39 VOLUME 10 |ISSUE 3 |2019 38 ICSA TODAY
As increasing numbers of people born or raised in cultic groups or relationships have reached adulthood, the International Cultic Studies
Association has developed a program that addresses their special needs.
People born or raised in cultic environments cannot look back to a “precult” identity. Raised in fringe subcultures, they often have educational and
other skill deficits that interfere with adjustment to mainstream culture. Having grown up under the influence of irrational belief systems, they
struggle with issues of dependency, self-esteem, and social conflict, and often have to deal with the trauma of physical and/or sexual abuse. They
have difficulty getting help because they tend to lack finances and be wary of other people, including helpers.
Meeting annually since 2006, this workshop addresses the needs of people born or raised in cultic environments through presentations by
specialists and former members, including discussions in which attendees may participate according to their comfort levels. Special attention is
paid to attendees’ needs for privacy, reflection, and working at their own pace.
Workshop subjects include
o Critical Thinking: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
o Is There Such a Thing As a Healthy Family?
o Stages of Development: What Did We Miss and How Can We Catch Up?
o Now We Are Parents: What Have We Learned?
o You Mean I Have a Right to Boundaries?
o Our Inner Rebel: Once a Curse, Now a Salvation?
o What Are Our Strengths and Challenges Building a New Life?
o Perfectionism, or The Inner Critic: Can We Accept Success?
o Relationships: Why Are They So Difficult?
o Does Our Past Have to Predict Our Future?
o Moving On: What Does It Mean and Is It Possible?
o Postcult, How Should We Feel Toward Our Parents?
This workshop has been made possible by special donations and the willingness of facilitators to volunteer their time. Without the dedication of
these people, registration fees would be much higher than they are. Donations cover a substantial portion of the total cost. Because many people
born or raised in cultic groups struggle financially, we urge those in need to apply for additional assistance. Please contact us at 239–514–3081 or
mail@icsamail.com All contacts will be kept strictly confidential.
Guest House is a delightful retreat and conference center in the scenic Connecticut River Valley. It offers spacious guest rooms with private
bathrooms, superb cuisine, and amenities that range from a grand piano in the lobby to wireless Internet in every room. Travel directions by car,
train, and air, along with other convenient links, are available at guesthousecenter.org Contact ICSA for possible help with ground transportation
from Amtrak or Metro-North, or from nearby airports.
REGISTER AT ICSAHOME.COM—EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS APPLY
Surviving and Moving On After a
High-Demand Group Experience
A Workshop for People Born or Raised in Cultic Groups or Relationships
Friday 4:00 p.m. April 24, 2020 to Sunday 2:00 p.m. April 26, 2020
Guest House Retreat &Conference Center, 318 West Main Street, Chester, CT 06412 (860–322–5770)
10 20
The Church of Almighty God members detail arrests in
China, seek asylum
“On April 21, 2008, what Chen Mo had been fearing finally
happened: He was arrested by the local police in his home
province of Henan in central China. Chen, then 25, was tortured
and beaten, he said. Chen’s crime was belonging to the Church
of Almighty God, a Chinese Christian religious movement that
China’s government has labeled an ‘evil cult’ and a threat to
state security. After being jailed for five years, he fled to South
Korea. Now he—like hundreds of other members of his church
in exile here—lives in terror of being deported back to China,
where it is likely he will be jailed again. ‘We want to go back,’ he
said. ‘But we have to wait until China has freedom of religion.’
Chen and other church members held a press conference in
Seoul on March 18 that coincided with the release of a report
that claims that thousands of CAG members have been arrested
in China….” (Religion News Service, 03/25/19)
Fraudster left prison, became pastor, stole $25 million from
followers
“A fraudster convicted of running an investment scam emerged
from prison as a pastor who targeted Orange County’s
Vietnamese community in a $25 million Ponzi scheme, alleges
the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC]. After the SEC
announcement was made Tuesday, a court appointed federal
equity receiver and his Costa Mesa-based counsel revealed
they are seeking the public’s help in finding victims, who are
also believed to be residing in San Jose and Chicago. Former
Chicago options trader Kent R.E. Whitney was sentenced Dec.
