Yes, I too just finished Tanya Levin’s book a few weeks or so ago and join the applause for her show of strength and fortitude in writing it. It certainly reflected much of my own thoughts over the years about groups such as Hillsong and YWAM; groups which may not fall within the strict gamut of a ‘cult’, but nonetheless because of their organisational structure and dynamics, are very ‘cultish’. I was raised in the Elim Four Square and after the usual mid-adolescent jaunt with a joint (it was actually beer in those straight days) I ended up with the AOG and attended their bible college. My god, what a socialisation process in narrow-mindedness that turned out to be. For example, in those dim dark days we were required to sit well apart if driving in a college vehicle with a fellow female student - you know the philosophy, sex leads to dancing mindset! Later I joined YWAM, and looking back recall a fairly genuine desire to serve god and make a positive difference in the lives of young people. After a couple of years however I was disturbed by some of the behaviour of leadership that had parallels to some that is described by Tanya in her book, “People in Glass Houses”. I eventually left the organisation after other issues came to the fore such as when YWAM started espousing the belief that the USA was especially chosen by god to bless the whole world (wonder what the tens of thousands of dead and maimed Iraqis now think about this brilliant hypothesis, aye - let alone the poor old YWAMmers from outside this blessed American fold?). No, I didn’t fall out with leadership or anything like that. I was in fact one of the ‘fair headed young men’ who just started to exercise his intellect and appraise the organisation he was committed to in an intelligent and rational manner. It would be too lengthy for this comment page to go into all the parallels that I see between YWAM and Hillsong in line with themes raised by Tanya in her book, but let me say that in my opinion there are some disturbing parallels to be drawn. But life goes on doesn’t it and it is better to make the difficult transition and leave, rather than compromise your personal integrity and stay on to grow into a disgruntled, bitter or ‘neutralised’ individual. In fact I left and went through a period of significant withdrawal. I can remember sitting in the university library in my second year (writing one of the seeming countless required essays) and thinking how I longed for the excitement and challenge of the good old Mission. Well, like all addicts committed to seeing the cold turkey process through to the end, I struggled through a genuine existential crisis and came out he other end a relatively intact human being (well, in my opinion that is!). I later qualified professionally in humanities-based disciplines that I thank for honing my appreciation for critical analysis of human behaviour. Well, I could go on and on, but will stop there. In closing though, let me say, that to me, the important thing in life is to practice genuine care for others whenever and wherever possible, without compromising our own safety and basic need for things such as financial security and the like. We also have to try to be honest in these endeavours and if we catch ourselves hurting one of the ‘little ones’, we should stop and re-evaluate our motives and direction in life. So it goes for Hillsong, YWAM, members of the AOG, me and ‘yous’.