Cult deprogramming BY fundamentalist nutjobs

varwoche · 19th June 2005, 05:20 PM

Recent threads involving scientology reminded me that a good deal of the anti-cult awareness and "deprogramming" services are offered by religious people -- even by fundamentalist nutjobs.

Imagine some young and/or ignorant sob who gets involved with a cult, decides to leave it, and is then deprogrammed into fundamentalism. That is freaking sick.

c4ts · 19th June 2005, 07:35 PM

Re-programming would be a more appropriate word for it. This would be a case of "out of the frying pan and into the slightly different frying pan."

Rob Lister · 19th June 2005, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by varwoche
Recent threads involving scientology reminded me that a good deal of the anti-cult awareness and "deprogramming" services are offered by religious people -- even by fundamentalist nutjobs.

Imagine some young and/or ignorant sob who gets involved with a cult, decides to leave it, and is then deprogrammed into fundamentalism. That is freaking sick.

Well, think of it as a heroin addict being put on methadone.

ETA: I should tell you the story of when I was 19 (or so) and met my very first Harri Christna (sp?) book seller while switching flights at an airport in Atlanta. What fun that was.

Zep · 19th June 2005, 08:12 PM

That would be "Hari Krishna", aka the Orange People.

c4ts · 19th June 2005, 08:51 PM

First time I saw them, I thought the Dalai Lama must be in town or something. They all used to hang out at the airport and play tambourines.

Tony · 19th June 2005, 09:35 PM

This page is pretty ironic.

Vim Razz · 20th June 2005, 03:02 AM

Not directly related, but similar and just as sick: I just thought I'd toss out a reminder that the "New" Cult Awareness Network is now a Scientology front organazation and is not a group to go to for help with recovery. (The old CAN went bankrupt and was bought out. Very sad.)

More info over at Rick Ross.

The New CAN itself is here. I'm amazed that people can be this twisted.

Nucular · 20th June 2005, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zep
That would be "Hari Krishna", aka the Orange People.

Hare Krishna, more usually I think [/pedantry]

I still haven't stopped laughing since a friend and I were in town, and a Hare Krishna bookseller approached us; I said I hadn't got any money, and my friend, a bit flustered, said "um, I've only got Â£10!"

Guess how much money he paid for the cult propaganda we walked away with!

Mid · 20th June 2005, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nucular
Hare Krishna, more usually I think [/pedantry]

I still haven't stopped laughing since a friend and I were in town, and a Hare Krishna bookseller approached us; I said I hadn't got any money, and my friend, a bit flustered, said "um, I've only got Â£10!"

Guess how much money he paid for the cult propaganda we walked away with!

The thing is with the people that stop you on the street you can usually come up with some excuse to get away from quickly. The real problem ones are the ones who go door to door; in my experience they always seem to call on Saturday mornings when you have a hangover. Also theyâ€™re sneaky about it as they donâ€™t start off â€œweâ€™re from the church of â€¦â€, no itâ€™s usually something like â€œdonâ€™t you think itâ€™s sad thereâ€™s so much pain and suffering in the world?â€ To which my response is normally â€œerâ€¦â€ whilst wondering who these nuters are and why theyâ€™ve dragged me from my deathbed, I usual waste minutes humouring them before theyâ€™ll go away.

On a related point are the Hare Krishnaâ€™s the ones that sometimes get you to say gironda (or however it is spelt) before theyâ€™ll let you leave? Been stopped a couple of times by them and wondered who they were, although obviously not enough to engage them in conversation.

ReFLeX · 20th June 2005, 07:43 AM

On an unrelated note, does anyone remember the Hare Krishna featured in the first two Grand Theft Autos?

...Gouranga!

CurtC · 20th June 2005, 10:15 AM

Here's part of how to identify a cult, brought to you by the link in Tony's post:

Quote:

B Many have a non-verifiable belief systems

i. For example, they would teach something that cannot be verified.
a. A space ship behind Hale-Bop comet
b. Or, that God, an alien, or angel appeared to the leader and gave him a revelation
c. The members are seeded angels from another world, etc.
B. Often, the philosophy makes sense only if you adopt the full set of values and definitions that it teaches.
a. With this kind of belief, truth becomes unverifiable, internalized, and easily manipulated through the philosophical systems of its inventor.

