the community forever.

“Women Talking” is an exploration of the way that religion can be used to imprison people—and what’s worse, to teach them to imprison themselves.

If you are wondering why you haven’t heard about this incredible film, you are not alone. Since it was released in December, “Women Talking” has earned only $4 million domestically; maybe 250,000 Americans have paid to see it. I guess it’s not surprising that people would be more interested in Tom Cruise smiling or blue undersea C.G.I. aliens…I don’t know, farming? But among this year’s Oscar nominees there is no more compelling film than “Women Talking,” nor any that wrestles more honestly with what it means to be a member of a faith community.

After setting up its story, “Women Talking” spends almost the entirety of its run time in a barn with the small group of women appointed to decide what the larger group should do. From a storytelling point of view it’s a big swing. Cinema is a visual medium; 90 minutes of people sitting around talking does not sound like a formula for success. And yet the film’s writer/director, Sarah Polley, and this amazing cast, which includes Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Frances McDormand, Judith Ivey and Sheila McCarthy, use the constraints of the story to create a unique space of care.

As the group debates what to do, a number of the women end up sharing elements of their own experiences; and at their rawest moments, others silently come and sit with them or place a hand upon their shoulder. These actions never intrude on the character speaking. Instead, they somehow make more room for the speakers and their questions, their pain. It’s as though each person’s experiences have been pressed down within the characters into spaces far too small to contain them. The quiet presence of the women gives each speaker the permission to allow all of that out into the open. They can each be who they truly are, whether that is angry, ashamed or damaged, and find themselves accepted and loved as such.

It is one of the most profoundly Christian takes on community and friendship I have ever seen.

It is worth watching this film simply to watch that process unfold. It is one of the most profoundly Christian takes on community and friendship I have ever seen.

As much as their conversation is marked by the traumas they have been through, fundamentally what the women are wrestling with are questions of faith. They have spent their whole lives being taught to understand themselves as subservient to men, to accept the words of men as fact and their decisions as divinely inspired. They have also been taught that to reject their role in society will damn them literally to hell. How do you walk away from your community, violent though it may be, if the potential consequences are eternal torment—and not only for you but for your daughters?

“Women Talking” is an exploration of the way that religion can be used to imprison people—and what’s worse, to teach them to imprison themselves. In one of the most startling and yet genuine turns of the film, some of the women begin to wonder whether the men in their community can even be blamed for their actions. They, too, are trapped within the way of thinking they have been taught. These women are right, of course, but facing that fact when the consequences have been so damaging is also brutal. When you start confronting the truth of your reality, there’s just no telling where you’ll end up.

As different as the Mennonite community is from our own, our recent Catholic history, too, is filled with horrifying stories of communities of faith who were taught and groomed over many years to ignore the violence happening in their midst. The startling recent report about Jean Vanier, founder of the international network of residential communities for handicapped adults known as L’Arche, is a case in point. While widely viewed as a saint for his work with these communities, in secret Vanier wasusing L’Arche as a cover for the recreation of what seemed to be a “mystical sex” cult, and ended up sexually exploiting dozens of women over almost 60 years.

Is it truly possible that no one ever witnessed or heard stories of what was going on there, as has been asserted? What seems far more likely is that in looking back people will realize they did see things, but did not have the ability to face their reality. Even after decades of revelations, it is still so hard to overcome the essential trust we have been taught to have in religious figures.

But in “Women Talking,” with greater awareness comes not only a deeper sense of grief and loss, but the unexpected possibility of a deeper relationship with God. Many of the characters are actually more grounded in their faith at the end than they were at the beginning, and more joyous, too. Indeed, the choice they end up making is grounded in a sense of invitation from God, and the hopeful possibility of real forgiveness.

Even as Catholic leaders have worked to make our communities safer and more transparent, there are so many wounds that we carry as Catholics that have not been given opportunity for expression. Women and L.G.B.T. Catholics find their identities, even their physical selves, often defined by men who say their interpretations come from the word of God. “Women Talking” charts a different path. And there is much the church could gain from offering spaces where women and others are allowed to speak and listen with a similar kind of care.

https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2023/02/24/women-talking-oscar-nominee-244765

In Mexico, a decade of images shows Mennonites' traditions frozen in time

Jose Luis Gonzalez and Cassandra Garrison
Reuters
May 19, 2022

ASCENCION, Mexico, May 19 (Reuters) - The Mennonite community in Chihuahua, Mexico, can trace its roots as far back as a century ago, when the first such settlers came seeking ideal farming land, isolation from the outside world and the preservation of their religion.

