Cults

[pumbilical cord]

Telltale Atheist on YouTube covers Jehovah's Witnesses. They shun people who leave, so parents will cut out their kids if their kids leave the church. He uses the BITE model to assess whether something is a cult. They also cover up a lot of CSA cases, covering the perpetrators. I'm in the camp they are a cult.

 

[houseofhoop]

There’s a new mini series on BBC iPlayer called Eye investigations. Disciples: The cult of TB joshua.
Have just started watching

 

[Sideboard Bob]

Thanks Sideyboob, it will be good if we all come over and mither!
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As a starter, some actual cults that are well known

13 of the World's Most Infamous Cults

Maybe you've heard about drinking the Kool-Aid or listening to The Family Jams - but what do you really know about some of the world's most infamous cults?

people.howstuffworks.com

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Bringing this book recommendation across

Jack Monroe #522 Breitlings are a girl's best friend

The ex monkey squig is nasty. They are obsessed by the Nicola Bulley case, too. Any decent points anti Jack Twitter makes are quashed by that idiot. They are always pulling out that side by side shot. Yes we usually avoid showing their work here --- This with bells on, dear ❤. Haven't watched...

tattle.life

Thank you for bringing some taking points to get going, I didn’t know where to start!

 

[Duck Face]

Leah remini did a good series on scientology

Loving Leah remini! I’ve been binge listening to the ‘fair game’ podcast.

 

[Nonah]

I used to work in a hotel in south yorkshire and a couple of years back the leader of TB Joshua held his annual conference at the arena .
The hotel was full (it is an international chain, 90+ rooms ) and we had multiples of people trying to stay in rooms ,as we are told to be careful about who goes into rooms names are taken on check in and key cards are limited) . All the people at the hotel had basically spent all their savings on flights and accommodation to come and see TB Joshua . The people who came to stay were all from various African countries ( and well known to be very poor). it was quite sad to see that so many people had spent hundreds of pounds coming to see a con artist.

There are loads of cult documentaries on netflix which i have watched, most recently the WACO documentary which was sat on my to watch list for ages as i am familiar with David Koresh/ WACO siege however the documentary focused on the actual siege and interviewed people on both sides ( members of the cult and ATF/FBI agents). I found it interesting to watch . I also learned that the Oklahoma City bombings happened because the bloke in charge of the WACO siege was head of the FBI in Oklahoma City at the time, and the bomber wanted to get his revenge on the FBI guy. The bomber was also a part of the WACO cult. I have heard of the bombing however i did not know it was in relation to WACO.

I have watched Twin Flames, Wild Wild Country, Bikram Yoga, Guru Predator, Murder Among the Mormons, Bad Vegan, One of Us ( this is about the Hasidic Jewish Community and the sexual abuse that is alleged to take place).

McVeigh wasn’t part of the Koresh’s cult but he was a second amendment guy and was angered by the US gouvernements response to the Waco siege (and also Ruby Ridge) and that was a big part of his motivation for the Oklahoma bombing.

 

[Veronicaaa]

Danny Masterson has been chucked out of Scientology - just read on the secret celeb gossip thread.

Brought their name into disrepute, did he?

 

[Witchfinder Sargeant]

I've seen posts vaguely on here about the Plymouth brethren, are they a religion or a cult or in between? Interested to know more about them if anyone knows anything (more fun to read people's opinions than to google)

There are several Brethren groups. I think the Plymouth ones are less cult-like than the Exclusive Brethren but I'm not sure they're less cult-like by much.

"In The Days of Rain" by Rebecca Stott is about growing up in the Exclusive Brethren.

 

[houseofhoop]

Sorry to bring over a persona from the Jack Monroe threads, but Ariel’s new video has a bit about cult survival on it…

 

[houseofhoop]

I saw that earlier and added it to my watchlist - I look forward to your review

I’m in the middle of the last episode. Wow so much wrong. In the programme (based in USA) they say it’s not a crime to control someone’s life but it is here in the U.K..