Mid · 20th June 2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ReFLeX

...Gouranga!

That's the word! Thanks!

ReFLeX · 20th June 2005, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mid
On a related point are the Hare Krishnaâ€™s the ones that sometimes get you to say gironda (or however it is spelt) before theyâ€™ll let you leave?

Funny part is, I never even saw this... that's just the bonus message you get for running over all 6 (7?)...

bignickel · 20th June 2005, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Cults are part of the religious systems of the world. They are everywhere. Some cults are huge and others are quite small. But all of them are false.

Pot calling kettle, pot calling kettle, come in please...

19th June 2005, 05:20 PM	#1
varwoche Philosopher Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Puget Sound Posts: 7,228	Cult deprogramming BY fundamentalist nutjobs Recent threads involving scientology reminded me that a good deal of the anti-cult awareness and "deprogramming" services are offered by religious people -- even by fundamentalist nutjobs. Imagine some young and/or ignorant sob who gets involved with a cult, decides to leave it, and is then deprogrammed into fundamentalism. That is freaking sick.
	__________________ To survive election season on a skeptics forum, one must understand Hymie-the-Robot (and/or Fat Jack)

19th June 2005, 07:35 PM	#2
c4ts Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Your base Posts: 8,427	Re-programming would be a more appropriate word for it. This would be a case of "out of the frying pan and into the slightly different frying pan."
	__________________ Ha ha ha ha.... Stupid signature size limit.

19th June 2005, 07:37 PM	#3
Rob Lister Suspended Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 8,523	Re: Cult deprogramming BY fundamentalist nutjobs Quote: Originally posted by varwoche Recent threads involving scientology reminded me that a good deal of the anti-cult awareness and "deprogramming" services are offered by religious people -- even by fundamentalist nutjobs. Imagine some young and/or ignorant sob who gets involved with a cult, decides to leave it, and is then deprogrammed into fundamentalism. That is freaking sick. Well, think of it as a heroin addict being put on methadone. ETA: I should tell you the story of when I was 19 (or so) and met my very first Harri Christna (sp?) book seller while switching flights at an airport in Atlanta. What fun that was.

19th June 2005, 08:12 PM	#4
Zep Banned Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 26,985	That would be "Hari Krishna", aka the Orange People.
Zep Banned Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 26,985

19th June 2005, 08:51 PM	#5
c4ts Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Your base Posts: 8,427	First time I saw them, I thought the Dalai Lama must be in town or something. They all used to hang out at the airport and play tambourines.
	__________________ Ha ha ha ha.... Stupid signature size limit.

19th June 2005, 09:35 PM	#6
Tony Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 13,753	This page is pretty ironic.
	__________________ It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company. - Mark Twain

20th June 2005, 03:02 AM	#7
Vim Razz Critical Thinker Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 367	Not directly related, but similar and just as sick: I just thought I'd toss out a reminder that the "New" Cult Awareness Network is now a Scientology front organazation and is not a group to go to for help with recovery. (The old CAN went bankrupt and was bought out. Very sad.) More info over at Rick Ross. The New CAN itself is here. I'm amazed that people can be this twisted.
Vim Razz Critical Thinker Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 367	__________________ The chief deficiency I see in the skeptical movement is in its polarization: Us vs. Them -- the sense that we have a monopoly on the truth; that those other people who believe in all these stupid doctrines are morons; that if you're sensible, you'll listen to us; and if not, you're beyond redemption. This is unconstructive. It does not get the message across. -- Carl Sagan, The Demon Haunted World

