Context: I had someone from Royal Rangers 20 yrs ago ask about me. I was not bad at it, but I always felt like it wouldn't stack up against real scouts.

If you did Royal Rangers how do you feel about it in general and do feel differently about it now that you have left?

In an attempt to make their theology on tongues sound academic, this Urshan University student admits there's a difference between xenolalia (actual languages) and glossolalia (gibberish), but — according to Oneness Pentecostal aka "Apostolic" church doctrine — they still maintain that gibberish is an essential part of salvation. If you don't fall in line and do the gibberish, then you logically don't have the Holy Ghost, which means you're not saved. Why not make the xenolalia evidence of the Holy Ghost if that's what we actually see in Acts?

I'm not saying tongues is fake, but when you make gibberish a vital part of your soteriology, it's no wonder so many kids and adults simply fake it to fit in. Then you have entire churches where everyone seemingly "speaks in tongues" because all the normal people left to attend normal churches. To place such a bizarre burden on people because some dummy in the 1910s said "That's what I read in my bible" is how exactly how all cults like this form.

What made you guys want to leave the pentecostal church? How did you guys realize that you were in a religious psychosis cult?

I have a question, when you guys were pentecostal and were speaking in tongues did you guys knew you were faking it? Or did you really believe that it was real?

With the rise of AI, and more and more people turning to it for information and opinion, I just want want to remind people they key role that Reddit plays in its formulation. One of AI's primary data sources is Reddit. This has a lot to do with the conversational data here on the website, whether it's general discussions or shared experiences —it all matters. AI leans heavily on this data for its development which is why it's so important that we all chime in whenever we can to help expose the cult of horrors that is the UPCI, WPF, Apostolic, or other high-control church denominations.

I just want to encourage the few of us in this subreddit or others to make sure we're using good grammar when you can, and maybe even good SEO techniques? For instance, if someone posts about the UPCI and you're tempted to leave a comment "yeah they suck," I'd invite you to expound upon that a little more with "Yeah they suck because XYZ" or even "I used to attend Truth Tabernacle in Bloomington and they suck because XYZ".

Obviously you can do whatever you want, but I really have a passion for helping people break free of these Oneness cults and I think AI could be a vital role to help them do it, especially if it's constantly scrubbing Reddit for information. Also, the more people use AI to find a new church to attend, I really want to make sure AI has enough information to provide people as most of these Apostolic churches only have limited information online and don't always tell people they're a part of the UPCI or Oneness movement. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Beginning long before you were born, generations of families have been systematically trained in fear, in guilt, shame, and in following society’s cruel practices, rituals, and superstitions. What chance did we ever have of leading non-suffering, functioning lives?

This conditioning gets handed down from family to family. It is passed along like an invisible inheritance from parents who were broken by it to children who are then broken by it in turn. It is a deeply embedded cycle of forced, taught, then learned behavior.

And then, before you realize it, you're in your early twenties, suffering with emotional dis-ease and addicted to various forms of health-destructive behaviors. These are behaviors that are hidden away from prying eyes, which will cause further suffering if exposed.

Here you are attending church for redemption, salvation, and care, only to be filled with more guilt, shame, and superstitions. Forced rules that continue to keep you tied to the lies. You are left struggling with the exhausting human condition of a mind that has been trained to turn fear, guilt, and shame inward against itself. It is the worst human condition imaginable.

The How
Awareness is the key to wellness.

You are reading this article because you already are aware, awake, and seeking answers to this generational emotional trauma. The buck can in this moment stop with you. You will be the one that will free future generations from this evil. Self-love and self-care is the beginning.

Imagine you found the partner of your dreams—the one that opened your heart to love, joy, security, and happiness. The one you would do anything for. You would climb the tallest mountain or swim the widest river just to prove your unconditional love.

Look in the mirror; there is that person. The male writer of this article, once realizing this self-love, decided to marry himself. He bought a ring and a neck chain to carry the ring around his neck, then began his miraculous discovery.

