How and why does someone get into a cult when they’re not raised in one? What makes them join and what makes them stay? In this episode, Aldo B. Martin, the host of The Reclamation Podcast, tells his story about growing up with no religious upbringing but becoming a member of a religious cult in young adulthood. He discusses how his depression affected his experience and status within the cult, what it was like to recruit others into the organization, what happened when he left it, and the importance of the word “reclamation” in his story.
Topics Discussed in This Episode
- Aldo’s religious upbringing
- His depression and how a church group found him
- The feeling Aldo felt in church at the beginning
- Aldo’s experience as a recruiter
- The depressive bout that got Aldo kicked out of the organization
- How he was invited back
- What happened during Aldo’s second stint that made him want to stay
- How he realized he was in a cult
- Parents who let their children choose their own religious path
- The assumptions people make about individuals who join cults
- Why Aldo uses the word “reclamation”
- Aldo’s favorite spiritual practice
Related Links
Annalise by Admiral Bob (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/admiralbob77/56178 Ft: Kara Square
KEYWORDS
Aldo B Martin, The Reclamation Podcast, Religion, Christianity, Cults, Religious Cults, International Church of Christ, Reclamation, Recruiting, Witnessing, Mental Health, Depression, Disfellowshipped, Religious Trauma, Spiritual Wounds, The Incarcerated Christian Podcast
SERIES #
2022-1
EPISODE #
6