I missed the beginning, and I missed the end, but what I did see made chills run up and down my spine.

What Seaparets a Cult from Adoption?

Yes, this Michael Travesser guy is a freak. Yes, it’s all very scary stuff. The whole having sex with young virgins because he is the Messiah is nasty stuff. But what really peeked my interest was the control aspect of how this guy manages to convince all these people to do what is against their moral structures. You know, kind of like mothers giving their babies away to strangers.

In the video, you will hear from a former cult follower, Prudence, who speaks of the power of suggestion used. Yeah, she is critical and bitter, but then again..she was taken in and abused by this cult, so she has a right to be angry and bitter and want others to know the warnings and this self proclaimed “god’s” misguidance. Anyway, she talks of how the power of suggestion is used and before we know it, the girls are literally begging to have sex with this guy for god, and his stance is that “he didn’t ask for it..they wanted it..” and are we ready.. it was THEIR CHOICE.

Controlling Choice or the Illusion  of Choice

What was so very interesting to me is what the I-Still-can’t-dig-up-her-name Cult specialist physiologist had to say. Luckily, she is on the NatGeo Inside a Cult video clip and so I just listened to it like six times to be able to transcribe her words:

“Sex is one of the very common control mechanisms used in cultic groups. If you are able to control some one’s sexuality or sexual behavior, that’s reaching into the deepest part of that person. That’s also touching, what for many people is, not only the most intimate part of themselves, but the place where people are also the most troubled or the most questioning or unsure of themselves..”

So while your nice and kind neighborhood adoption agency won’t make you have sex with them, their is a huge aspect of sexuality in the obvious failure of one’s sexuality by being in an unplanned pregnancy.

Because one was weak, or bad, or unresponsible, one gave in and had sex with the wrong guy, or at the wrong time, or without the right protection, or just had the pure misfortune of being uber fertile.. that leads to the crisis pregnancy. And the nice kind agency is assisting one in controlling that sexual aspect of themselves as well. I mean usually, here are complete strangers, in the form of your counsellor or your social worker or your mentor or the agency director or even your soon to be born babies potential adoptive parents..and they know all these aspects of your sexuality. They know your deepest secrets, your vulnerabilities, your weakness, your failings.

And that, my dears, is to me, so obviously one way that they get control over us relinquishing mothers… and we “choose” adoption so happily…following the suggestions that adoption makes it all right again…and we happily give away our babies..and go off into the sunset.

Where we suffer for the next god knows how long without our babies..scratching our heads going what the fuck did I do? Just like the poor girls in the video will probably someday do as well. Of course, in general society will feel bad for these girls.. they were obviously coersed and controlled.. where in adoption, we really just “wanted” the separation from our children….sigh.

It’s worth a watch for sure. According to NatGeo it will air again tonight 5/8 at 1am, Sunday the 11the at 2am and then Wednesy 5/14 at 6pm.

And if anyone catches the name of the expert lady in the red shirt.. please tell me. I want to read more of her stuff.