Current:Home > NewsShe grew up in an Arizona church community. Now, she claims it was actually a religious cult. -AssetBase
She grew up in an Arizona church community. Now, she claims it was actually a religious cult.
TrendPulse View
Date:2025-04-10 19:12:10
Brooke Walker grew up in an Arizona church community. Families, side by side, in communion with God and each other.
But the church, she says, was actually a cult.
Walker spent her formative years, since age 8, in the group. She says it was a place where members were unable to question leaders "without facing backlash." Where children could sometimes choose different parents to live with. Where everyone would seek advice from a medium who claimed to channel a 15th-century Englishman.
Bethany Joy Lenz, too, didn't realize she was in a religious cult. She was just hanging out with a group of like-minded friends who didn't judge her faith. The group ultimately cost her a major career opportunity, millions of dollars and years estranged from her loved ones.
When exactly does a group go from organized religion to cult? It's murky; the American Psychological Association says a cult is "a religious or quasi-religious group characterized by unusual or atypical beliefs, seclusion from the outside world and an authoritarian structure." But chances are, if you have to ask the question, you're probably in one.
Holiday deals:Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors.
Why are religious cults specifically tricky to untangle from? Many are drawn to the spiritual connection to a higher power.
"Religious cults are most likely to hook us because we give spiritual leaders more trust, believing they follow a moral code and it also provides an instant community and the promises of spiritual safety and a relationship with God," says Rachel Bernstein, a licensed marriage and family therapist and cult specialist.
'Bible study went sideways':Bethany Joy Lenz of 'One Tree Hill' on how she got into a cult
Cults and 'religious abuse'
As a child, Walker didn't have much of a choice in her family's decision to join the group and follow its teachings. She didn't leave for decades. She details in her podcast "How to Leave a Cult" how the church effectively took over a small town in the mountains, started a school and combined Christian and Hindu practices in a non-denominational setting while requiring members to attend the medium's "trances."
"The group's spiritual principles were deeply interwoven with daily life, fostering an environment where questioning leadership was seen as disruptive and unwelcome," Walker says. "Any doubts or questions were framed as a lack of faith or a betrayal of their beliefs."
Those who did ask questions, Walker claims, "were met with gaslighting and sometimes even physical abuse."
She remains shocked by how many people have shared similar experiences with her about their own trauma. "There's a lot of people that are walking around incredibly affected by some version of religious abuse," she says. Walker is not aware whether the group still exists.
Lenz, of "One Tree Hill" fame, spent 10 years in a religious cult she calls the "Big House Family." She considers her childhood with divorced parents a key motivator for why she sought out the ill-fated community. (The "Big House Family" is a pseudonym.)
What exactly happened? It started out as bible study with a group of artists. But the group slowly pried her away from loved ones including her parents; the leader quashed her dreams of playing Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway after telling her it wasn't a good idea; the group's financial managers spent $2 million of her money on risky investments leaving her effectively broke. Incessant whispers broke out on the "One Tree Hill" set and splattered across the entertainment industry. She married the cult leader's son – even though she knew he wasn't the right man for her – and gave birth to a daughter.
The "Big House Family" preyed on her insecurities, she says. "Cults tailor their recruitment strategies to align with what potential members are seeking," says psychologist Natalie Feinblatt.
What is spiritual narcissism?These narcissists are at your church, yoga class and more
What are the warning signs of cults?
If this is sounding familiar to you, take precautions:
- Study up on cults. Get educated about what being in a cult looks like and whether you're under ethical influence or unethical abuse. Plus, "remember who you were before the group," Hassan says. "What were your goals? What were your values? What did you think you were getting into?" Critics and former cult members, too, could help give you a reality check. For religious cults, "seek out a seminary-trained theologian who you can discuss what the teachings are." Rachel Oblak, licensed clinical mental health counselor, recommends Robert Jay Lifton's Criteria for Thought Reform and Lalich's Bounded Choice model.
- Trust your instincts. The transition out could actually happen more naturally than you'd expect: "Most cult members eventually become ambivalent due to the high demands and nonsense answers they begin noticing from the leader," says Joseph Szimhart, cult information and behavioral health specialist.
- Cut yourself some slack. Highly intelligent and well-educated people fall into cults. It doesn't mean you're stupid or naïve.
- Consider mental health support. "They can guide you through the complex emotions and logistical challenges involved in leaving," Feinblatt says. "It’s important to ensure your safety, both physically and emotionally, as you navigate this process."
Remember, too, there are healthy ways to practice religion. To that end, you should be able to take a break. "Any reasonable group or leader will allow for this without attacking or stigmatizing someone," says Rick Ross, founder and executive director of the Cult Education Institute. Lenz adds: "There should be no danger in exploring other perspectives."
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
veryGood! (13)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Maui wildfire survivors say they had to fend for themselves in days after blaze: We ran out of everything
- Hailey Bieber Just Added a Dominatrix Twist to Her LBD
- Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki receive wild cards for 2023 US Open
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- The number of electric vehicle charging stations has grown. But drivers are dissatisfied.
- Foreign invaders: Japanese Beetles now laying eggs for next wave of march across country
- It's taking Americans much longer in life to buy their first home
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- The Taliban believe their rule is open-ended and don’t plan to lift the ban on female education
Ranking
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Madonna announces new North American dates for her Celebration Tour
- Fans of Philadelphia Union, Inter Miami (but mostly Messi) flock to Leagues Cup match
- Teen Mom Star Jenelle Evans’ Son Jace Found After Running Away
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Nearly 80% of Texas' floating border barrier is technically in Mexico, survey finds
- Drive a Ford, Honda or Toyota? Good news: Catalytic converter thefts are down nationwide
- Former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins enters diversion program after drunken driving arrest
Recommendation
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
Jet aborts takeoff at Boston airport when another airliner gets a bit too close
Mark Meadows wants Fulton County charges moved to federal court
8 North Dakota newspapers cease with family business’s closure
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Who is Trevian Kutti? Publicist who once worked with Kanye West named as Trump co-defendant in Georgia indictment
House Oversight Committee member asks chairman to refer Snyder to the DOJ for investigation
Fired Wisconsin courts director files complaints against liberal Supreme Court justices