10 Warning Signs of Cult Recruitment

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,235
2,529
113
I think the closest thing to a cult I ever witnessed were those in the Bill Gothard Advanced Training Institute. But even those members were free to leave (and my friends did). For the children of the members, it was like a cult, but parental control is not a cult.
Then you need to read about "Gwen Shamblin".
The Remnant Fellowship appeared to be like any other respectable church community with somewhat affluent members. They were not.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,235
2,529
113
And I personally know people that lost family members to this group.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,318
3,619
113
Some have mentioned that true Christians experience all the ten things in the list. But this is a subtle distortion. For example, social isolation. Yes, being a Christians may at times require someone to forsake their family to follow Christ. But Christ's calling is voluntary. Cults usually force people into obedience. It may seem voluntary at first; but as time goes on the person finds themself alienated involuntarily from their former friends and family. So the comparison doesn't really hold up.
 

HealthAndHappiness

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2022
10,298
4,346
113
Almost Heaven West Virginia
Ok I really like this guy
You're right about his voice. I dozed off after 10 minutes. It was pretty late though. He needed a good evangelist or pastor to provide a few lessons on public speaking to help him with the voice inflections. I listened to it a few times over the years because it was so informative.
 

MichaelZ

Active member
Jun 11, 2023
116
89
28
Then you need to read about "Gwen Shamblin".
The Remnant Fellowship appeared to be like any other respectable church community with somewhat affluent members. They were not.
Well, yes I have read about cults that misused the Bible (and I refuse to call them “Christian”). There was one in Minnesota not that far from me. See https://www.thecut.com/2016/06/pine-county-minnesota-sex-offender-victor-barnard.html. But these are the extreme minority and I never encountered these personally.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,235
2,529
113
Well, yes I have read about cults that misused the Bible (and I refuse to call them “Christian”). There was one in Minnesota not that far from me. See https://www.thecut.com/2016/06/pine-county-minnesota-sex-offender-victor-barnard.html. But these are the extreme minority and I never encountered these personally.
I have and they are extremely seductive, attractive, and horrible. Most people are not equipped to understand what they are dealing with until it's way too late.
 

ThereRoseaLamb

Well-known member
Jan 17, 2023
4,787
2,068
113
The question is whose promises are you being led by: God's or the cult's? God will never lead you down the wrong path. A cult will lead you into some light mixed with darkness.

There was suppose to be a new movie coming out on Jim Jones. I was interested to see a fresh take on it. I don't think there has been one done in quite a while. Amazing how intelligent people can just give their whole lives over to such people, to the point where they allow them to sleep with their wives. Just stunning but it happens again and again. People would rather work to be saved than accepting Christ.I don't understand it. Especially people with children who are also usually abused in these cults.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,318
3,619
113
There was suppose to be a new movie coming out on Jim Jones. I was interested to see a fresh take on it. I don't think there has been one done in quite a while. Amazing how intelligent people can just give their whole lives over to such people, to the point where they allow them to sleep with their wives. Just stunning but it happens again and again. People would rather work to be saved than accepting Christ.I don't understand it. Especially people with children who are also usually abused in these cults.
Well, you said it. Very often these groups tell their members that they can't be saved unless they belong to their group. It's the fear of falling from grace that keep them in. They are the one true church or denomination and outside of them all are going to Hell. The leader may claim to have the keys to the mysteries. David Koresh claimed to have the secrets of the seven seals and the end times. Jim Jones convinced people he was God in the flesh through his manifested sons of God doctrine. I mean, if you believe someone is actually God in the flesh, wouldn't you do anything for them? lol
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,235
2,529
113
There was suppose to be a new movie coming out on Jim Jones. I was interested to see a fresh take on it. I don't think there has been one done in quite a while. Amazing how intelligent people can just give their whole lives over to such people, to the point where they allow them to sleep with their wives. Just stunning but it happens again and again. People would rather work to be saved than accepting Christ.I don't understand it. Especially people with children who are also usually abused in these cults.
These people are extremely artful in their being and offering you what you want most.
You almost need a severe case of reactive attachment syndrome to not be taken in by a cult leader who focuses in on you.