Here, their way of life is simple, with virtually no use of electricity or the internet. The community supports itself through its centuries-old tradition of farming: corn, chili peppers, cotton, onions.

But life can be difficult for them as modern technology creeps closer to their doorstep. It's not as easy to maintain their isolation as it was a hundred years ago.

From low water reserves due to drought worsened by climate change to the rising cost of diesel to run farming pumps, the community has its own set of challenges as it seeks to thrive and grow.

For the last 100 years, Mexico has been home to Mennonite farmers, who migrated from Canada, where many still live.

Descendants of 16th-century Protestant Anabaptist radicals from Germany, the Low Countries and Switzerland, Mennonites rejected military service and the concept of a church hierarchy, suffering years of persecution and making them reliant on the patronage of rulers eager to exploit their belief that agriculture and faith are intertwined.

The community of El Sabinal - Spanish for "The Juniper" - was founded nearly 30 years ago in the dry, desert-like terrain of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. Today, Mennonite farmers have transformed it into fruitful farmland, often using antique farm equipment. They live in simple brick houses they build themselves, usually consisting of one open room.

As the Mennonites expanded their farmland in drought-prone Chihuahua, where they have several communities, the demand for water increased. Over the years, they have faced allegations of sinking illegal wells from local farmers who complain the government gives them preferential treatment.

"It is very expensive to pump diesel here. There is still water, but they have to sink more wells," said Guillermo Andres, a Mennonite who arrived in El Sabinal as a teenager. His devout family eschews the use of electricity and pumps well water using diesel fuel, an increasingly costly practice.

The Mennonites' native language is typically Plautdietsch, a unique blend of Low German, Prussian dialects and Dutch. Many Mennonites, especially men who interact with local laborers, also speak Spanish.

From schools to general stores, almost everything the Mennonites need they have built for themselves within the confines of their own communities.

Mennonites generally finish school by the age of 12. Boys and girls sit separately in classrooms, just as men and women do in church pews on Sundays.

It is not uncommon to see a child younger than 10 operating a tractor or driving a horse-drawn buggy on the white, dusty roads within the community.

These blue-eyed, blond-haired people marry young and focus on expanding their families. Many farmers said they had more than 10 children.

In this way, they practice their religion through their everyday life. Men tend to the fields while women maintain the gardens at home and care for the children.

The Mennonites' interaction with the outside world is mostly restricted to their relationships with local people who work for them as laborers in the community or to trips into town to buy goods.

"The traditions are living quietly in a neighborhood without trucks, without rubber tires, without electricity," Andres said. "Our traditions come from Russia, from Russia to Canada and from Canada to Mexico.

"I don't know about it (technology); that's how I was born and that's how I've been all my life; that's how I like to continue," he added.

Reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in Chihuahua and Cassandra Garrison in Mexico City; editing by Jonathan Oatis



https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-19/in-mexico-a-decade-of-images-shows-mennonites-traditions-frozen-in-time

Meet Belize's secluded Mennonites, a community frozen in time

Oscar Holland

CNN
August 9, 2021

Homesteads dotting a pastoral landscape, families living by lamplight and men in straw hats riding horse-drawn carriages -- the scenes in Jake Michaels' photographs could easily depict bygone times in the American Midwest. But not only do his pictures hail from the digital age, they were taken hundreds of miles away in Belize.

The tiny Central American country is home to around 12,000 of the world's most conservative Mennonites, a group of Christians that live in closed communities and shun modern technology including, in some cases, electricity. Dating back to 16th-century Europe, the Protestant sect's members have since moved around the world in search of isolated farmland, and to escape persecution or attempts to integrate them into wider society.

Belize's colonies date back to the late 1950s, when a group of over 3,000 Canadian Mennonites immigrated there from Mexico. Their arrival followed an agreement with the Belizean government, which offered them land, religious freedom and exemption from certain taxes (and, as committed pacifists, from military service).

