The Fight to Protect Minors from Spiritual Coercion
Why this Change.org petition matters to CultInsider and to anyone who’s been brainwashed
I’ve been thinking a lot about coercion lately, after Twin Flames Universe, after my own journey through Love Has Won, after every meditation that cracked open something I didn’t quite get until later. That’s why this petition matters, it’s raw, it’s urgent, and it’s hitting on a deep wound so many of us carry: minors making lifelong spiritual commitments they aren’t ready to make.
So here’s what’s up: someone started a Change.org petition two months ago called “Protect Children from Coerced Religious Commitments, Enact the Religious Consent Age Act.” The goal is simple but huge: no legally binding religious vows, baptisms, ordinations, membership oaths, for anyone under 18 change.org.
That hit me like a bullet. I’ve met people, so many, who got baptized or ordained as teenagers in intense religious setups. They weren’t given time to question, to grow, to decide. They were told this is your identity, this is your community, this is your family. And later, when they woke up or walked away, they lost everything: parents, housing, mental health. The petition says it straight: “This is a human rights issue.” And it is .
But wait, isn’t this just about kids in religion?
Sort of, but it’s bigger. Look at the other petition it inspired: “Prohibit Religious Indoctrination / 1st Amendment Violation of Children in the United States.” Same heartbeat, kids shouldn’t be forced into belief systems they didn’t fully choose change.org. It’s not about banning religion, which people will freak out about, it’s about protecting autonomy. The petition is pushing us to think: what does freedom of religion mean when your freedom is coerced?
Then there’s Larissa Kaput’s submission to the UK Parliament: she calls out Jehovah’s Witnesses for coercion, shunning, forced labor via FOG (fear, obligation, guilt), and she plants a number: 3.3 million child laborers globally committees.parliament.uk. And these are kids doing unpaid work, because they were baptized, because they were “part of the family,” because leaving means losing more than a bad vibe.
This isn’t theoretical. There’s actual legislation coming
Reddit threads in r/WMSCOG are buzzing over the Protecting Minors and Vulnerable Adults from Coercive Religious Recruitment Practices Act (PRCRA). They say it’s being drafted because survivors stepped forward with their stories—about being recruited, indoctrinated, ripped out of support systems reddit.com+1change.org+1. This isn’t a fringe thing, it’s moving toward policy.
That’s huge for CultInsider, because we report on spiritual manipulation every week. But now we can say: this is hitting the system. It’s not just about finding your twin flame or aligning chakras, it’s about protecting bodies and minds that aren’t ready.
What this means in plain terms
- Minors currently getting baptized or ordained in high-control environments like JW, TFU, Nxivm-lite stuff—they’ll have to wait till they’re adults.
- Parents and leaders who push minors into vows could be crossing legal lines. That’s a game-changer.
- Teens don’t get a say in these decisions, but adults do. That means forced labor, forced identity, forced belonging can get pushed back legally. And that’s wild.
- The spiritual roadmaps need to be optional, not mandatory. Adults guiding kids into binding vows is now being treated like super serious stuff, not something you shrug off as “they needed that experience.”
Why this rocks for CultInsider and your mission
Your readers don’t just want drama, they want awareness, tools, community. This petition offers real action: sign, share, talk to legislators. They can join the momentum. That’s engagement and advocacy, not just commentary.
And it’s ironically hopeful: the same systems that can warp a young person’s psyche may now protect them. We see the narrative shifting: “spiritual coercion isn’t harmless.” It’s trauma, abuse, lifelong consequences.
