A Toronto man’s journey from hate group “rally boy” to anti-fascism
Beyond his job as a freelance process server in Toronto, thirty-five-year-old Josh Chernofsky didn’t have much going on in the spring of 2019. But over time, he’d developed a rapport with one of the security guards at the University Avenue courthouses. They’d chat about this and that, often about security work; Chernofsky had once been in the industry himself. One day in May, the guard said there were going to be some protests in the neighbourhood on the weekend. Of what nature, he didn’t know. Chernofsky decided to take a look.
As he made his way to the protest on the Saturday, Chernofsky cut down a side street. The first thing he noticed as he drew near: there were a lot of police vehicles. He then saw people wearing matching black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirts. He vaguely recognized it as the Proud Boys uniform. I thought that was just an American thing, he said to himself. Beyond the group’s US origins and some sense that it was ideologically conservative, he didn’t know much about it. He just thought it was a “men’s group.”
At the rallying point, two crowds were facing off across the street from one another. “On one side, there were all these people in black, covered up, masked, yelling, shouting, swearing—just sounding very obnoxious,” he remembers. On the other, he saw people with Canadian flags and no masks. “They all seemed very happy,” he says. “I guess that’s what attracted me to that side.”
For Manning, the most time-consuming component of the process is helping her clients battle through the void. They’re often left with a deep sense of personal loss: of close friendships, brotherhood, and community. Forming, or repairing, non-extremist relationships is no picnic. “Learning to trust people outside of the movement,” Manning says, “that one can be hard.” Leavers also lose their sense of identity and purpose.
I went through all of this when I left the church. It’s a terrifying thing to realize that many forms of Christianity operate as, and have morphed into, cults.
I went through all of this when I left the church. It’s a terrifying thing to realize that many forms of Christianity operate as, and have morphed into, cults.
Were you in the Jahova’s Witnesses? A family friend was a former member, and she told us that the reason they come to your door and annoy you is intentional – if the only experience they have outside fellow church-goers is people getting angry at them for their faith, it drives them more into it.
I’ve also heard cases where someone clearly states they aren’t interested in the religious spiel but still willing to engage with them about other things and them willing to go along with it. Figured it was more of a long con thing, like be friendly now and maybe in a few weeks they’ll be more open to joining the cult, but maybe it’s just them feeling starved for positive human interaction that isn’t just about the cult.
Figured it was more of a long con thing, like be friendly now and maybe in a few weeks they’ll be more open to joining the cult
That is definitely in there, but that is a tiny, tiny portion of people vs. the overarching goal of making you feel like your only ‘home’ is with the cult (in this case JW’s)
Yep, they lean heavily into persecution claims and this sort of experience fuels it. Ironic too because they were persecuted in Nazi Germany, but they turn around and continue that persecution against LGBTQ+ individuals (who were in the same boat).
You may be surprised to learn the ‘resurrection’ metaphor is based on one’s attempt to leave the essenic cult after his brother was killed for their cause, being ‘dead to them’ and his peers and family ordered to shun him, and rejoining 3 days later due to the pain of excommunication. It speaks of loss, of a crisis of faith, of brutal separation at a time of grief and pain, and ultimately rejoining the family he knows; maybe out of sheer loneliness and heartache.
I always heard it as “In a cult, a single, charismatic, mentally ill leader tells lies to people, and knows it’s all a scam. In a religion, that person is dead.”
Was it really just boredom that had brought him here [,the first far right v. antifa] rally, I asked him.
“Yeah,” he said emphatically.
He hadn’t felt any prior urge to join a protest movement?
“I didn’t know what it was. Like I said, the security guard just told me that there was going to be a protest.”
If he’d gravitated toward the anti-fascist side, would he have joined their organization instead?
“For sure.”
I’m glad he got out, but there’s got to be something more going on in his life, searching for meaning or guidance. In this, he’s going from ethnic (but not practising) jewish, to fundamental christianty, to far right, to antifa, to judaism.
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No, it’s an actual fucking cult…
Source: Personal experience with this deranged thinking from family
I went through all of this when I left the church. It’s a terrifying thing to realize that many forms of Christianity operate as, and have morphed into, cults.
Were you in the Jahova’s Witnesses? A family friend was a former member, and she told us that the reason they come to your door and annoy you is intentional – if the only experience they have outside fellow church-goers is people getting angry at them for their faith, it drives them more into it.
I was pentacostal, so rife with fundamentalism, ie: women weren’t supposed to be leaders, anti-abortion, lazy people were evil, etc etc.
Oh wow, penticost’s are brutal, my condolences.
I’ve also heard cases where someone clearly states they aren’t interested in the religious spiel but still willing to engage with them about other things and them willing to go along with it. Figured it was more of a long con thing, like be friendly now and maybe in a few weeks they’ll be more open to joining the cult, but maybe it’s just them feeling starved for positive human interaction that isn’t just about the cult.
That is definitely in there, but that is a tiny, tiny portion of people vs. the overarching goal of making you feel like your only ‘home’ is with the cult (in this case JW’s)
Yep, they lean heavily into persecution claims and this sort of experience fuels it. Ironic too because they were persecuted in Nazi Germany, but they turn around and continue that persecution against LGBTQ+ individuals (who were in the same boat).
Source: grew up JW, left after some… realizations
You may be surprised to learn the ‘resurrection’ metaphor is based on one’s attempt to leave the essenic cult after his brother was killed for their cause, being ‘dead to them’ and his peers and family ordered to shun him, and rejoining 3 days later due to the pain of excommunication. It speaks of loss, of a crisis of faith, of brutal separation at a time of grief and pain, and ultimately rejoining the family he knows; maybe out of sheer loneliness and heartache.
It sounds more similar than you think!
Where’s that from?
A religion is just a cult that’s socially accepted, and vice versa.
I always heard it as “In a cult, a single, charismatic, mentally ill leader tells lies to people, and knows it’s all a scam. In a religion, that person is dead.”
Great read - the part about meeting Bowen was powerful.
Oof, this guy seems easily swayed.
I’m glad he got out, but there’s got to be something more going on in his life, searching for meaning or guidance. In this, he’s going from ethnic (but not practising) jewish, to fundamental christianty, to far right, to antifa, to judaism.