What is the significance of Feb 26th 2006? It was the day a person stood up and
asked the question, “Is this a cult?” Ever since this event we have all been inspired
to reveal this group for what it is and to help people see the dangers before they
become converts.
Factnet is a forum devoted to exposing cults. It was originally started to combat
Scientology. Now it has been expanded to fight other abusive groups. The reason
why indianapoliscult.com even exists today is because of one person who stood tall and brave
and asked a basic question. I encourage anyone who is in this group or know someone
involved to stand tall and ask a simple question, “Is it a cult?”
Below you will find a post from Factnet about the intensive one year [during 2006]
battle to bring to light the things taught by Mike Peters and the actions that are
regarded as spiritually abusive.
A friend of mine posted the following quote on Factnet.
He says,
“One reason I posted
this "Timeline" was to make clear the MOUNTAIN of evidence that now speaks against
Mike Peters and his cult. Chris Olive, on the other hand, is asking you to believe
that ALL of Maleman, Denny, Jen, First_Truth, Ultimatetruthseeker, Gottapost, Shammah,
Tim D, Mike R, Tim Sz, Danielle, Elizabeth N, Threeseas, Lisa, Redm1sk, Nintai,
Baxter, Anonymous, Sofia, Gene F, Rob W, myself, and a few others -- we're ALL lying
about everything, while his holy Mike Peters is absolutely "pure as the wind-driven
snow". OK, if you want to believe that over 20 different people are totally lying
-- then you're a good recruit for this cult. God help you, if you're married!!”
- teaching indianapolis "mike peters"
- mike peters and allathisfeet.com
- allathisfeet + michael peters
- How To Say “All The Right Things" without saying a word
- how to help someone trapped in a cult
- 501(c)3 fornicating with the world
- my relatives were involved in cult
Click here to see the entire thread
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Everyone!! Today, February 26th is the ONE-YEAR Anniversary of
this Truth-spreading FactNet thread. It was exactly one year ago today that a brave
soul named "Maleman" started this thread, seeking answers for the family divisions
caused by self-proclaimed "lovers of Jesus" under the tight control of Mike Peters
of Indianapolis.
In this past calendar year, more than 1,600 posts have been made on this subject,
covering many important, relevant, and sometimes shocking subjects. Unfortunately,
with this much information, a new reader may find it difficult to weed through many
posts to the truly important information. With this in mind, I offer the following
"Timeline of the Mike Peters FactNet Thread". I've gone through the entire year's
posts and highlighted and summarized what I feel are the most significant posts.
Clearly the summaries are from my point of view, and some may disagree. But if you
do doubt the truth of what I say, I INVITE you to go to the actual posts (using
the Dates I've given) and verify what I've written.
Just in case you DO want to look up anything, here's the rough ordering of
the postings: (a) Main Thread (Feb-Aug,2006); (b) New Indy Thread (Aug-Sept,2006);
(c) Summary of problems...(Sept-Oct,2006); (d) Extended Families Hurting (Oct-Dec,2006);
(e) Indianapolis Contradictions (Nov-Dec,2006); (f) Mike Peters spiritually abusive
group (Dec 2006-Feb 2007).
Mike Peters and his followers call this thread "spiritual pornography" and "persecution",
but most of us call it "Truth revealing" and "Freedom". Thanks again to Maleman
and all the others who have contributed -- and continue to add real life testimonies.
Thanks especially to those who have braved the attacks of Peters and his followers
to tell your story. If there is one thing this Timeline makes abundantly clear --
Mike Peters cannot tolerate criticism, and he will use intimidation and character
assassination to silence his critics.
============================================
TIMELINE OF THE MIKE PETERS FACTNET
THREAD ============================================
2/16/2006: "Maleman" makes initial
post -- asking for information about this unusual group from Columbus and Indianapolis
-- later points out that this group has seriously damaged his family's relationship
with his brother (who is in the cult). 3/17/2006: "Aging Mom" posts an email from
Mike Peters. He (MP) is very abrasive and demeaning with her over her genuine questions.
3/20/2006: "Aging Mom" posts quotes from a Mike Peters online book. Alarmingly,
Peters claims that "God has whispered" in his group's ears a "special message" (this
reminded some of other more famous cults).