20th June 2005, 06:35 AM	#8
Nucular Illuminator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brane 6, Brahman's Dream Posts: 3,050	Quote: Originally posted by Zep That would be "Hari Krishna", aka the Orange People. Hare Krishna, more usually I think [/pedantry] I still haven't stopped laughing since a friend and I were in town, and a Hare Krishna bookseller approached us; I said I hadn't got any money, and my friend, a bit flustered, said "um, I've only got Â£10!" Guess how much money he paid for the cult propaganda we walked away with!
	__________________ From the UK? Sceptical? Like forums? Well my psychic powers tell me that the UK Skeptics' Forum is for you - 8 out of 10 sceptics demand to know where these figures came from. Non sunt in coeli, quia fvccant vvivys of heli (Flen Flyys, c.15th Century) Get out of my head, Nucular (kmortis)

20th June 2005, 07:08 AM	#9
Mid Muse Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 805	Quote: Originally posted by Nucular Hare Krishna, more usually I think [/pedantry] I still haven't stopped laughing since a friend and I were in town, and a Hare Krishna bookseller approached us; I said I hadn't got any money, and my friend, a bit flustered, said "um, I've only got Â£10!" Guess how much money he paid for the cult propaganda we walked away with! The thing is with the people that stop you on the street you can usually come up with some excuse to get away from quickly. The real problem ones are the ones who go door to door; in my experience they always seem to call on Saturday mornings when you have a hangover. Also theyâ€™re sneaky about it as they donâ€™t start off â€œweâ€™re from the church of â€¦â€, no itâ€™s usually something like â€œdonâ€™t you think itâ€™s sad thereâ€™s so much pain and suffering in the world?â€ To which my response is normally â€œerâ€¦â€ whilst wondering who these nuters are and why theyâ€™ve dragged me from my deathbed, I usual waste minutes humouring them before theyâ€™ll go away. On a related point are the Hare Krishnaâ€™s the ones that sometimes get you to say gironda (or however it is spelt) before theyâ€™ll let you leave? Been stopped a couple of times by them and wondered who they were, although obviously not enough to engage them in conversation.
Mid Muse Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 805

20th June 2005, 07:43 AM	#10
ReFLeX Pool Shark Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The Canadian OC Posts: 1,144	On an unrelated note, does anyone remember the Hare Krishna featured in the first two Grand Theft Autos? ...Gouranga!
	__________________ Believing is seeing. Animals were harmed in the making of this post. Popularity contests: good, or democratic?

20th June 2005, 10:15 AM	#11
CurtC Illuminator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 4,758	Oh the irony! Here's part of how to identify a cult, brought to you by the link in Tony's post: Quote: B Many have a non-verifiable belief systems i. For example, they would teach something that cannot be verified. a. A space ship behind Hale-Bop comet b. Or, that God, an alien, or angel appeared to the leader and gave him a revelation c. The members are seeded angels from another world, etc. B. Often, the philosophy makes sense only if you adopt the full set of values and definitions that it teaches. a. With this kind of belief, truth becomes unverifiable, internalized, and easily manipulated through the philosophical systems of its inventor.

20th June 2005, 10:20 AM	#12
Mid Muse Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 805	Quote: Originally posted by ReFLeX ...Gouranga! That's the word! Thanks!
Mid Muse Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 805

20th June 2005, 11:45 AM	#13
ReFLeX Pool Shark Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The Canadian OC Posts: 1,144	Quote: Originally posted by Mid On a related point are the Hare Krishnaâ€™s the ones that sometimes get you to say gironda (or however it is spelt) before theyâ€™ll let you leave? Funny part is, I never even saw this... that's just the bonus message you get for running over all 6 (7?)...
	__________________ Believing is seeing. Animals were harmed in the making of this post. Popularity contests: good, or democratic?

20th June 2005, 04:28 PM	#14
bignickel Mad Mod Poet God Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 2,724	Quote: Cults are part of the religious systems of the world. They are everywhere. Some cults are huge and others are quite small. But all of them are false. Pot calling kettle, pot calling kettle, come in please...
	__________________ "You can find that book everywhere and the risk is that many people who read it believe that those fairy tales are real. I think I have the responsibility to clear things up to unmask the cheap lies contained in books like that." - Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone