Getting right into it, Tactics writes:
brain·less
ˈbrānləs/
adjectivestupid; foolish. “a brainless bimbo”
synonyms: stupid, foolish, witless, unintelligent, ignorant, idiotic, simpleminded, slow-witted, feebleminded, halfwitted, empty-headed; MoreSometimes Pastor, I can hardly believe you r saying these things when you r saying these things. I mean, gosh gee whizzzz, it’s awfully stupid stuff! But, on the bright side. We all get to be slapped in the face with the idiocy of your sermons in a most worthy public forum, such as the internet. And even THAT is more merciful than the Great White Throne of Judgment that awaits you in a very short while. (Just saying you are considerably aged, so chances are…)
Ah, but I digress. So we are BEST when our brains r in nuetral, nada, zippo, etc.? Tell that one to the sundry government agencies that employ us. And the banks, offices, businesses, schools, stores we work at. You are becoming a bit of a liability Pastor. A foolish man is condemned by his own words. Time to hit the delete button. OR perhaps you should eat more ice-cream.
~Tactics of Calvary Temple, June 18, 2015
One of the challenges in writing commentary 11 years after the fact surrounds remembering the exact teaching or context that Tactics is responding to. This particular Tactics, We R At Our Best When We R Brainless (Duh) published June 18, 2015, represents the perfect example. I remember listening to Bob Scott say something to this effect from the pulpit – and I am paraphrasing – “Don’t think. Just obey.” While I was already out of Calvary Temple for almost eight years at this point, hearing those words proved jarring.
The original Tactics post is funny. It uses sarcasm well. And I know that many of you who never attended Calvary Temple may be thinking, “Okay…a pastor said something odd. What’s the big deal?”
The big deal isn’t that Bob Scott made one foolish statement.
The big deal is why he made it.
To add to this, the accompanying YouTube video that often helps interpret what Tactics’ is saying has long since disappeared.
But I do remember the central claim because it perfectly illustrates one of the defining characteristics of Calvary Temple: the teaching that the ideal Christian mind was an empty one—a mind in neutral.
Why is this so dangerous?
Not because Christians aren’t supposed to trust God.
But because Scripture never asks us to stop thinking.
Quite the opposite:
- Romans 12:2 — “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
- Matthew 22:37 — Love God with all your heart…and with all your mind.
- 1 Peter 3:15 — Be ready to give an answer.
- Acts 17:11 — The Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to see whether what Paul said was true.
Those passages don’t describe passive believers.
They describe thinking believers.
As we’ve warned since 2007, high-control places like Calvary Temple rarely ask people to stop loving God. Instead, they discourage independent thinking. Questions become signs of rebellion. Critical thinking becomes pride. Personal discernment becomes self-will. Over time, members learn that the safest place is not to think—but simply to obey. In practice, that is exactly what members were/are taught: obey what comes from Bob Scott’s pulpit, and obey what the other CT “pastors” and deacons say/teach as well.
That is why statements about having an “empty mind” or a “mind in neutral” are not harmless spiritual clichés. They train people to surrender the very faculty God gave them to discern truth from error: critical thinking.
Over the years since 2007 (and probably while I attended CT from 1995 – 2007) I know that many people have questioned how I could possibly have been a part of Calvary Temple, stating confidently that they would never join such a group.
But as I stated in my college paper, “Wolves Among Us”, and later in my story for The Wartburg Watch, people often assume that cults recruit unintelligent people. The opposite is true. They recruit/welcome sincere people. Educated people. Successful people. Kind people. The issue isn’t intelligence. It’s what happens when you’re repeatedly taught that trusting your own God-given judgment is not only frowned upon, but is actually sinful according to these authoritative leaders.
Remember, that frog in the pot? That water doesn’t start out boiling…it happens gradually.
The takeaway is to move the focus from “stupid people join cults” to “good people can be conditioned to distrust themselves.”
Getting back to Tactics, as usual, this piece is hilarious in its awfulness.
Especially this line:
“Tell that one to the sundry government agencies that employ us.”
It’s clever because it points out the absurdity.
If someone’s brain should be in neutral, how exactly are they supposed to do their job? Perform surgery? Balance the books? Teach children? Drive a school bus?
The satire works.
But it’s necessary to go beyond the satire and explain why highlighting this statement matters.
Remember that God repeatedly commands His people to think, discern, test, examine, renew their minds, and exercise wisdom. Those are not the marks of empty minds. They are the marks of faithful disciples.
One of the greatest lies I accepted at Calvary Temple was that questioning was dangerous. Today I believe the opposite. God never asked me to surrender my mind. He asked me to surrender my heart to Him and then to love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind. The same God who gave me faith also gave me a brain. Using it isn’t rebellion. It’s obedience.
As always, I will end with this. Please stay away from Calvary Temple located on Triple Seven Rd in Sterling, VA. Over the decades, countless former members have described profound damage to their families and relationships as a result of Calvary Temple’s [Bob Scott’s] teachings and practices.
Remember that members of Calvary Temple are still under an active investigation by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office for allegations of child sexual abuse. One Calvary Temple member has already been tried and convicted in Loudoun County.
Please, before you attend any church, do a simple Google search, or better yet use Duck Duck Go. I can recommend several churches, if you are interested, especially Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA – but Google it, too!
For further information, refer to my VIP DOCS and LINKS pages, a comprehensive library of first-hand testimonies, other bloggers, and television and newspaper reports.
Thank you all for reading.
One more thing… I have included a personal note below the image gallery that I would love to share with you. ❤️
#exposecalvarytemple #forsuchatimeasthis #CriticalThinking #gaslighting #BobScottIsAWolf #BobScottIsAFalseShepherd #Watchmen #OnTheWatchTower #StillWarning #StillStanding #StillWatching #StillPraying #TrustingJesus #ButGod #Ezekiel34 #BecomingStill
A Personal Note:
Before you leave, I want to share something new that God has placed on my heart.
After many years of sharing my story, documenting what happened, and warning others about the dangers of spiritual abuse and deception, I also feel called to share the hope, peace, and truth that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
That is the heart behind my new YouTube channel, Becoming Still.
My prayer is that it will be a place where we can slow down, open God’s Word, and spend time remembering that even in a noisy and confusing world, God is faithful, present, and near.
I would love for you to join me there.
My Calvary Temple Tactic's Blog Commentary 