Ep. 31 | 🍿Comment Chaos: Religion, Abuse, and the Fight for Mental Sovereignty
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
31. CC
[00:00:00] Hey legends. Welcome back to the comment chaos episode of controversial as fuck podcast. Gee, that was a mouthful. I've got my phone here. We're going to go through the comments. I want to make this one as short and punchy as possible for you. I don't want to read all the comments on all the platforms.
So today I'm going to try and stick to YouTube. And the first comment I'm going to read to you is in relation to, so when I did the, podcast episode on the cult next door Potter's house, Christian fellowship. This was some of the clips that went live onto YouTube. One of them was where I had a recording of one of the pastors who I still believe is a current pastor in Potter's house, Christian fellowship, who was talking about when you refuse to do God's will it's rebellion, but take it a step further.
If you refuse to do what your pastor says, it is also rebellious. And I was saying how it is such a manipulation in a way to really prime people to be easily controlled. And to basically do whatever the leaders of that church tell you to do. This is a tactic of cults to fully control and [00:01:00] manipulate its members.
So this was some of the responses to that on YouTube. So someone has said.
It's really sad. People would listen to something like this, looking for guidance and hope and all they're getting is manipulative bullshit. I've been in abusive relationships. They're terrible. And this type of messaging definitely borders on how abusive people act. And I said, it's such an abuse of power.
Isn't it? I was a part of this church for the first 25 years of my life. So I know what, well, it's a slow erosion of your self-trust and ability to think critically. I've seen people drastically change over time and turn into shells of themselves. Sorry to read that you've been in abusive relationships.
It would definitely be hard for you to hear this kind of thing as you're so aware of the tactics of control and manipulation. And I thought they raised a really good point that this is the kind of tactic that is used in, for instance, with narcissist or people that you know, are very abusive repeatedly in relationships.
It's [00:02:00] a way of controlling another individual. And by the way, this comes from their own in a war. Someone that is highly, highly controlling and highly manipulative to somebody else, whether that is in an intimate relationship, in like any form of any relationship, it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be just with intimate partners, but this comes from their own inner war, their own running from themselves and their own inner wounds that they're not addressing
They feel likely a lack of control within themselves and a lack of control of their own
inner world of their own inner hurt. Right. And therefore their way of making themselves feel more powerful because they lack power from within. Is to. Wield power over others. And this is something that is very common in cults Someone else has said they're all the same churches. Do it to psychological strangle holds.dot dot guilt.
Tripping. And I've said, yeah, there is a pattern isn't there hard to unsee it when you do [00:03:00] see it too. Then I've had an interesting conversation with someone. So on one of the clips. It was all about exposing the dangers of the Potter's house. And again, for context, this was a very short clip of like an hour long podcast episode. So this person has only seen a very short clip.
I don't even know if they watch the clip or they just went off the title, which literally said exposing the dangerous of the Potter's house, but someone by the name of. Diga dusty has said weird to hear a non-believer critiquing a church, which I found fascinating because I was like, first of all, a non-believer if we break that down, believing in what I mean I can project and guess that they mean I'm not a believer of God, or I'm not a believer of. Their faith. Right, but I don't know.
This is all they've written weird to hear a non-believer critiquing a church. So I said, Hmm, weird amount of assumptions there is it [00:04:00] not. PS. I was a part of that church for 25 years. Also non-believer what specifically Am I a non-believer or so I wanted them to be specific because I thought. That's a pretty broad statement to make about someone that you don't know based off a very short clip.
And I'm wondering, I wanted to understand where their reasoning was. So, this is what they've said. Go to the conference in Prescott, Arizona. I know the founders they have recently stepped down and their son is taking over. I'm going to get into this by the way, because they don't realize that. I mean, I mentioned I was part of it for 25 years, but they obviously don't realize how much I know. Like how deep I was in it.
Right. So what they're telling me is actually factually incorrect about the church, but anyway, so they're saying they've recently stepped down. They referring to the leader, Wayman Mitchell, who actually passed away. He didn't step down. He died. And their son who he's referring to, who is Greg [00:05:00] Mitchell, who was our original pastor in Launceston Tasmania, who is now the leader of the entire Potter's house fellowship. He isn't taking over.
This was written three days ago. He took over because his dad passed away. This is not a recent thing. And he said, while they do hold some radical beliefs, their core thing is the great commission, which they push aggressively and it causes issues. 'cause they push people too soon to go out and start other churches before they are stable in their own relationship with their creator.
He has a good point there. As for my perception that you're not a believer. I based it off your content and the way you present yourself. So I've said, hello again. Cheers for being here. I have no intention of visiting any Potter's house church, and definitely won't be flying from Australia to Prescott, Arizona to check it out. I honestly would never step foot into another Potter's house.
