"NEIRR - The New England Institute of Religious Research was founded in 1991 as a mission outreach to provide churches, secular organizations and concerned individuals with up-to-date research on cultic structures. The Institute also provides training for people who work with those caught up by such destructive groups. They personally meet with the members of various groups to discuss Behavioral/Biblical/Theological issues with them. Another important dimension of Institute ministry is to provide an emotionally and spiritually healing environment for ex-cult-members."
I. Scripture Twisting
This is the most important distinctive, from which all other distinctives flow. In Cults, there is a deficient concept of Church history or theological categories. Consequently Scripture is taken out of context, carelessly applied, and used to justify wrong conclusions (prooftexting).
- Doctrine developed from historical books of the Bible. Here, the historical books of the Old and New Testaments (Exodus, Kings, Samuel, parts of Gospels, Acts, etc.) are used to derive authoritative doctrines.
- Contextual chaos. Verses are pasted together(out-of-context) to prove a doctrine.
- Mystical mush. Taking verses intended to be literal or are idiomatic and giving them a "spiritual" interpretation. Misinterpretation of the 144,000 from chapter 7 and 14. from the Book of Revelation ( a common misuse by most major cults)
II. Controlling Leader/Leadership
- Frequently, near to total submission is implicitly or explicitly demanded by the leader/leadership. This is because they have "the mind of Christ," special revelation, are "God's anointed," etc.
- The leader/leadership has a special pipeline to God with no actual accountability. This gives to them a special authority and weightiness in their pronouncements, even in non-essentials.
- Scriptures like Hebrews 13:17; Psalm 105:15, etc. are used to manipulate the member and justify the leader's position. These verses are taken out of context and were never intended for leaders who are not accountable.
- The leader/leadership often determines the areas of your life that are important for you to submit in. Refusing their counsel is to be rebellious.
- The problem is that members of these aberrational groups tend to abdicate their decision making power to the group or leader.
III. Separation/Isolation Of The Membership
Members are separated from the "world" in a variety of ways in order to protect them from "harmful" influences.
- This is couched in spiritual language and is usually sincerely believed by the leader/leadership as an appropriate and necessary step for them to take. "We want to help you to become the best in Christ that you can possibly be. It has been our experience that you can be harmed by living with..., getting involved in..., reading..., associating with..., etc. This certainly wouldn't please Jesus, and you might even fall away from the truth. It has happened in the past."
- This separation is often from family, friends, and even other Christian groups.
IV. The Chosen Few
-Spiritual elitism is often rampant in these aberrational groups. All other Christians outside your group are either lukewarm or not true believers at all.
- Consequently, salvation is not found outside the walls of the group and other Christians are "fair game" for proselytizing (ie. conversion to a group, tradition or belief system).
- Christian Cult groups rarely, if ever, cooperate with other Christian groups not associated with them.
V. Uniformity Of Lifestyle
-This uniformity of lifestyle may be manifested in beliefs, dress, language and living conditions.
- The desire is to create a true disciple of Jesus Christ. However, the issue is what makes a disciple and how is one identified.
- This uniformity can intrude in all the private areas of an individuals life where the Scriptures are silent.
VI. No Dissent
-Because the leadership is authoritarian it follows that there can be no questioning of God's anointed or prophet.
- In non-coercive groups and churches differences on lesser points of doctrine and practice are tolerated. It is the unity of the Spirit that is essential. The individuality of the member is always affirmed. However, minor differences of doctrine and practice are not tolerated in such aberrational groups.
- To speak out or to question is to have a rebellious spirit and to possibly fall under God's wrath.
VII. Traumatic Departure
Leaving an aberrational Christian Group is always extremely traumatic.
- If a member plans on leaving and the leadership finds out there may be a painful confrontation with the leadership who seek to talk the "rebellious" member out of leaving.
- Frequently, the person may be told, "If you leave bad things will happen to you. Maybe you will get cancer..., get hit by a car..., lose everything..., go insane..., and even die."
- Leaving is also very traumatic because even though the member no longer believes in the group, they have been indoctrinated to believe that salvation does not exist outside their walls. Thus, where can the departing member go?
VIII. In Transition
Doctrines and practices tend to mutate further and further from healthy belief and expressions.
