waysider

Move The Word = Sell PFAL. Word Over The World = Run lots of classes. Even today, when I hear people talk about how they're still moving the word, what they really mean is they are promoting the contents of PFAL.

Well, it was all done by revelation so, I'm thinking the revelation must have changed. :P

I love a parade!!

Wierwille said in CF&S that some sort of spiritual bond takes place between the participants of intercourse. Maybe that's it. We all feel a special bond to each other because we all got screwed by the same sleazy con game. Did that sound bitter? Oh, Lord, I hope that didn't sound bitter. :biglaugh:/>

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....Hey, buddy, ya got the time? I'm not bitter. I'm not even sure I ever was. Disappointed, disillusioned, angry...maybe. Bitter? I don't think so. It is what it is and it was what it was. We all got sucked into a crazy scam. Oh, yeah. I forgot "embarrassed". Definitely embarrassed.

Blinding light, oh light that blinds.....

Maybe we're all just on the same bus?

I agree.

This thread is about the spread of cult and cult-like groups and organizations in today's society. it's not about anyone's particular, specific beliefs regarding God, the Bible, the devil, VPW, fundamentalism, inerrancy or political tendencies. Cults and cult-like groups come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, colors, flavors....you name it. What we're talking about is how to identify them and safeguard ourselves and others from the traps and pitfalls they so often present. The aforementioned subjects are not off-limits but are misplaced in this thread. The preferred approach in discussing such things is to find another thread that is more focused on them or to simply start a new one so this one can continue in the intended direction.

A big part of professional sports is pushing the legal limit, doing as much as you can get away with. Good sportsmanship, sadly, is no longer relevant.

I just come here for the coffee and donuts.

Well done.

No, I wouldn't consider that a cult. There may well be tangential groups whose participants subscribe to cult-like mindset and behavior but I don't think, as a whole, those items, in themselves, represent cult behavior. Take water, for example. Having worked in the water industry for many years, I can tell you that the average person hasn't a clue that we are on the brink of a very real water shortage. If big money oil and gas concerns continue to call the shots on fracking, we may see the tip of the iceberg in our lifetimes. It can take up to 25 million gallons of water to run one fracking well over the course of its viable lifetime. Much of that is rendered unsuitable for future use because it is laced with toxic chemicals and sealed underground, out of sight. Meanwhile, we're teaching our kids to use less water to brush their teeth, retrofitting toilets and installing faucets with quantity limiting features. That's like trying to bail out the ocean, one drop at a time. So, what I'm saying is that this one particular problem (and there are many others) requires serious investigation and action. Some people, of course, will associate themselves with cult-like thinking and align themselves with radical thinking groups in the process.

Bienvenido.

In other words, you don't know and don't care. You've invented your own definition to suit your preconceived idea. Why bother even posting? If you don't understand what a cult is, how can you possibly contribute anything meaningful to the conversation?

Did we really need session #7 to convince us to avoid reason and logic? More and more, I'm starting to think that's something that's built into human nature. Wierwille just capitalized on it. It's like teaching an animal to do tricks. You just get them to do things they're predisposed to and make it appear that you're in control.

That we did, my friend. That we did.

I never celebrated Uncle (he wasn't MY uncle) Harry Day in the literal sense. (I never attended one of the bon-fires.) I did, however, relinquish possession of far too many things under the guise of this controlling and ludicrous Way tenet.

John I don't mean this to sound disrespectful but, I don't think you actually understand what a cult is. Take a moment to glance at the following snippet. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups - Revised Janja Lalich, Ph.D. & Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. Concerted efforts at influence and control lie at the core of cultic groups, programs, and relationships. Many members, former members, and supporters of cults are not fully aware of the extent to which members may have been manipulated, exploited, even abused. The following list of social-structural, social-psychological, and interpersonal behavioral patterns commonly found in cultic environments may be helpful in assessing a particular group or relationship. Compare these patterns to the situation you were in (or in which you, a family member, or friend is currently involved). This list may help you determine if there is cause for concern. Bear in mind that this list is not meant to be a “cult scale” or a definitive checklist to determine if a specific group is a cult. This is not so much a diagnostic instrument as it is an analytical tool. -------------------------------------------------------- *The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law. *Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished. *Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s). *The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth). *The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity). *The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society. *The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations). *The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities). *The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion. *Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group. *The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members. *The group is preoccupied with making money. *Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities. *Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members. *The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group. -------------------------------------------------- This checklist will be published in the new book, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias (Berkeley: Bay Tree Publishing, 2006). It was adapted from a checklist originally developed by Michael Langone.

Date and Switch.......common recruitment tactic of The Way.

TWI would have never survived without it.

It was a popular American T.V. show in the 1950's, Twinky, that overly romanticized the simple life in rural America. I haven't the foggiest idea why Johniam associates this with cults.

Maybe they said Aunt Bea's peach cobbler was "to die for".

Like that?

It's certainly not the only time representatives of The Way have resorted to gun brandishing and strong-arm tactics to bully opponents into submission. Guns were kept out of sight at the podium. You can read Don't Worry's interview for more specifics.