A former member of the Children of God cult has revealed how REM's 1991 hit 'Losing My Religion' helped him break free after 20 years of indoctrination. The man, who asked not to be named, was living in a commune in Japan when he first heard the song on American armed forces radio.
He had joined the cult at age 16, lured by a sense of belonging, but by his mid-30s he was growing disillusioned with its controlling behaviour and worrying sexual practices. The cult, which preached the world would end in 1993, controlled every aspect of his life, including who he could sleep with. He was forced to hand over his diary nightly and was forbidden from listening to 'worldly' music.
Hearing Michael Stipe's lyrics was a turning point. 'That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion' gave him words for his crisis of faith. The line 'I'm choosing my confessions' made him think about the daily diary inspections and how he had learned to self-censor.
He later left the cult, citing the song as a catalyst. 'It was the first time I even had words for what was happening to me,' he said. The Children of God, also known as The Family International, has long faced allegations of child sexual abuse, which the man said he witnessed in a decree but never saw firsthand.