- Aberrational groups are never static but tend to devolve theologically. Many begin fairly orthodox, but over time become heretical in major doctrines.
- The practices and rituals of Cult groups also tend to take on divine authority. Practices that were optional or conditional in the beginning become absolute standards whereby commitment and spirituality are measured.
Mind Control – The BITE Model
From chapter two of Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves *© 2000 by Steven Hassan; published by Freedom of Mind Press, Somerville MA
Destructive mind control can be understood in terms of four basic components, which form the acronym BITE:
Behavior Control
Information Control
Thought Control
Emotional Control
It is important to understand that destructive mind control can be determined when the overall effect of these four components promotes dependency and obedience to some leader or cause. It is not necessary for every single item on the list to be present. Mind controlled cult members can live in their own apartments, have nine-to-five jobs, be married with children, and still be unable to think for themselves and act independently.
Behavior Control
1. Regulation of individual’s physical reality
a. Where, how and with whom the member lives and associates with
b. What clothes, colors, hairstyles the person wears
c. What food the person eats, drinks, adopts, and rejects
d. How much sleep the person is able to have
e. Financial dependence
f. Little or no time spent on leisure, entertainment, vacations
2. Major time commitment required for indoctrination sessions and group rituals
3. Need to ask permission for major decisions
4. Need to report thoughts, feelings and activities to superiors
5. Rewards and punishments (behaviour modification techniques- positive and negative).
6. Individualism discouraged; group think prevails
7. Rigid rules and regulations
8. Need for obedience and dependency
Information Control
1. Use of deception
a. Deliberately holding back information
b. Distorting information to make it acceptable
c. Outright lying
2. Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged
a. Books, articles, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio
b. Critical information
c. Former members
d. Keep members so busy they don’t have time to think
3. Compartmentalization of information; Outsider vs. Insider doctrines
a. Information is not freely accessible
b. Information varies at different levels and missions within pyramid
c. Leadership decides who “needs to know” what
4. Spying on other members is encouraged
a. Pairing up with “buddy” system to monitor and control
b. Reporting deviant thoughts, feelings, and actions to leadership
5. Extensive use of cult generated information and propaganda
a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audio tapes, videotapes, etc.
b. Misquotations, statements taken out of context from non-cult sources
6. Unethical use of confession
a. Information about “sins” used to abolish identity boundaries
b. Past “sins” used to manipulate and control; no forgiveness or absolution
Thought Control
1. Need to internalize the group’s doctrine as “Truth”
a. Map = Reality
b. Black and White thinking
c. Good vs. evil
d. Us vs. them (inside vs. outside)
2. Adopt “loaded” language (characterized by “thought-terminating clichés”). Words are the tools we use to think with. These “special” words constrict rather than expand understanding. They function to reduce complexities of experience into trite, platitudinous “buzz words”.
3. Only so-called “good” and “proper” thoughts are encouraged.
4. Thought-stopping techniques (to shut down “reality testing” by stopping “negative” thoughts and allowing only “good” thoughts); rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism.
a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
b. Chanting
c. Meditating
d. Praying
e. Speaking in “tongues”
f. Singing or humming
5. No critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy seen as legitimate
6. No alternative belief systems viewed as legitimate, good, or useful
Emotional Control
1. Manipulate and narrow the range of a person’s feelings.
2. Make the person feel like if there are ever any problems it is always their fault, never the leader’s or the group’s.
3. Feeling-stopping (with number 4, Excessive use of guilt). Like thought-stopping, this is the automatic suppression or blocking of feelings that are not acceptable by the cult identity- such as feeling \”homesick\” or feeling \”depressed\” or feeling \”resentful\”.
