My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark MFM Presents…Trust Me
Aug 8, 2025
Artist and writer Akina Cox, who grew up in the Unification Church (Moonies), shares her gripping insights about life inside a cult. She recounts her parents' mass wedding and the unpaid labor they endured. Akina reflects on her journey of questioning those beliefs, tying her experiences to modern societal issues. The conversation humorously touches on bizarre wedding traditions and explores the emotional rhetoric used in both cults and politics. Listeners gain a deeper understanding of how manipulation and faith intersect, along with the resilience required to break free.
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Use Good Faith Dialogue for Change
- Engage in good faith dialogue with people holding differing views to help them question groupthink.
- Conversations that are non-accusatory can open pathways out of extreme beliefs.
Cult Tactics in Politics
- Political rhetoric demonizing immigrants uses fear-mongering mirroring cult tactics.
- Data shows most detained immigrants pose no threat, contradicting claims used to justify mass deportations.
Recruitment by Rides and Dinner
- Akina Cox's parents joined the Unification Church by accepting rides and dinner invitations from members in the 70s.
- This tactic was common as recruiters often targeted hitchhikers or people in transition like students.