Cult Games

Watch out for cults who call themselves Christians.  Rather than sincerely ministering the word of God, cult members use the Holy Bible, or twist it, for their own power trip.

Back before I was born-again, I was working in a small mid-western town at a popular fast-food restaurant.  I was a very timid, young lady and I did not speak up for myself very often, so it was easy for me to be a follower in my friendships.  Therefore, when I was approached by two college girls asking me if I wanted to join a bible study with them, I was all for it.  You see, I believed in Jesus because my parents believed.  However, I did not have a relationship with Him.  I had not even been baptized yet.  What I did have was an apartment and my boyfriend was living with me.  I had absolutely no clue that this fornicating relationship was wrong.

Well, the girls came to my place and found out how I was living in my unashamed-ness.  I think they felt that they needed to get me out of it.  So immediately, they took me from my apartment and we had a bible study on their college campus.  The young girl who was the leader began to lead the study.  I, and the other girl whom she brought, sat across from her.  I remember that we read a passage that the Apostle Paul was teaching about the people in the church and what they needed to do, which was to spread the gospel or something, and immediately I made a statement that those people were from “back then” and that it did not apply to us.  Of course, I was wrong because I did not understand the bible, nor God and His Holy Spirit, and all of that.  However, her reaction scared me.  She immediately became mean-spirited and yelled at me in a sharp tone,

“Yes, we are!  This is what we are supposed to do!”  

She scared the “living daylights” out of me.  I then thought that she clearly wasn’t a Christian because she was so mean and in my fear, I kept my mouth shut.  I was with them that day for about five hours.

The next day came and again, she came to get me.  Being an automatically forgiving, lenient, and gullible person, I went with her.  She took me to the dorms and we did not study this time, we just hung out.  I remember her taking me to play a card game called Spades with some of the others who were in this group of Christians with her.  Everything seemed fine, but I was getting tired.  She didn’t bring me home until about 11pm that night.

Then the third day came.  She again convinced me and came to pick me up.  She took me to a large meeting with all of the campus Christians who were gathered in a room.  There was a man who spoke to them all.  I do not remember him teaching the Word of God, but I remember a prayer and then he was talking about some other plans; things that I did not really understand.  From there, the whole group from the meeting decided to gather at an apartment complex.  So the “leader girl” took me there.

I remember that the girls split from the guys into completely separate areas of the apartment complex.  The girls were inside of a certain apartment and it was dark outside at this time.  I was ready to go home because nothing was happening, but the girl who was my ride was stalling.  Finally, she gathered some of the girls and me into a room and told me to go and sit on one of the beds.  A few of them came to sit around me, including herself.

At this point, I’m thinking “girl time” because I had been at many sleep-overs when I was younger and I thought we were about to play a game or something.

Suddenly, the girl who was my ride gave a command.  Instantly, the lights went out.  Then a glaring beam of light from a flashlight shined onto my face and then she prodded me with her poking statements,

“The bible says that we must confess our sins to one another.  So you must confess your sins to us.  Who have you not forgiven?  Tell us.”

In fear, I began to tremble and grasp for words.  Here I was in a corner of complete darkness with a flashlight in my face and a bunch of girls that I did not know surrounded me.  I tried to tell her in my fumbling voice, using my hand to shield my eyes, that I didn’t have anyone that I was hating or not forgiving in my life.

“Yes, you do,” she bullied.  “Everybody does.  I know that there is someone in your life whom you are not forgiving.”

I pleaded with her again that I did not have anyone that I didn’t forgive.  But she insisted in a cold, mean voice with the light blasting my face.

Finally, I scrolled my thoughts and grasped for the worst situation in my life that I could think of and spilled it out.

“There were some boys who tried to rape me.  I-I-I forgive them!”  

I quickly tried to show her my sudden “repentance” so that I could be released from this accusatory situation.  Of course, I forgave those boys because that was what I was taught to do a long time ago through what I knew of Jesus.

Thankfully, she was satisfied with my response and soon the bedroom light came back on.  Yet, for the rest of the time I felt like a true captive.  I was completely terrified at what had just happened.  This girl was my ride home and I had no idea where I was.  I felt that if I asked her to take me home that she would sense my fear and do something worse.  So for the next couple of hours, without showing it, I fearfully waited until she was ready to leave.  I remember seeing people who were saying good-bye and I longingly waited for my turn to do the same.  That night, I did not arrive back at my apartment until about 2am.

Fortunately, I never returned to hang out with that group again.  However, soon I found out through my local newspaper that it was a campus cult.  The male leader and many of his followers suddenly moved to Boston.

What I learned about “Christian” Bible study cults is that they may send two females out to recruit.  They usually go after the gullible and needy.  They use controlling tactics and their actions are covert.  In true Christianity, believers do not hide their intents.  True Christians are upfront.  They do not try to divide you from others in a secretive way.  Divisions do occur in the body of the church for specific reasons when terrible sins happen by a member, but to separate a new believer from family and friends, without them truly realizing what is happening, is sneaky.  Christianity is not about tricking people into the faith or controlling them with forceful or manipulating pressure-tactics.

Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 KJV

Nearly twenty years after my incident, as an adult, I ran into a similar situation again through a church friend who was being recruited through the “two-woman” bible study gatherings from a separate congregation.  My newbie church friend invited me over on a whim and I was excited to meet the new women for the study, but I felt differently soon after we gathered.  They had those “tell-tale” secretive intents.  Later, those women confronted my friend saying,

“Why didn’t you tell us that someone else was going to be at your house?  We need to know that.”

Weird.

Thankfully, my friend heeded my warnings and eventually saw them for who they were.

“For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.  For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you , if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.” ~2 Corinthians 11:19-20 KJV [In regards to submitting to ministers of unrighteousness.]