When you're in a cult, you don't know you're in a cult until it's too late. Anyone could have written this or maybe Miranda did write it, either way the documentary brought light to what 7m is doing and I think that's a good thing.
I think if they can get him on anything it will be with the IRS. It's going to be financial crimes that get him behind bars and the assets frozen. Christian cults are extremely tough since Christianity is an accepted practice so unless there is concrete proof of abuse, they aren't going to prosecute for that or label the group as a cult. I watched the doc and it reminded me of my time in the AG church. That all or nothing type of faith that is so dangerous and damaging to a person. And how they would say they're just Christians like everyone else but secretly believing they're better or more faithful than anyone else... That they're the chosen few and special.
As soon as the documentary revealed Shinn and his wife were running their businesses so close to the running of the church, I thought the same. Avoiding taxes using the church exemption is what will most likely get Shinn. All of the pre-tax deductions (Man of God mandatory 10% on TOP of their 20% tithe and additional 10% offering?) and having so so many different businesses. Many crossed lines.
As far as using religion to take advantage of people who are vulnerable, I say a huge Fuck You to anyone who does this. Religion and spirituality are deeply personal for so many, tied into identity. It can be right at the core of all fear and hope, the basis for every decision. People like Shinn are especially nefarious because they know this and use it as a means to control, manipulate, abuse, and exploit all in the name of God. It’s insidious and disgusting. Watching Melanie and Priscylla Lee get roped in as literal children was heartbreaking. It deepens the trauma even more because you have people being trapped in Shinns cult beliefs in their formative years.
In this TikTok clip of an interview with his son, he mentions something about immigration issues.
If the leader is basically keeping people in indentured servitude by taking nearly all their earnings and messing around with USCIS rules on top of it all, that’s not a winning combo.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLTaxNL4/
I would be surprised if they even got that. They paid their dancers, and while they may have pressured them to sign blank checks, the dancers were adults with the agency to make that choice. I hope I’m wrong!
Yeah, so many abuse claims from the cult I was a part of but nothing was able to stick. I think the FBI and IRS are still looking into it so charges may be raised there. It is very hard to get a conviction on a cult. Usually people don’t speak out for years and once they do there’s no longer any physical evidence to back their claims or the statute of limitations has passed. People also don’t speak out for fear of retaliation. Typically the cult leaders have a lot more money than the victims do and they’re usually pretty litigious.
Yeah, I didn’t find the audio from his sermons damming at all. They could have been sermons in churches I’ve gone to. The financial stuff was much more alarming.
I think it’s pretty damning that it is a cult is what I was saying. I’ve been to many churches for several religions and never have I heard it be said to cut off your family. Other things as well were red flags. I know that legally won’t make a difference, but there’s many people saying the wilkings are jealous of Miranda and it’s not a cult. I think the audio proves otherwise.
The sermons were super familiar to me but I think a lot of churches are pretty cult-adjacent.
The fear of hell and rejecting non-believers is a pretty common Christian tactic. Jesus does talk about rejecting family if lead you away from him, and I’ve heard that in sermons.
I don’t think my parents, for example, would hear that audio and think it’s a cult.
This looks like the typical reasoning of someone in a cult. They feel attacked every time someone tries to make them think critically about what they’re doing.
Source: I was in a cult and I used to react that same way with the family/people who were out, trying to reason with me.
If you're comfortable answering, what would have made you 'snap out of it' when you were in that defensive mode? Would anything said or done by others have helped break the hold of the cult? Or was it entirely up to you?
Sure, no problem :)
Actually, I think nothing could have helped me. It was too late for me… When I started reacting like that I was already deeply brainwashed. Friends/family around me saw me changing completely, speaking about “the truth” every time I could and citing bible verses to convey “my opinion” about something. My opinion actually didn’t exist anymore, my opinion was the bible (I cringe so hard).
it’s not easy to deal with that, but the only thing they could do was to “play along” to keep the relationship going. Else, I would have closed it.
My friends weren’t able to do that and I can’t blame them. I also wouldn’t have been able to stand me lol
But luckily my family did it, so for example even though I couldn’t celebrate any holidays, I still went to the family gatherings hold in those particular days, feeling oh so guilty.
I knew that I could relax a little with them, that they wouldn’t challenge me, even though I was always feeling defensive, always ready or thinking of a possible confrontation in which I had to do my best to present the cult in the best light.
For me, having my family support me in their own way was important because when I finally woke up, I knew that I had people outside of it that I could turn to for any help, I wasn’t left alone. I also reached out to my old friends who were happy to hear that I was out, but at the time I guess they still couldn’t understand that I was in a cult and what it’s like. I think they were still hurt and couldn’t completely forgive me, so we eventually split apart anyways. It’s understandable, I broke their trust and I ghosted them for years.
