Dr. Phil's show

[newlife]

Did anyone see Dr. Phil's show yesterday? "Cult Confrontations" I wanted to watch it, but I forgot to turn it on. (I'm not used to watching daytime TV.) Just wondered if anyone did and what they thought about it? I did read the info on his website about the program and I'm thinking about ordering the DVD since I missed the show.

Also, does anyone know about MeadowHaven in Massachusetts? It sounds like a more indepth program than Wellspring, but they don't turn anyone away because of lack of finances. There's a link to their website from Dr. Phil's and they were on the program. I'm thinking, though, that now that they've been "advertised" on Dr. Phil, that they'll be inundated with requests for people to come to their facility. I tried to email them yesterday, but it came back undeliverable because their mailbox was full. Doesn't surprise me! :rolleyes:

newlife

[yeshua'smags]

I saw it, but I've never been part of a cult so I don't know what to tell you about the show was helpful. It was sad. But the one girl, Fawn was on and they taped it the day Warren Jeffs was arrested. She said she was glad but scared for her family becuz w/o him the structure would fall apart. I missed the first story. Our vacuum is really freakin loud!:D

[SpinningHead]

I caught bits & pieces of it...seemed more cult extreme oriented and from what I saw, didn't address cult-ish-like behavior in the more subtle ways that cults (that register medium to low on the rador) control people.

[mary]

Last season, Dr. Phil did a "cult series" that focused on Mennonites, specifically on the Hutterites. These are Anabaptists, somewhat of a shift from the Amish. He did a two-parter where two daughters in their early teens were caught in the middle of their parents' divorce and illegally taken by their father to Belize. This was obviously wrong behavior on the part of the Hutterite father and he should pay the civil penalties for disobeying an order of the court, including doing jail time, which is where he is now, I believe. Dr. Phil and his staff went to Belize and rounded up the father and daughters and brought them back to the U. S. The fact is, though, that the daughters were happy in the Hutterite community and while they were happy to see their mother, they really didn't want to go back into "the world."

I watched both parts of this topic. Although I have strong, Calvinistic leanings, my sympathies were not with either of the parents but were rather with the daughters, who were obviously born-again Christians and who eloquently explained their beliefs, getting mostly negative reactions from Dr. Phil and his audience. I've heard Dr. Phil ridicule some of the beliefs of born-again Christians and he was very much on the side of the mother of these girls, who wanted them to live "in the world" as much as possible, dress in low-rider jeans and belly tops, etc., etc.

I had very mixed feelings about this whole thing. I guess I basically don't trust Dr. Phil to do an extremely fair job on cults; I do observe that there's somewhat of a "cult of Dr. Phil" out there...

All this is just my opinion, FWIW. I do hope I haven't offended anyone... If I have, please accept my sincerest apologies... :o

mary

[Carmen]

I am not familiar with Dr. Phil, but it does sound as if he is biased, if he doesn't respect people that are born-again. I don't know what beliefs the man has, but he ought to respect other's beliefs if they are not cultic. The problem is that some have had bad experiences in born-again Christian circles and think that all born-again Christians are in a cult. They are throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Sadly enough some of these people are very educated and should know better than to do that. Just because they do not believe, or have what may be called very liberal beliefs, they think that others shouldn't believe more intensely. These same people have no problems with Buddhists, Hindi, Confucianists or Universalists, only with born-again Christians. I see such views as an attack on the gospel, but that is just my opinion.

[FROG]

Last season, Dr. Phil did a "cult series" that focused on Mennonites, specifically on the Hutterites. These are Anabaptists, somewhat of a shift from the Amish. He did a two-parter where two daughters in their early teens were caught in the middle of their parents' divorce and illegally taken by their father to Belize. This was obviously wrong behavior on the part of the Hutterite father and he should pay the civil penalties for disobeying an order of the court, including doing jail time, which is where he is now, I believe. Dr. Phil and his staff went to Belize and rounded up the father and daughters and brought them back to the U. S. The fact is, though, that the daughters were happy in the Hutterite community and while they were happy to see their mother, they really didn't want to go back into "the world."

I watched both parts of this topic. Although I have strong, Calvinistic leanings, my sympathies were not with either of the parents but were rather with the daughters, who were obviously born-again Christians and who eloquently explained their beliefs, getting mostly negative reactions from Dr. Phil and his audience. I've heard Dr. Phil ridicule some of the beliefs of born-again Christians and he was very much on the side of the mother of these girls, who wanted them to live "in the world" as much as possible, dress in low-rider jeans and belly tops, etc., etc.

I had very mixed feelings about this whole thing. I guess I basically don't trust Dr. Phil to do an extremely fair job on cults; I do observe that there's somewhat of a "cult of Dr. Phil" out there...

All this is just my opinion, FWIW. I do hope I haven't offended anyone... If I have, please accept my sincerest apologies... :o

mary




Hmmmm, I watched the same shows that you mentioned and I don't recall Dr. Phil encouraging the girls to wear low rider jeans. He is not against being born again, He is against brainwashing. These are young girls who were required to live a very meager existance away from their mother. What their father was doing was criminal. He took them out of the country.

Dr. Phil did a great job in holding that father accountable for what he did.

I appreciate what Dr. Phil is doing for the two Fawns as well.

[leelees]

i dont really know who he is...ive heard both thoughts on him...guess hes like Marmite...you either love him or you hate him!:D

[mary]

I don't think I said that Dr. Phil encouraged the girls to wear low-rider jeans. I did observe that he encouraged the mom, who wanted the girls to blend in with the other kids at the school she wanted them in. I put myself in the place of the girls, and in work situations I've been in, especially, where I was encouraged to go along with "the world" instead of follow what I knew Christ would have me do. As to that show, I came down on the side of those girls, not with either parent.

