John and Bob reflect on the painful journey of leaving high-control religious groups and the struggle to find authentic faith afterward. They open up about grief, trauma, and the challenge of rebuilding belief after encountering a false image of God. Their discussion highlights how many survivors develop “spiritual scar tissue,” making them hypersensitive to control, manipulation, and inauthenticity in new church settings. <br /><br />Together, they outline what to look for when searching for a healthy community: authenticity over image, relationships over numbers, peacemakers over narcissistic leaders, and a willingness to embrace questions without fear. Both hosts emphasize that faith after disillusionment is not about urgent theological perfection but about finding authentic relationships, honest dialogue, and the freedom to explore belief with fresh eyes. <br /><br />00:00 Introduction <br />00:31 John recalls his first YouTube channel and exposing false teachings <br />02:59 Discovering the false Jesus taught in cults vs. the Bible <br />05:23 Why many survivors can’t hear the name “Jesus” again right away <br />06:29 Bob shares about his mother’s passing and lessons from grief <br />09:01 Hospice wisdom: regrets about relationships and dying well <br />13:12 The struggle to find an authentic church experience <br />15:09 John’s advice: don’t pick one church—explore and take notes <br />20:12 Values shift across life stages and family needs <br />23:05 The problem of authenticity vs. church growth models <br />26:36 Scar tissue and walking out of triggering church services <br />32:01 John’s experiences with controlling churches after leaving the cult <br />36:42 Struggling with anger-based portrayals of God <br />38:55 Narcissism and control within ex-cult support groups <br />40:01 The “Etch-A-Sketch” moment: clearing false foundations <br />42:09 Bob recalls the “wannabe apostles” of Kansas City <br />48:24 Authenticity, brokenness, and why bars feel more real than churches <br />53:58 Communion, foot washing, and what healthy community looks like <br />57:27 Pastors on pedestals vs. servant leadership <br />1:00:01 Embracing disillusionment as childlike rediscovery <br />1:04:03 The mercy of God in disillusionment and rejecting empty religion <br /><br />______________________<br />Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:<br />Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962<br />Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K<br />______________________<br />– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham<br />– Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBSpezVG15TVG-lOYMRXuyQ<br />– Visit the website: https://william-branham.org<br />– Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamBranhamOrg <br />– Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@william.m.branham<br />– Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wmbhr<br />– Buy the books: https://william-branham.org/site/books
