Clear & Loud with Josh Harris Escaping Cult Thinking, Finding Real Connection (with Ben Crawford)
Oct 24, 2025
Ben Crawford, an author and former leader in a tight-knit church network, shares his journey of escaping high-control communities and embracing vulnerability. He contrasts preaching with genuine sharing, revealing how performative accountability blocks real connections. Crawford discusses the eye-opening honesty he found at 12-step meetings and the personal costs of dissenting from his community. His love story with Cammie highlights how vulnerability transformed their marriage, presenting honesty as essential to intimacy.
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Ideas Hide Emotional True Connection
- Ben realized he hid behind ideas because preaching felt safer than vulnerability.
- Sharing personal stories, not arguments, creates true connection and bonding.
12-Step Meetings Changed His Perspective
- Ben joined Sexaholics Anonymous expecting instruction and found raw, specific confessions instead.
- Honest, detailed sharing in that room surprised him and modeled real safety and connection.
Responses Matter More Than Advice
- In SA, responses were mostly "Thank you for sharing," not fixes or theological grading.
- That equal, nonjudgmental reception made vulnerability meaningful and bonding possible.
