It's the stuff surrounding it that is questionable:
- Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful
accountability. - No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
- No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget
or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement. - Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as
impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions. - There is no legitimate reason to leave, former
followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil. - Former members often relate the same stories of
abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances. - There are records, books, news articles, or
broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader. - Followers feel they can never be "good
enough". - The group/leader is always right.
- The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing
"truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is
really acceptable or credible.