According to the British media “Inews.co.uk” (Inews.co.uk) reported on August 3, 2022, Bexy Cameron (Bexy Cameron), a victim of the cult “Son of God”, wrote in her new book “Cult Followers” , recalled his painful experience, and pointed out that the sequelae of the cult had far-reaching effects. She hopes that through her own experience, people can understand that no one can use freedom of religion as an excuse to violate children’s rights. The compilation of China Anti-cult website is as follows.
Bessie Cameron’s childhood
It’s the hottest day of the year, and I’m sitting in my studio with my puppy at my feet, reading “Hidden Epidemic of Abusive Cults Operating In the UK”. I put my heart and soul into this research report, poring over cult victims of modern slavery, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Every statistic brings back memories – my childhood in the cult, the years after I left the cult, my efforts to get back to normal, and as an adult, as a documentary filmmaker, in order to be able to Better understanding of cults, undercover more than 10 cult organizations.
When you are in a cult, the norms of the cult become your daily routine, and you will not reflect or analyze these norms or patterns. Looking back now, I am especially grateful to the Family Survival Trust, whose published research has solved this intractable mystery – the norm of a cult is a routine, a psychological destruction system that basically establishes on the basis of coercion.
I was born into the “Son of God” cult. Parents who believe that they are inspired, are changing the world, and that their lives have unparalleled meaning. They swore to “give up everything to follow God” and made it a badge of honor. But we, children, paid a heavy price: We unknowingly gave up educational opportunities, our physical and mental health, and our innocence.
The Family Survivor Foundation’s research report is clear and easy to understand. But when the data brought back painful memories, thoughts started to get muddled. According to the theory of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), being abused can lead to depression and violent behavior. It is difficult for us to define who is the cause and who is the effect. The data showed that of the 105 ex-cult members who participated in the study, 37% had experienced involuntary sexual contact, and 17% had been raped in the sect; half of the researchers were born or raised in “highly controlled” organizations , others entered the sect as an adult. I was born and raised in a sex cult, and sexual abuse was commonplace, and the top of the sect even published a manual on how to sexually abuse children.
This sequelae continues to this day. As I write the above, memories flood in like a flood. I had just passed my 16th birthday, sitting in a cramped London rental, breathing in the smell of chemically shoddy perfume, watching my friend Leah, who had escaped the cult a few months before me, painted brown Lip liner, slathered on foundation, trying to look more than 17. She chose a silver sequined coat, and that night, she dressed as a sex worker to solicit customers. I used to see her abused in the denomination firsthand, and now I watch her do what she has to do – make rent money. When she left the denomination, she had no diploma, no choice, just the indoctrinated “we’re a plaything” idea. Abuse leads to new abuse. Even if you leave, the abuse doesn’t necessarily end.
The aftermath of the cult has far-reaching consequences. The external form is that cults stalk and harass former members (38%) and threaten them (25%). Among them, 82% of the former believers have psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological depression, and 60% have had suicidal thoughts. Suicide became a common phenomenon, ruining the younger generation of “Son of God”.
I dedicate this book to the children I grew up with, the people who made it through, the people who thought that life, that pain, was no longer theirs.
Bessie Cameron’s New Book Cult Following: My escape and return to the Children of God Dedicated to Cult Victims
This trauma is dark and pervasive. A dedicated anti-cult account on Twitter warns us of “disappearing stars in the sky,” and it sends out frequent signals. One of the most high-profile and heartbreaking suicides is that of Rick Rodriques, the adopted son of the “Son of God” boss. Ricky’s portrait was printed in pamphlets produced and distributed by the sect. After leaving the cult, Ricky meets with her childhood custodian (and abuser) and stabs her to death. I remember watching the video he posted where he calmly explained his actions. He then turned off the camera and shot himself. After watching it, I burst into tears and fully understood where his anger was coming from.
As a generation growing up under surveillance, it frustrates me why cults are still as elusive as they were in the 1990s. I spent a long time trying to figure out why our parents let us grow up in such a dangerous cult. When I see a study like this, I want to ask where is the government? Where are the social service agencies? Who will protect these innocent children who cannot be effectively supervised by their parents, is it the perpetrators?
My friend Leah now has a degree and a home of her own. I am now living a happy and fulfilling life. I realize how lucky I am. My siblings have all left the cult. But my journey into the world of cults and this research shows that the battle is not over, and the world I fled from when I was 15 is still there. I can talk and write about my childhood now because I am free. But if I stand by and let another kid go through this, I’ll be damned. As much as I can sit back and watch, when injustice befalls vulnerable young people, I cannot ignore it, forgive it, or forget it. Instead, those of us who were once children, must stop this from happening again. No parent can use freedom of religion as an excuse to violate a child, and we must ensure that.