3/28/2006: "FYI" posts (in entirety) Indianapolis News article about the Mike Peters
cult. Article exposes Mike and his cult of publically humiliating former member
(and victim), Dennis Elslager.
3/28/2006: Columbus leader Dan Ziegler (aka "Onetimeposter") emerges to post a defense
of the cult -- specifically disagreeing with Maleman's charges regarding his brother
(a neighbor of Dan's).
3/28/2006: "FYI1" also refers readers to Families Against Cults of Indiana (FAC)
for more info about the Peters cult.
3/29/2006: Dan Z posts an extremely slanderous (and now known to be false) account
of the Dennis Elslager story -- from the lying memory of Mike Peters himself. (It
was later revealed that Mike P himself told this story, only to use Dan as the Factnet
poster.) The story paints an immorally dreadful image of Dennis E, using embellished
and exaggerated facts.
3/29/2006: Dan Z makes his first of many pleadings for Peters' critics to stop posting
on Factnet.
4/11/2006: Jen Elslager (aka "Speakingtruth") emerges to make an impassioned and
strong defense of her husband's character.
4/11/2006: Conceding his error, Dan Z pays $20 to have the above false (and potentially
libellous) character assassination of Dennis Elslager withdrawn from Factnet (see
3/29 above).
4/11/2006: Despite the above, Dan Z continues to attack Dennis E.
4/11/2006: Dennis Elslager (aka "Speakingtruth") emerges to defend himself. All
of Mike's lies about him (posted through Dan) are clearly and totally rebutted.
4/12/2006: Mike Peters himself finally emerges on FactNet. Mike both defends himself
and continues the character assassination of Dennis E.
4/17/2006: "Cult_fighter" makes first charge that Mike Peters encourages wives to
"withhold affection" from their noncompliant (to the cult) husbands.
4/28/2006: Another former victim, "First_Truth", emerges to tell his story about
the cult.
5/2/2006: "First_Truth" posts a past (1999) letter from Mike Peters which exposes
more of the cultic nature of this group.
5/7/2006: Jen E posts internet information exposing some of the past history of
Mike Peters.
5/8/2006: Quoting from a previously posted First_Truth story, "Cult_Fighter" exposes
the cultic trend of sending an "escort" along on journeys taken by Indy group members.
Such escorts are labelled the "Cuban guards".
5/11/2006: "Ultimatetruthseeker" details cultic tendencies of the members of this
group, then also asks challenging questions about Mike's finances.
5/11/2006: Another past victim, "Gottapost", emerges to tell his story. He starts
naming names of the Mike Peters group in Indianapolis, and asks questions about
Mike and his (alleged) female traveling companions.
5/16/2006: Question is first asked: Name one Indianpolis pastor or church with whom
Mike Peters and his church have good relations. Question is continually asked (throughout
June) but NEVER answered by Mike (or his followers), showing they refuse to answer
simple questions.
6/2/2006: "Gottapost" details 3 clearly cultic tendencies of the Mike Peters group.
6/5/2006: Mike Peters reemerges and filibusters. He defends himself and his finances,
then attacks other churches and pastors, as well as attacking Factnet and all his
Factnet critics.
6/7/2006: Angry Indy group apologist Chris Olive (aka "Wirklichmir") emerges to
defend Mike Peters and his cult. In LONG posts, he mostly just attacks the character
of the groups' critics (including Denny, Jen, Gottapost, and others). This clearly
exposes another cultic trait -- Don't answer your critics -- just attack their character.
Chris concludes with an unbelievable list of "sins" of unnamed FactNet critics.
6/9/2006: Dan Z claims that "Maleman" has apologized for starting this FactNet
thread, and that he and his brother have fully reconciled. Neither claim is ever
verified by Maleman or his brother.
6/9/2006: Question is first asked: Why does FAC, the #1 anti-cult group in Mike
Peters' home state, consider Mike's group to be a CULT? Question is asked repeatedly,
but never answered.
