Talk of the Nation
I just listened to an interesting author interview on Talk of the Nation or our local National Public Radio affiliate. I believe the book title was, Doing Cartwheels in a Sari, the story of young woman’s experiences growing up in a cult.
Callers ranged widely in the cults they struggled with. I was quite surprised to hear a two men describe fundamentalist Christian upbringings, as if they were cults, and I was at first puzzled. I assumed that cults were always non-Christian.
But as I listened to the callers I recognized the sometimes subtle pressures brought to bear in the “mainstream” if conservative and rural church, that was central to my youth. Questions which brought up any of the many inconsistencies of the Bible, simply were not allowed. We were told sometimes people were “churched” for asking uncomfortable questions, and that the only unforgivable sin was to become a Christian, be “saved” and then leave. Either of course would land you in Hell, a concept we were taught to fear as very real fire and endless unbearable suffering. All this was a means of exerting control by the group on individual members. It began to dawn on me that my experience was not that far from the sphere of cult. I just had never given consideration to the idea, because it all seemed so normal to believe in my youth.
If the idea of cults interests you I suggest Richard Kelly’s Growing Up In Mama’s Club. It is his story of growing up, and escaping, the Jehovah’s Wittiness cult. This young boy of five has to come to terms with his lack of faith and his mother’s total commitment to some very strange ideas.
Tags: Growing Up In Mama's Club, Hell, mainstream churches, religious cults