Hank Hanegraaff and the “Nicest People You Could Ever Hope to Meet” (Understanding Unbalanced and Cultic Christianity and Those Attracted to It)

Ron Luce

One of the most common misconceptions that people hold about cultic groups or aberrant Christianity surrounds the motives and character of those who get involved with them. The negative connotation of term of “cult,” especially concerning Bible-based groups, tends to suggest that such groups and their leadership are unpleasant people. Nothing could be further from the truth. Quite often, people get involved with groups and ministries because the leaders are often very charming and idealistic. They are impassioned individuals that seek to make a great difference in the world for the better and for God's purposes. They are usually inspiring and highly charismatic. Good, considerate, and thoughtful people who wish to make a difference in the world are attracted to these leaders, and they become the workers and followers of the organizations founded by such leaders.

I found myself thinking about this aspect of Hank Hanegraaff's comment about the Teen Mania documentary on MSNBC. He concludes his statement with the following disclaimer:

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From A Teen Mania Mom

2000 Yard Stare:  The face of PTSD

I received a note from a friend today to alert me to a blog post written by a mother of four children who went on a combined total of 12 different missions trips with Teen Mania. It just happens to be Carol Boltz, the wife of Ray Boltz, the contemporary Christian singer that I remember well from my high school days when I used to sing with a band and “music was my life,” (mostly). ;)

When I went to pull excerpts from her post to direct readers here over to her blog, I couldn't figure out which essentials to include since everything about the post seemed entirely essential. Carol was gracious enough to let me republish it in its entirety here, but I do encourage you go visit her blog named "My heart goes out"... to read more and to also link to the personal accounts of her son and daughter. The comments following the post also add depth of understanding.

I've focused on the emotional, psychological, and spiritual elements of thought reform, but this loving mom points out the physical suffering of her beloved children.

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Is Hanegraaff Too Heavenly Minded? Objective Evidence Supporting Thought Reform and Post-Cult Syndrome

Having nothing to do with Hank Hanegraaff's rejection of the effects of thought reform, I found myself in a discussion this weekend regarding the observable and often quantifiable physical and psychological effects of the altered states of consciousness induced in individuals who are subjected to religious manipulation and abuse. It can be a great deal of work to keep up on the new research pertaining to this topic, and if a person already holds a bias against a particular position, they certainly are not going to look into that new data, much of which was not available a decade or two ago. For example, what impetus does a Bible college professor have to investigate such information, particularly if that professor completed his own training before objective data about thought reform became available? If that professor is already biased on the subject, they have an impetus to avoid this data, and they certainly wont find time to instruct their students about it. Is this ignorance and bias in the best interest of the Church?

Altered States of Consciousness

In previous posts, I've mentioned many times how various factors change an individual's state of consciousness, as we all shift in and out of different states throughout the day which can be observed by Quantitative EEG. When thinking analytically/critically, the pre-frontal cortex in the brain activates and generates beta waves. The body undergoes physiologic changes along with this state of consciousness. An individual's posture and even their digestion will change in response, and their hands become cool while in a beta state. When those affected by migraines, ADHD, or scotopic sensitivity syndrome encounter florescent lighting, the wavelength of light stimulates the brain in negative ways (speeding it up too much) by producing a fast and frenetic beta while also stimulating another part of the brain to drop down into theta, the state associated with “fight or flight,” which actually inhibits critical thinking.

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The Counter-Cult Bias Against the Anti-Cult Perspective: Hank Hanegraaff's Re-Victimization of Teen Mania Protestors and All Those Who Overcome Spiritual Abuse

One might believe that all of the groups that oppose cults might get along quite well, seeking the same end of encouraging individuals to make well-informed and reasoned choices about their religious faith. Unfortunately, there remains a great deal of controversy and conflict between the counter-cult apologetics effort within Christianity and the anti-cult effort, two related but often very different worlds. For the benefit of my secular friends who read here, the term “apologetics” (“to give an answer”) was adopted from Biblical Greek to describe the rational defense of the Christian faith. Modern day counter-cult apologists work to expose doctrinal error within the plethora of Christian belief systems, comparing any aberrant teachings to sound, sure, and clear doctrine.

Many Christians and counter-cult apologists believe that development of a strong knowledge of Scripture and doctrine provide an impervious defense against unbalanced cultic teachings and the problematic lifestyles that tend to follow them. I agree that it certainly helps. In other words, they believe that good Christians who have studied adequately are impervious to surreptitious manipulation. I was once one such person, and apparently, Hank Hanegraaff remains one. He has chosen to protest the Teen Mania documentary which aired on MSNBC on November 6, 2011 as well as the Duncans who assisted in its production. Hanegraaff's longstanding and often aggressive opposition to the anti-cult perspective dates back even further, at least until 1998 when I first heard him discuss the matter on his radio show, The Bible Answer Man.

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Cult Exit and Cult Recovery on MSNBC Tonight at 10PM Eastern (Teen Mania and Children of God)

Doug and Wendy Duncan have been working with MSNBC to produce a series of shows concerning cult recruitment and recovery, and the first program will air tonight on MSNBC. (Wendy, a social worker and a seminary graduate of SWBTS, is the author of I Can't Hear God Anymore, a book about her experience in a Bible-based cult.)

This pilot episode premiering tonight focuses on the Teen Mania program and features several former participants, one of which attends the monthly cult recovery support group hosted by Doug and Wendy Duncan in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. After counseling with them, a couple of these former members set up a Teen Mania recovery support website, www.RecoveringAlumni.com.

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