This has been a fascinating exploration. I just keep digging up more and more stuff. I am so glad I had that hinky feeling Monday night, so that I could buy time to work before committing to do more work for this group.

Waiting for Dorothy:

i am currently recovering from a brush with a political cult operating out of roxbury. remember that great volunteer experience i was so excited about? it turned out to be a front for a 30-year-old marxist political cult. i know i should have known something was up when they said they refused to have an internet presence. anyway, i'm deep in the middle of research on the history of this group. needless to say, this has left me more than a little shaken. more details will follow. i'd also like to hear about the experiences of anyone who is a former member of the National Labor Federation, aka NATLFED, or any of its front organizations. email me at natlfed.project@gmail.com.

And finally, Lots of good stuff on NATLFED from the Wayback Machine.

Hi, I volunteered for EFWA a few times, they are a branch of NATLFED on Long Island, NY. I thought them strange, but I went a few more times. Each time there just seemed to be some funny things...nothing big, but made me wonder. We never really got anything accomplished while I was there, just lots of paperwork. Then they asked me to be their 'VOLS coordinator' and they wanted 20 hours a week...yeah right! Besides, they just assumed that I didn't have anything else going on in my life. I finally took some time to dig around (I had tried before, but like you, couldn't find much info on the web), and was surprised to see that they show up on Rick Ross' cult-watch website. I felt a little silly, since now of course it seems obvious that they weren't 'helping the working poor' as they claimed. Anyway, just interested in other peoples' experiences with this group. It's a bit scary too, because I had pushed aside some of my questions for a while, thinking I was just being lazy about volunteering, when really there was something wrong. A valuable lesson in critical thinking.

My Step brother has been a part of the organization that you speek of. He's a big wig there on Long Island, NY. It's so odd for me to think that he got wrapped up in a "Cult", back in 1994. He comes from a good upper middle class, white, family from the Main Line in Philadelphia (I live in Los Gatos) and went to Fleet Week last week too. When my father died 3 years ago, he had to get special permission to drive down (in their white van) to come and attend the funeral. Bizarre. I'd be interested to learn more about your experience there.

We've basically chalked him up as to being lost, forever.. Even his mom, my former step mom, is whacked...

There is an in depth discussion going on at http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/11/304593.shtml by former natlfed cadre. Don't give up on your brother. A misunderstanding many people have is that people join cults. They do not. They join front groups, churches, etc.. I went to Long Island to provide free health care for farm workers. Many who are recruited by cults develop a second personality, for want of a better term, that suppresses who they really are. There are methods to try and get in touch with the pre-cult person, help them to think for themselves and ultimately leave the cult. I am not a trained professional in this area so would refer you to those who are through their books. A good book explaining this is "Releasing the Bonds" by Steve Hassan. There are other books by Robert Lifton, Margaret Singer and Lalich which are good. Ultimately a family's unconditional love can win out over any cult.

Robin Fahlberg

I also have the dubious distinction of history with Natlfed volunteering. During my time with one of their more activefronts,I saw the rise of their religious fronts: presbyterian-USA and episcopal-USA,among others.

They had a book in the atheist-run office I was in, entitled "Christian Economic Development", that gave them credibility with all kinds of young church volunteers who were shifted into moving their programs and recruitment into deeper cover inside mainstream churches.

Their use of viral-market techniques and group manipulation is unmistakeable, and they are expert at pushing people onto theological arguments when they are caught diverting funds or pushing the same people onto personal emotional issues when they are caught violating some central doctrine of whatever group they are exploiting.

If this post resonates with any readers, here is a tip: Don't fight them on ideology, doctrine, or intent. Don't confusing "forgiveness" of their actions with "condoning and tolerating" their actions. Notice that they bully people in order to make the more experienced members of any congregation choose not to attend the meetings where they take control of key assetts. Notice how much "data-mining" they engage in among the faithful. Find out if people are leaving the church with a note of fear of coercion attempts. Study the psychological profiles of cult leader personalities, likethe typical "narcissistic personality disorder", and you will see that this type of person skillfully uses insults and the like to manipulate groups. NatLfed-trained leaders know thisand cultivate such personalities before sending them into a new "ministry" to set up shop.

Quietly combine with experienced, personally known members of your congregation to document financial and similar "secular" problems and jump them with authorities. Do so carefully, recognizing that "cult" is often just a four letter word for "mafia" or "gang".

Go to odan.org for a glance at one of the paths they may have taken into the Catholic Church.

I was in that cult about fifteen years ago. It has entangled itself in many people's lives, and most just now seem to be coming out to talk about it. I have started a blog to help with whatever my "two cents"is worth, and I have seen some good conversations here and there in other sites.

Somescare me with the possibilty thisgroup is stretching its legs, but most seem honest enough.

The entire cult subject is heavily influenced by that group, and by it's strange counterpart, the "Moonies". Being in Massachusetts, where those two cults were affecting somany in the 80's and 90's, was strange.