The Path (Hulu) TV Show • Page 4

Yeah the weekend thing is basically the initiation and the break down is fairly gradual. If you stick around, you join their group by spending some more money in order to attend training sessions where you continue to work on yourself and then eventually become one of them. After you've done that, you are allowed to be a part of the team that runs the weekend events for new recruits until eventually you are able to work your way up to becoming one of the leaders. Sort of like you're climbing a ladder so to speak...

I spent inordinate amounts of time reading up on cults, cult practices and the psychological breakdown of it all after my experience so I definitely understand the intrigue. I needed to read as much as I could so I could understand it all. The Cult Education Institute was a huge help to me. Some of the things I read there were alarming in correlation to what I've been through.

As for the church you mention, that is definitely suspect although not too surprising to hear. The church I grew up in used to do the same thing when it came to elections. They had biased pamphlets to pass out praising the Republican party and the pastor and elder members would stand up during or after the sermon to instruct the congregation on how to vote. As for the money, sounds like a T.D. Jakes/Joel Osteen type situation on a smaller scale. Those guys have new books released in Christian bookstores it seems like almost every week. You want to see Pastor T.D. Jakes' house?



And how about ol' Joel Osteen:



It's the cult of personality. Spiritual abuse happens on all kinds of levels.

 

Definitely an Osteen-lite situation, haha. It's just always bothered me that besides a monthly food cabinet it doesn't seem like they do much for the community but Pastor has all of his nice things. It should be said that the members of this church are all white middle class or higher.

 

Yeah that sounds about right. I immediately get uncomfortable if I ever go into a church and hear the pastor start talking about the gift of giving and tithing ten percent of your income according to biblical standards. Again, I don't begrudge anyone who gets something positive out of organized religion, but the things I've seen and heard over the years make it very difficult for me. I remember a "sister church" wherein the pastor had asked his congregants to donate some $75,000 for new projector screens. They did so over a period of months until it was discovered he was stealing from the church. He ran off with their money and they never got those screens.

 

and then people continue to support the church and give money even after something like this happens.

It's similar to the Catholic church. I realize the entire entity isn't necessarily tainted, but it sure puts a bad taste in my mouth with how much horrible stuff takes place and people just brush it aside or continue to support the organization as a whole.

 

Reminds me a lot of what happened with Mars Hill church over a number of years. For anyone unfamiliar with that entire saga, here's a pretty thorough rundown of articles on the matter:

TIMELINE

I know there were a lot of people around these parts familiar with it due to Dustin Kensrue's involvement. There are a lot of people who deny that Mars Hill or Mark Driscoll displayed any cult-like behavior, but the evidence is pretty damning. The amount of abuse was heartbreaking and there are several Mars Hill survivor support groups out there now. I don't know how people can look at those people in those groups, read their stories, hear their pain, see the triggers that have been developed by the cycle of abuse there, and then flat out deny it. I remember when this story broke and I was appalled, only to find out there was oh so much more.

 

Dustin has since distanced himself from the church, right?

 

Yeah he resigned about a year and a half ago (right around the time Mars Hill imploded) with a letter mostly aimed at Driscoll taking advantage of his position of power. He has stayed relatively quiet about it since then but he talked briefly about it in the Bad Christian podcast and has answered questions here and there in interviews. He stays pretty vague about it, which is definitely understandable considering everything that happened.

 

Actually now that I remember, the song "Gallows" is all about the entire ordeal at Mars Hill and, more specifically, Mark Driscoll:

 

Hallelujah!

 

This is my favorite new series of the year so far. Loving this.

 

Episode7Recap Podcast

 

Eddie's character is so frustrating. Some of the decisions he makes are just bad.

 

I like this theory. Makes sense.

 

I just love that Cal is pretty much CoS leader Dave Miscavige

- converted to the religion when he was a child with his parents
- was a child prodigy in the religion's methodology and jumped up the ranks faster than anyone else ever has
- much of his family later left the religion
- came to power at an extremely young age in a coup after the leader died, much to the chagrin of the religion's longtime higher ups
- Made attempts to make the religion mainstream and in the public eye. Is very much PR minded.
- has accusations of workplace violence and has been described as a sociopath.

 

I really hope Hawk and Ashley somehow get back together. So frustrating how she treated him this episode.

 

Episode 8 Recap Podcast

 

This has been so good, the last two episodes have had so many HOLY SHIT moments

 

By far the best episode of the season. Only one left right? I'm having trouble imagining a way this ends on any kind of happy note.

Anyone know what song that was playing at the end?

 

Definitely was the best. Quiet Lies by Matthew Mayfield.

 

Episode 9 Recap Podcast

 

Still need to watch this week's episode. This season flew by.

 

Just finished the first episode. This is fucking great already. Aaron Paul and Hugh Dancy are both such stellar actors, and Monaghan, who I was less familiar with going in, is ridiculously on point as well.

I don't know how to properly describe this feeling, but this show is already really good at tricking me into forgetting this is about a cult and actually these people are probably insane/unwell. It like very subtly pushes me away from that.

 

Okay, wait, so can someone explain. Meyerism has a compound somewhere in New York, a bunch of people live there, but Eddie and Sarah don't, correct? They have a house off the compound with their kids, and their kids go to public school, and Sarah commutes to the compound for work? Just trying to get a sense of the world they're building here, it's the only thing slightly throwing me off.

 

They live on the compound. Hawk drives to school.