A Cult in My Old Neighborhood (Eva's Eden)

[SpeakNow]

I'm somewhat involved in cat rescue. I used live near Columbia TN, and I always recommended that people take any cats in need of homes to Eva's Eden cat rescue. Well, it turns out the cat rescue is a "ministry" of a cult. Survivors have begun sharing their stories on Facebook. It's amazing how a cult can be hidden right in your own community.

[tabitha2]

Are they TNR and Rehoming cats in fact?

[Grimalkin]

     So tell us more about this cult. Any links?

[SpeakNow]

     So tell us more about this cult. Any links?

I forgot to post the link. Oops! Here it is: http://wesurvivedsheryl.blogspot.com/?m=1

[SpeakNow]

Are they TNR and Rehoming cats in fact?

It would appear they are. According to former cult members, they were forced to foster up to 30 cats at a time or else they could be kicked out of the cult. They had a mobile adoption van and had adoption fairs outside of pet stores.

Edited to add that this survivor verified they did actually rescue cats: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1028127073949687&substory_index=0&id=595205780575154

[tabitha2]

Weird. I am in cat rescue and people who do this have the biggest hearts and the hardest workers I know. 

 

This is smells  funny.

[Emilycharlotte]

I guess if there are bad apple cops, and priests, and teachers---it makes sense that there are bad apple animal rescuers. Maybe she thinks cats are Divine or something.

Really strange story!

[Palimpsest]

Not all animal "rescuers" are good rescuers and this does sound very cult-like in the tactics used.  

I have to say, "Pastor" Sheryl Ruthven sounds bat-shit and so does this Oneness thing.  This looks like references to Sheryl (different last name) in WA before the big secret move the facebook people are talking about.  So Mary Magdalene, Buddhism, and Bast.  http://aleeshaphoto.blogspot.com/2011/03/georgia-snow-member-of-oneness.html

And this guy is a trifle odd. http://iloveyousherylruthven.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html  I wonder whether they did get married.

[JermajestyDuggar]

This is so crazy. I read the book "Stuff" recently and it's about hoarding. It tells different stories of compulsive hoarding and one case was a cat rescue cult! It was very similar to this story but it was in NYC not Tennessee. I gave the book away so I can't go look at it again but I find it amazing that there were two cat rescue cults in existence. How odd!

[Grimalkin]

On July 24, 2016 at 1:02 PM, JermajestyDuggar said:

This is so crazy. I read the book "Stuff" recently and it's about hoarding. It tells different stories of compulsive hoarding and one case was a cat rescue cult! It was very similar to this story but it was in NYC not Tennessee. I gave the book away so I can't go look at it again but I find it amazing that there were two cat rescue cults in existence. How odd!

         Seems like it would be but I don't think animal hoarding is all that uncommon and it seems like quite a few people who are heavily involved with local rescues are  odder than two left feet. Not always in a good way either. And saying they are odd is a huge understatement.

[nelliebelle1197]

A cult of cat horders. Well I can die now. I have seen everything.

[Palimpsest]

5 minutes ago, nelliebelle1197 said:

A cult of cat horders. Well I can die now. I have seen everything.

It is really long but this interview with an escapee is worth hearing.  It takes "crazy cat lady" to new levels.   When I say it is long - I was able to clean out my fridge, wash all the bins and shelves, wipe down the exterior, and then got started on polishing the stove top before it ended.  http://www.lifeaftergod.org/041-the-ex-files-rachael-gunderson/

[FundieFarmer]

This is remarkably interesting. It was like falling down a very brief rabbit hole– if only because I can't listen to the interview right now– but unique. I found it telling that the leader straight up referred to the group as a cult in her email and nobody batted an eye.