How people get recruited into coercive groups: A view from an ex-Quiverfull survivor

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Wednesday March 17, 2010 · 10:07 AM PDT

2010/03/17 · 10:07

Probably one of the main questions--right next to "How do we stop dominionists?"--I'm asked when writing is "Why do into coercive religious groups in the first place?"

One thing to note is that, in general, people less join a coercive group and more are recruited into a coercive group or are raised in a coercive group.

A new article by Jonathan Rice and Vyckie Garrison--the latter of whom runs No Longer Quivering, a support forum for ex-Quiverfull survivors--gives a glimpse of how coercive group recruitment works from a first-hand view.

dogemperor

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Friday January 16, 2009 · 1:07 PM PST

2009/01/16 · 13:07

Over the past few weeks, I've written about a particular aspect of Rick Warren that has so far seen very little formal media attention--his extensive connections to groups and persons connected to the "New Apostolic Reformation" aka "Joel's Army", a particularly virulent "Christian Nationalist" movement (which had its initial origins in neopentecostal dominionist churches but has since spread via "cuckoo" cell-churches to even some mainstream denominations).

In particular, Rick Warren is not only well documented to be a dominionist with links to Joel's Army promoters in the Assemblies of God, but has been mentored from his beginnings in the ministry by no less than C. Peter Wagner--"Mr. Joel's Army" himself.

Recent research by members of the New Apostolic Reformation Research Team have found, however, possibly one of the most disturbing examples of this yet--where Rick Warren literally promotes the Hitlerjugend and the Cultural Reformation as explicit models for steeplejacking entire nations.

dogemperor

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Wednesday December 31, 2008 · 1:55 PM PST

2008/12/31 · 13:55

Nearly two and a half years to the day, I wrote an early article detailing Rick Warren's connections with Paul Yonggi Cho nee David Yonggi Cho--a figure who is practically at Ground Zero regarding the continued perpetuation and promotion of what has been termed "Latter Rain", evolved into "Joel's Army", and is known now as the "New Apostolic Reformation".

This early post has gained sudden relevance now with Rick Warren now being chosen as the pastor to give the inauguration prayer on 20 January.

This is also rather unfortunate, as it turns out that Rick Warren's connections to "Elijah's Army" go farther than trading tips with Cho on megachurch growth...far deeper.

dogemperor

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Friday October 31, 2008 · 1:21 PM PDT

2008/10/31 · 13:21

It's generally the tradition that people do like to be scared around Halloween--originally a festival meant to drive away the monsters of the night, we now celebrate all things spooky and monstrous.

There are some monsters, though, that do need to be driven away...and some things which really are frightening.

One of those things in the "monstrous" category would be the particularly extreme branch of Joel's Army that Sarah Palin is closely connected with...and, as we'll see, it is truly horrifying as to the results.

Among other things, apparently a second nation besides Guatemala may have fallen to a Joel's Army coup (Fiji in the early 2000s)...and not one but two separate appointments have been made to Alaska's Suicide Prevention Council that are linked to Joel's Army groups that Palin is a member of.

dogemperor

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Tuesday October 07, 2008 · 1:56 PM PDT

2008/10/07 · 13:56

In yesterday's post, I went into some of the initial detail on a statement given by Thomas Muthee in the infamous sermon where he "annointed" Sarah Palin and also claimed to literally run a traditional religious practitioner out of his home base.

Today, we look into how the "Seven Mountains" concept is promoted in Joel's Army circles--including some of the incredibly disturbing code-phrasing used (including literal references to genocide and extirpation of opponents), and how Palin is being used as merely a rook in what amounts to a "50-year plan" for national and societal steeplejacking by a group that can be literally described as calling for holy war with the rest of humanity. We also look at how the mere candidacy of Palin--and McCain's other overtures towards Joel's Army--are a symptom of a serious systemic problem in the GOP that could have literally apocalyptic consequences if unchecked.

dogemperor

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Monday October 06, 2008 · 2:57 PM PDT

2008/10/06 · 14:57

Today's diary is--and yes, I know, this is a shocker--NOT going to be about Sarah Palin. At least, not directly. This is more towards some of her supporters...and especially in light of Palin throwing stones whilst in a glass house re the Jeremiah Wright controversy, a deeper look is warranted into one group Palin is associated with in particular.

The truth is, Palin's stealth candidacy is but a single symptom of a much larger problem--much as a wound that won't heal is often indicative of the cancer beneath. And so it is here--as we'll get into in the coming weeks, Palin is actually a rook in what amounts to a high-stakes national game of chess that the Joel's Army movement is playing with the rest of America.

