Excerpts from the Assembly bulletin board thread
The Lucifer Factor
begun on June 12, 2007 by
Tom Maddux about Dr. Zimbardo's
famous experiment on Stanford college students.
Mark Campbell, June 13: "What does this Lucifer factor have to do with the Assembly?",
some will surely ask. The Assembly had no prison walls, guards, or any
other physical restraints---- and 'people were free to come and go as
they chose.'
"And besides all that, the Assembly was made up of good Bible-believing
servants of God who were maybe just a little bit misguided," some still
say to this very day! "We weren't un-regenerated college kids, or even
just regular religious people, and as such were not subject to the same
kind of psychological reactions as the unspiritual folks in this study!"
What do you think?
Tom Maddux, June 14: Mark, Zimbardo's point, in his new book,
is that this sort of thing has been happening all through history. The
prison experiment and Abu Ghraib are extreme cases, but the tendency is
there in all of us. Parents of the "prisoners" in the Stanford
experiment came in on visiting day and behaved as if their kids were in
a real prison. When the bogus officials told them their kids were ok,
they just believed it and went along. After all, a designated authority
figure had told them so. Only a few subjects or parents ever really
kicked up a fuss.
Anyone who has been subjected to the brutal humiliation tactics that the
Assembly leadership practiced..."gang bang" confrontations, preaching
against people without naming them when everyone knew who was being
targeted, and more, will understand just how much pressure a person was
under.
In addition, one knew that everyone would go along with the leadership's
position, and even publicly back them up if asked. You were in a
hopeless bind and there was no one to appeal to. It was submit or leave.
No other alternatives were available. You were not physically
restrained, but if you had been indoctrinated sufficiently into GG's
"church truth" and "Heavenly Vision" you believed there was no where
else to go. So the bonds were mental, but effective nonetheless.
One example: A brother whom GG decided should be suppressed was attacked
and criticized publicly and privately for a couple of years. Soon he
began showing the signs of stress induced illnesses. Depression, general
weakness and lack of energy, rashes, sleep problems, on and on. He went
out of the Assembly the same way I did later on. He dragged his
depressed, broken-hearted, discouraged, sick butt out the back door by
withdrawing from contact with 'the saints" until he finally just quit
showing up.
The attacks on his character had worked so well that he spent many years
feeling that it was his fault! I had had sweet fellowship with this
brother before I ever heard of George Geftakys. When he heard GG had
been exposed it finally dawned on him that it was not his fault, and he
is making a good recovery.
The prison was mental....but very real.
Chuck Miller, June 23, 2007: I read in amazement, these posts concerning the experiment conducted by Phillip Zimbardo, president of the American Psychological Association. I was not unduly surprised by the results of the experiment. I was, however, somewhat taken back by your failure to recognize the protection that a follower of Christ has against succumbing to such Satanic activity. As Brian stated, “It’s almost impossible to get interesting results without the risk of damaging the subjects.” That is certainly true for unbelievers, for they are without the protection of the Holy Spirit and become prey to the wiles of Satan who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:. However, we are told, “We are of God, little children, and have overcome them [the spirit of the antichrist]; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4)....
Mark Campbell, June 23, 2007: Chuck, I
think that your "amazement" re. this psychological experiment and rejection of
any analogy re. former members of GG's group is understandable----how can any
truly regenerated person fall into this kind of psychological manipulation? We
have the Holy Spirit in us, and the promises from God that we are victors over
the World, Flesh, and the Devil!
There is a classic misunderstanding among many bible believing Christians called
"triumphalism" that assumes our new birth somehow turns us into a super-person
that is no longer subject to "psychological" influences. Followers of GG would
call this achieving the status of "Overcomer".
While having the Holy Spirit does give us a resource the unsaved do not have: Rom. 8--- in this life we still struggle in our minds re. our fallen
humanity, Rom 7:13,"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do,
but what I hate to do." This demonstrates that within the
Apostle Paul there was a psychological conflict and it is this human weakness
that allows for the kind of failure that many of us experienced in the Assembly.
Peter demonstrated this weakness (Gal. 2) after Pentecost when he succumbed to
the pressure he felt from the big guns from Jerusalem that visited the church at
Antioch. Surely Peter had the Holy Spirit in him and should have been able to
respond to the promptings of God vs. the psychological pressures of men---- but,
he failed!