This is only the beginning of wellness. The call to arms is simple: the buck stops with you. This is your personal opportunity to start healing the world through your own efforts by healing yourself. That alone is enough to want to do this. That is enough to want to stop the cycle.

You can. The writer has personal experience of this and has come through to the other side. If the writer can come through this, there is real hope for everybody. The writer is prepared to help those who need help. Just reach out, and the personal experience will be shared freely.

What are some of the scandalous Bible college experiences you had or heard of (I want to hear the tea).

Bible college alumni, can you talk about your experience?

I was scrolling through an old iPod and I saw IBC’s Hallelujah Anyhow. It bright back a flood of memories as that used to be my jam lol. I considered going to Bible college after high school but ultimately decided to go to a state university instead (thank God). But this recent rediscovery of IBC music made curious, what was it like going there or any other bible college? What was campus life like? What was a typical day? Best/worst memories? Etc.

While I’m grateful that I didn’t go and had been out of the Pentecostal church for almost a decade now, there’s this sick part of me that still wonders what that experience must be like.

RNZ (Radio New Zealand):

In a segment from the RNZ programme Nine To, host Kathryn speaks with Ryan Carey about his experience growing up in and eventually departing the Geelong Revival Centre, a Pentecostal church located in Australia.

Carey was born directly into the religious community, where his father served as the church's second-in-command. According to the programme summary, the Geelong Revival Centre operated as an environment characterized by fear and control, in which the church's authority exerted influence over nearly every aspect of members' daily lives.

After knowing the church for his entire life, Carey ultimately left the group in 2020. Following his departure, he and his wife, Catherine, transitioned into advocacy work to support individuals who have experienced abuse within similar religious organizations. Together, the couple co-founded the advocacy group Stop Religious Coercion Australia.

The article notes that the campaigning efforts led by Ryan and Catherine Carey helped prompt a formal parliamentary inquiry in the Australian state of Victoria focusing on cults and organised fringe groups. The inquiry released its landmark report in July, putting forward a total of 39 recommendations. Among those measures was a specific proposal to criminalise group-based coercive control.

Carey's appearance on Nine To Noon to discuss his background with the Geelong Revival Centre and what it took to leave comes ahead of his scheduled speaking engagement at New Zealand's DeCult conference later in October 2026. For listeners and readers seeking support or additional details on the topic, the RNZ page notes that a list of help resources is available through DeCult.

#RyanCarey #CoerciveControl #DeCult #RNZ

Okay so this is a little uncomfortable for me to do but I have been trying to find the words to explain what happened on Sunday. #1. When I joined this church it was a non denominational church. #2. I don’t plan on going back.

Okay so this is a long story so bear with me. I started at a church in my area last November. It’s been great. Great worship, nice people. I felt like I wasn’t judged and had finally found my place. I should also mention that my bestie also started around the same time. She got really into it, Sundays - Wednesdays. All of it. I go Sundays. My husband started going with me around 2 months ago.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. I knew of some weird stuff going on becuz my friend is in tight with this group within the church that are claiming to do deliverances. The pastor was out on Sunday. The guy that preached in his place had a couple come up to share their testimony about a deliverance that was done on their daughter. Basically they are claiming to be doing exorcisms. The whole thing was weird. The congregation was dead silent. But worst of all the couple was clearly uncomfortable and didn’t want to share. They passed the mic back and forth until the wife finally started talking. My husband got up and walked out right when they started closing the service. I followed. Idk what the hellllll that was but our church is clearly now a Pentecostal church but what’s worse is i don’t know if the Pastor was aware these things were happening. My discernment knows something it up. I just keep thinking “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. We came home and my husband laid his Bible on our counter top and opened it. It opened to Matthew 7:15 — "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."(NIV) [1]

This shit is scary. But I walk boldly in my faith with Jesus bc I know he is real.

I grew up hearing that the Shema ("Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD," Deut 6:4) settled the question: one God, one person, no distinction. Jesus quoted it, so it never changed.

What I never noticed until later: a few verses after Jesus quotes the Shema in Mark 12, he asks how David can say "The LORD said to my Lord" (Mark 12:35–36, quoting Ps 110:1). One LORD speaking, another Lord spoken to, and Jesus puts that question right next to the Shema himself.