In return, the country has enjoyed the fruits of their agriculture. Today, Mennonites dominate Belize's domestic poultry and dairy markets, despite representing less 4% of the population.

Hoping to document their traditional way of life, Michaels visited three Mennonite colonies in Belize's north -- Indian Creek, Shipyard and Little Belize. And despite the communities' apparent aversion to outsiders, he found them surprisingly receptive.

"People were far more hospitable than I expected, and everyone was very understanding, even though my Spanish is not that great," he said in a phone interview, explaining that the group's mother tongue is Plautdietsch (or Mennonite Low German), though many also speak Belizean Spanish.

"A lot of time was spent without a camera in my hands. It was more about interacting, socializing and getting to know people before (the photography) even happens."

Stuck in time

Spending time in Mennonites' family homes and expansive farmland, Michaels discovered a world frozen in time (an idea alluded to by the title of his new book, "c.1950"). But beyond the obvious anachronisms of technology-free homes and women dressed in bonnets, the resulting photographs hint at an idyllic life centered on family -- and free from the trappings of modernity.

"My whole practice shifted as the days like went on. My mind slowed down, and I was more present in the surroundings," he said, adding: "I'm not trying to say that their lives are simple, but I think it, for me, it just allowed me to slow down and be more present."

But the photographer was also wary of romanticizing this remote way of life.

Permitted to run their own schools, Belize's Mennonites have literacy rates significantly lower than the country's other ethnic groups, with just 5% completing formal secondary education. The communities are mostly reliant on commercial agriculture, with colonies organized not only around family and religion, but also labor.

Michaels' photographs detail these economic realities. They depict Mennonites sorting beans in a dimly-lit room or in plastic aprons at a papaya-packing factory. Other images show men attending a nearby auction and smoke rising into a bright blue sky as land is cleared for farming.

"Their world intersects far more now with the modern world than it did before," Michaels said. "There are several Mennonites who work in tandem with Belizean people, so they're aware of the outside world and what's going on.

"There are good aspects to life, and there are hard aspects to life," the photographer added. "At the end of the day, people are still making a living ... people still have jobs. So, I think it was important to show the whole spectrum of life."

Picture of contrasts

Like Mennonites elsewhere, Belize's colonies have both conservative and progressive members, resulting in differing attitudes towards technology. Somewhat unexpectedly, electronic gadgets like cellphones and cameras make occasional appearances in some of Michaels' pictures.

It is a contrast he exploits to powerful effect. Take the image of a young woman in traditional clothing pointing a small digital camera towards Michaels' own lens, a photo he described as "one of my favorites from the whole trip."

"Everything about it seems as if it's a photo from like the 1950s, but then there's a modern camera in her hand," he said, adding that the gradual creep of technology was not necessarily perceived as a threat. "They're far away in the rolling hills of Belize, so it's not like there are (competing lifestyles nearby)."

And although the experience has not prompted Michaels to forgo technology himself, it has left a lasting impression on his photography.

"It definitely impacted the way that I shoot going forward," he added. "It made me more interactive and more social with people rather, than just taking photos."

 

"c.1950," published by Setanta Books, is available now.



https://www.cnn.com/style/article/belize-mennonites-jake-michaels/index.html

Meet the Mennonites - Documentary

Top Documentary Films
DW

2018 - 42 MIN

https://youtu.be/Pt_XU4W4DBA

Much like the Amish, the Mennonites live a life of isolation from the outside world. They resist the temptations of the modern society by casting themselves away from it. As a result, outsiders have rarely enjoyed an insider's perspective on their daily existence. Meet the Mennonites pulls back the curtain and offers a rare glimpse into their simple and fascinating way of life.

The film observes life in a Mennonite commune in Belize. Many of the commune's inhabitants are reluctant to be shown on camera, but the filmmakers manage to gain the trust of a few subjects. Through their insights, we learn what draws them to a life of extreme discipline, religious devotion and self-containment.

Their unique perspectives are embedded into them from a young age. Children attend school from the age of 6 to 13. During that time, they forgo the usual textbooks devoted to math and science. Their studies revolve exclusively around the Bible.

The typical Mennonite families consist of up to a dozen children. Their days are spent working on farmland or constructing useful furnishings to sell to the outside world.

