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This goes back to "why do people join cults?" People never join a cult- they start associating with some people, and the associations become inclusive, making them one of US rather than one of THEM, and then the rules slowly move in, and then one day, the person's in a cult. People keep being shocked how much they liked hanging out with people in twi, with no rules chaining them, and then, years later, how the rules slowly creeped in to choke the life out of them.

Yes, from a general perspective.........that is all true. But in this case, Rico's splinter group............both sides (US and THEM) know well what the twi-cult was and is. The US side ....... these people who "want to hang out together and read their bibles" have ALREADY been in a cult. When people leave a bad situation [a cult], they should do some introspection to identify the factors that changed and the red flags that they missed along the way. Critical thinking processes are imperative at this point .....or the person will not learn from mistakes made and (might) repeat the process. With biblical truths, if the practical side was wrong......what about the doctrinal side? Check every nook and cranny.....challenge EVERYTHING. You always know who rules over you.....he is the one you cannot challenge. The Them side ...... corps who were "trained" by the cult are THEM. Rico is one of THEM. He may sound nice and sincere (now)......but how can he possibly be elevated to spiritually lead others when he was complicit for decades? Has he pinpointed a list of things that were rotten in twi? Has he sought seminary training and study outside the cult framework......or did he put up his shingle, open for business, the minute he got settled into Florida? Rico is taking the path of least resistance to build a following. He's going to those areas (Wichita, KS and Sidney, OH) where those people were already addicted to cults. It is like he's going to smokers' homes and selling them a nicotine alternative --- Juul e-cigarettes.

I'd suggest that it might be more fair to characterize it thus, "cults usually primarily benefit the few on top." If there was no other benefit, there would be no cult(s). Those not at the top generally get a strong sense of belonging. When that subsides, those people leave.

"I lean towards the belief that everyone worships/serves one sort of god or another, regardless of who or what they call it, even if it appears to be nothing more than themselves." Yeah, this isn't true. This is what religious people tell themselves to project their behavior onto those who do not share their beliefs. The problem becomes, they expand the definition of "worship" beyond sensible meaning, then accuse non-worshippers of idolatry because they put some other priority above the worship of a god. So if I put "earning a living" above "God," then I worship work or money. I mean, FINE, if you want to torture the definition of the word "worship." People generally don't worship themselves (certain high profile exceptions notwithstanding). Why is it so hard to accept the notion that some people don't "worship" anything? That you can admire something without worshiping it. That something can be a priority in your life without being a "god" to you? It reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon. Rather than butcher it, I'm going to find it... The point being, "off" is not a TV channel. I do a lot of things. None of them involve worship, unless you define it out of existence.

It would not surprise me to find out that the Montana connection has something to do with Steve Sann. Wanna bet?? LOL!