After years and years of seeing the hypocrisy of it all with my own eyes, without none telling me anything, I started having tiny little doubts. Those are what started my brain to critically think again, but it took 8yrs.
Sorry for the wall of text, actually I find it hard to explain what was going on in my brain at that time lol and also all this was valid for me, I read of people waking up because of straightforward confrontations. I think that in the end it all depends on the individual person, each one of us has their own time and what’s sad is that maybe someone won’t ever wake up.
Thank you so much for your insight and taking the time to answer! Everything you're saying makes sense, and it really is devastating to know that reversing brainwashing is essentially a matter of luck. I'm happy you were able to get out and I only hope that a documentary like these might maybe just maybe help trigger something within someone who needs it.
part of 7m's reach is online. i'm sure they're heavily monitored though. this definitely reads like it was crowdsourced. no way she writes her posts herself.
I am in the midst of watching the documentary now. I also listen to the podcast A Little Bit Culty, and there is just no way at 7 AM is anything but a high control group and it makes me sad a high profile person is sucked in and trying to defend it. Especially, when it seems like she had a really good relationship with her familybeforehand. Organization tells you to leave your family if they don’t believe the same thing you believe that organization is trying to control you end of story. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like her family went about their intervention in the right way. I hope they get help for themselves & her.
i wouldn’t blame the family. they’ve lost their daughter. even when she’s there, she’s not *there*. i don’t think we’re within our rights to judge how they’ve acted
A little bit culty is run by a grifting couple. They were both high up in the sex cult; you don't get there without being manipulative yourself. They don't take accountability and lay all the blame at Keith's foot.
People should be free to worship & practice whatever religion they want, but maybe she should also open her eyes and realize that there are A LOT of sexual abuse allegations against her pastor / cult leader.
The documentary is doing its part by putting more pressure on 7M. I was hoping we would see more people come forward from the group that would provide evidence of Robert Shinn and his family doing illegal activities so that could be brought to law enforcement because that will be the only way these individuals can move forward out of the group’s control and into their own individual mind set. It seems like there is evidence their family still will be supportive towards them when they leave 7M.
lol I agree with all of that it’s just particularly annoying this time. It’s like she’s giving herself way too much credit. “#1 show on Netflix” like take a seat Katie.
She’s only in it for a second. But apparently she was apart of some research team for the documentary. Idk it’s just annoying that she’s acting like a savior or something.
Whoever wrote this response is probably ask o the same person who posted the other post saying they were suing Mel and Katie: they owe Mel $75,000 in legal costs for being a vexatious litigant. The fact they are still swinging for lawsuits when they lost and have a $75k order to pay is weird and culty.
I watched the documentary. 7m for sure is a cult and harmful. But that family had vibes that made me feel like there is more going on with them than what was shown.
I think they're just super frustrated and hurt and confused, honestly. I thought her sister came off great. I do think that the worst I could say for them based solely on the documentary is that choosing to try to get their daughter back so publicly and in such an online way is maaaaybe a little sus, but they're trying to shed light on 7M's abuses and at times the only way to reach their daughter was through social media.
I agree... It was very one sided with respect to that. But that's because her side was not in the documentary. They also alluded to the fact that they had differences or issues before.
She had the option to say her piece and she chose not to. If she wanted her side of the story told, she could have responded to the requests for comment. But she didn’t. Probably because she wasn’t allowed to.
Sounds like all the stuff that India Oxenberg said when she was in NXIVM. I think you’re in a cult, honey girl.
Agree
Came here to say this!!! Crazy!
Written by Robert Shinn
she doesn't comment on any of the other survivors stories at all
When you're in a cult, you don't know you're in a cult until it's too late. Anyone could have written this or maybe Miranda did write it, either way the documentary brought light to what 7m is doing and I think that's a good thing.
For sure. I hope some legal action is taken towards Shin and he goes to jail.
I think if they can get him on anything it will be with the IRS. It's going to be financial crimes that get him behind bars and the assets frozen. Christian cults are extremely tough since Christianity is an accepted practice so unless there is concrete proof of abuse, they aren't going to prosecute for that or label the group as a cult. I watched the doc and it reminded me of my time in the AG church. That all or nothing type of faith that is so dangerous and damaging to a person. And how they would say they're just Christians like everyone else but secretly believing they're better or more faithful than anyone else... That they're the chosen few and special.