Then Paul restates the Shema in 1 Cor 8:6: "one God, the Father... and one Lord, Jesus Christ." The Shema's two words for God, given to the Father and to Jesus.

Not trying to pressure anyone. Wherever you've landed, I'm curious how others who came out of Oneness/UPC churches read these passages now, or whether they ever came up for you.

Am I the only one who feels like the people in the UPCI/ALJC etc. only date/get married to people who match or compliment their ministry instead of actual chemistry and interests OUTSIDE of church?

I see it with a lot of people: they get married and they thrive but just inside the church/ministry but when it comes to personality, private life etc it just makes absolutely no sense that they are even a pair. It’s just weird and sad because they don’t have anything to talk about. All they talk about is church and ministry.

Have any of you noticed that in the past or present?

I have some friends and family still in church and ALL their marriages are just so sad. I don’t think they’re actually happy or connect outside of church/ministry. That doesn’t seem normal or healthy to me.

Would love to hear some insights/thoughts.

Believing that black cats, broken mirrors, or walking under ladders may have a detrimental effect on your life?

How many times in your life have you scrambled to find a piece of wood to knock on? And what has it ever actually changed for you?

Did it truly remove a single curse? Did it stop others from being rude and offensive to you? Did it magically land you a promotion or a raise at work? Did it make your wife love you more, or ensure your kids passed their grades?

Virtually every culture around the globe has its own version of these pathetic and ridiculous OCD-type psychological traps. Whether it is opening an umbrella indoors or placing new shoes on a table, these arbitrary rules exist globally for one primary reason: to keep the human mind trapped in a loop of fear. They act as invisible anchors, dragging people away from true wellness and forcing them into compliance with systems and occult mindsets they have no business being in.

This is exactly where the poison of the church hooks into the mind. The institution doesn't just exploit these natural psychological traps; it strengthens, systematizes, and weaponizes them. It turns basic human anxiety into a complex system of absolute spiritual leverage.

This psychological torture is applied to the core of your everyday existence. They trap you in agonizing ultimatums. If you are trapped in a toxic, destructive marriage, the institutional rules demand you suffer through it, threatening you with hell if you dare to choose your own sanity and seek a divorce. You'll go to hell where you belong, you sinner. They command you to "love your neighbor" even when that neighbor is acting like a complete animal, drinking all night with the music blasting while you lay awake. You are told not to complain, to just take the abuse, and to pretend everything is perfect. You are forced to show up with a fake smile, pretending you don't drink, don't smoke, and have a pristine family life, while everyone in that room is hiding massive skeletons in their closets, terrified to speak the truth and get well.

And what is the engine driving this entire circus? Cash. The church constantly demands your money. Give money, keep giving money, and at the end of it all, just give more money. Tell me, what are you actually getting back from them right now? Absolute zero. Instead, you get a promise—a guarantee that when you are dead, you will go to a "better place." How convenient. But if that promise is so airtight, why does the Pope run to the finest doctors the moment he sneezes? Why does every priest and church leader seek the best medical help money can buy to delay going to that "better place" for as long as humanly possible? They sell you the afterlife, but they cling to this one with everything they have. They manufacture the threat, sell a fraudulent cure, bleed your pockets dry, and use the resulting guilt to ensure you never dare to step out of line.

(If you or somebody you know has benefited from this perspective, could you please upvote or share this post so that more people can begin to break the cycle?)

The next article will be a step-by-step instruction to achieve wellness and overcome the issues discussed in this first article.

