Like seriously. Read this and tell me it doesnt sound like most mainstream christian denominations.
http://old.freedomofmind.com/Info/BITE/bitemodel.php
Some that stand out to me are;
Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates (“dont hang around those unbelievers timmy!”
When, how and with whom the member has sex (im still waiting on those “no sex before marriage” and “masturbation is a sin” verses."
Control types of clothing and hairstyles (no dresses above the knee, no shorts, no purple hair, no peircings, no business!)
Regulate diet - food and drink, hunger and/or fasting (some still prohibit those foods to be forbidden in the o.t. and some demand mandatory fasting for the congregation)
Financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence (televangelists come to mind)
Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time (sounds southern baptist to me. no beach or movie theaters for you. “Secular entertainment is evil timmy. You cant learn compassion or forgiveness or love or sacrifice or justice or anything from these secular movies”)
Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self indoctrination including the Internet (church function anyone?)
Thoughts, feelings, and activities (of self and others) reported to superiors (priests or catholic confessionals come to mind)
Rewards and punishments used to modify behaviors, both positive and negative (mostly threats of eternal spiritual punishment)
Discourage individualism, encourage group-think ( dont think outside the doctrine)
Impose rigid rules and regulations (speaks for itself here)
Instill dependency and obedience (you “need them to come to God”)
Threaten harm to family and friends (hell)
Deliberately withhold information ( its why they never do sermons on the verses of the reconciliation of all or tell about mistranslations)
Distort information to make it more acceptable (“God doesnt send people to hell they send themselves!”)
Systematically lie to the cult member
Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information ( “dont go to that evangelical universalist site! They are all heathens!”)
Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate (“anyone up for the third revival this week?”)
Control through cell phone with texting, calls, internet tracking (pastors often call when a congregant hasnt shown up in a while)
Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines ("we are saved they are not!)
Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member ( "lets ‘walk with Christ’ together! ")
Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership (deviant here doesnt necessarily mean evil. Just any thought that goes against the doctrinal grain)
Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources (they often twist universal reconciliationist words)
Withholding forgiveness or absolution (they do this with Gods grace by putting conditions on justification…)
Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth (speaks for itself)
Instill black and white thinking (everything is either good or bad, theres no nuance)
Decide between good vs. evil (this is more so, i believe stating, the authority figure gets to decide this as opposed to the individual)
Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words (they make buzzwords out of such deep words used in scripture. Such as justification, grace, redemption,etc)
Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts ( “you did good telling that evangelical universalist off little timmy”)
Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member (long repetitive worship songs anyone?)
Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism (“dont look at those “everyone reconciled and saved” verses too closely timmy itll burn your eyes out!”)
Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed (ding ding ding ding! we gotta winner here)
Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful (cant tell you how many times ive been called evil or “the enemy” for calling Christ the savior of the world…)
Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish (“being mad or sad isnt very christian timmy!”)
romote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as
a. Identity guilt
b. You are not living up to your potential
c. Your family is deficient
d. Your past is suspect
e. Your affiliations are unwise
f. Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish
g. Social guilt
h. Historical guilt (if that isnt the very foundation of christianity i dont know what is. Good thing Christ actually came to set us FREE)
Instill fear, such as fear of:
a. Thinking independently
b. The outside world
c. Enemies
d. Losing one’s salvation
e. Leaving or being shunned by the group
f. Other’s disapproval (ding ding ding another BIG check on the christian cult checklist.)
Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment and then declaring you are horrible sinner ( “we love that you joined our church timmy” two weeks later “WHY ARE YOU DRINKING ALCOHOL!”
Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority
a. No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group
b. Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc.
c. Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends, peers, and family
d. Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly, brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll (HUGEEE checkmark. “if you leave the church timmy youll end up in hell!”
Im glad Christ will save all. Because these traditions of men taught by people who were mind controlled themselves woulda taken many people to death without resurrection into life eonian and eternal.