If you think cults are long-gone, weird groups from the 1970s when some of us wore bell-bottoms, think again.
Recently, the A&E channel produced a series about some high profile groups considered cults or “high-control” organizations, such as Scientology and NXIVM, a so-called self-empowerment group. A common question on the show was why did these people join cults?
Note: This post about cults is an updated version of one I published here in 2015.
What is a cult?
First, let’s define what I’m talking about. In the Preface of my memoir, Undertow, I used this definition of cult from Dr. Benjamin Zablocki, professor of sociology at Rutgers University who has published widely on this subject. He says a cult is, “An ideological organization held together by charismatic relationships and demanding total commitment.” A cult ideology can be any kind, such as religious, political, self-empowerment, etc.
Usually a recruit gets showered with love, then the group enfolds and controls. Sometimes it gets dangerous.
Why do people join cults?
Nobody consciously joins a damaging cult. A person joins a group that offers something they need or want, but sometimes the group turns out to be a camouflaged cult, which means the organization restricts their thoughts and behavior to such a degree that the person is changed and harmed, even abused financially, emotionally, or sexually.
Groups that at first offer friendship, love, promises of healing, guarantees of self-improvement, or “the accuracy of God’s Word” can end up being harmful. Why? Any time there is an imbalance of power, abuse is possible. A cult leader lets power go to his or her head and vulnerable followers get hurt.
Warnings about cults
“Research studies suggest that about one percent of the U.S. population (three million persons) have been involved in cultic groups at some time in their lives. We estimate that about 50,000 – 100,000 people enter and leave cultic groups each year. [EACH YEAR. YIKES!] Similar percentages appear to hold true for Western Europe.” Source: The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
To skeptics who say that nowadays people are less likely to be recruited into a harmful group like this because there is so much information on the Internet exposing their dark sides, I say, “With statistics like the above, it does not appear we can always count on the Internet to dissuade people from cults, does it?”
Emotional lure of cults
Nor should we count on people being totally rational when they are recruited into cults, no matter what warnings they get. Believe me, I was warned by more than one person not to get into The Way, and I jumped in anyhow. I believed I was doing God’s will.
Critical thinking helps some people avoid falling for too-good-to-be-true claims by cult leaders, but emotional needs may be too strong to resist the lure of sincere and loving recruiters.
Remember: belief propelled by strong emotion is powerful.
What features of The Way International make it a cult?
I was a loyal follower and then a leader and biblical researcher in The Way from 1970-1987. What made it a cult, at least while I was involved, was not necessarily its unorthodox Bible beliefs (like four were crucified with Jesus, not two) but its behavior, mainly that of its founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, other of its leaders, and the loyal followers.
When I speak to college students about cults, I choose a few prominent features that apply to The Way. Some are described by Stephen Hassan in his book Combatting Cult Mind Control.
1) A cult leader asserts a “guru claim” of special knowledge not found anywhere else.
For example, The Way was founded in 1942 by Victor Paul Wierwille, its “guru,” who claimed special knowledge this way:
“God told me He would teach me The Word like it had not been known since the first century if I would teach it to others.”
This so-called revelation was published in many Way materials. Wierwille offered Bible classes that he said resulted from that revelation, teaching what he called the “accuracy of the Bible.” That revelation hook held me and thousands of other adoring believers to the cult for a long time.
Although Wierwille passed away in 1985, many loyalists continue to believe and promote his teachings and consider him their “father in The Word,” as we called him. They also passed this warped tradition on to their children who are now grown, married, and have their own children. SOME OF THEM ARE NOW QUESTIONING WAY DOCTRINES.
2) Control over behavior, emotion, and thoughts.
Wierwille’s control methods included intimidation, manipulation of people and Scripture, the power of suggestion, and indoctrination, often called mind control or brainwashing. This is real. Critical thinking skills atrophy over time, just like a muscle.
For some of us in Wierwille’s Way Corps leadership program during the 1970s, indoctrination was especially intense. Other believers whose involvement was more casual, like attending a once-a-week home-fellowship meeting in their community, may have had a very different cult experience than mine, unless their local leader copied Wierwille’s style.
Although Wierwille was charismatic and could be gentle and considerate when he wanted to be, I witnessed his dark authoritarian side: a combination of bully, liar, and psychological abuser. Some sociologists would say he was a sociopath. These traits are common among leaders in evangelical, fundamentalist, and other sorts of groups.
3) Sexual abuse, usually of women
Some former female Way followers have testified in private and in print that Victor Paul Wierwille was an alleged sexual predator who used them. A book written by one of Wierwille’s “girls” is a memoir called Losing The Way, by Kristen Skedgell. Other accounts are in Karl Kahler’s book, The Cult That Snapped: A Journey Into The Way International.
Note: I say “alleged” because no case was ever brought to court.
4) Fear tactics
Cults employ heavy-duty peer pressure, intimidation, and fear to keep members in tow and threaten dissenters.
Cults usually shun and discredit those who leave. While involved, I heard numerous tirades against people who left. They were called spiritual traitors, and we were not to communicate with them.
We were told that if we left The Way we would be turning our backs on God. We would lose God’s protection. The Devil would ruin us.
When I left in 1987, I’d already rejected those terrible assertions. After I left, The Way employed the term “mark and avoid.” That meant Way believers had to ignore anyone who’d left. Even family members. This caused untold damage.
Who cares about an old dead cult leader?
A former Way follower asked me that question when she learned I was writing my personal story about The Way. Good question.
I think every citizen should care. Cults usually inhibit the exercise of free speech and other civil rights, often influence followers to vote a certain way, and ignore the separation of church and state. Some (not all) promote violence, or at least obnoxious behavior, to make their beliefs known.
Is The Way still around?
Yes. The original Way organization’s headquarters is still located at the Wierwille family farm outside New Knoxville, Ohio, and continues to operate as a non-profit organization. It is currently run by its 4th president and a board of directors. The official number of their followers is unknown, but a good guess is about 6,000. In its heyday, there were about 40,000. Times are changing.
Way offshoot groups
About a dozen Way offshoot groups now function around the U.S. and other countries. Many were formed in the 1980s by former Way leaders who left the organization (based in New Knoxville, Ohio). Some reveal their former association with Wierwille; others do not.
One offshoot called S.O.W.E.R.S. is run by Wierwille’s grandson and namesake, Victor Paul Wierwille.
If you encounter a group that claims to teach “the accuracy of the Word of God,” which is a typical catch phrase from The Way, I encourage you to do some investigative research on them.
Undertow – my published memoir
If you don’t know already, I published a memoir of my years in The Way called, Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International.
Undertow is available in paperback and eBook.
You can order Undertow directly from major booksellers and by special order at local bookstores. If you ask, libraries can order it, too.
Undertow in paperback: ISBN is 978-0-997847-0-9.
Resources
- Combatting Cult Mind Control, by Stephen Hassan
- Cults in Our Midst, by Margaret Thaler Singer
- Take Back Your Life- Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships, by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias
- The very helpful organization: International Cultic Studies Association
See you next time!
Your writer on the wing,
Charlene
