Scapegoating at Its Finest?

A Facebook post by spiritual leader Bentinho Massaro provides a “recommended perspective” on what Massaro describes as “cheap tricks” practiced by self-described journalist Be Scofield, who insinuated herself into Massaro’s community and later published an article that Massaro and his followers believe to be misleading at best and libelous at worst. Massaro describes Scofield’s behavior as “dangerous,” noting that past accusations leveled against his community have made its members less safe and threatened its viability. Massaro accuses Scofield of “scapegoating” his following, positioning her work as part of the broader societal weakness of questioning that which is not readily understood. Massaro concludes by promoting a supportive Medium post, “Cult Mania: Inside the Attack on Bentinho Massaro: Part 1”, by Alexander Vera.