Artifacts from the outside - such as cell phones - are viewed as tools from Satan. Even so, a few members of the commune have opened themselves to more inclusion from their surrounding communities. This is a sore point with the more devout members of the Mennonite tribe, and they work to ensure that these "offenders" are appropriately ostracized for their transgressions.

Sensing a wavering from the old order, a feeling of discontent begins to rumble among the more traditional members of the community. Together, they join forces to form a new commune in Peru. This ambitious move stirs both optimism and fear within them. It will mark their first time on a plane, and a degree of interaction with the masses that they have been successful in avoiding up until now.

Sharply observant and free of judgement, Meet the Mennonites is a fascinating look at a committed people who are driven by a shared thirst for a simpler way of life.

Directed by: Mélanie Van Der Ende

https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/meet-mennonites/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=recently_posted_documentaries&utm_term=2020-07-19

CultNEWS101 Articles: 6/6-7/2020

Twelve Tribes, Branch Davidians,  Covid-19, Domestic Abuse, Mennonites, Orthodox Jews, Legal, Religious Freedom, Canada, Scientology

Colorado Springs Gazette: From Manitou Springs to the world: Mate Factor Café part of global 12 Tribes community

"Much of the Twelve Tribes theology is similar to other Christian groups, but they emphasize living in strict accordance with God's will as revealed in the New Testament and the Old. They follow Jewish levitical laws on lifestyle and diet, and celebrate the major Jewish festivals, including Pentecost, or Shavuot, and Passover.

They believe they are gathering together the 12 biblical tribes described in the book of Revelation in preparation for Christ's return

Twelve Tribes members believe that living communally is a requirement for true followers of Christ, who they call by his Hebrew name, Yahshua.

A disciple's life is "a tribal life," says an article in the Freepaper, "families, clans, and tribes, in stark contrast to the suburban loneliness of the world."

When asked about the spiritual status of the vast majority of Christians who don't live communally, Hushai, one of the local group's shepherds, quoted 1 John 5:19: "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."

"We believe very sincere people" are part of the flawed mainstream "religious system," Hushai said. "We hope we can learn to love one another, obey his commandments, and recognize the leaven of unrighteousness that comes in to separate us."

They follow a strict morality that some see as family values on steroids. They favor male leadership, practice corporal punishment on disobedient children, and do not condone homosexuality.

Some practices have brought criticisms about legalism and cultlike practices. A Vice story about the group bore this headline: "The Idyllic Restaurant Chain Owned by a Homophobic, Racist, Child-Beating Cult."

The Southern Poverty Center issued a similar warning, calling the group "a Christian fundamentalist cult" whose "hippie-vibed restaurants and cafes" conceal "a tangle of doctrine" that, among other things, supports slavery and homophobia.

Twelve Tribes communities have frequently been accused of — and occasionally found guilty of — child abuse and labor violations, and have faced penalties for requiring children to perform adult work on Twelve Tribes farms and crafts.

Local members are quick to dismiss these and other allegations, and say such controversies are part of the persecution members face for faithfully following Christ."

Pacific Life: Why are we obsessed with cults right now?

"Sometime in late April, a new docuseries popped up in my Netflix suggested list.

Called "Waco," it's about the 1993 siege on the compound of a religious group called the Branch Davidians by various federal and local government agencies. On day 51 of the siege, which included tanks, firearms and a lot of incendiary tear gas, a fire broke out in the compound that killed 76 Branch Davidians, including 25 children. Ever since, it's been hotly debated whether the government or the Branch Davidians' charismatic and controversial leader, David Koresh, is to blame. I was seven-years-old in 1993 and I remember my parents — people who normally might be quick to write off groups like the Branch Davidians as too extreme — being horrified by what happened. The Branch Davidians' religious views may have been extreme by mainstream standards, but did they really deserve to die the way they did? I didn't think so, and that stuck with me (I ended up majoring in religion in college, focusing on cults)."

Independent: Women suffering 'domestic and spiritual abuse' in lock-down, religious leaders warn

'We cannot ignore that there are perpetrators within all our faith communities,' says joint statement

"Religious leaders have warned that domestic abuse victims in their communities face the greatest obstacles to getting help, and raised fears that the coronavirus lockdown was causing such violence to soar.

