Gerald Flurry's PCG vs. Lifton's Eight Criteria for Thought Reform

Recently Banned by HWA had a post about Lifton's eight criteria for thought reform.

Recently I have been going through PCG's writings to see for myself what PCG's leaders have to say. I shall use that information to if this information can help describe if PCG fits these eight criteria for thought reform.

Milieu control. I will not comment on this. I feel I have insufficient information to comment. So I shall abstain here.

Mystical Manipulation. PCG is quite guilty of this. Gerald Flurry does this a lot. He very liberally reinterprets events surrounding the Tkach changes and the rise of PCG in opposition to that in order to claim these events were written in the Bible. He has written many booklets insisting that these Biblical books are all about the Tkach changes and the rise PCG. PCG is not flooded with new revelation, Gerald Flurry just recycles the same revelation again and again.

Demand for Purity. PCG is quite guilty of this as well. There are so many commands and requirements that are expected for PCG members.

Confession. I feel I have insufficient information to comment on this. So I shall abstain here.

Sacred Science. PCG is quite guilty of this. Gerald Flurry insists that unless one joins PCG and believe his "new revelation" then one is doomed to be cast into the Great Tribulation.

"Truth is not to be found outside the group." PCG even claims all other COG groups are Laodicean and doomed to be abandoned to endure the Great Tribulation for rejecting PCG's "sacred science" that Malachi's Message is a revelation from God.

Loading the Language. PCG is quite guilty of this. Elijah. Zerubbabel. Joshua. Man of Sin. Prophesy not. Prophesy again. Philadelphian. Laodicean. Are perishing. Strong delusion. Laodicean Church. Inner court. Outer court. Measuring God's Temple. New revelation. Malachi's Message. Little Book. God's house. God's government. Headquarters position. Pillar. Royal. God's jewels. "Victory" in the court case with WCG (even though PCG actually lost the case). Etc, etc.

A lot of PCG's jargon is designed to reinforce the PCG members' identity as resisters against the Tkach changes and being the only true Christians among the COGs.

Doctrine over person. PCG is quite guilty of this as well. PCG members shunning members of other COG groups, even close family members. PCG members refusing to visit doctors or take medicine and even dying because of that. These are acts in which the doctrine (the "sacred science") is more important than human beings.

Dispensing of existence. PCG is quite guilty of this. PCG does this whenever PCG's leaders claim the other COG groups are doomed to be abandoned in the Great Tribulation, that they are heathen, that they prophesy not, that they will not be in the Place of Safety, etc, etc. PCG does this by requiring members to shun "Laodiceans", as they have done since 2000. (Although Stephen Flurry ignored this rule by interviewing Aaron Dean and Roderick C. Meredith for his book, Raising the Ruins, in 2005-6. Just look at the footnotes for that book.)

So it can be seen that PCG very well fulfills at least six of these eight criteria for thought reform. This is why PCG is labeled as a cult by some. Not because PCG has "the truth" as PCG members are indoctrinated into believing.