What Does Freedom Mean Inside and Outside a Cult?
- Renee Spencer
- Jul 24
- 6 min read
Life is hard.
Being an adult—managing responsibilities, finances, relationships, work—is no small feat. And cults know this. They routinely exploit that reality by selling a vision of something easier, purer, or more meaningful.
Take The Family International (formerly Children of God), for example. Founder David Berg built an entire insider language around the idea, labelling anyone outside the group as “systemites” or “churchies.” It was his way of elevating members while discrediting the outside world.
David McKay of the Jesus Christians does much the same.
“Come join us and be free from the system,” they say—it’s a message spoken with conviction by cult leaders who claim they’ve escaped the trappings of capitalism, conformity, or modern society. It sounds revolutionary, even seductive. But what does it really mean?
The reality? When cults talk about “freedom,” what they’re really selling is a bait-and-switch: an illusion of liberty wrapped in a cage of control.
First up, before moving onto how cults distort the concept of freed, we need to first acknowledge that true freedom isn’t absolute—it never has been. No one is entirely free; we all live within a web of responsibilities, relationships, laws, and limitations. But healthy societies allow for autonomy within those bounds. You can question, choose, change your mind. You can leave.
In contrast, cults exploit the human yearning for meaning and belonging by offering what looks like radical freedom—freedom from doubt, from confusion, from the chaos of modern life—but only if you surrender your critical thinking, your boundaries, and, ultimately, yourself. Let’s explore the real meaning of freedom—contrasting it with the coercive systems that cults disguise as liberation.
The Cult Illusion: Freedom from ‘The System’
McKay and others like him frame mainstream society as a trap. They position themselves as the ones who have broken free—from jobs, money, family, institutions, and rules.
But here’s the irony: what they call freedom is often just a shift from one form of control to another—a more insidious one, because it masquerades as radical independence.
They say:
“You’re free because you’ve left the system.”
“You don’t have to worry about money.”
“You don’t need a career or family expectations.”
But in truth, what they call freedom is just a carefully rebranded system of its own—with its own hierarchies, unspoken rules, and consequences for disobedience. You’re not escaping control; you’re trading one structure for another. Only this new one doesn’t come with legal protections, social safety nets, or the option to question authority without punishment. It’s not freedom from the system—it’s just entry into a new one, cloaked in spiritual language and enforced through emotional and psychological manipulation.
In a cult system, freedom from the “system” means:
You’re no longer free to make your own choices about where you go, what you believe, or who you speak to.
You’re not paid for your labour—you’re dependent on the group.
You’re taught to fear the outside world, and even your own thoughts.
You’re made to believe that doubt is sin, and obedience is freedom.
This is not freedom. It’s a controlled environment that isolates you from alternatives and forces you to conform to a new, stricter system—just one with a different vocabulary.
What Real Freedom Looks Like
If we define freedom simply as “freedom from,” we miss something vital. Real freedom isn’t just the absence of external structures. It’s the presence of choice, agency, and self-determination.
True freedom involves:
1. Freedom of Thought
In a cult: Your worldview is prescribed. Questioning is punished. Critical thinking is seen as rebellion.
In freedom: You can hold beliefs, change your mind, ask questions, and explore without fear.
2. Emotional Freedom
In a cult: You must regulate your feelings to match the group’s ideology. Doubt, grief, or anger are spiritual failures.
In freedom: You can feel what you feel. Emotions are signals, not sins.
3. Bodily and Behavioural Autonomy
In a cult: Your body is not your own. Where you live, what you wear, when you sleep—these may be dictated.
In freedom: You choose how you live, even if it’s messy. Your time and energy belong to you.
4. Economic Freedom
In a cult: “Freedom from money” often means economic dependence on the leader or group.
In freedom: You can earn, save, spend, and share resources on your terms. You have access to systems of accountability and support.
5. Social and Relational Freedom
In a cult: Relationships are conditional. Love is earned through loyalty. Outsiders are threats.
In freedom: You can connect with people based on trust, care, and mutual respect. You can leave unhealthy dynamics and build new ones.
6. Linguistic Freedom
In a cult: Language is hijacked. Words like “freedom” and “truth” are redefined. Dissent becomes “negativity.”
In freedom: You can name your experience honestly. You can use words to think, not to self-censor.
Accountability or Control? Grievance Systems in Cults vs Broader Society
Another powerful way that many high-control groups misrepresent freedom is by the use of forced confessions. Which, when examined more closely, are nothing more than a fear based system that functions as just another tool for manipulation and fear.
They often reject outside forms of justice—law enforcement, courts, HR processes, ombudsmen—and claim they can handle things internally with more compassion and spiritual insight. But in reality, these internal systems are rarely about justice. They’re about preserving authority and silencing dissent.
The Cult Version of Justice: Confess, Obey, or Be Cast Out
Instead of fair investigation or open dialogue, cults typically rely on:
Forced confessions, where members are pressured to publicly admit to “sins” or “prideful attitudes.”
Emotional humiliation, where the confession becomes a ritual of breaking someone down in front of the group.
Shunning, excommunication, or demotion, where those who speak up—or fail to show the proper repentance—are isolated or cut off.
It’s not about restoration or resolution. It’s about fear-based control.
When you know that disagreeing could lead to:
public shaming,
the loss of your community,
or being labeled a traitor or backslider,
…you learn to self-censor, even when you’re deeply hurt or harmed.
This kind of system trains people to suppress their needs and stay silent—not because they’re healed, but because they’re scared.
In Contrast: Checks and Balances in Broader Society
No system is perfect—but the structures in broader society are designed to separate power and provide multiple pathways to justice. These include:
Independent courts and legal advocates.
External regulators and watchdogs.
Whistleblower protections.
The ability to escalate a complaint or appeal a decision.
A free press that can investigate abuse of power.
While these systems can fail—and often do—they at least acknowledge that people in power must be accountable, and that justice can’t be administered by the same person who stands to benefit from the outcome.
The Cult’s False Promise: “We Don’t Need Outside Systems”
While cults often tell members, “The outside world is corrupt. We have a better way,” when a group is closed, hierarchical, and lacks independent oversight, their “better way” often just means:
One person or inner circle decides everything.
No appeal, no external review, no safe disclosure.
Punishment disguised as spiritual growth.
It’s not justice—it’s
dressed up in religious or revolutionary language.
Real Freedom Includes the Right to Seek Help Outside
You are not free if:
You can’t report harm without retaliation.
You’re coerced into confessing what someone else decides is a “sin.”
You live in fear of social death for having a grievance.
Freedom means having access to fair, transparent, and independent systems—not just being told to take your pain to the person who caused it.
The Road Back to Real Freedom
Many survivors of high-control groups describe the aftermath as disorienting. When the rules are gone, freedom can feel frightening. But that’s part of the healing.
Freedom is not a fixed destination. It’s a practice. It includes:
Learning to trust yourself again.
Reclaiming your time, your voice, your body.
Building community on your terms.
Choosing, every day, to live by your own values—not someone else’s doctrine.
Final Thoughts:
When someone says “you are free,” ask yourself:
Can I leave? Can I disagree? Can I change my mind?
If the answer is no—it isn’t freedom. It’s control wearing a mask.
Have you been in a high-control group? If so, what illusions of freedom were you sold?
Need help recovering from a high-control group? RFCC offers online counselling.
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