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Let Them Eat Crow

Category: The Murder

  • The Transition

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    From Newcomer to Church Member. Remember the cards in the deck before this? Those are all still in play, at the same time. Before You Continue This section explores the early stages of becoming deeply immersed in a high-control religious environment, including the rapid development of belonging, friendship, purpose, responsibility, and emotional attachment. As we…

  • The Mechanisms: Reclaiming Your Agency

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    The Mechanisms: Reclaiming Your Agency Why We Cannot Recognize the Influences We Were Never Taught to See Content Warning: This article discusses religious trauma, high-control religious environments, spiritual abuse, coercive influence, manipulation, and the use of theological authority. It also includes personal reflections that some readers—particularly those with religious trauma or experiences in high-control religious…

  • Illusory Truth: When Repetition Becomes Belief

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    Before You Begin This article explores how repeated messages can gradually shape the way we understand ourselves, others, and the world around us. As you read, you may find yourself remembering teachings, sermons, Bible studies, conversations, songs, or phrases that were repeated so often they became familiar. Realizing how repetition may have influenced beliefs you…

  • Looking to Others for Answers: Informational Social Influence

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    Before You Begin This article explores how we naturally look to trusted people for guidance when we’re trying to understand unfamiliar experiences. As you read, you may find yourself remembering conversations with pastors, mentors, family members, or friends who helped shape the way you understood your experiences, your faith, or even yourself. Realizing how our…

  • Shared Emotional Experience: Collective Effervescence

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    Before You Begin This article explores the powerful emotional experiences that many people remember from life inside high-control, immersive environments. As you read, you may find yourself remembering worship services, conferences, retreats, altar calls, or other moments that once felt deeply significant. Revisiting those memories can bring up a wide range of emotions, including grief,…

  • Purpose, Participation, and Increasing Commitment

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    By this point, the newcomer is no longer only attending. They are becoming part of the community. As they begin rebuilding their life around the church, naturally they become more available. They attend more services and spend more time with church members. Their social life that might have once been dull, increasingly revolves around church…

  • Manufacturing Belonging: Love Bombing

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    Do you remember the first time you went to church? Warm smiles everywhere you turned. People rushed up to shake your hand. It seemed like everyone wanted to talk to you. Several people probably got your phone number, and you were likely invited out to coffee, a Bible study, someone’s house, or even dinner. A…

  • Breaking Down the Foundation: The Dismantling of What Already Exists

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    Before You Begin This article explores how high-control, immersive environments begin reshaping the foundation we already have. As you read, you may find yourself remembering your first experiences in church or noticing connections you hadn’t recognized before. That can bring up a wide range of emotions. Please don’t feel like you need to rush through…

  • Where Foundations Begin: Why They Are so Important

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    Before You Begin: Content Warning This article may bring up memories or uncomfortable emotions for some readers. That’s okay. Please don’t feel like you need to rush through it. Read at your own pace. Stop if you need to. Come back when you’re ready. Some of the things we discuss throughout this series can be…

  • Examining Our “Origin” Story

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    The Mechanisms That Run the Machine One of the things we want to accomplish is establishing a clear framework for understanding what happened to us, why it happened, and the systems that shaped us. To do that, we need to start with the mechanisms that run the machine. Before we can examine the larger frameworks,…