4. Excessive use of guilt
a. Identity guilt
1. Who you are (not living up to your potential)
2. Your family
3. Your past
4. Your affiliations
5. Your thoughts, feelings, actions
b. Social guilt
c. Historical guilt
5. Excessive use of fear
a. Fear of thinking independently
b. Fear of the “outside” world
c. Fear of enemies
d. Fear of losing one’s “salvation”
e. Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by group
f. Fear of disapproval
6. Extremes of emotional highs and lows.
7. Ritual and often public confession of “sins”.
8. Phobia indoctrination : programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group or even questioning the leader’s authority. The person under mind control cannot visualize a positive, fulfilled future without being in the group.
a. No happiness or fulfillment “outside”of the group
b. Terrible consequences will take place if you leave: “hell”; “demon possession”; “incurable diseases”; “accidents”; “suicide”; “insanity”; “10,000 reincarnations”; etc.
c. Shunning of leave takers. Fear of being rejected by friends, peers, and family.
d. Never a legitimate reason to leave. From the group’s perspective, people who leave are: “weak;” “undisciplined;” “unspiritual;” “worldly;” “brainwashed by family, counselors;” seduced by money, sex, rock and roll.
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This is the most important distinctive, from which all other distinctives flow. In Cults, there is a deficient concept of Church history or theological categories. Consequently Scripture is taken out of context, carelessly applied, and used to justify wrong conclusions (prooftexting).
- Doctrine developed from historical books of the Bible. Here, the historical books of the Old and New Testaments (Exodus, Kings, Samuel, parts of Gospels, Acts, etc.) are used to derive authoritative doctrines.
- Contextual chaos. Verses are pasted together(out-of-context) to prove a doctrine.
- Mystical mush. Taking verses intended to be literal or are idiomatic and giving them a "spiritual" interpretation. Misinterpretation of the 144,000 from chapter 7 and 14. from the Book of Revelation ( a common misuse by most major cults)
II. Controlling Leader/Leadership
- Frequently, near to total submission is implicitly or explicitly demanded by the leader/leadership. This is because they have "the mind of Christ," special revelation, are "God's anointed," etc.
- The leader/leadership has a special pipeline to God with no actual accountability. This gives to them a special authority and weightiness in their pronouncements, even in non-essentials.
- Scriptures like Hebrews 13:17; Psalm 105:15, etc. are used to manipulate the member and justify the leader's position. These verses are taken out of context and were never intended for leaders who are not accountable.
- The leader/leadership often determines the areas of your life that are important for you to submit in. Refusing their counsel is to be rebellious.
- The problem is that members of these aberrational groups tend to abdicate their decision making power to the group or leader.
III. Separation/Isolation Of The Membership
Members are separated from the "world" in a variety of ways in order to protect them from "harmful" influences.
- This is couched in spiritual language and is usually sincerely believed by the leader/leadership as an appropriate and necessary step for them to take. "We want to help you to become the best in Christ that you can possibly be. It has been our experience that you can be harmed by living with..., getting involved in..., reading..., associating with..., etc. This certainly wouldn't please Jesus, and you might even fall away from the truth. It has happened in the past."
- This separation is often from family, friends, and even other Christian groups.
IV. The Chosen Few
-Spiritual elitism is often rampant in these aberrational groups. All other Christians outside your group are either lukewarm or not true believers at all.
- Consequently, salvation is not found outside the walls of the group and other Christians are "fair game" for proselytizing (ie. conversion to a group, tradition or belief system).
- Christian Cult groups rarely, if ever, cooperate with other Christian groups not associated with them.
V. Uniformity Of Lifestyle
-This uniformity of lifestyle may be manifested in beliefs, dress, language and living conditions.
- The desire is to create a true disciple of Jesus Christ. However, the issue is what makes a disciple and how is one identified.
- This uniformity can intrude in all the private areas of an individuals life where the Scriptures are silent.
VI. No Dissent
-Because the leadership is authoritarian it follows that there can be no questioning of God's anointed or prophet.
- In non-coercive groups and churches differences on lesser points of doctrine and practice are tolerated. It is the unity of the Spirit that is essential. The individuality of the member is always affirmed. However, minor differences of doctrine and practice are not tolerated in such aberrational groups.
- To speak out or to question is to have a rebellious spirit and to possibly fall under God's wrath.
VII. Traumatic Departure
Leaving an aberrational Christian Group is always extremely traumatic.
- If a member plans on leaving and the leadership finds out there may be a painful confrontation with the leadership who seek to talk the "rebellious" member out of leaving.
- Frequently, the person may be told, "If you leave bad things will happen to you. Maybe you will get cancer..., get hit by a car..., lose everything..., go insane..., and even die."