Figures from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities said they had heard reports of abuse in the home ranging from psychological and physical violence to spiritual abuse during the Covid-19 emergency.

AP: Some Old Order Mennonites feel called to return to church

"For the first time in weeks, kids played in the church cemetery. Nearby, a group of men in their 20s reflected on what it meant to gather again during the pandemic.
"Human health is important," one of them said. "But ultimately, spiritual health is more important."

Their conservative order — one that shuns technology, cars and electricity — never missed Sunday services in more than 100 years, when the deadly 1918 flu pandemic interrupted worship.

Then, a different virus intruded in this world apart.

For nearly two months, the Old Order Stauffer Mennonite Church followed Pennsylvania's stay-at-home order and guidelines that discouraged gatherings in houses of worship. COVID-19 forced the postponement of weddings, funerals and their bi-annual communion, a high point. While some more modern Mennonite orders in Lancaster County held services by video, the Stauffers did not.

But now, it was "time to get back to work," their bishop said. "And more so … in the spiritual sense." It was time to resume worship, he said — though he wondered how many worshippers would come, and he still felt concerns about "offending the public and the government."
News spread fast: first service together in weeks; not mandatory, only for those who felt safe."

National Post: Legal group threatens court challenge over right of Ontario Orthodox Jews to worship during pandemic

"An Alberta-based legal group is threatening a court challenge to fight for the religious rights of Orthodox Jews in Ontario who, because of gathering-size restrictions, have been unable to properly worship during the pandemic.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a conservative legal group, has been extremely active during the COVID-19 crisis, saying it's pushing to maintain Charter rights even during a pandemic. The group has written to the Alberta government expressing concerns over pieces of legislation, has gone to court to fight restrictions on drive-in religious services in Ontario, and is now preparing legal documents concerning the remaining Ontario restrictions on religious gatherings.

"The Ford government has been slow to make reasonable accommodations for faith groups, even where they present little or no public health risk, and even as the province is beginning to open up," said lawyer Lisa Bildy in a statement to the Post.

In Ontario, hundreds of pastors and other religious leaders signed a letter to Premier Doug Ford sent on May 11 asking for changes to the rules for religious groups, pointing out that, "never in 1,500 years of Western history has the Church of Jesus Christ not met for Easter or missed months of worship and ministry — even in times of war or plague far more devastating than COVID-19."

"The inhumanity of abandoning people in their deepest hour of grief or need is gut-wrenching for followers of Christ," the letter says.

Since that letter, there have been some changes: drive-in services are now allowed, for example. But, On May 22, four Toronto rabbis followed up with another letter, addressing the specific ways in which Orthodox Jews are affected by the rules. They say they haven't been helped by the government allowing drive-in services, while in-person gatherings remain capped at five people. (The National Post was unable to reach the four signatories on Friday).

"When violating any Charter freedom, a government must prove that such violations are demonstrably justified. The more we learn about this virus, and the longer these infringements on Canadians' civil liberties go on, the less likely governments will be able to meet that test," wrote Bildy."

Business Insider: Power Line: Not enough bank for bankruptcy — A $400 billion hole in energy investment — More fuel for fusion

" ... We love a short week, and I spent most of it working on a feature about my hometown — "America's most unusual town," according to Oprah. So that must be true.
It might be. Fairfield, Iowa is home to thousands of disciples of the late Indian guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. People here meditate together daily in large golden domes, eschew wifi and smart meters, and live in unique structures that are said to nourish their occupants."

Jon Atack, Family & Friends: Technical training corps, hard sell, and moths - a conversation with Edwin Stratton

"In this meander down memory lane, Ed reminisces about his time in the TTC (Technical Training Corps) at Saint Hill, and Jon waxes poetic about the practice of "hard sell."

Where does the moth come in? you'll see.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

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Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

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CultNEWS101 Articles: 9/27/2019

Event, Cults, Podcast, LDS, Russia, Religious Freedom, Amish, Mennonite, Rumspringa, Sexual Abuse 

Event: Building Bridges - Leaving and Recovering from Cultic Groups and Relationships

Topics discussed include: assessing a family's unique situation; understanding why people join and leave groups; considering the nature of psychological manipulation and abuse; being accurate, objective, and up-to-date; looking at ethical issues; learning how to assess your situation; formulating a helping strategy; learning how to communicate more effectively with your loved one; learning new ways of coping.  