Spoiler: Spoiler about the programme

they are in the process of trying to sue the cult founder Robert Shinn (for loss of earnings I think) but he got wind of it and is trying to sue them first and it’s due to go to trail in 2025. I feel a bit seen off as I wanted to watch his downfall on the programme!. He reminded me so much of the cult leader in the group I was part of. Owning so many odd companies and the workers are all from the church. So they pay you wages then have you pay it back to them in donations so it looks like you are getting paid for your work. But as they provide accom and food they try to justify you giving it all back to them

 

[Plinkplonk]

I so want to discuss the cult I was part of, I’m desperate for some TV company to do an expose on it. At the moment, it goes largely under the radar, apart from the country it was started in. They have about 40-50k members worldwide. I left in 2000, and it was weird enough then, very ‘smiley happy people’. I still have siblings in it, some have recently left, and they tell me horror stories about how bad it’s got. I’d say it was more a business than a faith. Members are encouraged (I’d say brainwashed) into cutting ties with all ‘worldly’ people (including family) because we are all inherently evil and our only desire is to lead them away from god and into sin.

Can you name the cult?

Would definitely recommend 'a very British cult' podcast - I find it so fascinating how anyone would get drawn into these things. I'd like to feel there's no way on earth I ever could, but you just never know!

 

[knivesnflowers]

i have extended family who are jw through marriage but they're pretty far removed from it through their son being switched on, but his grandparents are still a bit more attached. the nan died recently and the funeral was at a crematorium but a lot of their kingdom hall attended and a lot of the service was religious text, prayer and references.

really interested in the mormon / lds church too - only found out after moving to uni that there's a temple down the road (west yorks) where i've seen them leaving on a sunday morning all dressed up. there's quite a few american mormon famillies on youtube it seems but i like the jordan and mckay videos breaking it all down. also like johnny harris' videos on leaving too. there's aspecting that are so fascinating but wild to me like tithing, esentially doomsday prepping, three tiers (planets?) of heaven like how did someone invent this in like 1800s rural america? and then get people to believe it? mad

 

[skronkywildcat]

I think some JW's extract their own blood and store it in case they need a transfusion - then it's ok because it's their own blood going back in - is that right?

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

I had to check whether the Duggars were LDS - It's both amazing and not amazing that all these cults are essentially the same. Anyway, Shiny Happy People on Amazon is good. I was thinking this thread might pop up wrt the whole That 70s Show and Scientology .... mad to think about the money, power and influence they have.

It was the 70s Show/Scientology stuff that prompted me to search for a more general ‘cults’ thread on here. I’ve got a current fascination with cults anyway, but the Masterson stuff plus the fact that JKR’s latest Strike novel is about a cult have ramped my interest right up!

I’ll have a look at Shiny Happy People, thanks for the recommendation

 

[houseofhoop]

Oh - that would be lovely.

I really enjoy a civilised exchange of views with people of any faith, or of none. And the words "tea" and "cake" are to me like a tennis ball and a squirrel to a cocker spaniel.

"Next year, in Jerusalem", perhaps . . . (And it doesn't have to be a religious chat! Anything you like!) And now I'm going to look into that bishop . . .
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Hadn't thought of that - it seems that the Almighty may be working through me, too, without my conscious knowledge. God does this all the time with people - She's clever!

(And of course, after a gallon of clerical tea, Nature will ensure that further excessive door-knocking is curtailed . . . )

Next year in Jerusalem is something we used to say all the time!!

 

[HotesTilaire]

I don’t get a handle on whether he even believes it himself, I think he’s actually that much of a psychopath that he doesn’t care that it looks like he’s making it up for money

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

For those of you with Spotify premium, this is a decent listen. I’m almost finished it, and I’ve been hooked the whole way through

 

[houseofhoop]

Thanks to whom ever recommended Fundie Fridays on YouTube. Watching their content now.

 

[skronkywildcat]

There were a couple of PBs at my school - they weren’t allowed to be seen eating which is a bit weird.

 

[HotesTilaire]

Is it worth watching the Amazon one? I’m currently watching the Netflix one and horrified esp that it’s still very active and Jeff

Their response:

Illuminating the Path Home to Eternal Love

Get your Free TFU Essentials Kit

twinflamesuniverse.com

I say watch both. Each has a different slant, central characters and different approach. I did Amazon then Netflix and felt I wanted to see both.

 

[50sGirl]

I suppose if TF guy is closeted that might explain his homophobia. But whether gay or straight, he utterly HATES women. The malicious glee in his eyes when he was abusing them was something else. Dangerous man.

I hope a former member or family finally catches up with him and knocks him out - and his thick, football-headed wife

I hope baby Grace is okay. Not a great place for a baby, especially with those parents.