There's been a great deal of talk about expanding the Supreme Court and entirely NOT enough talk about impeaching Amy Coney Barrett.

First, this is not a "Republicans bad, Democrats good!" appeal. I often disagree with Clarence Thomas but I would NOT call for his impeachment.
This is about Amy Coney Barrett's DEEPLY troubling affiliation with the destructive group "People of Praise."

The People of Praise (POP) are not a conventional religion. The POP displays many cult-like attributes.

Here's a brief summary of the People of Praise:
The People of Praise reportedly require a lifetime covenant commitment, require wives & children to be submissive to husbands, promote fear of losing God’s grace, allow & even encourage corporal punishment of children & wives, engage in forced exorcisms, & shun former members.
Like other destructive cults, the People of Praise have an authoritarian, pyramid-like structure. All persons in the POP have a “head” who makes decisions for them. In POP marriages, a husband is the wife’s “head” and a senior member of the cult is the husband’s “head.”
This leads to many troubling scenarios. If a husband wants sex, the wife does not have the right to refuse. This results in many cases of rape (a crime in the United States!). But there's more.

"Heads" meet regularly (usually weekly) with the people "under" them.
At these meetings, internal thoughts and feelings must be disclosed (Scientology does a version of this too). Personal decisions-such as what job to take, who to marry, what car to buy, how to discipline kids-must be shared with "heads."

In the end, the "head" has the final say.
Information obtained by one “head” is often passed up to the next (several) level(s). Additionally, “heads” even higher up may pass down their “advice” to a person several levels below them.

There is no assurance of confidentiality at any level.
I want to be clear. Anyone is free to practice whatever religion they choose. This is a foundational RIGHT enshrined in the 1st Amendment of our Constitution!

But the POP is not a conventional religion. In my opinion, the activities of this group VIOLATE members’ human rights.
Amy Coney Barrett is a SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, and her membership in this provably authoritarian group UNDERMINES the independence of the court. It is not wholly unreasonable to expect "heads" of her group to pass down dictates about court decisions.

She needs to be impeached.
For more on the People of Praise, I've written a few useful blogs that go into great detail:

1. Blog about POP, BITE Model analysis and interview with former POP members
freedomofmind.com/people-of-prai…

2. Blog about undue influence of POP & Judge Barrett freedomofmind.com/people-of-prai…

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More from @CultExpert

16 Dec
Many of you are familiar with my BITE Model (as a reminder, BITE stands for):

Behavior Control
Information Control
Thought Control
Emotional Control

The BITE model outlines the specific set of methods and techniques that can influence how a person thinks, feels, and acts.
I've come to understand that Information Control is one of the most POTENT parts of my BITE model and there are few groups who've been controlled through information more than Indigenous people.

Indigenous kids were forced into schools and required to assimilate.
Our very own Declaration of Independence-our most FOUNDATIONAL document-refers to Indigenous people as "merciless Indian savages."
Read 4 tweets
14 Dec
Though he is so often misquoted by insincere politicians, Martin Luther King Jr. really FULLY embodied the approach I teach.

King DIDN'T turn his head to injustice. He confronted it HEAD ON, but he did so with love and compassion.

Just look at his Six Principles of Nonviolence:
Read 8 tweets
13 Dec
Whenever I talk about my patient, kind approach for getting people out of cults and extreme beliefs, there is always a small group of people that get mad at me. They tell me how TOXIC a family member or person has been and that they needed to cut them off for their own sanity!
As always my friends, this is your own life. 🙏 It is not my intention to tell you you're "wrong." Do as you wish.

I've been doing this for 45+ years though, and never once was anger or confrontation or isolation helpful (and I've worked with the most EXTREME of the extreme!).
Perhaps, if it is too painful, those of us who DO have the bandwidth to have conversations with family or estranged friends from high school can be the ones who step up!

I can report one refreshing, encouraging aspect of this approach though:
Read 4 tweets
13 Dec
The antidote to helping friends and loved ones OUT of extreme belief feels counterintuitive to most.

When we hear a hateful extreme belief expressed, the NATURAL reaction is to respond with anger and condemnation!

But unfortunately, this approach just doesn't work.
When we throw our anger at someone, though it may feel justified and warranted, it drives that person FURTHER into their extreme belief.

Here's one quick story from my life...

When I was in the Moonie cult, we were ordered to SELL items for the cult (flowers, candy, etc.).
Often while doing this, people would yell things at me (sometimes they'd even throw beer cans at me). When this happened, it drove me DEEPER into the cult. After all, the cult taught us that we were the persecuted ones & these outbursts of anger toward us VALIDATED this!

But...
Read 9 tweets
9 Dec
In the last few years (especially during the stressful pandemic), there has been renewed interest in seeking help from a therapist or a life coach.

I APPLAUD paying attention to your mental health, but one should know what a healthy client/therapist relationship looks like. Why?
Because a therapist/life coach can exert influence over someone in the SAME manner as a cult leader if they are unethical. The power dynamic at play-an authority figure with "answers" over a client seeking help for their perceived deficiencies-can lead to some truly bad outcomes.
Here are some red flags to look out for if you're seeking treatment or if you already see someone:

-Therapy should be time-limited, address a specific issue, and move toward agreed-upon goals. A client should not be seeing a therapist for ten years and not be doing any better.
Read 11 tweets
8 Dec
Gun control HASN’T always been such a hot-button issue in this country. In 1968, after a series of assassinations, Sen. Thomas Dodd’s Gun Control Act passed with bipartisan support in the house and senate.
“Gun rights” really started coming into prominence in the 60’s & culminated with an all-out coup of the NRA in 1977 which transformed it into the political force it is today. Prior to this, the organization was a less significant non-profit focussed on improving marksmanship.
The NRA spends millions of dollars every year on lobbying and candidates who forward their agenda. In its early years, the NRA was in FAVOR of gun control legislation, often helping DRAFT said legislation, but today they are an unabashed lobbying group.
Read 5 tweets

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