- Leaving is also very traumatic because even though the member no longer believes in the group, they have been indoctrinated to believe that salvation does not exist outside their walls. Thus, where can the departing member go?
VIII. In Transition
Doctrines and practices tend to mutate further and further from healthy belief and expressions.
- Aberrational groups are never static but tend to devolve theologically. Many begin fairly orthodox, but over time become heretical in major doctrines.
- The practices and rituals of Cult groups also tend to take on divine authority. Practices that were optional or conditional in the beginning become absolute standards whereby commitment and spirituality are measured.
Mind Control – The BITE Model
From chapter two of Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves *© 2000 by Steven Hassan; published by Freedom of Mind Press, Somerville MA
Destructive mind control can be understood in terms of four basic components, which form the acronym BITE:
Behavior Control
Information Control
Thought Control
Emotional Control
It is important to understand that destructive mind control can be determined when the overall effect of these four components promotes dependency and obedience to some leader or cause. It is not necessary for every single item on the list to be present. Mind controlled cult members can live in their own apartments, have nine-to-five jobs, be married with children, and still be unable to think for themselves and act independently.
Behavior Control
1. Regulation of individual’s physical reality
a. Where, how and with whom the member lives and associates with
b. What clothes, colors, hairstyles the person wears
c. What food the person eats, drinks, adopts, and rejects
d. How much sleep the person is able to have
e. Financial dependence
f. Little or no time spent on leisure, entertainment, vacations
2. Major time commitment required for indoctrination sessions and group rituals
3. Need to ask permission for major decisions
4. Need to report thoughts, feelings and activities to superiors
5. Rewards and punishments (behaviour modification techniques- positive and negative).
6. Individualism discouraged; group think prevails
7. Rigid rules and regulations
8. Need for obedience and dependency
Information Control
1. Use of deception
a. Deliberately holding back information
b. Distorting information to make it acceptable
c. Outright lying
2. Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged
a. Books, articles, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio
b. Critical information
c. Former members
d. Keep members so busy they don’t have time to think
3. Compartmentalization of information; Outsider vs. Insider doctrines
a. Information is not freely accessible
b. Information varies at different levels and missions within pyramid
c. Leadership decides who “needs to know” what
4. Spying on other members is encouraged
a. Pairing up with “buddy” system to monitor and control
b. Reporting deviant thoughts, feelings, and actions to leadership
5. Extensive use of cult generated information and propaganda
a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audio tapes, videotapes, etc.
b. Misquotations, statements taken out of context from non-cult sources
6. Unethical use of confession
a. Information about “sins” used to abolish identity boundaries
b. Past “sins” used to manipulate and control; no forgiveness or absolution
Thought Control
1. Need to internalize the group’s doctrine as “Truth”
a. Map = Reality
b. Black and White thinking
c. Good vs. evil
d. Us vs. them (inside vs. outside)
2. Adopt “loaded” language (characterized by “thought-terminating clichés”). Words are the tools we use to think with. These “special” words constrict rather than expand understanding. They function to reduce complexities of experience into trite, platitudinous “buzz words”.
3. Only so-called “good” and “proper” thoughts are encouraged.
4. Thought-stopping techniques (to shut down “reality testing” by stopping “negative” thoughts and allowing only “good” thoughts); rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism.
a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
b. Chanting
c. Meditating
d. Praying
e. Speaking in “tongues”
f. Singing or humming
5. No critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy seen as legitimate
6. No alternative belief systems viewed as legitimate, good, or useful
Emotional Control
1. Manipulate and narrow the range of a person’s feelings.
2. Make the person feel like if there are ever any problems it is always their fault, never the leader’s or the group’s.
3. Feeling-stopping (with number 4, Excessive use of guilt). Like thought-stopping, this is the automatic suppression or blocking of feelings that are not acceptable by the cult identity- such as feeling \”homesick\” or feeling \”depressed\” or feeling \”resentful\”.
