The Way International - Criticism and Cult Allegations

Criticism and Cult Allegations

Some groups have considered The Way's beliefs, viewed as heretical by a number of denominations, to be evidence of cult status. There have also been some accusations about The Way's supposed history of sexual abuse, excessive control over members' lives, and brainwashing. The anti-cult movement (ACM) attempts to raise public consciousness of what they feel are the dangers of cult membership. They view a cult as a religious or other group that uses deceptive recruitment techniques to lure new members into the organization, and then subjects them to sophisticated mind-control techniques to reduce their ability to think and act individually (brainwashing).

Given The Way's high-intensity nature, in the 1970s, there were some instances of family members, who weren't a part of The Way, hiring deprogrammers to illegally abduct their loved one because they believed exposure to these doctrines or the followers was harmful. According to Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (OCRT) "It appears that The Way operates like most high-intensity religious groups: their followers enter the organization because they perceive it to offer positive value to their life. If and when it becomes negative, they drift away."