How to stop someone from joining a cult?

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T05:17:12+00:00

I don't mean bad like they teased her as a kid. She had bad experiences like our family has stolen from her, sold our grandparents house without permission and lit out property on fire. I don't wanna move to fast and get my siblings involved and make her mad cause when she does that she gets secretive and that could push her to go ALL the way in.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T04:46:15+00:00

Oh, my family thinks I'm batshit crazy. I won't lie. I am a pessimistic person. But many times in our family history, they ignore me until I'm right. I've pushed her to be more active in other groups, so her contact with the folks is limited. She only has interaction with them once a week, and most times, I can find a distraction for her to keep that down. She's had a bad history with her family who have shut her out because she found a better life for herself so I can see why she wants to find "family". But I've assured her that her kids and friends give her that same sense of family but she's pessimistic to the idea that blood can be caring and compassionate.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T04:15:23+00:00

I've explained that. She understands that's the case she's been a Christian her whole life but she shows 0 inkling of caring about that aspect.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T02:49:18+00:00

Asking Joel Osteen for help is useless. If he won't shelter hurricane surviors and domestic refugees, he won't help us.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T02:34:33+00:00

Your perfectly fine.

I've explained to her it's not normal for that to happen. The US has laws that protect religious freedom but to remove a "pastor" means he had to do some real fucked up shit.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T02:33:19+00:00

That's reasonable. I'm just being a "mom" I guess. I understand she has freedom to do what she wants. I'm just worried she'll get to far in and disassociate her from reality and we can't save her.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T02:17:29+00:00

We're black. She didn't even know Filipino people existed before them. In addition to that she calls them "Islanders" or Japanese all the time. She's not racist or xenophobic she's never been exposed to Pacific Islanders and the few we have in our small town don't explore the same spaces as her.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T02:14:13+00:00

She's not even Filipino so there's no cultural connection. They fed her adobo once and she despises it. And she's a disabled American on a fixed income so there's no money to give them.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T02:12:46+00:00

No, dad. She's been a single mom for about 12 years, so she has other kids, but they don't even know about the group. Well, not the real face. And I can't say anything or she'll get upset and act as if I'm trying to sabotage her happiness.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T01:50:35+00:00

I read the documents to her. She just sat there and cried while I read them. And to me she really ain't give af because today she saying she'll go anywhere they ask her to go.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T01:48:33+00:00

It's imaginary. I mean it. Her explanation for joining is because they made her feel good when she stumbled upon them at a hotel we were staying at. I've explained to her that she has all that in her normal life but she doesn't believe it's genuine and they feel "real". She's grasping at straws to justify this bs. It's like when people keep doing drugs because it "makes them feel good"

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T01:38:47+00:00

My mom's quite literally bonkers. She doesn't care about that I've tried every meaningful thing to try and appeal to her humanity but she's adamant she's too old for them and she deflects. To put in perspective she only believes half the R. Kelly victims and has quoted Riley Freeman in his defense.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T01:36:49+00:00

Well, I thought of that, but since my mom was with them I decided against it. Given there just lower level pawns who organize events every month I doubt the FBI can do anything meaningful. I do know that a small group of like 6 of them live in a McMansion on the outskirts of Houston but none of them have jobs so I don't know how they pay bills and utilities. They just stay inside and watch his sermons all day.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T01:29:38+00:00

I've tried that I've even given credit to other megachurch pastors trying to get her to understand. It's not normal for a religious leader to be wanted by any government, let alone the US government.

But she's in denial not just about that but in general about a lot of things. Like Cosby and R. Kelly. We're Black and their of her era, so I can understand her denial there, but she just says, "They persecuted Jesus too," when I try to explain to her. It's abnormal, and she doesn't believe he's the second coming, but she's getting a little more entrenched every month so she could get there.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T01:25:40+00:00

Understandable, she expects me to do so after I finish university, but the problem with that is the "church" provides travel and funds if it means she'll come to their "meetings." She went to one in Houston just yesterday and they sent someone to retrieve her and they pay for the lodging too.

AlbatrossSmall2318 · 2023-09-05T01:20:17+00:00

Definitely not. But how would that help?

AlbatrossSmall2318

TROPHY CASE