Again, 25 years was more than enough. And then I've put a laughing face. [00:06:00] As far as the founders, you must be referring to the Mitchells, Wayman, Mitchell didn't step down. He passed away, which is why his son, Greg Mitchell took over the fellowship. PS. He was our pastor for a few years in Launceston, Tasmania many, many, many years ago. PPS. You still haven't told me what I'm a non-believer of please be specific. Also, that's quite a judgment that a woman in overalls and a t-shirt, because that's what I was wearing in the video clip overalls and a t-shirt. Is a non-believer due to how she presents herself.
And then I put another laughing face. That's a lot of judgment coming through you there. That can't be good for your psyche or health. Thank you again for joining in the conversation. And then he's said, Because when I've asked him, what specifically am I a non-believer of? He wrote YHVH which I have no idea what that means and his son.
yeshua the creators of the universe and everything [00:07:00] in it. So he has alluded to the fact that in his understanding, I don't believe in the creator of the universe. Because I'm sitting in overalls and a t-shirt and because of my content. And he's encouraged me to visit the Arizona. Prescott church because he knows the leaders. I find it so fascinating.
I actually love interacting with individuals that, that fascinated me, that whole interaction. Then someone has said doctrine definitely matters. So I've said would love for you to elaborate further if you have the time with a love heart. Cause I actually am not sure. I'll be honest. I don't have context, full context for what they mean. Do they mean doctrine definitely matters as in I'm I'm saying something wrong in their opinion or?
Yeah, I'm not sure they haven't responded yet. And then I had another clip that was about when our need to be right. Outweighs any room for discourse. Like that's alarming to me. [00:08:00] And they have written, this is Jason Wilmore, 7 8, 1 very angry eyebrows. I was going to give this the wanker comment of the week, but I'm going to actually say it's my favorite comment of the week. I say ha great takeaway from the video. But yes, they do look rather full. Not sure if you know much about brows, Jason. But I just had them laminated and it takes a couple of days for them to settle. Actually no joke.
I think it was the day before had my eyebrows laminated and then tinted. So there were quite, quite dark and full, they did resemble the angry bird. If you know the picture of the angry bird with the sharp brows. I just found that hilarious, that out of everything in that short video clip about the need to be right. Outweighs any room for discourse that he wrote very angry eyebrows.
He was not impressed with my eyebrows. I apologize, Jason. They have settled. Although, because now they're dark to match my dark hair. They probably still look angry to you. I apologize, Jason, for my angry eyebrows, I promise I'm not angry at [00:09:00] you. And then on my full video clip. So the full podcast episode that goes live to YouTube, which was my controversial take on Christianity, hell the rapture Christ and God. Someone by the name of Kristin Ray Johnson has said I've watched so many enlightening deconstruction stories on YouTube, but you talking about your journey away from fundamentalist.
Christianity totally resonates with me on a gut level. So I've said, oh, wow, thank you so much for sharing that with me. It's lovely to have you here. Welcome. I'm glad it resonated for you. I really appreciate people taking the time out of their day to comment like, yeah, that doesn't get lost on me.
I actually mean that you could be doing so many things. You know, in your day and the fact that you chose time out of your day to comment on. Any clip of mine on any of my platforms. I just want to say, thank you. Like. I genuinely mean that I appreciate having discourse. And then on the full episode of cult [00:10:00] spotlight, the Potter's house Christian fellowship.
So this wasn't one of the clips. This was the full episode. Someone has said, oh, this is Gothic wanderlust. Hey, I was born in one of those churches, the door Christian fellowship. Remember if you've listened to that episode?
Wayman Mitchell started a whole bunch of churches under the same umbrella.
One of them, one of the names was the Potter's house, which is the one. I was a part of, one of the other ones was victory chapel. And then there was the door. So this person was a part of the door Christian fellowship, which is a branch of Wayman Mitchell's fellowship. So they've said, I was wondering if bootcamp was a big deal for the teens in your church.
The church I went to would run one. It was almost unescapable once summer would hit, I hated nearly every part of bootcamp, the beginning, middle, and the best part. And I was just curious about if it was a thing at your church. I have heard of these and not just within Potter's house or the door. But in other religious settings. Of these bootcamps that are basically like [00:11:00] indoctrination camps for teens and that are really full on. I've said, oh, I've heard of this, but no, we didn't have bootcamp at any of the Potter's house churches
I was a part of, once I moved from the Launceston Tasmania church to the beach para Beechborro Perth, Western Australia, one. We did have a youth camp thing that I went to once, but it wasn't a boot camp as such I mostly enjoyed it, actually. I'm so sorry you experienced that. I've heard all about these boot camps. You see, even, I swear, I've seen video clips or something that was a part of a documentary about religious bootcamps, where it is a way to get. Teens,
I'm not saying all churches that do this are wrong, by the way, some run
Teenage camps and stuff that are perfectly fine and fun and amazing. I'm talking about ones where they deliberately get the teens away from the parents and their massive indoctrination camps. And they're quite intense. And really horrible experiences for young people. So, no, we never, I never experienced that.
