E27 - Is There A Difference Between A Community And A Cult ?

Trigger Warning: sexual assault, rape, trauma, and cult-related discourse.

Please take care of yourself while watching. This is a heavy and emotionally charged conversation.

Welcome back to another episode of The Things You Can't Touch !

In this video, I sit down with Leah Lauder, a megachurch cult survivor and mental health advocate you might know from TikTok. Leah brings invaluable insight from her lived experience and knowledge of cult dynamics as we discuss some very difficult, yet necessary, topics.

We talk about the recent allegations against Stepz, the disturbing way some are defending him through the lens of Christianity, and how this ties into wider patterns of abuse and control within high-control religious groups. Leah also helps unpack how cult leaders place themselves equal to, or even above, God, creating environments where manipulation and harm can thrive unchecked.

This is not an easy conversation, but it is an important one. If you have experienced any form of abuse, please consider whether now is the right time to watch. Your wellbeing comes first.

We should keep shining a light on these issues and hold space for survivors. Follow our conversation here:

00:00 - Introduction
03:24 - Is There A Difference Between A Community And A Cult ?
05:12 - Characteristics Of A Cult
06:29 - Guilt Makes You Vulnerable
08:35 - Reminder That This Is A Heavy Topic
12:38 - Stepz
16:00 - Paul Tillich And Deification
17:10 - The Cross Road ... Be Careful In These Streets
21:13 - Self Sealing System
23:55 - The People Who Are Oppressed Are Oppressing Themselves
29:50 - Theological Awareness
32:19 - Cloning, Offline, Psychological Terminology
32:49 - SPAC Nation And Cult Intimidation
34:57 - How I Got Into Podcasting
36:07 - Sadism, The Transcendent Belief System, And More Psychological Terminology
39:25 - The Pastors Themselves
42:19 - Is Leah Christian ?
47:30 - Sexual Assault In Cults
51:10 - Erving Goffman ... People Are Performing And Triangulation ???
55:35 - Stepz (Again) And Shout Out To UKThanos
59:00 - Prove Yourself
1:02:27 - What Did You Do ?
1:03:50 - Recruitment
1:08:50 - Christians Are So Dumb
1:11:20 - What Makes You Susceptible To Cults (And Many A Detour)
1:18:40 - The Structure Of A Cult
1:22:35 - What If Cults Are A Community ?
1:23:57 - Cults To Stay Away From
1:27:11 - Outro

Thank you for following our chat up until this point ! Make sure to share this video with anyone you think needs to hear this.

Finally, and most importantly, make sure to keep up with Leah Lauder on her socials:

TikTok:
LeahLauder7

Instagram:
LeahLauder_777

You Tube:
‪@leahlauder777‬