Replies

For anybody who is about to get into any other high-control religion, you have to watch out for these signs.

# Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.

# No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.

# No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.

# Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.

# There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

# Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.

# There tend to be many records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader

# Followers feel they can never be "good enough".

# The group/leader(s) is always right. Either through outright admission or through unwritten rules, AKA (Our leader may be misdirected at times, but he's imperfect, however, if you speak against Their/His/her direction, you're turning your back on the group and you're evil.

# The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

Authoritarian: There is almost always a central, charismatic, living human leader who commands total loyalty and allegiance.
Oppositional: Their beliefs, practices and values are counter to those of the dominant culture.
Exclusivistic: They are the only group that possesses the "truth."
Legalistic: Rules and regulations abound governing spiritual matters and the details of everyday living.
Subjective: They emphasize the experiential, the feelings and the emotions. This is usually accompanied by an anti- intellectualism.
Persecution-conscious: The groups feel they are being singled out by mainstream Christians, the press, parents, and the government.
Sanction-oriented: They require conformity in practice and belief, and exercise sanctions against the wayward.
Esoteric: They promote a religion of secrecy and concealment. Truth is taught on two levels, inner truth and outer truth.

Also watch out for family members and friends that seem to shy away from you due to their new religion.

For anybody who is about to get into any other high-control religion, you have to watch out for these signs.

I went in with my stubborn streak turned on just to be in the clear and safe from them if they closed in on me too much.

You could easily be describing the Communist Party. Is the COS any different? Not in my mind.