6/9/2006: Chris Olive returns to tell Jen E that her husband has lied to her. He
claims that he (Chris) was an eye witness to Dennis' departure from the Indianapolis
group, but actually he had the facts entirely wrong.
6/9/2006: Denny re-posts the false post of Dan Z (see 3/29 above) -- which he had
paid $20 to have removed (on 4/11). The tactics of Mike Peters are once again exposed
-- using lies and exaggerations to silence and attack anyone who disagrees with
him.
6/10/2006: Chris Olive posts a LONG "Quick Daily Snapshot", summarizing (from his
view) daily life within the group. He hopes this will cast the group in a more positive
"scriptural" light, but to most FactNet critics, he only seems to be admitting to
the cultic nature of the group (for example: communal living, etc.).
6/11/2006: Jen Elslager asks Chris: Why is no one ever alone? (in the Indy group)
6/13/2006: Chris O responds to Jen's question with: WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE SCARED
TO BE ALONE???!!!!!! Thus, he confirms the cultic "watchdogging" tendency of the
Mike Peters group.
6/16/2006: New poster "Shammah" details story of how Mike Peters forbid him from
visiting the cult when he visited Indianapolis.
6/20/2006: Hoping for sympathy, "Sigh" posts a defense of Kathy Peters (Mike's wife)
against charges that were never made against her! In fact, it was this Sigh who
was first to even name Kathy Peters.
6/25/2006: Jen E informs that she has put Don Childs' excellent review of Mike Peters'
book, "Meetings in His Kingdom" on her website.
7/18/2006: Tim Dennis (aka "DanRepent") emerges and tells his story of past abuse
from the Columbus branch of the group.
7/25/2006: Tim D introduces the website he has created about the Mike Peters group:
www.indianapoliscult.com
7/27/2006: Chris O explodes over the use of a common Freudian word, calling it "language
that is so VULGAR and UNHOLY".
7/30/2006: Chris O gives details about his own life, and his (positive) experience
with his Indy group friends. Then, Chris ends with long, vicious attacks on those
he disagrees with.
8/1/2006: Chris O compares his FactNet critics with the KKK.
8/7/2006: Mike R, yet another victim, emerges to tell his sad story of abuse from
the Indy group.
8/9/2006: Tim Szazynski emerges to tell his sad, sad story! Tim is a man whose wife
and children (still in the cult) are openly "withholding affection" from their husband
and father -- under the direction and teachings of Mike Peters.
8/10/2006: Chris Olive immediately savagely attacks Tim Szazynski -- the first
of many verbal attacks.
8/10/2006: Chris Olive immediately savagely attacks Tim Szazynski -- the first
of many verbal attacks.
8/11/2006: Tim Sz tells about how Mike Peters' followers are not allowed to
access non-approved information.
8/11/2006: Mike Peters reemerges to personally attack Tim Szazynski. He defends
telling Tim's wife not to submit to her husband, comparing Tim to a homosexual,
a Hindu, or a Muslim -- then alludes that the problem was Tim's membership expenses
in a health club. Mike and Tim then have back-and-forth accusations about each other's
finances and expenses.
8/11/2006: Danielle (Tim Dennis' wife) posts that the group's women do not obey
1 Peter 3:1-2 when they tell wives to not submit to their (alleged) unbelieving
husbands.
8/12/2006: Elizabeth Nelson comes forward to share her story -- including Mike's
advice to her that she potentially divorce her husband. This is part of a continuing
emphasis on Mike Peters' strange relationships with the women of his cult.
8/16/2006: Tim Sz talks about the trend of the group's wives who show no affection
to their husbands.
8/24/2006: Chris O explains why the Indy group blocks open internet access to their
followers. He also explains why Mike P tells his followers to avoid certain Indianapolis
stores.
8/24/2006: Tim Sz gives a "tour" of the Indy groups' neighborhoods. He gives an
accurate (but cultic) description of the way his wife Cathy feels about him – pointing
out that she compares him to the evil Muslim husband in the movie, “Not Without
My Daughter” (this is a common thing among the group's women). Tim also tells the
story of when his indoctrinated love-withholding teenage daughter told him (her
father) to "Die, die, die!"
