The Cult News Network

Five takeaways: Star investigation into alleged Southern Arizona ‘cult’

Published June 18, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Arizona, cult leader, cults, Gabriel of Urantia, Global Community Communications Alliance, Tubac

An Arizona Daily Star investigation found that a Southern Arizona religious group is making millions per year from its hospice in Tucson and Tubac, while former members complain the group forces members to work for free, including at that hospice.…[Continue Reading...]

‘I was a brainwashed Taliban suicide bomber but a biology class saved my life’

Published June 18, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Brainwashing, survivor story, Taliban

Maiwand Banayee still vividly remembers the moment he entered a Pakistani refugee camp as a traumatised 14-year-old. The air was thick with the call to prayer echoing from some 40 mosques, blasting so loudly that the teenager's ears "nearly burst".…[Continue Reading...]

Ogun police foil cult initiation, arrest 30 suspects

Published June 18, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes Tagged cults, gangs, Nigeria

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have foiled a suspected cult initiation in Isara-Remo, arresting 30 suspects during a raid on an uncompleted building where the gathering was taking place. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in…[Continue Reading...]

15 Signs Your Church Functions Like a Cult

Published June 18, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Authoritarian churches, cults, fundamentalists

Most people presume that religious institutions are safe spaces and that religious leaders rarely distort or weaponize doctrine for harm. This general sentiment persists, even among people who are familiar with religious corruption and the many wars, holocausts, hate groups,…[Continue Reading...]

Freedom, Religion, and the Strange Case of an American Desert Cult

Published June 17, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes Tagged Aggressive Christian Missionary Training Corps, cults, survivor story

In his new book, The Oracle’s Daughter, Harrison Hill ’19SOA traces the story of the Aggressive Christianity Mission Training Corps (ACMTC), a woman-led paramilitary religious cult that was founded in 1980s California before settling in rural New Mexico. How would…[Continue Reading...]

Court holds arrest warrant hearings for ex-Shincheonji officials over suspected ties to PPP

Published June 17, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged ci;t ;eader, court action, cults, Lee Man-Hee, Shincheonji, South Korea

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Wednesday held arrest warrant hearings for three former senior officials of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, over suspicions they forced followers to join the main opposition People…[Continue Reading...]

Cult clash leaves four dead, two injured in Kwara

Published June 16, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes Tagged arrests, cults, deaths, gangs, Nigeria

Four persons have been killed and two others injured following a suspected cult-related shooting in the Post Office area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. The PUNCH gathered that the incident occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, when a…[Continue Reading...]

Ex-member of Netflix’s ‘Unchosen’ cult reveals ”rules, isolation and homophobia”

Published June 15, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Australia, homophobia, isolation, Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, survivor story

A man who grew up inside the religious sect that inspired Netflix’s ‘Unchosen’ has lifted the lid on its ”rules, isolation and homophobia”. Ben Woodbury, 35, was born into the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church in Windsor, Australia, before leaving the…[Continue Reading...]

Elder abuse systems failing victims as coercive control goes unnoticed

Published June 15, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged coercive control, elder abuse

Older Australians are facing hidden and often unrecognised forms of coercive control, with new research showing that systems meant to protect them are sometimes being used to manipulate or isolate them instead. The findings, released to coincide with today’s UN…[Continue Reading...]

A cargo cult in Vanuatu has been waiting for an American named John Frum since the 1930s

Published June 15, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Cargo cult, John Frum, Vanuatu

The John Frum movement arose on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu no later than the late 1930s. Followers believe John Frum — often depicted as an American serviceman — will one day return bringing wealth and prosperity. In some…[Continue Reading...]