Freedom Of Mind by Steven Hassan

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   Rad Manposted 12 years ago

   Hassan works with former cult members, people who were "being deceptively recruited and indoctrinated without their conscious awareness of what's happening to them" he said in a recent interview on How to Do It. This is done in a variety of different ways, including "hypnosis, behaviour modification techniques, installing phobias" with the ultimate goal of "creating a kind of dissociative disorder where there's a new identity that suppresses their real identity and makes them dependent on some external authority figure or group."
   
   Looks like a must read. He appears to be discussing exactly what I've been going on about.

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      Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      cults = bad

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         A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Christianity = cult

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            Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            aw, you missed me.

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               A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Not at all.

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                  Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Liar! lol

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                  Deepes Mindposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Go on and pull her pigtails and get it out of the way...LOL

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                     A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     I'd much rather pull your pigtails.

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                        Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Who knew.

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                           janesixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           lol

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                        Deepes Mindposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Wait, What??

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                           Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           See what happens?

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         Rad Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Specifically, how is Christianity different then cults?

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            janesixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Have you ever seen the pope's hat? It's a fish. This is obviously worship of fish Gods like Oannes.

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               Rad Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               You think the pope sports a Jesus fish. Ha.

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                  janesixposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I've read a lot of mythology and study religion daily. I still don't get the fish thing.

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            Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            A Christian church teaches bible doctrine. It teaches that man has a free will. They can come and go as they please. A cult controls in any way possible, even to the point of drugging and as you said, hypnotizing.
            
            If any church teaches that salvation comes by man's effort and not by the grace of God, that is a sign of a cult. If a church tries to control a person's financial giving, that is a sign of a cult. If a church controls who a person is friends with, controls what churches they may go to when they leave town... if they disassociate with a person when they leave the church, that is a sign of a cult. People need to avoid these organizations at all costs.

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               riddle666posted 12 years agoin reply to this

               A cult member always denies that theirs is a cult!

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                  Rad Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Amazing isn't it? They can't see it when they are in it. Claiming God gives free will and at the same time will burn you in hell for eternity if you don't get in line is not helping the argument.

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                     Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     The choice is yours. If you don't want to read the Bible, don't. Ostriches are probably very comfortable in their lifestyles.

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                        Rad Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        The choice is yours. If you don't want your own mind, don't. Pickles are probably very comfortable in their lifestyles.

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                           Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           Ok then.

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                  Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Phenomenal debate.

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      PhoenixVposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds like NBC and CNN.

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   janesixposted 12 years ago

   That's warped that someone would do that on purpose.

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   riddle666posted 12 years ago

   Rules of cult formation
   1) Keep it vague and simple - obey me you will get "heaven".
   2)Emphasize the Visual and sensual over Intellectual - sing and pray and use grand dresses.
   3)Borrow the forms of organised religion to structure the group - ancient religions giving rise to new one - Dec 25 sun's birthday.
   4) Disguise your source of income - never tell the followers it is with their money that the leader is buying Rolls Royce or BMW or grand hats
   5)Set up an us verses them dynamic - they go to hell, we to heaven.

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      Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Just curious... where did you pull that list from?

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         riddle666posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Isn't studying christianity enough?

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            Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Again... these are not actual debating points. Oh well... never mind.

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               riddle666posted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Then don't ask!

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                  Beth37posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  That didn't make sense either. lol Maybe it's me.

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