Wednesday, February 2, 2001
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Wednesday, February 2, 2001 |
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Cult involvement can snare your young relatives without warning The Christmas season is behind us, and we are several weeks into a new semester at Georgia's colleges and universities. So I am writing this letter to warn parents who have kids away at college for the first time, and to help others who may find themselves facing the same crisis I faced in May of 1998 when a relative of mine became embroiled with a cult, the International Church of Christ. When a teenager goes off to college, every parent is filled with apprehension about the pitfalls that might befall that child, who is away from home for the first time and extremely vulnerable. Dire thoughts concerning pregnancy, alcohol, drugs, even physical danger, fill our minds. The thought of our teenagers becoming the target of a cult rarely enters our mind. When this happened to me and my relatives, I really didn't know much about cults, beyond the common knowledge of the Moonies, or the Manson cult or the Jonesboro group that committed mass suicide: the high-profile groups that made it into the headlines. However, as I learned to my dismay, a cult can actually be appealing in an insidious and destructive way, particularly to the young and unsuspecting. A cult is defined not so much by its beliefs or doctrine, as by its tactics in recruiting and holding new members. So, even quasi-religious organizations can and do operate as cults. The cult with which I've had personal experience is the International Church of Christ, or the ICC. I should make something perfectly clear before proceeding: the International Church of Christ is not related to or a part of the mainline Protestant group of churches known as the Church of Christ. The ICC is a splinter group, founded by self-proclaimed prophet Kip McKean. To summarize its doctrine: the ICC believes that McKean is the only true prophet of Jesus Christ, that only ICC members will go to Heaven, and that all nonmembers, including Mother Teresa, the Pope, Billy Graham, and the rest of us, are going straight to Hell. Like most cults, the ICC operates as a giant pyramid, with McKean at the top, middle managers in the center, and new recruits at the bottom the worker bees, who hustle money and new recruits. To maintain control over this structure, the ICC operates mega-churches in large population centers, such as the one in Tallahassee, Fla. It was the Tallahassee church that was recruiting on campus at Valdosta State University, where my relative was a sophomore. By this time, as you read this, you are probably telling yourself that you have nothing to worry about that your son or daughter is strong-willed, sharp as a tack, or is already devoutly religious, and could never fall for this cult stuff. Beware! The person just described fits the target profile for the ICC! The girl I rescued from the ICC is strong-willed and very sharp, hardly prey for a cult (I thought). So, how do you know when your child is falling for a cult like the ICC? At first, the signs are subtle and innocuous. You may hear from your child that he or she is attending nondenominational Bible readings, or a volley ball game with a really neat bunch of kids, or some other similar event. These first meetings bear no hint of what is to come and may not even have anything at all to do with religion. But these events are designed to entice an unsuspecting college student into a new sphere of friends. In my case, my relative was snared by her own roommate, who became a member of this cult and got my relative involved in it. Once involved, your child may relate how he or she has met some really wonderful people, who really care and are full of love. Beware, for this feeling describes a cult technique known as "love bombing." It's designed to make the new recruit's first experience with the cult enjoyable to keep him or her coming back for more. My relative experienced this in spades at Valdosta. Once the new recruit is firmly in the cult, things turn more serious. A "discipler" is assigned to each convert. Ostensibly, the discipler's job is to counsel the new member on following the Christian path; in reality, the discipler ensures that the new member conforms to doctrine, attends services, and is actively recruiting more new members. My relative was subjected to this technique as well as others employed by the ICC hierarchy through the discipler. This "discipling" quickly becomes an intrusion into the life of the new recruit, to the point where the discipler is hearing "confessions," including details of sexual behavior and personal family business. Many times, this information is used later to intimidate the member into adhering to doctrine, or against members who want to leave the cult. A parent of an ICC recruit notices that the student may be missing classes during the week or not on campus at all during weekends. In my relative's case, she would miss class every Thursday morning because they were taking her from Valdosta to Tallahassee every Wednesday night for services. On the weekend, she would go to Tallahassee again for "overnighters," which allowed them to place her in a controlled environment, where they could continue to brainwash her without interference or "outside" influences, such a parents or teachers. By the time we all finally realized that something was wrong, she was deeply involved. She announced that she was going to give up her own religion (we are Roman Catholics) and join this church. I pushed the panic button; I had nowhere to turn for help. Finally, I did a search on the International Church of Christ on the Internet and found the Web site for an organization called REVEAL, which gave me all the information I needed to fight back against the ICC. Fully armed by the REVEAL Web site, all I needed was an opening, an opportunity of some sort, to step in and save her. Then one Sunday night, she called me and invited me and everyone in her family down the following week for her "christening." I arrived in Valdosta early Monday morning. I was calm, agreeable, smiling. She was outwardly happy, but behind her smile, I could see the storm of turmoil inside her. Suddenly, in the afternoon, when we were alone, she related to me the emotional and psychological abuse to which she had been subjected by the cult members. I was furious, then steeled myself, determined to get her out of the cult. Within minutes, I had enlisted the help of the manager of the apartment complex, arranged for a different apartment in the same complex, and informed the roommate that she was moving out. I also contacted some former ICC members through the REVEAL Web site, and they came up to Valdosta to help. It took me five weeks to get her out of the ICC and back on her own feet. I moved her into her new apartment, stayed with her constantly, went with her to classes, and almost became her bodyguard. I informed all of her professors of what had happened, I talked to the FBI, GBI, Valdosta police, and the campus police about the cult. Then I worked with a local newspaper journalist to write a spectacular Sunday feature in the local paper exposing the ICC's recruiting practices on campus. How sweet it was reading that expose over coffee at the local restaurant. My story has a happy ending: this dear girl has overcome her experience, is now working for Delta, and is engaged to be married. Others are not so lucky. Don't wait until your college student falls victim to the ICC. Go to the REVEAL Web site, get the information, and discuss it with your child today. For more info: http://www.reveal.org. Lawrence A. De Marino Peachtree City
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