Background, Part IV

I did some research on the ICOC some time after I left, just out of curiosity. My Google search led me to the Reveal website (www.reveal.org) and it stated things that some people were saying about that church all along – that it qualified as a cult!
I was in a cult, if what they were saying were true! Here’s a list of 25 characteristics of a cult, taken from the Free Believer’s website (www.freebelievers.com /article/25-attributes-of-a-cult):

25 ATTRIBUTES OF A CULT:

This list is taken from a college course called "The Psychology of Fundamentalism" offered by the University of Texas

1. the leader is charismatic and often militaristically demanding

2. the leader is always right

3. elitism, the leaders treated as royalty or a sense of awe, hierarchical, authoritarian power structure

4. lower members get no respect, or get abused

5. leader is not held accountable for his actions or the actions of his authority structure

6. leader will not tolerate or receive criticism, but leader criticizes all others

7. there is no exit

8. if members exit they are considered rebellious, out of the will of a higher power or the leader

9. members do not have any association with members that have left the group

10. there are no graduates from the “program” or group, just deserters or evil people

11. there is cult speak (a language many others can not understand)

12. personal attacks on critics or those who are not in the group

13. solidarity within themselves, no outside allegiance or association

14. use of guilt to manipulate members

15. the leaders of group are self absorbed

16. instant community

17. members unable to tell the truth

18. money grubbing

19. newcomers don’t “think right” and need to be trained

20. system of punishment and reward

21. intrusiveness

22. sense of powerless, dependency, covert fear, guilt

23. members and leaders are imbalanced or mentally ill

24. thought stopping language, clichés, or slogans

25. demands of ultra loyalty or ultra trust in the groups process and others

A lot of the things on the list I experienced or witnessed. I am SO glad I’m out of there.

Note: I'm not saying the ICOC is a cult. I'm merely expressing my views and backing it up with relevant data from outside sources. This is not to attack any group, but to express how I was hurt by religiosity and legalism, which unfortunately permeates most of Christianity, as I see it. Keep reading, you may find some of the things I found to be quite shocking, as I did.