September 27, 2019, 7 pm – 9 pm.

New York, NY

Who What Why: Are We All Cult Members Now?

"Every day there are stories about how interactions between people have become increasingly tribal — prompting individuals to trash facts, science, and objective reality in the service of a cause or a set of beliefs.

It's almost as if society has been taken over by cults.

In this week's WhoWhatWhy podcast, we talk to Dr. Janja Lalich, professor emeritus of sociology at Cal State University, Chico, and one of the nation's leading authorities on cults.

Lalich talks about the recent and dramatic increase in cults. What are the characteristics that define all cults? What are the uses of paranoia? What is the appeal of the charismatic and highly narcissistic leader who demands total loyalty while promising some kind of salvation, framed in an us-vs.-them message?

She details how citizens are most susceptible to large-scale cults when a nation is in turmoil and ideology becomes sharply defined — as it has been historically by Hitler and Mao, as well as by the religious cult leader Jim Jones.

Successful cults, Lalich tells us, create an entire belief system, which is why they are so difficult to escape from: to leave means renouncing everything one has developed faith in.

She explains that when individuals try to leave cults they need the support and intervention of family and friends who are understanding, non-judgmental, and provide an emotional safe haven.

On the other end of the spectrum, for large populations or even whole nations that have been taken over by cults, the job of deprogramming millions of people usually requires a significant outside force — something that can be more dangerous and destabilizing than the cult itself.

Unfortunately, the law provides very little protection against the power of cults, most of which grow by word of mouth in a kind of ideological pyramid scheme. Based on her personal experience with cults, and years of academic research, Lalich provides a new framework for looking at the current political landscape."

Salt Lake Tribune: Building a temple in Russia may be a heavy lift in a nation not eager to even see LDS chapels

"before 4 p.m. on Easter Sunday in 2018, in his first General Conference as president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson made a historic announcement: The Utah-based faith would build a temple in a "major city" in Russia.

And, though it was after midnight in this distant land (and most Russians were fast asleep), some Latter-day Saints here began furiously messaging one another.

"I got texts from my [former] missionary companion," recalls Kristina Nikogosyan, who works for the church in Moscow. "I was crying for three hours."

It is a "huge blessing for Russia," she says, "that God sees us."

Sergei Antamanov, the church's spokesman in Russia, didn't hear the news until he was eating breakfast the next morning, and his Facebook page was exploding with the unexpected development.

Both Antamanov and Nikogosyan know the religious reality. The nation's 23,000 Latter-day Saints are the smallest of Davids compared to the Russian Orthodox Goliath, whose influence and infrastructure dominate the physical and spiritual landscape.

It is the predominant religion of the people. Its multicolored domes weave in and out of the skylines among the citadels and the statuaries, the Soviet-era apartments and the gleaming new malls. Its cathedrals are almost as ubiquitous as the standard-brand Latter-day Saint steeples in Utah County.

In this vast country, those rounded roofs of Orthodoxy make a statement beyond architecture and aesthetics: This, they silently trumpet, is our land and our identity.

Will an intruding Latter-day Saint temple — representing a faith not just from the West but from America — actually be permitted to puncture that picture?

Maintaining the visual message

In 2016, the Russian government passed a strict law against proselytizing by so-called minority faiths. It prohibited talking about religion on the streets, in homes and in any public places.

The purpose was to forestall — or at least hinder — these denominations from growing or from luring away believers from the Russian Orthodox Church.

Another tactic being tapped to limit these faiths is to block them from building their own churches.

"Local officials continued to prevent minority religious organizations from obtaining land," reads the 2018 U.S. State Department Report on International Religious Freedom in Russia, "and denied them construction permits for houses of worship."

The report cited "a senior member of the Presidential Council on Human Rights and Development of Civil Society," who said "there was a new tendency among regional authorities to restrict the construction or restoration of houses of prayer and churches on residential lands."

In two separate cases in March, the State Department said, "authorities demolished residences on private land that were being used as churches, one in Novorossiysk and one in Abinsk."

Muslims, too, find their need for new sacred spaces to be blocked by the government.