Today, we focus on some statements that were made with Thomas Muthee's "annointing" of Palin as governor--yes, that Thomas Muthee, the infamous Kenyan witch-hunter who spoke at Palin's supposed former congregation--and how he actually revealed much of what amounts to a longterm strategy by Joel's Army groups to steeplejack the country...and society.

dogemperor

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Wednesday September 24, 2008 · 8:50 AM PDT

2008/09/24 · 08:50

Over the past few weeks, folks on the Internet have turned up an impressive amount of info re Sarah Palin's questionable judgements--including scandals involving the Alaska State Police (now known as "TrooperGate") and similar hijinks with the Wasilla PD, info re Palin trying to make rape victims pay for their own evidence collection kits (which led to the state stepping in), and Palin's disturbing connections with "Joel's Army" neopentecostal dominionists.

What has not been publicised so far is that the first two scandals have direct connections to the third--and, even worse, there's the most damning evidence yet that the very "Joel's Army" folks Palin is linked to may have been grooming her explicitly as a "stealth candidate".

dogemperor

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Monday September 22, 2008 · 2:04 PM PDT

2008/09/22 · 14:04

A few days ago, I had reported on Palin's linkages to "Bible-based cult" promoter Bill Gothard...and, sadly, followup info proves that this may be far from her only links to religiously motivated abuse.

It turns out that Palin--and Wasilla A/G--are intimately connected with "Joel's Army" promoters directly responsible for not only harassment of critics, but also a little-reported and growing humanitarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa: namely, the growth of "Joel's Army" "exorcists" and people--including young children--fleeing for their lives from a literal "God Warrior" progrom.

dogemperor

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Friday September 19, 2008 · 1:36 PM PDT

2008/09/19 · 13:36

A few days ago, I wrote an article detailing several more links between Palin and particularly disturbing elements of the "Joel's Army" movement--namely, apparent links between Palin and Bill Gothard's network of groups, and some very disturbing dog-whistles from some of the "Joel's Army" faithful comparing her to the prophetess Deborah.

Now that I have my power restored...we can get to "the rest of the story", so to speak...and now you get the background as to why the latest revelations are quite disturbing.

dogemperor

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Tuesday September 16, 2008 · 4:57 PM PDT

2008/09/16 · 16:57

Much like the US Postal Service, neither rain nor snow nor 70% of my hometown's power infrastructure being eaten by Ike will stop me from posting the latest on Palin's connections with dominionists.

We've posted before on her initial outing as a dominionist stealth candidate, her links to "Joel's Army" including Alaskan state funds being used for groups promoting apocalyptic theology, and her attempt at a back-door book ban in conjunction with a crusade by one of her home churches.

Today, we find out even more info on the book-ban attempt giving further proof that Palin has not dropped her links with Joel's Army--and if that weren't enough, there's some very telling evidence from the horse's mouth.

dogemperor

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Friday September 12, 2008 · 1:29 PM PDT

2008/09/12 · 13:29

Over the past few days, I've been one of those Damned Annoying Palin Diarists--though not on BabyGate or some of the other stuff, but more on the fact she was originally put in as a dominionist "stealth candidate", that she has extensive and ongoing connections with "Joel's Army" neopente dominionists including providing tax dollars to them. Most disturbingly, more than a few of us have raised serious questions on how Palin's connections with these groups may have literally thermonuclear consequences and how much her dominionist connections would affect her public policy.

We may very well have reason to worry. Two new recent updates have given call for alarm--one being a disturbing call for war with Russia, and the second being new revelations re the attempted Wasilla book-ban that indicate it may have been a preemptive attempt.

And in both cases, her "Joel's Army" sympathies may be closely linked.

dogemperor

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Tuesday September 09, 2008 · 2:27 PM PDT

2008/09/09 · 14:27

Over the past few days I've been writing about Sarah Palin's extensive dominionist connections, including ongoing relationships with and even guest-preaching at and taxpayer support of several Assemblies and "Assemblies family" churches connected with the "Joel's Army" movement.

Now, none other than Chip Berlet has broached the question that those of us watching this particular form of "Christian nationalism" have been asking ourselves, and I give my own thoughts and commentary on that question:

Could the prospect of Sarah Palin being a heartbeat away from the presidency, and her connections with neopentecostal dominionists, have literal end-of-the-world consequences?

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How people get recruited into coercive groups: A view from an ex-Quiverfull survivor

Rick Warren directly uses Hitler Youth, Cultural Revolution as models for Joel's Army

Rick Warren's Connections to Joel's Army

A true Halloween horror: Sarah Palin's extensive connections to Joel's Army

"Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover

Thomas Muthee's "Seven Mountains" and coded messages

Palin, TrooperGate, RapeKitGate...and Joel'sArmyGate

Palin, dominionist intimidation, and actual witch-hunters

Palin, Gothard, and dog-whistles to dominionists

New revelations re Palin and dominionists

More info comes out on Palin and dominionism, Armageddon, and book bans

A Palin presidency may have literal apocalyptic consequences