8/25/2006: Chris Olive attacks Tim Sz. He then angrily calls all of his critics
“Satanically drunk” and says they have “hatred for the very life of Jesus”.
8/25/2006: Discussion about the unfriendly “No Soliciting” signs on the doors of
most Indy group member homes.
8/27/2006: Cathy Szazinski’s story (bashing her husband Tim) is posted by Chris
Olive. She says Tim is planning to divorce her. While Tim is exposed as an imperfect
husband, Cathy exposes herself as group-controlled, love-withholding wife.
8/29/2006: “Threeseas” reports new Mike Peters-influenced cult activity in Columbus,
Indiana.
8/29/2006: Dave Szazinski emerges to bash his own brother (Tim). Dave shows he is
more loyal to his church friends than to his own real family. Dave criticizes Tim’s
desire for a divorce. Dave also repeats the “Not Without My Daughter” charge. (In
fairness, it is later learned that Tim Sz does indeed legally divorce his wife --
a move which is strongly disagreed with by BOTH sides of this debate.)
8/29/2006: “First_Truth” posts the Indy group's standard Will, which prevents anyone
from seeing their dead body and ensures that surviving children be cared for by
group members instead of blood relatives.
9/6/2006: Focus begins on Mike Peters telling wives to withhold affection from their
husbands (in his “All Affection” teaching).
9/10/2006: “First_Truth” posts link to the “Mr Costello” MP3 sci-fi story which
mirrors the Mike Peters controlling cult world.
9/15/2006: “Amazed One” (Indy group apologist) defends Mike’s “withholding affection”
teaching as biblical.
9/16/2006: Chris O attacks Dennis E, accusing him of “spiritual terrorism”, and
calls Dennis an “evil spiritual viper”.
9/18/2006: Chris O says that FactNet criticism of the Indy group is a “predecessor”
to real, physical persecution.
9/18/2006: Discussion begins about “Secret emails to other men’s wives” written
by Mike Peters.
9/19/2006: Another victim (Chris S) tells his story on the cult website. He is immediately
attacked by Chris O.
9/19/2006: Dan Ziegler returns to attack Chris S – and especially Tim Dennis. Further,
Dan says FactNet criticism IS persecution.
9/21/2006: “Gottapost” lists a 7-point summary of the problems of the teachings
of the Mike Peters cult.
9/25/2006: Dan Z posts a long word study of the word “slander”.
9/27/2006: Dan Z posts Mike’s “marital sex is good” essay, but then forgets
to address Mike’s “withholding affection” doctrine.
9/28/2006: Mike’s “secret emails” discussion explodes!
10/2/2006: “Gottapost” states that Mike Peters' followers often say: “When you’ve
seen me, you’ve seen Mike”.
10/4/2006: The first “secret email to another man’s wife” is pointed out – ON MIKE’S
WEBSITE (see his “Authority” teaching). Mike ends this email (to another man’s wife)
with “Love, mike”.
10/4/2006: Elizabeth N (via Tim D) posts a “secret email” from Mike Peters. Mike
berates her husband, then signs off with “Love, mike”.
10/4/2006: Chris O goes ballistic over “secret email” postings! Accuses “Gottapost”
and “Cult_fighter” of being family-abusing “tyrants”, even though Chris clearly
had the wrong identities for these two men. Chris then attacks Elizabeth N and her
husband.
10/4/2006: Elizabeth N (via Tim D) posts a second “secret email” from Mike Peters.
SHOCKINGLY, in this email, Mike signs off with “xoxoxoxo” (Hugs & Kisses) to
woman who is NOT his wife!
10/5/2006: Tim Dennis posts email from Dan Ziegler in which Dan threatens to expose
the personal lives of Elizabeth & Vince Nelson – if Tim does not remove the
“secret emails” posts (see above).
10/6/2006: “First_Truth” posts more “secret emails” from Mike Peters, sent to another
man’s wife. In these emails, Mike tells this wife to “not yoke” with her husband,
to not hold hands with or give affection to her God-given husband.
10/12/2006: Discussion turns to Mike’s “Hugs & Kisses” (xoxoxox) sent to another
man’s wife.