"As elsewhere in the world, the number of Muslims is growing in Russia today," says Azamat Abdusalomov, deputy head of the international department of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia. "There is a large influx of external and internal migration, [which presents] a need to increase the number of mosques in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and other cities."

Moscow has more than a million Muslims and only four mosques.

'This issue requires attention and needs to be resolved," Abdusalomov writes in an email. "The authorities do not want to resolve this issue and throw off this issue on Russian nationalism and other reasons, but, in fact, these issues could be resolved."'

Lancaster Online: What do Amish, Mennonite, rumspringa mean? A guide to terms used in Lancaster County's Plain community

" ... The Amish use several terms that come from Pennsylvania Dutch and haven't quite made it to mainstream media.

To better understand our Amish neighbors, LNP worked to collect and define words that might be unfamiliar to those outside the Amish community.
Here are some frequently-used Amish-related words and their definitions:

Plain Sect Community

Characterized by living separately from the world, these Christian groups include the Amish and various Mennonite and Brethren groups. Most are of the Anabaptist movement, which traces its roots to the Protestant Reformation.Amish
The Amish make up a group of traditionalist Christians that originated from Swiss German Anabaptism. The Amish are best known for their plain dress and aversion to technology. While all Amish people share common beliefs, practices vary from congregation to congregation. Within Lancaster County, there are 229 Amish districts — each with different rules and regulations. 

Mennonite

While often mistaken for the Amish, more conservative sects of the Mennonite faith differ quite a bit from the Amish. Most use electricity and drive cars and tractors. However, other sects of the Mennonite faith have assimilated into mainstream culture.

English

If you're not a part of the Plain Sect community, you're what the Amish call English.

Gang

While the Amish Mafia does not exist, Amish gangs do. LNP sat down with Charles Jantzi, psychology professor at Messiah College and researcher of Amish youth, who explains what an Amish gang is and how it impacts Amish teens. A gang is like a youth group. 

Rumspringa

In popular culture, rumspringa has been represented as an opportunity for Amish youth to go wild. This isn't exactly correct. Rumspringa is a period during which an Amish teen has more freedom. Around the age of 16, Amish teens join gangs, which greatly determine how rebellious their rumspringa experience will be. Fancy gangs might allow more of an "English" experience, while plain gangs will be more conservative. Most Amish teens stick to the boundaries of their gangs during rumspringa. 

Washington Post: I was the first woman to publicly accuse gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. But I was also abused in my own church.

"Rachael Denhollander was the first gymnast to come forward against sports physician and convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. This is her story of experiencing abuse in church when she was 7 years old.I still remember it like it was yesterday.The church was small, just a few hundred people, and everyone knew everyone. My mom played flute and sang on occasion. I earned a reputation early on for loving children, and I frequently cuddled babies for tired moms after the service or played with their toddlers in the nursery during business meetings. Our family was part of a tightknit, small group Bible study that was a highlight of every week, and my parents had been close friends with many of the people there long before I had been born. I'd been born alongside their children, and we had grown up together. The church, which was Baptist in theology but independent from any denomination, was part of our family, and we were part of it.But something changed when I was 7. I stopped heading straight from Sunday school to the church mailbox — a small set of cubbies, each with a family's name inscribed — to check for notes and newsletters. I didn't walk the hallways anymore, using my finger to trace the lines between the giant bricks covered in thick cream paint. And I wandered the bright green lawn with the other kids a lot less.

I spent a lot more time hiding in the girls bathroom, shaking and wishing someone would ask what was wrong but knowing I wouldn't know what to say if they did.
I had been abused and was still being preyed upon by a college student at the church. He'd managed to do it while sitting me on his lap during a church Bible study. No one knew except me, and I wasn't sure what I knew, except that I felt terrified and physically ill. I wasn't about to describe what made me feel that way, either. So I hung out in the washroom, the one place he couldn't find me.

Then one week, he didn't come back. I figured he'd finished college and moved. But somehow, even after he was gone, things didn't go back to normal. The Bible study we were part of eventually ended. The adults I loved and trusted suddenly seemed icy and distant. Some of our closest friends left to start a new church. The ones who remained weren't close to us any longer. More than a year later, we left, too. The reasons were vague and unclear. I was devastated at the loss and frustrated that I couldn't understand or just be told what had happened."

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