Newsletter: Cult Expert or Apologist?
How to Sort Through the Disinformation and Find the Facts
Say you were reading an article stating that a certain candy bar was beneficial to your health, but then you see that the author of the article had been paid by the makers of that candy, and the journal the article was published in was owned by the candy manufacturer’s parent company.
That candy wouldn’t taste so sweet anymore, would it?
And yet, a very similar thing has been done in the past by tobacco companies denying the carcinogenic effects of smoking, by fossil fuel companies denying climate change - and by certain high-control, destructive authoritarian groups trying to claim that they are “new religious movements” and that former members claiming abuse and the experts and historians tracking that abuse cannot be trusted. In this week’s Substack article for paid subscribers, Is That “Scholarship” Actually Cult Propaganda?, I discuss the knotty problem of cult “experts” who are paid by the groups they are defending as “harmless,” and the way they muddy the waters of academic research on the groups whose interests they serve.
This article can be read here by our paid subscribers, who also have access to my complete catalog of interviews, helpful guides, and thought-provoking articles, such as:
I’m delighted to announce that my classic book, Combating Cult Mind Control, is now the August Monthly Deal on Audible, so if you want to get the audio version, now is the perfect time! Also, the Spanish version, Combatiendo el Control Mental de las Sectas, is also available on audiobook.
This week’s livestream will take place on Wednesday, August 5th, at 2 pm EDT; I will be answering viewer questions and discussing current events.
On Friday, August 7th at 2 pm EDT, I will be doing a special livestream with my guests Lara Kaput and Maria Esguerra; they have been working with the government of Victoria, Australia to make it easier for survivors of cult abuse to get justice, and harder for cults to get away with concealing and denying the abuse of children and other vulnerable members. We’ll be discussing how the landmark Victorian Parliament inquiry into recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organized fringe groups has tabled its report in parliament, with 98 findings and 39 recommendations.
You can read the report by the Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues Committee here, and watch the video in which Committee members reflect on the evidence they heard during the inquiry here.
If you missed last week’s livestream, you can find it here.
In this week’s episode of my Cults, Culture & Coercion podcast, The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) with Anthony Forte, I speak with this brave survivor about his recruitment, his life in this doomsday cult - including an arranged marriage - and how he was able to break free!
Listen on Apple | Spotify | Watch on YouTube
Read my Substack post about the interview here.
This is the second in my series of speaking with survivors of cults based in Korea; next week’s episode will be with Chris Vishoot, who was a member of Shincheonji.
On Thursday at noon, I will be speaking at the Impact Guild Roundtable on Dismantling Disinformation, along with disinformation researcher Dave Troy and research analyst Frederick Clarkson. We’ll be talking about the coercive influence tactics and coordinated networks behind modern conspiracy movements. Please sign up for their newsletter to receive an invitation to the presentation.
Remember, be sure that you, your neighbors, and everyone you know is registered to vote and ready to do so! We must defeat MAGA in the coming elections!
As always, please let us know what you think about these pieces or what you’d like to see us discuss in the future. Thanks so much!