10/13/2006: Denny E posts a set of emails between Greg and an Indy group member
in Australia. The Mike Peters doctrine of “withholding affection” is exposed, with
a 6-year-old taught to withhold affection (her “stuff”) from a visitor (Alex).
10/17/2006: Extended family tells their story of family members (in the Peters group)
who are withholding affection (cut off) from them – because they belong to a church
with a building, and because they don’t “swallow Peters’ doctrine”. Peters’ “Physical
Phamily” teaching is cited, where Mike tells of withholding affection from his own
parents.
10/29/2006: References to ongoing verbal battles on Amazon.com over Mike Peters’
book, “Meetings in His Kingdom”.
10/30/2006: Tim D posts the “8 Commandments of Indy Brainwashing”, a summary of
Mike Peters’ “Marry Jesus” teaching.
11/5/2006: “Skeza2505” emerges to tell her story of life in the cult – from a child’s
point of view. She points out the over-emphasis in the cult on “sin, sin, sin”.
11/6/2006: Skeeza adds disturbing story of Indy group members spanking each other’s
children – to the point of child abuse! She also tells how her childhood playmates
“idolized” Mike Peters, while (at age 10) she found Peters to be “creepy”.
11/7/2006: Chris Olive tells Gottapost, Tim D, Jen, and others that they are
going to Hell and that he’s anxious for that! Essentially, Chris is telling Mike
Peters' critics to “Go to Hell!”
11/7/2006: “Sigh” attacks Skeza (calls her “Lisa”). (It is soon learned that "Sigh"
is posting from Mike Peters' IP internet address.) He defends against the abusive
spanking story, saying that Skeza’s parents were in agreement.
11/7/2006: Lisa (aka “Skeza”) disputes Mike Peters’ version of the abusive spanking
story.
11/7/2006: “Sigh” (Mike Peters?) goes to A NEW LOW when he appears to attack an
8-year-old girl (Lisa) for “very serious sexual sin” committed years ago, when she
was a child. He further tries to intimidate her by threatening to “arrange a polygraph
test”. (Lisa explains this “sin” was a mutually-consented-to childish game -- long-ago
confessed, repented of, and forgiven by God).
11/8/2006: Chris O posts a response to Lisa from one of her childhood friends, followed
by his own vulgar attack on Lisa. Lisa responds to Chris: “You are a pervert”.
11/9/2006: “First_Truth” tells of more near-child abuse incidents within the cult,
including many cases of spanking other parents’ children. He also tells of Mike
Peters’ “blasting” (verbally) small children who misbehaved in his presence.
11/9/2006: “Sigh” (Mike Peters?) continues to attack Lisa for her childhood “sins”.
11/16/2006: “Redm1sk”, another victim, emerges to tell her sad story. She says her
still-in-the-cult daughter is totally withholding affection (and contact) from her.
Most alarming, she tells of when Mike Peters told his followers to “keep your passports
current and ready”.
11/17/2006: As usual, Chris Olive attacks “Redm1sk”. He posts a short response from
her daughter (Angie) which declares that the Indy group members (and not her real
mother) are her “TRUE family”.
11/17/2006: Chris O accuses FactNet critics of taking the position of “cheap grace”.
Further, he says Mike Peters has been “practically crucified” and compares the persecution
to an “execution-style” murder. Worse, he uses threatening language saying his coworkers
could “hunt you all down” and “take a 2x4 to all of you” (referring to the FactNet
critics). Amazingly, Chris calls these tough coworkers “my pagan, chain-smoking,
multiply divorced, adultrating, porn-watching, sailor mouthed coworkers”.
11/20/2006: “Threeseas” reports on another victim, a man who was asked to leave
the cult. This man’s wife remains close to the cult and thus this man is cut off
from his own children.
11/25/2006: Tim Dennis lists 6 websites used for the Mike Peters group's recruiting.
11/28/2006: “First_Truth” (ex-Indy group member) answers questions about Mike Peters’
money and about the group's children.
11/28/2006: “Nintai” (former group member) emerges to post an excellent clarification
of the Scriptures in Matthew 18:15-17 – the reference used by Mike Peters and his
followers to justify telling a wife that her husband is not a Christian, and thus
deserves to have affection withheld.