Dr. Phil has stated on the show some of his own beliefs that contradict traditional, Biblical beliefs as to sexual behavior, etc.

While he's entitled to run a "tight ship" behind stage, I've read that he's verbally abusive on a regular basis with his staff and his tirades are legendary.

He gets troubled, married couples on the show and then proceeds to take them apart. Biblical norms and/or teachings are never cited as, uh, "maybe helpful." The only answer is, always, "what Dr. Phil says."

I don't think Dr. Phil is a tremendous example for Christians to look up to. His advice is at best common sense; there is a certain element of character and "owning" things on his show that is admirable and to be taken to heart. However, Jesus Christ is our Standard, not Dr. Phil, and where the latter conflicts with or ignores the former, I part company with the whole Dr. Phil culture.

mary

[judym]

i've seen dr phil on tv only a few times and read a little of one of his books. the best i can figure out is that he is of eastern religion orientation. i agree with a lot of his counsel but not his counseling methods. it is not respectful to talk to anyone in an arrogant, sarcastic, angry manner. i often feel sorry for those he is counseling, for the treatment they are receiving. regardless of what they have done or are doing, they don't deserve to be treated unkindly, condescendingly, or disrespectfully.

[dougjb]

Hi everyone,
The way I see the Dr. Phil show or any program on TV is that they are there to make money. There is nothing wrong with making a profit; however, in order for TV producers to accomplish this, a number of things must take place. The program must be designed to attract as many people as possible to maximize the ratings. As the rating rise, they are able to charge the advertisers more money. I cannot prove this but I believe that even the Dr. Phil show may be slanted to a certain degree to impact audience share. It may sound somewhat cynical but that is the reality of TV. If it is not making a profit, then the program will be canceled. Dr. Phil may have some good things to say, or not, but the show will have to produce a profit, which means that there may be be a little fudging going on.

Some food for thought
Dougjb

[ex-shep]

I have definitely changed my tune as far as interventions are concerned. I definitely got caught up in the mindset that exit counselings were the way to go. They are great is there a good post-group support system. With one friend in college, with the dysfunction on her homefront, it would have been an umitigated disaster as it became evident years later.

The anti-cult movement was beginning to have serious reservations against interventions because of the abrupt paradigm shift. Most members usually walk out of their groups. I am not sure what Dr. Phil had in mind. It sounds like neither a tolerance for anything evangelical nor sound intervention methods and proceedures. I know nothing about Meadow Haven, so I am unqualified to comment. I must agree with the other posters that something does not ring true here.

I do remember former members of the Hutterites at cult recovery conferences. I do not remember the specific issues other than it was a closed community. I am sure an internet search will get the needed perspective.

[Willow]

Don't knock Meadow Haven until you talk to Wellspring about them. I think they may work hand in hand with because Meadow Haven offers long term whereas Wellspring offers more crisis type counseling.

Anyway.... might wanna ask about it.

[ex-shep]

Don't knock Meadow Haven until you talk to Wellspring about them. I think they may work hand in hand with because Meadow Haven offers long term whereas Wellspring offers more crisis type counseling.

Anyway.... might wanna ask about it.

sounds like I am going to have to some homework. Let me do a quick internet search. I will put it in a new thread if I find something.

[Willow]

Just read this post on another forum from one of the people on Dr. Phil's show... here's what she had to say:

"I was on the Dr.Phil show that day. I have tons and tons of research from 10 years of trying to help my daughter. If you only knew the anguish I have felt for ten years and confronting the cult leader you saw in videos on the show....there were many things there wasn't time to show on air. There are many things that Dr.Phil does that no one knows, unless they have worked with him. I am grateful to him for trying when no one else was able to, or wanted to. A little known cult gets very little exposure in the media....now this one will be nationally known.

I have read every book there is about cults. I have attended national cult/family conventions. I have gone to every website and link there is....ten years is a lot of time to work on this.

You know, I didn't have to write that first post, and I didn't have to respond back to yours, but in my heart of hearts I know that the show will help people. I am sorry if I offended you, but I am still very raw from coming home without seeing my daughter AGAIN. As I said on the show, I will NEVER give up."

[hornblower]

Bless that poor ladies heart I will most certainly be praying for her and her daughter. Oh how absolutely tragic. I find it hard to understand this country not being tougher on such matters as this. Did they say anything about that at all? The laws or anything?

[ex-shep]

You know, I didn't have to write that first post, and I didn't have to respond back to yours, but in my heart of hearts I know that the show will help people. I am sorry if I offended you, but I am still very raw from coming home without seeing my daughter AGAIN. As I said on the show, I will NEVER give up."[/QUOTE]

I can easily relate. That has been my sentiment for Tammy since 1984. Perhaps I am glad I did not catch the show. I would have lost it.

[Willow]

I got the quote from www.rickross.com. I didn't see anything about laws. Although Rick Ross is very much on the legal end of things.

[ex-shep]

I got the quote from www.rickross.com. I didn't see anything about laws. Although Rick Ross is very much on the legal end of things.

It does remind of the joke from many a Warner Brothers cartoon, "I know this defies the law of gravity, but I never studied law."

[Carmen]

It does remind of the joke from many a Warner Brothers cartoon, "I know this defies the law of gravity, but I never studied law."

Rofl! :D

[Willow]

Lol!