If you have your own story of being in a cult or a high control group, or if you've had an experience with manipulation or abuse of power you'd like to share, leave us a message on our hotline number at 513-900-2955.

Or shoot us an email at TrustMePod at gmail.com.

Trust me. Do you trust me?

Trust me. I'm like a smart person. I've never lied to you. I've never had lied.

If you think that one person has all the answers, don't!

Welcome to TrustMe. The podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the abuse of power from two former members who've actually experienced it, I am Lola Blonk.

And I am Megan Elizabeth.

Today our guest is Glenn Washington, whose voice you may have heard already, because he hosts public radio's storytelling show Snap Judgment, which is so good.

So good.

As well as the podcasts, Heaven's Gate, and Spooked, and probably more.

So Glenn is here with us today because he actually grew up in an apocalyptic religious cult called The Worldwide Church of God.

He tells us about what it was like believing that the world could end at any minute.

The special trips members of the church would go on to intentionally blow a huge chunk of their income.

And how, thanks to the group's white supremacist ideologies, he wasn't allowed to date outside of his own race.

He's also going to tell us about the book that began to change his thinking, the trip that solidified that change, and what he believes now.

Very excited to get into that.

But before we do, Dearest Megan, what is the cultiest thing that's happened to you this week?

My boyfriend's mom started selling a skin care line.

It's called Rodin and Fields or something. Everybody knows what I'm talking about.

I'm short, but I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm just going to act like I do.

It's a skin care line.

And she was like, you should try it.

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