Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 43
doing very well in adjusting and making friends, and that He had told them instead of me
or at least I had not heard Him tell me. They often quoted John 10:4 (―. ..his sheep follow
him because they know his voice‖) in reference to a Christian‘s relationship to God the
shepherd. If a person is truly one of God‘s sheep, then he will know when God speaks to
him. I began to question my relationship with God because I had not heard Him speak, and
it said in the Bible that His sheep would know when He spoke. The incident over my job
change at King‘s was not devastating, but it did plant a seed of doubt in my mind.
On another occasion, I requested an afternoon off from work for a personal reason. Sally
had agreed, but later came and told me, ―I was praying, and God said that it had been
wrong for you not to work today. I shouldn‘t have let you off. Do you forgive me?‖ This was
quite disconcerting. It was hard enough to accept her belief that because she was my
supervisor she knew exactly what was right or wrong for my life. But it unnerved me more
that she was so convinced of this that she would humbly come and apologize to me.
The cult leader is the sole judge of the quality of a member‟s faith.10
In DTS it was not one specific leader who was the judge of my relationship with God.
Anyone on staff, through Intercession, was qualified to manage my spiritual life. And they
often did. At the beginning of DTS, a sheet entitled ―Guidelines‖ was passed out. Several
rules included on this sheet were:
1) Counseling will be available at your request by DTS staff. We recommend you use
these channels, as God annoints those over us to bless us in many ways 2) A
―Special Relationship‖ is when two people [of the opposite sex] who have developed
a natural friendship begin to sense that it is to be more. They may present it to the
leadership, and if confirmed, will announce it to the group and 3) If ill, and desiring
to miss class time, always communicate this to your flock group leader for prayer.
Many times physical illness is an outward manifestation of an inward need. God can
give us keys in place of prayer.11
The significance of these rules is that the staff will know what God wants to say to you. If
you are not feeling well, they will tell you whether you have a spiritual problem or a bug.
They will know for sure if God wants you to have a ―special relationship‖ with someone or
not. (Dating was forbidden.) Again, this illustrates how the leaders were ―the sole judge of
the quality of a member‘s faith.‖
The rules concerning counseling and dating were taken even farther than stated in the
handout sheet A student, who several years ago had been the victim of two attempted
rapes, agreed to describe to me an incident that illustrates how these rules were interpreted
by the staff.
We had just gotten through the emotional pressurized session with Jim Jeffers -
eight hours of ―openness and brokenness.‖ I was quiet no sharing or confession
done by me (No way not with fifty strangers. Crazy!) After the session, I ate supper
and asked Roger, a fellow student, if I could see him after he was done doing dishes.
He said, ―Sure.‖ Later, we met and took a walk down a long, sloping lawn to some
trees. I told him that I just had to get away from the scene because of all the
pressure and stifling air in the mansion from the last eight draining hours. I also told
him that I needed a male friend to talk to tonight He asked me what was on my
mind and said he didn‘t mind being with me no matter how long it took for me to
share.
So I began telling him what had been troubling me. I told him how I hated the way
the staff treated me like an object, and really wouldn‘t listen to me. ―They just think
you‘re another case in such and such a category and tell you to forgive and forget
pray over you, and say, ‗Now there, don‘t you feel brand new -the peace of God
doing very well in adjusting and making friends, and that He had told them instead of me
or at least I had not heard Him tell me. They often quoted John 10:4 (―. ..his sheep follow
him because they know his voice‖) in reference to a Christian‘s relationship to God the
shepherd. If a person is truly one of God‘s sheep, then he will know when God speaks to
him. I began to question my relationship with God because I had not heard Him speak, and
it said in the Bible that His sheep would know when He spoke. The incident over my job
change at King‘s was not devastating, but it did plant a seed of doubt in my mind.
On another occasion, I requested an afternoon off from work for a personal reason. Sally
had agreed, but later came and told me, ―I was praying, and God said that it had been
wrong for you not to work today. I shouldn‘t have let you off. Do you forgive me?‖ This was
quite disconcerting. It was hard enough to accept her belief that because she was my
supervisor she knew exactly what was right or wrong for my life. But it unnerved me more
that she was so convinced of this that she would humbly come and apologize to me.
The cult leader is the sole judge of the quality of a member‟s faith.10
In DTS it was not one specific leader who was the judge of my relationship with God.
Anyone on staff, through Intercession, was qualified to manage my spiritual life. And they
often did. At the beginning of DTS, a sheet entitled ―Guidelines‖ was passed out. Several
rules included on this sheet were:
1) Counseling will be available at your request by DTS staff. We recommend you use
these channels, as God annoints those over us to bless us in many ways 2) A
―Special Relationship‖ is when two people [of the opposite sex] who have developed
a natural friendship begin to sense that it is to be more. They may present it to the
leadership, and if confirmed, will announce it to the group and 3) If ill, and desiring
to miss class time, always communicate this to your flock group leader for prayer.
Many times physical illness is an outward manifestation of an inward need. God can
give us keys in place of prayer.11
The significance of these rules is that the staff will know what God wants to say to you. If
you are not feeling well, they will tell you whether you have a spiritual problem or a bug.
They will know for sure if God wants you to have a ―special relationship‖ with someone or
not. (Dating was forbidden.) Again, this illustrates how the leaders were ―the sole judge of
the quality of a member‘s faith.‖
The rules concerning counseling and dating were taken even farther than stated in the
handout sheet A student, who several years ago had been the victim of two attempted
rapes, agreed to describe to me an incident that illustrates how these rules were interpreted
by the staff.
We had just gotten through the emotional pressurized session with Jim Jeffers -
eight hours of ―openness and brokenness.‖ I was quiet no sharing or confession
done by me (No way not with fifty strangers. Crazy!) After the session, I ate supper
and asked Roger, a fellow student, if I could see him after he was done doing dishes.
He said, ―Sure.‖ Later, we met and took a walk down a long, sloping lawn to some
trees. I told him that I just had to get away from the scene because of all the
pressure and stifling air in the mansion from the last eight draining hours. I also told
him that I needed a male friend to talk to tonight He asked me what was on my
mind and said he didn‘t mind being with me no matter how long it took for me to
share.
So I began telling him what had been troubling me. I told him how I hated the way
the staff treated me like an object, and really wouldn‘t listen to me. ―They just think
you‘re another case in such and such a category and tell you to forgive and forget
pray over you, and say, ‗Now there, don‘t you feel brand new -the peace of God