8, 2011, to 44 months in prison after having pleaded guilty to
wire fraud three months earlier, according to the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Northern District of Illinois. He had swindled more
than $600,000 from around 10 victims who invested with him.
The SEC alleges in the latest complaint that Whitney founded
The Church for the Healthy Self three months after being
released from federal prison in 2014….” (OC Weekly, 03/27/19)
Four more women accuse Tony Robbins of sexual
misconduct
“In new exclusive interviews, Kimberly Stokes, who worked as
a live-in personal assistant for [Tony] Robbins when she was
22 years old, told BuzzFeed News that he once walked into her
bathroom while she was showering and ‘dropped his towel,’
exposing himself. Stokes said that she had already rebuffed
his advances once before. Sophiah Koikas said that Robbins
pulled her hand onto his crotch to feel his penis and groped her
breast at a Hawaii seminar. Another woman, Mary Lantz, said
that Robbins sexually harassed her at an event she attended
in Ohio—telling her she was ‘driving him crazy,’ kissing her,
hugging her, and touching her breast. A fourth woman, Lucie
Galvez, said that Robbins asked her ‘How do you feel about
nudity?’ during an interview for a personal assistant job around
2001, when she was in her early twenties. She said that Robbins
told her that the role would involve working in close quarters
with him and his then-girlfriend, and that the couple might
be naked. Galvez said that she found the interview ‘sexually
inappropriate, almost predatory. It felt like I was getting
interviewed for sexual threesomes as opposed to an assistant’s
job,’ she told BuzzFeed News.
Robbins dismissed the latest allegations in a YouTube video
posted shortly after this story was published, in which he
accused BuzzFeed News of ‘flat-out lying.’ But he added that
he was a ‘better human being than I was in my twenties and
thirties’ and apologized for any offense his actions at that time
had caused….” (Buzzfeed News, 05/22/19)
Psychological domestic abuse becomes crime in Scotland
“A ‘groundbreaking’ new law has come into effect in Scotland
that makes psychological domestic abuse and controlling
behaviour a crime. The Scottish parliament passed the
Domestic Abuse Act in February last year, creating a specific
offence of domestic abuse. A law is already in place which is
aimed at those who psychologically and emotionally abuse
partners in England and Wales. It came into effect in 2015,
under the Serious Crime Bill. The Scottish act covers not just
physical abuse, but psychological and emotional treatment and
coercive and controlling behaviour, where abusers isolate their
victim from their friends and relatives or control their finances.
It covers the full breadth of violent, threatening, intimidating
and other controlling behaviour which can destroy a victim’s
autonomy and further recognises the adverse impact domestic
abuse can have on children….” (Independent, 04/01/19)
Tennessee amends law on who may perform marriage
ceremonies
On May 21, 2019, Tennessee Senate Bill No. 1377 was signed
into law by Governor Bill Lee. Sponsored by Senator Yager,
the bill changes who may perform marriage ceremonies by
modifying existing code with the following: “Persons receiving
online ordinations may not solemnize the rite of matrimony.”
[State of Tennessee, Public Chapter No. 415, House Bill No. 213,
5/21/19]
Woman convicted in cult-related slaying of boyfriend
“A woman has been convicted of killing her boyfriend, which
she said he asked her to do because of issues with an online
cult. Jurors in Monroe County deliberated for nine hours before
convicting 42-year-old Barbara Rogers of third-degree murder
Friday in the death of 32-year-old Steven Mineo. Authorities
said she shot Mineo in the forehead from point-blank range in
July 2017 in their Coolbaugh Township apartment about 100
miles (160 kilometers) north of Philadelphia. Pocono Mountain
regional police say Rogers told officers that Mineo asked her
to kill him because he believed the leader of the cult was a
‘reptilian’ pretending to be a human….”