You can call it failure of faith vs. failure of mind, but in Rom. 7 and here (as
well as many other places in the NT) it is described as just ol' human weakness
that all sinners own, including those saved by grace! Maybe that is why Jesus
mentions the verses you quoted above in warning that leaders in the church not
"lord it over" the members as he recognized this harmful social dynamic and it's
ability to manipulate our thinking and deceive us.
I do not believe that the Holy Spirit takes control over our inner lives
(psyche) via some hidden power and eradicates all of our human sinful
dispositions. The fact that we know what is right, but we find ourselves failing to do what
is right works into us probably the most important component
of godliness and that is humility. We learn the truth that, "My grace is sufficient for you".
As an Assembly member I was very proud of the group, and myself, for I
considered myself the opposite of "a nominal believer" who had achieved a
higher status than your normal run-of-the-mill church-goer. One very big lesson
that is an advantage for all former members is learning that this is Laodicean in nature and thoroughly repugnant to our Lord--it makes Jesus sick!.
We, as believers, are just as human as the next guy, and just as subject to
psychological manipulation as anyone else, if we come to it with an attitude of
"triumphalism" that believes we are secure in our own higher victorious status
that makes us immune to the perils of humanity.
"Stepping out in faith" is a development of character (read the life of Abraham)
and is not some kind of magic possession of our inner life via regeneration that
somehow skips the learning process that comes from Rom. 7 real-life failures.
Tom Maddux, June 24, 2007: Chuck,
you said, "I was somewhat taken back by your failure to recognize the protection
that a follower of Christ has against succumbing to such Satanic activity."
Actually, Satan's primary tool is deception. He is the inventor and grand master
of deceiving men and women. George deceived you, me, and lots of other folks,
and I do not consider myself or anyone else deception-proof.
Cult researchers strongly warn parents and journalists who wish to infiltrate
cults to rescue kids or expose them not to do so. The reason is that even people
who place themselves in the cult environment with full knowledge that it is
destructive usually end up becoming part of it!
The reason for this is that the mind-control techniques used by cults are both
powerful and subtle. Mind control techniques work, and many Christians have been
captured by them. I do not know if Satan is behind the techniques. They are
based on human nature, and work by activating people's deepest desires and most
cherished values. These things are used as levers to move people into accepting
things that go against reason. A Ronald Enroth noted in one of his books, it is
amazing just how good Christians are at excusing the sinful behavior that they
see in their abusive leaders.
You said, "For, a Christian with any measure of maturity would have recognized the
foolhardiness of participating in any such psychological experiment, except for
the purpose of demonstrating the power of Christ over the power of the
antichrist. "
Which, of course is why George and every other cult leader does his recruiting
among young, intelligent, idealistic people. This is why they focus their
outreach on college campuses. I was 27 when I met GG, so I should have known
better, I suppose. However, I already believed much of what GG taught from my
having grown up in the Christian Church/Church of Christ movement, and then
having been exposed to Plymouth Brethren teaching. I believed I had found a man
who was sold out for Christ, committed to His word and will, and that I could
learn from him.
You must have been around 40 or so when you met him. Fred Boyer was older than I
was also. Almost everyone else was younger. How long did you stay?
You said, "When we first came under George’s tutelage I was extremely immature in my
knowledge of scripture, but as I began to hear his teachings, it began to become
more and more apparent that there was something wrong, particularly with his
teaching on church leadership. Initially. it had been exciting to presume that
he truly was “God’s man for this age,” but after being subjected to his teaching
either directly or through his subordinates, I felt compelled to question his
doctrine. "
After a couple of years I began to question his doctine as well. By that time,
however, the influence of Deeper Life teaching on my thinking plus the subtle
destruction of my trust in my own ability to discern the truth had made me
susceptible to his influence.
I discussed my problems with his teachings with GG many times. His answer was
always the same:" You are depressed and upset Brother Tom, you are not rejoicing."
(That was true.) "You have given way to the Devil and have opened your mind to
his wiles. He always opposes the truth, and your are using your carnal mind to
try to figure things out instead of allowing yourself to be broken by going the
way of the cross so that the wonderful light of Christ can renew your mind."
(Straight out of Watchman Nee's The Spiritual Man.)
That worked for years. I was not alone in my bondage to GG, and in that
environment I, and we, were wide open to psychological manipulation.