There is a Bible study in the WMSCOG called “Clean and Unclean Animal,” claiming that the food laws in the Old Testament are a teaching about associating with people in the New Testament.

Non-members of the WMSCOG are labelled “unclean animals” that members ought not to associate with.

On the basis of this study, unbaptized family members are marked “unclean” and not to be trusted.

WMSCOG members are led to believe that Satan works through their non-member friends and family to try to “kill” them by distracting their minds or taking them away from the church.

This teaching made me cut off contact with my pre-church friends and grow distant from my family. I would only see them occasionally if I had permission from the church leader, and only to preach to them or invite them to church events.

I heard sermons saying that spending time with family or friends doing “worldly things” was a betrayal of the heavenly father and mother.

The church uses this teaching to further isolate members’ minds from outside influence, creating a closed loop where the church is the sole entity that can be trusted.