(AP, U.S. News, 03/30/19) n
As increasing numbers of people born or raised in cultic groups or relationships have reached adulthood, the International Cultic Studies
Association has developed a program that addresses their special needs.
People born or raised in cultic environments cannot look back to a “precult” identity. Raised in fringe subcultures, they often have educational and
other skill deficits that interfere with adjustment to mainstream culture. Having grown up under the influence of irrational belief systems, they
struggle with issues of dependency, self-esteem, and social conflict, and often have to deal with the trauma of physical and/or sexual abuse. They
have difficulty getting help because they tend to lack finances and be wary of other people, including helpers.
Meeting annually since 2006, this workshop addresses the needs of people born or raised in cultic environments through presentations by
specialists and former members, including discussions in which attendees may participate according to their comfort levels. Special attention is
paid to attendees’ needs for privacy, reflection, and working at their own pace.
Workshop subjects include
o Critical Thinking: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
o Is There Such a Thing As a Healthy Family?
o Stages of Development: What Did We Miss and How Can We Catch Up?
o Now We Are Parents: What Have We Learned?
o You Mean I Have a Right to Boundaries?
o Our Inner Rebel: Once a Curse, Now a Salvation?
o What Are Our Strengths and Challenges Building a New Life?
o Perfectionism, or The Inner Critic: Can We Accept Success?
o Relationships: Why Are They So Difficult?
o Does Our Past Have to Predict Our Future?
o Moving On: What Does It Mean and Is It Possible?
o Postcult, How Should We Feel Toward Our Parents?
This workshop has been made possible by special donations and the willingness of facilitators to volunteer their time. Without the dedication of
these people, registration fees would be much higher than they are. Donations cover a substantial portion of the total cost. Because many people
born or raised in cultic groups struggle financially, we urge those in need to apply for additional assistance. Please contact us at 239–514–3081 or
mail@icsamail.com All contacts will be kept strictly confidential.
Guest House is a delightful retreat and conference center in the scenic Connecticut River Valley. It offers spacious guest rooms with private
bathrooms, superb cuisine, and amenities that range from a grand piano in the lobby to wireless Internet in every room. Travel directions by car,
train, and air, along with other convenient links, are available at guesthousecenter.org Contact ICSA for possible help with ground transportation
from Amtrak or Metro-North, or from nearby airports.
REGISTER AT ICSAHOME.COM—EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS APPLY
Surviving and Moving On After a
High-Demand Group Experience
A Workshop for People Born or Raised in Cultic Groups or Relationships
Friday 4:00 p.m. April 24, 2020 to Sunday 2:00 p.m. April 26, 2020
Guest House Retreat &Conference Center, 318 West Main Street, Chester, CT 06412 (860–322–5770)
10 20
The Church of Almighty God members detail arrests in
China, seek asylum
“On April 21, 2008, what Chen Mo had been fearing finally
happened: He was arrested by the local police in his home
province of Henan in central China. Chen, then 25, was tortured
and beaten, he said. Chen’s crime was belonging to the Church
of Almighty God, a Chinese Christian religious movement that
China’s government has labeled an ‘evil cult’ and a threat to
state security. After being jailed for five years, he fled to South
Korea. Now he—like hundreds of other members of his church
in exile here—lives in terror of being deported back to China,
where it is likely he will be jailed again. ‘We want to go back,’ he
said. ‘But we have to wait until China has freedom of religion.’
Chen and other church members held a press conference in
Seoul on March 18 that coincided with the release of a report
that claims that thousands of CAG members have been arrested
in China….” (Religion News Service, 03/25/19)
Fraudster left prison, became pastor, stole $25 million from
followers
“A fraudster convicted of running an investment scam emerged
from prison as a pastor who targeted Orange County’s
Vietnamese community in a $25 million Ponzi scheme, alleges
the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC]. After the SEC
announcement was made Tuesday, a court appointed federal
equity receiver and his Costa Mesa-based counsel revealed
they are seeking the public’s help in finding victims, who are
also believed to be residing in San Jose and Chicago. Former
Chicago options trader Kent R.E. Whitney was sentenced Dec.
