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IMPORTANT NEWS: If anyone is offered a Spanish translation of Chapter One (or other parts) of my memoir, Undertow, or any other of my published work, including blogs, please know I have NOT authorized that translation. My book, like all books published in the U.S., is protected by U.S. copyright law. For more details, read the copyright page of Undertow. To put this another way: I have not given permission, and have no plans to give it, to anyone to translate any parts of my work into any language. I say that not only as the author, but the publisher who owns New Wings Press, LLC, which published both of my books. People who hire translators, by the way, are not the authors of a work, they are the publishers. Now, if as a publisher, I had a bottomless piggy bank and a professional translator I trusted (and another translator to check that translator's work), I might consider publishing Undertow in Spanish, but as of today, I'm 99% certain no such criteria is in my future. Nor do I want it, thanks anyway. In case you're not familiar with the book business, publishing a book, not to mention writing it, is a whole lot of work, stress, sleepless nights, a juggling act of managing editors, blurbers, book designers, book marketers (yourself and your friends), book printers and book distributors. And 99% of the time, money is "lost" on the project. So you have to really, really, really believe the book(s) are worth all that to publish them. So, I'll just say that sharing Undertow with those who want it, like you guys here at GSC, was and will always be one of the most rewarding endeavors of my life. Cheers, Charlene L. Edge

Not exaggerating a bit, then.

A hearty congratulations to you and your new beloved! Have fun at your wedding... I'm sure loving my second marriage: to a non-Way-believer. We married in 2002. What joy. What freedom to relax and be yourself!

I'm getting married! This is still something of a surprise and a wonder to me. Am I excited, or terrified? Happily expectant, or scared of the future? Thinking it's just the best, or just the weirdest thing, that I'm in process of? Deliriously joyful, or just plain delirious? All of these things, from time to time, and sometimes simultaneously. It's a month since it was agreed, and I'm still sort of getting my head around it. I can tell you one thing. NO, that's NO, bloody church leader, or anyone else for that matter, is going to interfere.

Congratulations Twinky!! I'm so happy for you!!!

Chantal should have some moderate impact on the Carolinas and Virginia: i: George

Anything we have known Anything we've forgotten.

Around 1979, I took my first PFAL class. I was only 15. I continued on with the indoctrination, ran home fellowships, served in Way Productions, worked on the grounds crew and graduated with the 17th Corps. Those 3-4 hour 'Corps nights' with LCM constantly screaming and relentlessly berating people were especially brutal. After our graduation, my husband and I finally bought a small house. However, we quickly sold that house within 2 years because of the the no debt policy. Crazy times. After years of abuse, I finally found the strength to get out in the year 2000. This web site has been helpful for me. It is good to know I am not alone. Thanks to all who shared their stories on this forum.

What Do You Know About Cults? What is a cult? “An ideological organization held together by charismatic relationships and demanding total commitment.” ~ Benjamin Zablocki, PhD, “Cults: Theory and Treatment Issues.” http://www.icsahome.com/articles/cultspsymanipsociety-langone How do cults recruit? Promises and pressure What are some warning signs? Charismatic, authoritarian, self-proclaimed leader with no check on power Deceptive recruiting (often sincere) Critical inquiry viewed as “persecution” Organized psychological manipulation Emotional, sexual, and financial exploitation Inner circle of loyal followers with secret beliefs/behavior No meaningful economic transparency How do cults undermine freedom? Demand loyalty to cult leader/ideology Disallow freedom of religion (theirs is the only right one) Intimidate to prevent free thought Control personal goals Destabilize freedom of association How can we respond to recruiters? ABCD A - Always research group B - Be firm when refusing recruitment C - Challenge appealing promises D - Don’t tolerate deception, even from a friend Warning: An imbalance of power is an opportunity for abuse. Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International By Charlene L. Edge. Memoir. Paperback and eBook at major booksellers & indie bookstores “… A frank, in-depth account of one woman’s struggles in a controlling organization.” — Kirkus Reviews Gold medal winner - Florida Authors and Publishers Association, 2017 On Book Riot’s list of “100 Must-Read Books About Life in Cults and Oppressive Religious Sects” What it’s about: After a family tragedy struck, teenaged Charlene rejected Catholicism, family, and friends to join what became one of the largest fundamentalist cults in America: The Way International led by Victor Paul Wierwille. After promotion to the inner circle of biblical researchers, Charlene discovered secrets: Wierwille’s plagiarism, misuse of Scripture, and sex abuse. Amid chaos at The Way’s headquarters, Charlene escaped. Why Undertow matters: Each year about 50,000 to 100,000 people enter or leave high-control groups called “cults” (data: The International Cultic Studies Association). Movies like Going Clear and The Path have captured the nation’s attention. Undertow is a personal story about cult recruitment and fear-based manipulation by an authoritarian, charismatic leader. The fundamentalist mindset, espousing certainty about God and the meaning of the Bible, causes untold divisions in families and communities. Undertow shows this pain from an insider’s perspective and that healing is possible. A taste of Undertow: “I gulped down Doug’s words without doing any critical thinking, not pressing him to prove what he said. He was so sincere that I clung to his assertions, like ‘believing equals receiving,’ as if they were heaven-sent.” CHARLENE L. EDGE spent 17 years in The Way (1970–1987). Later she earned a B.A. in English from Rollins College and worked for more than a decade as writer in the software industry. She is a published poet and essayist and a member of the Florida Writers Association, the Authors Guild, and the International Cultic Studies Association. She lives in Florida with her husband, Dr. Hoyt L. Edge. She blogs at: http://charleneedge.com