Rick Ross’ articles generalize inappropriately

Rick Ross’ articles generalize inappropriately, lumping together the Potter’s House with dangerous groups, such as the Peoples Temple , Ku Klux Klan, Waco , and Heavens Gate cults.

To label the Potter’s House a cult in such a broad way is inaccurate. In CFM being highly evangelistic and outspoken, it is certain that it will attract negative feedback. To conclude that CFM is cultic because of this and name CFM amongst groups like the above mentioned is not good research. Yes CFM practices some unconventional methods such as street preaching, street dramas, haunted house drama scenes, etc, but in no way do these make CFM cultic. The Salvation Army used unconventional methods in evangelism but in retrospect are seen by most Christians as heroes and revolutionaries. Conceivably Mitchell is like a modern day William Booth who stirs the pot, but does not deserve to be listed with such derogatory cult titles by Ross. If you study the lives of Luther, Wycliffe, Tyndale, Booth, Finney, Wesley, etc, you will see a common thread of accusation and exaggeration of claims by critics.

Witch Hunt

Rick Ross’ articles create a moral panic and witch hunt through their exaggeration of the harm and dangers of The Potter’s House.

The articles are over sensationalized. By using words and statements like, cult, shunned, authoritarian leadership, brainwashed, trapped, controlling, mind control, abuse etc. But these words need to be correctly defined. If I used these terms about a football club with a coach who was keen to see his team win, I could say he has “authoritarian leadership” and that he “brainwashed” his players to give more than is expected, he was “controlling” the kids who just wanted to have fun etc.

My point is that when someone has a bias, they word things with a negative slant. In this way the general definition of a word is somewhat distorted from the words true meaning in context, thus making it mean anything from being raped to being told off. Take the word “abuse.” It can have such a broad definition. Usually people think of sexual or physical abuse, but the “abuse” Ross’ articles mention also include things like - the pastor not openly displaying a sense of love and warmness, or members of a congregation gossiping or speaking about someone.

The thing is, people read Ross’ site and see the word “abused” amongst the Jonestown articles, Skinhead articles, etc, but then see the same terminology in the Potter’s House articles, when in reality the accusations are no where near like these other cult groups. It is hype to do so. It is also a form of dishonesty. If I claimed that “all the children in that class were abused by their teacher,” referring to sexual abuse, but then said the same thing talking of how the teacher raised his voice in class, there is a world of difference. Ross knows that there is a difference and should define his words better. Or chose better articles to parrot that are not just sensationalized rubbish.

You would think if Ross was interested in the truth about an organization he would interview people who are in it. If Ross ever wants to talk with me or do an interview about CFM I would be thrilled to do so. If I wanted to know what a J.W. thought or taught, I would ask members straight out because sometimes cult books have things like sales agendas which can influence the content, and also because one is a “cult expert” doesn’t necessarily make them also a bible expert. I believe that most misconceptions about the Potter’s House is because there is not much information about it, i.e. what is really preached and taught, and practiced in CFM, unless you attend a CFM church. Most info about CFM is from Ross who parrots and magnifies the testimonies of “ex members” some of whom have been proven guilty of having many other aliases to project the numbers of angry “ex-members.” This creates a dilemma. Ross won’t let CFM have a say, on his site, but then has only negative articles. In doing so he brings an unbalanced view. I tell people if they want to know about CFM just listen to the audio sermons and meet with some members. In doing so you will find that 99% of what Ross claims is biased one sided trash media. It is like trying to make a judgment about black people when all you read is Ku Klux Klan articles. Go and mingle with them, talk to them, and see what is really being said and done.

The real witch hunt should be aimed at the Slam the Door people who have been proven frauds and openly admit to it. If Ross is a man who is concerned with the truth, he should do an investigation to see how they have lied and manipulated people. He should also take their links from off his site. These people behave 100 times worse than Ross' articles claim CFM does.

It is not the behavior of pastors nor of individual experience that would cause a person to hate the fellowship, but association with backsliders and heretics, and adherence to the anti Potter's House indoctrination on the internet and other media sources.

Brainwashed?

The amazing thing is that the anti Potter's House groups claim that someone like me is brainwashed, and also a brainwasher. And yet most of the greatest brainwashing experiments supported by millions of dollars in funding, and also countless experiments, have all been unsuccessful.

The CIA used drugs and electroshock during their investigations into mind-control and MKultra, but most of their experiments were failures as they failed to produce even one potential Manchurian Candidate, and the program was finally abandoned.

The brainwashing attempts by Communist military organizations during the Korean war also failed. They were forced to use torture to supplement their mind-control techniques and were able to obtain success in only a few cases. However, the Slam the Door rebels strangely believe that the preaching and activity within the Potter's House represents some sort of major advance over those earlier "primitive" brainwashing techniques. It makes me wonder how they can answer the question that CFM leaders, who are relatively uneducated in any type of manipulation program let alone brainwashing techniques, could succeed when highly trained experts had earlier failed, who had their whole focus on brainwashing.

The Slam the Door people make out as if we all sit in the pew in our church and our eyes all of a sudden start spiraling like the old cartoons, and then BANG! You’re hypnotized. There is about as much control in CFM as in any organization like your job, or a football club, or any other committed church. In the church people come and go as they please; only those who allow the pastor to instruct them are "told" what to do. Imagine if a coach said "I want you to do 4 laps today" and people ran off crying about abuse and control. That is how silly most of the accusations are against CFM. Anyone can leave at any time. I could leave tomorrow if I wanted too! But I love the church and the people there, so I choose not to.

Many of the internet sites made by these people reveal that it is not by attending CFM or notbelieving in what CFM teaches that will cause people to end up slandering the fellowship, but rather association with heretics and backsliders who are already doing that. Most people didn't begin to hate the church until they were told the "truth" (quote, unquote) about the church by someone who knew all the conspiracy theories about it.

The hatred of CFM is not a natural response, it is a learned one. Ken Haining is in front of the class teaching others with his message "hate CFM at ALL costs."

The bitterness of a few can defile many, and there are some very bitter and spiteful people in their groups, as their slander of good people in CFM, including myself, concludes.

Pray that the lies and the liars become exposed. Pray also for their salvation. Jesus said to pray for and to love our enemies.

Always remember that Jesus said in Luke 6:26: Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. The conclusion is that Pastor Mitchell and the fellowship is suffering persecution because true believers always do! - 2 Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Pray on these things.