8, 2011, to 44 months in prison after having pleaded guilty to
wire fraud three months earlier, according to the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Northern District of Illinois. He had swindled more
than $600,000 from around 10 victims who invested with him.
The SEC alleges in the latest complaint that Whitney founded
The Church for the Healthy Self three months after being
released from federal prison in 2014….” (OC Weekly, 03/27/19)
Four more women accuse Tony Robbins of sexual
misconduct
“In new exclusive interviews, Kimberly Stokes, who worked as
a live-in personal assistant for [Tony] Robbins when she was
22 years old, told BuzzFeed News that he once walked into her
bathroom while she was showering and ‘dropped his towel,’
exposing himself. Stokes said that she had already rebuffed
his advances once before. Sophiah Koikas said that Robbins
pulled her hand onto his crotch to feel his penis and groped her
breast at a Hawaii seminar. Another woman, Mary Lantz, said
that Robbins sexually harassed her at an event she attended
in Ohio—telling her she was ‘driving him crazy,’ kissing her,
hugging her, and touching her breast. A fourth woman, Lucie
Galvez, said that Robbins asked her ‘How do you feel about
nudity?’ during an interview for a personal assistant job around
2001, when she was in her early twenties. She said that Robbins
told her that the role would involve working in close quarters
with him and his then-girlfriend, and that the couple might
be naked. Galvez said that she found the interview ‘sexually
inappropriate, almost predatory. It felt like I was getting
interviewed for sexual threesomes as opposed to an assistant’s
job,’ she told BuzzFeed News.
Robbins dismissed the latest allegations in a YouTube video
posted shortly after this story was published, in which he
accused BuzzFeed News of ‘flat-out lying.’ But he added that
he was a ‘better human being than I was in my twenties and
thirties’ and apologized for any offense his actions at that time
had caused….” (Buzzfeed News, 05/22/19)
Psychological domestic abuse becomes crime in Scotland
“A ‘groundbreaking’ new law has come into effect in Scotland
that makes psychological domestic abuse and controlling
behaviour a crime. The Scottish parliament passed the
Domestic Abuse Act in February last year, creating a specific
offence of domestic abuse. A law is already in place which is
aimed at those who psychologically and emotionally abuse
partners in England and Wales. It came into effect in 2015,
under the Serious Crime Bill. The Scottish act covers not just
physical abuse, but psychological and emotional treatment and
coercive and controlling behaviour, where abusers isolate their
victim from their friends and relatives or control their finances.
It covers the full breadth of violent, threatening, intimidating
and other controlling behaviour which can destroy a victim’s
autonomy and further recognises the adverse impact domestic
abuse can have on children….” (Independent, 04/01/19)
Tennessee amends law on who may perform marriage
ceremonies
On May 21, 2019, Tennessee Senate Bill No. 1377 was signed
into law by Governor Bill Lee. Sponsored by Senator Yager,
the bill changes who may perform marriage ceremonies by
modifying existing code with the following: “Persons receiving
online ordinations may not solemnize the rite of matrimony.”
[State of Tennessee, Public Chapter No. 415, House Bill No. 213,
5/21/19]
Woman convicted in cult-related slaying of boyfriend
“A woman has been convicted of killing her boyfriend, which
she said he asked her to do because of issues with an online
cult. Jurors in Monroe County deliberated for nine hours before
convicting 42-year-old Barbara Rogers of third-degree murder
Friday in the death of 32-year-old Steven Mineo. Authorities
said she shot Mineo in the forehead from point-blank range in
July 2017 in their Coolbaugh Township apartment about 100
miles (160 kilometers) north of Philadelphia. Pocono Mountain
regional police say Rogers told officers that Mineo asked her
to kill him because he believed the leader of the cult was a
‘reptilian’ pretending to be a human….”
(AP, U.S. News, 03/30/19) n