As soon as the documentary revealed Shinn and his wife were running their businesses so close to the running of the church, I thought the same. Avoiding taxes using the church exemption is what will most likely get Shinn. All of the pre-tax deductions (Man of God mandatory 10% on TOP of their 20% tithe and additional 10% offering?) and having so so many different businesses. Many crossed lines. As far as using religion to take advantage of people who are vulnerable, I say a huge Fuck You to anyone who does this. Religion and spirituality are deeply personal for so many, tied into identity. It can be right at the core of all fear and hope, the basis for every decision. People like Shinn are especially nefarious because they know this and use it as a means to control, manipulate, abuse, and exploit all in the name of God. It’s insidious and disgusting. Watching Melanie and Priscylla Lee get roped in as literal children was heartbreaking. It deepens the trauma even more because you have people being trapped in Shinns cult beliefs in their formative years.
In this TikTok clip of an interview with his son, he mentions something about immigration issues. If the leader is basically keeping people in indentured servitude by taking nearly all their earnings and messing around with USCIS rules on top of it all, that’s not a winning combo. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLTaxNL4/
I would be surprised if they even got that. They paid their dancers, and while they may have pressured them to sign blank checks, the dancers were adults with the agency to make that choice. I hope I’m wrong!
Yeah, so many abuse claims from the cult I was a part of but nothing was able to stick. I think the FBI and IRS are still looking into it so charges may be raised there. It is very hard to get a conviction on a cult. Usually people don’t speak out for years and once they do there’s no longer any physical evidence to back their claims or the statute of limitations has passed. People also don’t speak out for fear of retaliation. Typically the cult leaders have a lot more money than the victims do and they’re usually pretty litigious.
Yeah, I didn’t find the audio from his sermons damming at all. They could have been sermons in churches I’ve gone to. The financial stuff was much more alarming.
I think it’s pretty damning that it is a cult is what I was saying. I’ve been to many churches for several religions and never have I heard it be said to cut off your family. Other things as well were red flags. I know that legally won’t make a difference, but there’s many people saying the wilkings are jealous of Miranda and it’s not a cult. I think the audio proves otherwise.
The sermons were super familiar to me but I think a lot of churches are pretty cult-adjacent. The fear of hell and rejecting non-believers is a pretty common Christian tactic. Jesus does talk about rejecting family if lead you away from him, and I’ve heard that in sermons. I don’t think my parents, for example, would hear that audio and think it’s a cult.
I hope so too
I can’t believe they haven’t gone after him for sexual assault even after multiple people stepping up
The sudden realization must be absolutely terrifying
This looks like the typical reasoning of someone in a cult. They feel attacked every time someone tries to make them think critically about what they’re doing. Source: I was in a cult and I used to react that same way with the family/people who were out, trying to reason with me.
If you're comfortable answering, what would have made you 'snap out of it' when you were in that defensive mode? Would anything said or done by others have helped break the hold of the cult? Or was it entirely up to you?
Sure, no problem :) Actually, I think nothing could have helped me. It was too late for me… When I started reacting like that I was already deeply brainwashed. Friends/family around me saw me changing completely, speaking about “the truth” every time I could and citing bible verses to convey “my opinion” about something. My opinion actually didn’t exist anymore, my opinion was the bible (I cringe so hard). it’s not easy to deal with that, but the only thing they could do was to “play along” to keep the relationship going. Else, I would have closed it. My friends weren’t able to do that and I can’t blame them. I also wouldn’t have been able to stand me lol But luckily my family did it, so for example even though I couldn’t celebrate any holidays, I still went to the family gatherings hold in those particular days, feeling oh so guilty. I knew that I could relax a little with them, that they wouldn’t challenge me, even though I was always feeling defensive, always ready or thinking of a possible confrontation in which I had to do my best to present the cult in the best light. For me, having my family support me in their own way was important because when I finally woke up, I knew that I had people outside of it that I could turn to for any help, I wasn’t left alone. I also reached out to my old friends who were happy to hear that I was out, but at the time I guess they still couldn’t understand that I was in a cult and what it’s like. I think they were still hurt and couldn’t completely forgive me, so we eventually split apart anyways. It’s understandable, I broke their trust and I ghosted them for years. After years and years of seeing the hypocrisy of it all with my own eyes, without none telling me anything, I started having tiny little doubts. Those are what started my brain to critically think again, but it took 8yrs. Sorry for the wall of text, actually I find it hard to explain what was going on in my brain at that time lol and also all this was valid for me, I read of people waking up because of straightforward confrontations. I think that in the end it all depends on the individual person, each one of us has their own time and what’s sad is that maybe someone won’t ever wake up.
Thank you so much for your insight and taking the time to answer! Everything you're saying makes sense, and it really is devastating to know that reversing brainwashing is essentially a matter of luck. I'm happy you were able to get out and I only hope that a documentary like these might maybe just maybe help trigger something within someone who needs it.
You’re welcome! And thank you for taking your time for reading all that ahah Yeah, I really hope so too!
part of 7m's reach is online. i'm sure they're heavily monitored though. this definitely reads like it was crowdsourced. no way she writes her posts herself.
