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They will rush you.

A church will likely give you time to decide whether you want to join the congregation — it won't expect you to be at every service and Bible study meeting right off the bat. Cults, on the other hand, tend to "cajole" and "barrage" potential followers until they fully commit to joining. And part of this tactic is dismissing any questions that newcomers may have about the cult's inner workings. "If you find that your questions aren’t being answered or your questions are being turned back on you, it’s probably not a legitimate group," Dr. Lalich says, adding that cult representatives will likely direct you toward the cult's introductory courses or workshops, which will supposedly answer all your questions. "By the time you get through those, you don’t remember what your questions were, and you’ve been indoctrinated not to ask questions," she says.