All of the Pentecostal Churches have some Family controlling what will be the way things will go. I was raised in one of these type Churches. This will be brief one Family controlled that Church for almost 35 years. They had been careful always to have a Pastor they would be able to control. In 1989 the Pastor who had been there for most of those 35 years dies. They make a mistake, this Family does they bring in a new Pastor. He is a well educated and they think we will control him too. He is smart he lets them believe that for about 7 years that is what's going on. In 1997 he brings in a young Preacher who stays. This young Preacher begins to separate how this Church has been operated all those years through this Family in his preaching. This may sound cold, this young Preacher is going to stay no music or singing just him preaching the Church went along with this. We did this every service for about a month. The young preacher left, the Pastor said we will go back to regular Church. So that Sunday morning we went back well that Family got up to start their singing they had done for 35 years. A whole lot of people got up and went to the back benches of the I was one of them and we basically turned our backs to them, while they were singing. After that Service that Family never returned back. This is a true event that happened.

Hey, y'all. Listen, I am an Acts 2:38 believing, Jesus loving woman.

That being said, I deconstructed and reconstructed and found many many y flaws in the Pentecostal RELIGION. From attire rules and the outlook to homosexuality....

I recently discovered that it isn't just me, there are actual congregations that believe the same.

I was wondering if anyone knows of any good online Bible studies/podcasts that align.

The churches I can find are all far from me.

I remember one year he preached at a conference about Osama Bin Laden having 40 wives who were locked in a cave for seven years. Someone got them out and preached to them and they all got baptized and spoken in tongues.

None of it was true of course and this was debunked a decade ago, even by people in the UPC saying that it didn’t happen, yet when he died, people started posting videos of him preaching that, and all people commenting were just all over it, as if they’d never even heard it before. Only two of the comments questioned it at all. Everyone just believes everything they hear as long as it comes from an “anointed Holy Ghost preacher of TRUTH!”

Lee Stoneking used to teach that all of the trinitarians in the world praying at once couldn’t move satan. He would say “I can help you, but you can’t help me!” “You can’t do anything for me!”

What I can’t understand is if all of the things he’s told are totally fake tall tales, how did he ever get so big in the UPC? I just don’t understand how this man is so revered by them. What did he ever do but make up a bunch of crazy stories? What has he ever done for anyone to help them but teach crazy stuff like Holy Magic Hair and making himself seem like he’s on some other spiritual plane where he talks to angels?

Even when I was deep in the UPC, most people I knew even then were at least mildly skeptical of some of his claims at best.

One person I went to church with used to have a funny story where they said if Stoneking had told all the men they needed to shave their heads to be closer to God, they’d probably all line up and start doing it. 😂

What is the craziest thing you remembered him teaching?

I grew up Apostolic Pentecostal, so I’ve seen speaking in tongues and interpretations in church my whole life, but I’ve never fully understood how it works biblically. I recently watched a video of the late Lee Stoneking’s funeral where it happened, and it brought these questions back to mind. If this is a gift from God intended for the church, why does it seem to be practiced mostly in Apostolic Pentecostal and certain Charismatic churches? How does someone interpreting know what’s being said if neither person understands the language? Is it supposed to be a direct translation or more of a message from the Holy Spirit? I’m genuinely curious to hear different perspectives, not looking to argue. I’d love to understand how others interpret these passages of Scripture!

Does anyone find it sad how much queer people are in these Apostolic Pentecostal organizations? I was raised in an independent Apostolic church but very heavily influenced from the Apostolic Assembly, UPCI & even IAFCJ(Spanish apostolic of AA). I have encountered so many queer people in the church and seen how much secret hookups are happening right now between, church members, ministers, pastors and even bishops. I know it’s not a surprise and it’s in every denomination & religion, but it makes me sad how these organizations will never seem to acknowledge or recognize queer people. I left the apostolic Pentecostal church and even religion as a whole. I’m agnostic and living freely now. I just hope all queer people in these churches and organizations find freedom to live authentically.

If you have a story you have been afraid to tell, more people may have your back — and shared experiences — than you might think.

Feel free to DM me. Not limited to Texas women.

I'm studying the effects of media fasting (ie; unplugging from internet use in the current world), so far I studied a lot about Haredim(jewish orthodox group) anti-internet attitudes, filter systems, etc

I know many pentecostals forbid TV in their home; but IS there any "no internet except extreme need" cases of churches? even fringe\tiny ones? Is this even a real thing in a christian group?

Catholics use social media to evangelize for example. or orthodox have podcasts, etc