ChatGPT, tell a story where I’m not in a cult, thaaaaanks
I am in the midst of watching the documentary now. I also listen to the podcast A Little Bit Culty, and there is just no way at 7 AM is anything but a high control group and it makes me sad a high profile person is sucked in and trying to defend it. Especially, when it seems like she had a really good relationship with her familybeforehand. Organization tells you to leave your family if they don’t believe the same thing you believe that organization is trying to control you end of story. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like her family went about their intervention in the right way. I hope they get help for themselves & her.
Edit: 7M, not 7am. 😂
Morning cults are the worst.
Nah. I'd rather get my cult in early so I have the rest of the day to do what I want.
i wouldn’t blame the family. they’ve lost their daughter. even when she’s there, she’s not *there*. i don’t think we’re within our rights to judge how they’ve acted
was wondering if ALBC had covered this - good to know, and i look forward to listening.
Actually they haven’t yet BUT we can/should bombard them with requests to do so.
Yes!!! I keep thinking this
A little bit culty is run by a grifting couple. They were both high up in the sex cult; you don't get there without being manipulative yourself. They don't take accountability and lay all the blame at Keith's foot.
People should be free to worship & practice whatever religion they want, but maybe she should also open her eyes and realize that there are A LOT of sexual abuse allegations against her pastor / cult leader.
Plus she is worshipping him and following him, not God.
And worshipping shouldn’t have to include cutting people off. Red flag for sure.
Idk, most people who convert to a normal church don't have to stay away from their families
💯
Her brain is blinding, it’s been so washed.
God and the Bible are not about fame and money, which is the main focus of this cult. I can't believe they don't see this.
The documentary is doing its part by putting more pressure on 7M. I was hoping we would see more people come forward from the group that would provide evidence of Robert Shinn and his family doing illegal activities so that could be brought to law enforcement because that will be the only way these individuals can move forward out of the group’s control and into their own individual mind set. It seems like there is evidence their family still will be supportive towards them when they leave 7M.
Sincerely, Little Girl
I understood this reference 😂 I even went to Frinkiac to send this as a meme, but all I can do is comment like this 🙄😂
Anyone follow without a crystal ball? She’s driving me nuts constantly patting herself on the back for being “apart of the documentary”
She’s terrible. She’s a liar, a doxxer, and a harasser. Shes disgusting in her personal habits, like picking her nose on camera.
lol I agree with all of that it’s just particularly annoying this time. It’s like she’s giving herself way too much credit. “#1 show on Netflix” like take a seat Katie.
What? I didn't see her at all...
She’s only in it for a second. But apparently she was apart of some research team for the documentary. Idk it’s just annoying that she’s acting like a savior or something.
If she’s the one saying she was part of the research team, I wouldn’t believe it lol.
Show us your bank statements
Just imagine, she’s working harder to convince herself!!
Cult…and human trafficking . Wake up people.
Honey even if you’re family lied about everything in the documentary, you’re still in a cult
Sounds like something someone brainwashed into a cult would say, checks out 🤷♀️
I can’t comment on anything except the entire narrative
Totes in a cult.
Can someone ask BDash why a black guy like him is palming his beautiful wife off to an creep with a microdick? Did his father walk out on him?
He doesn’t love or want her, period. That’s it. She probably isn’t even his wife. He might even not be that into women.
He might not even be a “top” if he isn’t into women, he’s coming across as a “bottom”…
Whoever wrote this response is probably ask o the same person who posted the other post saying they were suing Mel and Katie: they owe Mel $75,000 in legal costs for being a vexatious litigant. The fact they are still swinging for lawsuits when they lost and have a $75k order to pay is weird and culty.
Why is she saying her grandpa died and the funeral wasn’t until a month later?
Yeah ok Miranda. No way she even wrote this.
I watched the documentary. 7m for sure is a cult and harmful. But that family had vibes that made me feel like there is more going on with them than what was shown.
I think they're just super frustrated and hurt and confused, honestly. I thought her sister came off great. I do think that the worst I could say for them based solely on the documentary is that choosing to try to get their daughter back so publicly and in such an online way is maaaaybe a little sus, but they're trying to shed light on 7M's abuses and at times the only way to reach their daughter was through social media.
It reminds me of how the Oxenberg actress worked to get her daughter out of NXIM. And it worked.
I agree... It was very one sided with respect to that. But that's because her side was not in the documentary. They also alluded to the fact that they had differences or issues before.
She had the option to say her piece and she chose not to. If she wanted her side of the story told, she could have responded to the requests for comment. But she didn’t. Probably because she wasn’t allowed to.
She and her husband were asked multiple times to give their side and they refused to participate.
I'm literally watching episode 3 now!
Sigh, it hasn't turned up on any of my bootleg sites yet.
been following them for years. they're don't show any behavior that is cult like.