4. Excessive use of guilt
a. Identity guilt
1. Who you are (not living up to your potential)
2. Your family
3. Your past
4. Your affiliations
5. Your thoughts, feelings, actions
b. Social guilt
c. Historical guilt
5. Excessive use of fear
a. Fear of thinking independently
b. Fear of the “outside” world
c. Fear of enemies
d. Fear of losing one’s “salvation”
e. Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by group
f. Fear of disapproval
6. Extremes of emotional highs and lows.
7. Ritual and often public confession of “sins”.
8. Phobia indoctrination : programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group or even questioning the leader’s authority. The person under mind control cannot visualize a positive, fulfilled future without being in the group.
a. No happiness or fulfillment “outside”of the group
b. Terrible consequences will take place if you leave: “hell”; “demon possession”; “incurable diseases”; “accidents”; “suicide”; “insanity”; “10,000 reincarnations”; etc.
c. Shunning of leave takers. Fear of being rejected by friends, peers, and family.
d. Never a legitimate reason to leave. From the group’s perspective, people who leave are: “weak;” “undisciplined;” “unspiritual;” “worldly;” “brainwashed by family, counselors;” seduced by money, sex, rock and roll.
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World-wide Branches of the TPM organization
The TPM/CPM organisation operates in different countries under different names; which serves as a survival tool. So when they are exposed as a cult in one country they could operate unaffected in others!!!
Although some bigger branches have an attendence over 250-1000 members, most small regular (90%), only have smaller congregations of between 30-100 regular attendence. Again, as with all cults this organization too, use exaggerated numbers to misrepresent their success.(marketing tool). In Fact they are regularly losing their members to other genuine pentecostal churches. They will deny this fact and also spread a lie about such people (who leave after finally realizing the TPM folly they were caught-in).
Return to Homepage
The TPM/CPM organisation operates in different countries under different names; which serves as a survival tool. So when they are exposed as a cult in one country they could operate unaffected in others!!!
Although some bigger branches have an attendence over 250-1000 members, most small regular (90%), only have smaller congregations of between 30-100 regular attendence. Again, as with all cults this organization too, use exaggerated numbers to misrepresent their success.(marketing tool). In Fact they are regularly losing their members to other genuine pentecostal churches. They will deny this fact and also spread a lie about such people (who leave after finally realizing the TPM folly they were caught-in).
- The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) - India (International HQ in Irumbuliyur Chennai, India)
- New Testament Church (NTC) - United States (HQ in Newark, New Jersey)
- Universal Pentecostal Church (UPC) - Great BritainHQ in Brixton, London)
- Ceylon Pentecostal Mission (CPM) - Sri Lanka (HQ in Mattakuliya, Srilanka)
- Église de Pentecote Primitive – France
- Grace New Covenant Pentecostal Church – Canada
- New Testament Church – Trinidad & Tobago
- Iglesia Communion Cristiana – Puerto Rico
- Iglesia Communion Cristiana – Dominican Republic
- New Testament Church – Sierra Leone
- New Covenant Pentecostal Church – Australia
- New Testament Church - New Zealand
- New Testament Church– Papua New Guinea
- New Testament Church – Nepal
- New Covenant Pentecostal Church – Fiji
- Iglesia del Nueva Testamento – Mexico
- Iglesia Communion Cristiana – El Salvador
- Iglesia Communion Cristiana – Costa Rica
- New Testament Church - Kenya
- Christliche Gnaden Gemeinde – Switzerland
- Neue Testament Kirche – Germany
- The Universal Pentecostal Church - Nigeria
- The Pentecostal Church of Malaysia - Malaysia
- The Pentecostal Church of Singapore - Singapore
- New Testament Church - Middle East (Dubai, UAE)
- New Testament Pentecostal Mission - Uganda
- New Covenant Pentecostal Church - Philippines
- Universal Pentecostal Church - Hongkong
- New Testament Mission - Cyprus
- Deeper Truth Pentecostal Mission - Ghana
- Iglesia Communion Cristiana - Colombia
- Iglesia Del Nuevo Testamento - Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Église Universelle De Pentecote Primitive - Republic of the Congo
- New Testament Ministries - Malawi
- New Testament Church - Tanzania
- Église Pentecostiste Lagrace - Togo
- New Testament Church - Abu Dhabi( UAE Capital City)
- New Testament Church - Oman
- New Testament Church - Bahrain
- New Testament Church - Qatar
- New Testament Church - Kuwait
- Ny Testamente Menighed - Denmark
- Universal Pentecostal Church - Republic Of Ireland
- Chiesa del Nuovo Testamento - Italy
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