I have not seen that in the Potter's house [00:12:00] churches I was a part of. But I have heard that they are very intense and I would not wish that on somebody else. Someone else. Ah, this is actually Tamra Casey, 2 7 6, who is arelative of mine. Hello Tamra. If you're watching this. She said I expected to come here. Excuse me.
My voice is not holding up today. I expected to come here and read comments from members of Potter's house crucifying you. Well done, Holly, for being brave and speaking up, I feel ripped off that the cult stole you and your family from our family through their control. I said. Hahaha. Give them time.
Mind you. I think most aren't allowed on social media referring to obviously people haven't come and crucified me so far. And then I said, oh man, that breaks my heart reading that Tamra it's time we can't get back. It does feel like a robbing. And that's the thing. When you are part of a very cultish religious church, especially the ones that are very much into isolation. Where you are kept that busy that you can't [00:13:00] think for yourself.
Like for instance, in our church, we weren't even allowed to go on holidays unless you only missed one Sunday church service. You were never allowed to miss two in a row. So you could only do like a week and a bit holiday and then you'd have to come back. So we never went on like long holidays. And you just wouldn't risk it because the shaming and the ostracizing that you would go through, if someone did do that, Like I know in our church, there was a single mother of three single mother who took her children to go and visit relatives in Melbourne, Australia, while we were part of the Launceston Tasmania church. And I believe she missed two Sundays in a row. And she was absolutely ostracized.
When she came back, there was so much shame put on her as a single mom, right. Just because she missed two Sundays in a row. And it's just not worth it. Like. The abuse basically that you go through afterwards. It's not worth it. When that whole thing is your life. So I [00:14:00] do want to point this out. Tamra's made a really good point and obviously she's a relative of mine from Tasmania that. We didn't have time to catch up with family a lot.
Like we never went. And like hung out a lot outside of church. It's not to say we never saw them, but I think it was literally like Christmas every year. Like we didn't do a lot of, of things outside of church. We didn't have a big social scene outside of church. We weren't part of like sports clubs and stuff like that because everything was church.
So. When it comes to the level of control and ostracizing. And the whole, as I've said, us versus them thing, have we, if we're interacting it's because we've got to try and save them, it does dampen the potential for. Real relationships outside of the church. And that is something that I have had to work through.
And I don't mean this in like a victimy way. It's more of like something I've actually had to take responsibility for. I noticed within myself that I can tend to not put as much effort [00:15:00] into relationships. I can tend to be a little bit hermity sometimes in relationships because I was just so used to it always being that way, growing up, but that's not okay anymore.
I'm not a part of that anymore. I have to take responsible. Sensibility for now. For that now as an adult, where now I actually actively put effort into relationships, even though it was foreign to me growing up, I only put effort in relationships with those who believe the exact same thing within the church.
Outside of that, it was like not so much because what was the point? I just had to be preaching to you and I didn't want to be preaching all the time. I just wanted a nice normal existence. So it wasn't worth having too many relationships outside of church. It's too heavy, a burden as a young person to just feel like you have to preach all the time to people.
So that's something I've had to address as an adult is actually putting more effort into relationships. And
Taking responsibility for the fact that, yeah, that might've been my way as a child, but it's not now. And I have to take responsibility for that now. So thank you so much for your comment [00:16:00] Tamra.
I really appreciate you a lot.
And I'm actually going to leave it there this week. Cause I don't want this to be a super super-duper long episode. These are meant to be short and punchy and listen, I'm starting to get a little bit sick of talking about religion. That kind of stuff, but what tends to happen is I would do an episode and then I'll have the comment chaos episode where I answer questions or, you know, read out comments. And, you know, maybe then I'll do another episode on something of a similar topic, which I did again.
So I did, you know, talking about Jesus and, uh, you know, my, my theories and my controversial opinions. And then obviously I did the whole episode about Potter's house, the cult of Potter's house, Christian fellowship. So there's lots of themes in all of them and then lots of comments, but I promise you not every single episode is going to be about this topic.
I also have some cool guests lined up for the month of October and some, you know, Exciting things coming. So a promise every week. We're not going to be now talking about Jesus. God, the afterlife, the rapture [00:17:00] hell all of the above. I don't want to talk about that forever. Anyway. I love you so much.
Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoyed keep your comments popping and I will keep my replies pop into having a great week. Legends. Bye.
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