And Remnant Fellowship was anything but a sex cult disguised as Christianity. They were one of the worst things I've seen in a long time. They were not about sex....they did have a thing about being "healthy " by diet and exercise....but it was ONLY ONE aspect of this cult.
They very much were about isolating you from the rest of the world and your family. (Which considering the number of dysfunctional families even in stable good homes it's not that hard)
The man I know that lost a daughter to this cult wasn't an overbearing jerk....actually just a slight bit permissive with his daughter....but she had a great relationship with her parents and there was no reason to not be slightly permissive. (Good grades, no trouble) He didn't spoil her rotten on stuff either....just a normal Christian father doing his job. There's a lot I'm not at liberty to say but suffice it to say that he and his family was active in his faith when he was unknowingly losing his daughter.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,318
3,619
113

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,235
2,529
113
It looks like a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio is supposed to be coming out. https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-ent...im-jones-in-film-based-on-texas-authors-book/ I've read the book it will be based on, The Road To Jonestown. It's a good book, but the one people usually point to as the definitive bio on Jones is The Raven. I haven't read it though.
I lived in California when he was recruiting....
He and Moon both had their cults running around. These people were extremely popular.

It was nuts how these people behaved. There was also a LOT of drugs around as well during this time....plus it was California too....so being kinda nuts was a requirement for residency in the state.

Some of Jones' followers got left behind....because they flat out didn't have the money to get to Guyana. They were everywhere out begging for money. Little did they know how lucky they really were.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,318
3,619
113
Some of Jones' followers got left behind....because they flat out didn't have the money to get to Guyana. They were everywhere out begging for money. Little did they know how lucky they really were.
I didn't know they had to pay their own way to get there. That's pretty messed up for a group that supposedly believed in socialism and equality. But yeah, a blessing in disguise.
 

Beckie

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2022
2,516
939
113
Seems one of the things cults do is put a wedge between parents and kids. Not unlike the public schools.
 

HealthAndHappiness

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2022
10,298
4,346
113
Almost Heaven West Virginia

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,235
2,529
113
I didn't know they had to pay their own way to get there. That's pretty messed up for a group that supposedly believed in socialism and equality. But yeah, a blessing in disguise.
But see....that's the thing with socialism. Some members are always more equal than others.
 

ThyKingdomComeSoon

Well-known member
Apr 1, 2023
974
596
93
I guess they have a recruitment campaign that let's anyone join now. It used to be where they sought specific billionaires, politicians, high level gt and celebrities and the rest were not part of their "elite" organization.
yes, they are no longer in hiding but will use any people to do their evil works.

Blessings
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,235
2,529
113
I didn't know they had to pay their own way to get there. That's pretty messed up for a group that supposedly believed in socialism and equality. But yeah, a blessing in disguise.
Most went to their families to help pay for it....the ones left behind either got jobs, begged, or tried to do something to get the money to go.

Life in Jonestown was anything but pleasant....it was brutal, hot, humid, South America jungle down there. These people were used like borrowed mules to try and farm the area. Not much in the way of tractors or other farming tools except hand tools.

Eventually they hit an equilibrium and people were eating enough....there never was enough protein to go around though. (Eggs, fish, and etc) But by this point lots of people had "drifted away" from the camp in the middle of the night or day when nobody could catch them.

Which these desertions are what led Jones to begin the "practice" sessions of suicide kool-aid.
 

HealthAndHappiness

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2022
10,298
4,346
113
Almost Heaven West Virginia
Jonestown was an example of a Christ hating, atheist "eutopia.". . their idea of what an ideal society should be.
Stupid atheist actually use that "drink the koolaid" phrase towards Christians as if it applies to us. That's projection and double speak to the extreme.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,777
113
But see....that's the thing with socialism. Some members are always more equal than others.
Socialism is simply TYRANNY be a handful of tyrants.

But schools, colleges, and universities in America -- the freest country in the world -- were hijacked by Communists for decades, and what we are now seeing is a Communist tyranny in America and Canada, with a lot of virtue signaling.

Unfortunately there are some Christians who have also embraced so-called socialism and progressivism because their proponents do not come right out and say "WE ARE MARXIST/LENINIST/COMMUNISTS". At least the Soviets were honest, but these Americans are totally dishonest.