La caída: Dios, codicia y el culto de Gwen Shamblin

Interesting documentary. I wish the structure was more in order as it was a bit all over the place, but there was a lot of information and I enjoyed it. It makes me so sad that people get sucked into cults like this. I feel so sorry for all of the children, especially Joseph.

I wish we got to hear how the people who left the Church were able to do it and what happened afterward.

I wonder if God brought the plane down...awkward!

Looking forward to the new episodes next year.

Glad someone made this documentary. In high school my friends and I drove to the church on a dare one night. Here in Tennessee's Tri-State area, religion is a part of almost every household. We are used to "out there" Christian practices and we always joked about Remnant being a cult, but we had no idea it was so crazy. We got a scary/eery feeling that something was off. Maybe it was just the superstition that made us think that, but we couldn't wait to get out of there. It is important for Christians to also stand up to other churches when they are wrong. Christians often feel that we are in this battle of the world hating us together, but it is also up to religious people to hold their own accountable. These are the people that cause others to distrust religious people and Christians.

As Episode 1 of "The Way Down" (2021-22 release; 5 episodes of about 50 min each) opens, it is "May 29, 2021" and a private plan seems to have crashed shortly after takeoff in suburban Nashville, with all 7 people aboard presumed dead. We then go to "Two Years Earlier", where we see a woman giving a deposition in a law suit. Turns out the woman is Gwen Shamblin, a leader (THE leader?) of the Remnants Fellowship Church, a bizarro mix of weight loss evangelical teachings. Yea, you read that right. We then go back to "1992", and are introduced to Gwen's upbringing. At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from director Marina Zenovich ("LANCE", "Robin WIlliams: Come Inside My Mind"). Here she looks at the truly strange thing that is the Remnants Fellowship Church. It is strange because it somehow connects conservative Christian faith to a weight-loss program. It also stands out because the de facto founder and leader is a woman, which is unheard of in evangelical circles. There a bunch of other stuff going on which I will let you explore on your own as you watch this. It all makes for fascinating viewing, frankly from the get-go, and I got completely sucked into and enjoying it. I mean, you can't make this stuff up! I don't know why the series is listed here as "The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin", as in the series itself, it's simple billed as "The Way Down". (As a complete aside: the docu-series reveals that at the time of the plane crash, the group was flying to... a Trump MAGA event in Florida. Of course! As the polls consistently show, 75-80% of supposed peaceful, church-going, Jesus-loving, family-friendly Christian conservatives love above all a bullying, serial-lying, narcissistic, racist, Bible-ignorant, anti-democratic dictator-wannabe insurrectionist who would love nothing more than to become "the American Putin". Christian conservatives and the Big Loser. Truly a match made in heaven!)

"The Way Down" premiered on HBO in 2021 with 3 episodes and then 2 more episodes came earlier this year. I'm just now catching up on it on HBO Max, which suggested it to me based on my viewing habits. Great suggestion! If you like documentaries and/or are interested in how one woman built and business empire turned into a church movement, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

The documentary jumps a little all over the place at times, but as a whole it's done really well. This cult seems like hell and those that run it are experts at exploitation and cruelty; as are most cult leaders. It's sad that media outlets like talk shows, including Larry King, gave this woman any sort of attention. At first I thought she just had some strange obsession with her church community being skinny, but there is so much more to it. She's hurt children and adults alike; nothing about this lifestyle is loving or caring. This documentary is captivating and I'd recommend it.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to 2 more episodes (presumably next year?) I'd like to hear a little more about what becomes of some of the key players. Especially Gwen's daughter - if that girl isn't suffering with Anorexia, I'm not sure who is.

I'm a little surprised that the story was unfamiliar to me as I find the topic very interesting. Between the cult storyline and the charlatan religious leader storyline, it was right up my alley.

How individuals can let themselves be taken it by such incredibly obvious hypocrisy is truly beyond me. But I guess they must be looking for something missing in their lives if they're willing to let anyone or anything influence them to this degree. And that's how a cult gets you - it provides what is missing. It fills a void that nothing else has been able to fill.

Of course it's the children either born into it or brought into it by their parents who get my deepest sympathy. Or someone like Delaney who was influenced at a young age and at a particularly vulnerable time in her life. My heart breaks for her parents.

What really fascinated me, however, was reading a couple of the reviews here. There are people who watch the series and then defend this despicable, greedy, evil, charlatan and her co-leaders? It's not a cult and Gwen actually helped people? Really? And how could anyone criticize parents fighting to keep their high school daughter from joining this cult filled with crazies and zealots?

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And it probably shouldn't surprise me as it's a big part of the reason this country is in the horrendously frightening position it's in today.