11/29/2006: Discussion begins on the Indy group's boycott of Christmas.
11/30/2006: “Nintai” quotes Mike Peters’ “Living Room Xmas” teaching, when Peters
says “God is ANGRY” at Christmas carol singers.
12/6/2006: “Baxter”, “Nintai”, First_Truth”, and Jen E’s anonymous friend conduct
discussion on the group's practice of judging each other’s thoughts, on leaven,
and the group's "caste system".
12/13/2006: Tim D posts part of a letter from another former victim, “Anonymous”.
He tells a very damaging story of Mike Peters – of his failed prophecies, golf addiction,
hot temper, etc.
12/14/2006: Naturally, Chris Olive logs in to attack “Anonymous”. He calls him a
“vile, perverted person” and a “liar”. Once again, Chris again compares the FactNet
critics to the KKK.
12/14/2006: Chris O posts letter from Kathy Peters (Mike’s wife), responding to
the story by “Anonymous” about Mike’s relationship with a single mother. Kathy defends
the woman and solicits sympathy by bringing up her female health problems (which
were never brought up by “Anonymous”). Interestingly, Kathy never defends her husband,
Mike, except to say that their marriage “is strong, solid, loving, and kind”.
Note: This was Chris Olive’s last post. Apparently, he was told by his superiors
to log off.
12/15/2006: Mike Peters' critics say only good things about Kathy Peters.
12/15/2006: Elizabeth N “Graceisenough” details how Mike Peters wrote a fake email
to himself and then used it to manipulate her.
12/16/2006: Paul & Missy B log in to defend Chris Olive.
12/17/2006: Paul & Missy (Indy group apologists) begin “What is Slander?” discussion,
which ends up pointing right back at Mike Peters.
12/18/2006: “Baxter” tells about how Mike Peters controls what his followers are
allowed to read.
12/18/2006: Elizabeth N tells story about how, after she left the cult, she was
ignored at the library by her former church friends.
12/23/2006: Sofia emerges to tell of her family’s experience in the Columbus group.
She calls it “Evil!”
12/26/2006: Denny E points out that Mike Peters promotes a movie (“The Matrix”)
that was inspired by Buddhism.
12/27/2006: Tim D asks some hard-hitting questions about the cult.
12/27/2006: Mike Peters group's use of “holiness statistics” are discussed.
1/1/2007: Tim D announces the “FactNet List” has been posted on his Indianapoliscult
website.
1/2/2007: Outside observer "workadmin" warns all past group members that they will
be slandered in an attempt to “blackmail them into silence”.
1/3/2007: Tim D posts the story from another victim.
1/9/2007: “Nintai” explains how the cult group is built on Fear – fear of sin, fear
of outsiders, fear of being alone, fear of Mike Peters' wrath, fear of getting kicked
out, etc.
1/10/2007: Tim D posts letter from Gene Fredette, who knew Mike Peters before he
came to Indianapolis. Tells that Mike “ruined” his past church in Vermont.
1/17/2007: “Rob W” emerges to tell of how he became aware, upon careful investigation,
the Mike Peters-led group was a cult.
1/18/2007: Karl (former friend of Tim D) logs in to attack Tim and defend the Columbus
group. Weirdly, he accuses Elizabeth N of “murder”.
1/19/2007: “Cult_fighter” strongly refutes Karl’s “facts” with 7 well-established
facts about the evils of Mike Peters and his cult.
1/22/2007: “Mike Peters & Jim Jones: Ten Similarities” is posted. Clearly, Peters
and Jones have many scary resemblances.
1/24/2007: Jen E’s Anonymous friend says that Mike Peters has said “the weirdest
and most perverted things I’ve ever heard about sex”. More comparisons are made
to Jim Jones.
2/5/2007: “Baxter” reviews Mike Peters’ “Catalyst for Change” teaching, calls it
“oppressive”, and then shares bad memories of “Daily Life” in the cult.
2/13/2007: Discussion on Indy group's version of evangelism. Conclusion is they
don’t reach out to the truly “lost”, but only to the “lost sheep” – Christians in
other (attendance-based) churches.