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Post by freefromprc on Sept 13, 2015 22:05:30 GMT
Very interesting website www.cultwatch.com/
Here is an excerpt:
"What is a cult?
As a Christian-based organization, at Cultwatch we have two main definitions of what a cult is.
First, a group that uses manipulative psychological “mind control” techniques to recruit and control their members. These techniques might be “love bombing”, instant friends or emotional blackmail. At extremes it might include keeping people away from their friends and family and isolating them both physically and emotionally....."
I remember being taught as a young child the PRC view of the difference between a cult and the PRC. The warning bells should have been deafening for the simple reason that the PRC thinks it has to teach the kids their twisted view of what makes a cult so that when kids learn about cults they immediately use the preprogrammed arguments to themselves and others to defend the PRC as not being a cult. When we think about the PRC as a cult, we quickly think about faces and personalities of people we admire in our own circles. This is the unconscious argument we use to tell ourselves it is not a cult. Besides, who in the world wants to admit to themselves or anyone else that they are in a cult. Its embarrassing to think that we were 'dumb enough' to fall for that, when we should be thinking we were SMART ENOUGH to get out of something so powerful that people live THEIR ENTIRE LIVES and never realize the power of the cult that grips them.
If you are a young person perusing this forum, talk to a few NON PRC counselors and get someone's opinion of the organization you are considering joining. Take a look at this cultwatch website. The definitions and examples given are definite parallels to the behavior of the protestant reformed churches.
I wish someone would have taken my hand and talked to me about these things in my youth. Unfortunately, it would have probably already been too late. I am not proud to have belonged to a cult. But I have no shame in finally identifying what I was involved in and naming it what it was. A CULT.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 16:29:17 GMT
Very interesting website www.cultwatch.com/
Here is an excerpt:
"What is a cult?
As a Christian-based organization, at Cultwatch we have two main definitions of what a cult is.
First, a group that uses manipulative psychological “mind control” techniques to recruit and control their members. These techniques might be “love bombing”, instant friends or emotional blackmail. At extremes it might include keeping people away from their friends and family and isolating them both physically and emotionally....."
I remember being taught as a young child the PRC view of the difference between a cult and the PRC. The warning bells should have been deafening for the simple reason that the PRC thinks it has to teach the kids their twisted view of what makes a cult so that when kids learn about cults they immediately use the preprogrammed arguments to themselves and others to defend the PRC as not being a cult. When we think about the PRC as a cult, we quickly think about faces and personalities of people we admire in our own circles. This is the unconscious argument we use to tell ourselves it is not a cult. Besides, who in the world wants to admit to themselves or anyone else that they are in a cult. Its embarrassing to think that we were 'dumb enough' to fall for that, when we should be thinking we were SMART ENOUGH to get out of something so powerful that people live THEIR ENTIRE LIVES and never realize the power of the cult that grips them.
If you are a young person perusing this forum, talk to a few NON PRC counselors and get someone's opinion of the organization you are considering joining. Take a look at this cultwatch website. The definitions and examples given are definite parallels to the behavior of the protestant reformed churches.
I wish someone would have taken my hand and talked to me about these things in my youth. Unfortunately, it would have probably already been too late. I am not proud to have belonged to a cult. But I have no shame in finally identifying what I was involved in and naming it what it was. A CULT.
A few more poignant quotes from this site (in italics):"Be very suspicious of any group that claims to be better than all the others. A religious group may say that other groups following the same religion are OK, but they are the ones who have a better grasp of the truth and they are superior to the rest. This is often just a subtle version of exclusivism ." (emphasis mine)
"A normal (emphasis mine) religious organization would not have any trouble with you moving to another similar organization as long as you stayed in that same religion. Because it is the belief system that matters, not membership in an organization. For example if you were a Christian then you could move from one church to another and still be a Christian."
"If you really believe that leaving the group equals leaving God (...), then you will obey the cult leaders even when you disagree with them instead of risking being kicked out of the group. Exclusivism is used as a threat, it controls your behavior through fear."
None of these cult characteristics sound unfamiliar, they're strewn all over the posts in this forum; written angrily, painfully, and sorrowfully by ex-prc, written angrily, defensively, and arrogantly by still-prc. "Basically if any group tells you that they are not a cult, or that some people call them a cult, then for goodness sake find out why!" (emphasis mine)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 21:39:14 GMT
A few more poignant quotes from this site (in italics):"Be very suspicious of any group that claims to be better than all the others. A religious group may say that other groups following the same religion are OK, but they are the ones who have a better grasp of the truth and they are superior to the rest. This is often just a subtle version of exclusivism ." (emphasis mine)
"A normal (emphasis mine) religious organization would not have any trouble with you moving to another similar organization as long as you stayed in that same religion. Because it is the belief system that matters, not membership in an organization. For example if you were a Christian then you could move from one church to another and still be a Christian."
"If you really believe that leaving the group equals leaving God (...), then you will obey the cult leaders even when you disagree with them instead of risking being kicked out of the group. Exclusivism is used as a threat, it controls your behavior through fear."
None of these cult characteristics sound unfamiliar, they're strewn all over the posts in this forum; written angrily, painfully, and sorrowfully by ex-prc, written angrily, defensively, and arrogantly by still-prc. "Basically if any group tells you that they are not a cult, or that some people call them a cult, then for goodness sake find out why!" (emphasis mine) In addition to that last sentence. Do not try to find out why by someone immersed in the prc. That's like trying to find out why it is bad thing being a Yankee fan from a Yankee fan. While the arrogance and condescension may be similar and could turn you off, please do your due diligence and investigate seriously, honestly, and with patience.
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Post by freefromprc on Sept 15, 2015 2:30:36 GMT
A few more poignant quotes from this site (in italics):"Be very suspicious of any group that claims to be better than all the others. A religious group may say that other groups following the same religion are OK, but they are the ones who have a better grasp of the truth and they are superior to the rest. This is often just a subtle version of exclusivism ." (emphasis mine)
"A normal (emphasis mine) religious organization would not have any trouble with you moving to another similar organization as long as you stayed in that same religion. Because it is the belief system that matters, not membership in an organization. For example if you were a Christian then you could move from one church to another and still be a Christian."
"If you really believe that leaving the group equals leaving God (...), then you will obey the cult leaders even when you disagree with them instead of risking being kicked out of the group. Exclusivism is used as a threat, it controls your behavior through fear."
None of these cult characteristics sound unfamiliar, they're strewn all over the posts in this forum; written angrily, painfully, and sorrowfully by ex-prc, written angrily, defensively, and arrogantly by still-prc. "Basically if any group tells you that they are not a cult, or that some people call them a cult, then for goodness sake find out why!" (emphasis mine) In addition to that last sentence. Do not try to find out why by someone immersed in the prc. That's like trying to find out why it is bad thing being a Yankee fan from a Yankee fan. While the arrogance and condescension may be similar and could turn you off, please do your due diligence and investigate seriously, honestly, and with patience. Its such a tight circle, you only get advice from people in that circle. you don't trust advice from anyone outside that circle because you are programmed that their views and advice are tainted and inferior. Its a vicious cycle. Its nice to be in it when it works. Its a hideous place to be when you see what it is and cannot get out. Its like being born again to get out and look back.
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