On Belief: A Podcast About Cults

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Religion & Spirituality
**On Belief: A Podcast About Cults**

We all would like to think that we’re immune to being persuaded, but were that true, advertising wouldn’t work, the best candidates would always get elected, and our personal relationships would always be equitable.
On Belief examines why, with so much information available to us to dissuade us from joining harmful groups. I ask people who have had first hand experience with harmful groups and sects how they were seduced, how they were tricked, and how they got out.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 309: Church of Christ Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

How the Church of Christ differs from 'mainstream' Christianity
How her parents, wanting her to have some religious education, inadvertently changed her trajectory in life
What the main teachings of the church are
What happens when you have a chastity doctrine at a highschool with boarders
What the church camp experience is life
And more...

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Episode 308: Conspiracy Theories Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

Subscribe to Right Richter here: https://tinyletter.com/rightrichter
Read Will on The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/will-sommer

Will Sommer has been covering conspiracy theories since the inception of Pizzagate. He joins me to discuss what drives people to believe seemingly incomprehensible conspiracy theories.

In this episode, we discuss:

What is the genesis of Pizzagate?
Why did people believe and amplify Pizzagate?
Why didn't Pizzagate end when Comet Pizza was shot up?
What is QAnon?
How do people get progressively deeper into QAnon?
What are the societal impacts of collective belief in conspiracy theories?
And more...

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Episode 307: The Human Potential Movement Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we discuss:

What was Esalen?
How did the Human Potential Movement begin?
What made the Human Potential Movement so appealing?
Which groups sprung out of that movement?
Which forms of untested therapy became popular from the movement?
And more...

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Episode 306: Gender Critical Movement Aug 26, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

What is the Gender Critical movement?
What are the fundamental beliefs vs what they claim the beliefs are?
Where did my guest find out about Gender Criticism?
Are most of the leaders of the Gender Critical movement trans?
Who are the celebrities who are involved in this movement?
Why the 'science' Gender Critical people cite is erroneous
And more...

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Episode 305: Men's Rights Activists Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

How someone finds MRAs online
Where the most active members hang out
What kind of moderation MRA forums have
Can you see people being radicalized in real time?
What drove my guest deeper
What family members and women told my guest when they were involved
When they started to question their views
And more...

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Episode 304: Independent Fundamental Baptists Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

On this episode, we discuss:

What it's like growing up with a fire and brimstone church at the center of your life
What kinds of topics were taught in Sunday school
Evangelical home schooling
What a child understands about a sermon on homosexuality
What Bible camp is like
Why Bible College doesn't always make pastors
And more...

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Episode 303: Zendik Farm Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we discuss:

What is an intentional community?
What made Helen decide to join Zendik?
What was it like moving in?
What are the major beliefs of the group?
What was the Zendik approach to sex and dating?
How did the Farm make money?
What was the group's approach to working through trauma?

And more...

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Episode 302: The Inner Matrix Jun 03, 2020

Show notes

Guest Katie Mount joins me to discuss her time both studying The Inner Matrix and joining the company, working for its founder.

In this episode, we discuss:

What brought her to study The Inner Matrix
What you study in their courses
Why she decided to join the organization
What she gave up to work for Joey Klein
Whether the office lived by the principles it espoused
Why some women in the office were treated differently than others
How she connected with other defectors on the other side

And more.

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Episode 301: 60s Political Cults May 26, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we explore 3 political cults: The Weather Underground, Ayn Rand's Determinists and The JOhn Birch Society

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Episode 228: Conversion Therapy Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss:

How Matt got involved in a Facebook group that 'supported' men who wanted to overcome Same Sex Attraction
How groups recruit vulnerable men to join bootcamps
What happens at bootcamps that promise to help you 'pray the gay away'
What kinds of activities and 'therapy' happen at Conversion Therapy bootcamp
Why he sat in a room staring at a candle
Whether Conversion Therapy works
What the risks of Conversion Therapy are
And more...

Matt's Article: https://www.dailyxtra.com/lgbtq2-conversion-therapy-168786

Matt's Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/mattash89
https://twitter.com/mattash89

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