Tick list for establishing whether a cult or not..

by Deacon 9 Replies latest jw friends

  • Deacon
    Deacon

    1/.Milieu control: control of the group environment and communication

    2/.Manipulation: Leaders are perceived as being chosen by God, history or some supernatural force. Salvation can only be attained through the cult

    3/.Purity demands: An us vs. them mentality is developed, in which cult members are the only pure and good.

    4/.Confession: group confession and self-criticism is used in order to produce personal change

    5/.Sacred Science: The cult's doctrines and ideology are considered sacred and must not be doubted or questioned.

    6/.Loading the language: Conventional words and phrases are given special, in-group meanings.

    7/.Doctrine over person: Members are conditioned to feel guilt if they ever question group doctrine. One must subject one's experience to the "truth," as taught by the group.

    8/.Dispensing of Existence: The group contains the elite; outsiders are evil, unsaved, and may not even have the right to exist. Leaving the group will have devastating consequences.

    9/.An authoritarian power structure, with authority concentrated at the top

    10/.Charismatic or Messianic leader(s) (They define Messianic as meaning that the leaders identify themselves as God or state that they are the only persons capable of interpreting the Bible properly

    11/.The use of deceitful methods in recruitment of new members and/or raising of money

    12/.Isolation from society; filtering of information

    13/.The use of mind control methods on the membership.

  • buffalosrfree
    buffalosrfree

    Hi Deacon, you forgot one:

    14. Dish out bullshit at every opportunity and call it ministering.

    added footnote: We are not a cult and you are not allowed to think that we are or we will spritually kill you.

    9 6 2 1 count cadence. buff

  • ladonna
    ladonna

    Deacon,

    This list is all well and good, but I now have the "ticks" all over the place..........everything is ticked!!!

    Any cure??
    Ana

  • slipnslidemaster
    slipnslidemaster

    15/. Hate smurfs.

  • jukief
    jukief

    Deacon, I'm at work and can't get to my library. Is this list from Steven Hassen's "Combatting Cult Mind Control?"

    Thanks!

  • bboyneko
    bboyneko

    15: horrific suit and dress attire

  • blondie
    blondie

    It would be nice to see quotes from various JW publications that support these cult qualities. Are there other cult quality lists?

  • Tina
    Tina

    Hi Deacon,
    Great list!!
    If I may I'd like to add a couple of thoughts to it.
    From Zimbardo's experiements regarding "Influencing Attitudes and Changing Behaviors.......
    A person being invited rather than coerced(think how we used to invite interested ones to mtgs ,assemblies,etc.- reduces the dissonance level,by creating a social milieu of support(love bombing) that makes the individual believe this is coming from 'free will'.

    Role playing-this occurs in the minisrty school,home bible study,assemblies,etc. Where one participates in further JW 'training' by playing roles.Householder,JW at door,bible character. (we do this to children as well) This 'participatory acting out creates a more positive attitude and reinforces attitude change regarding whatever tenet is being spotlighted at the moment.
    Im many ways the cult mindset is reinforced over and over theru attendance at mtgs. Just some thoughts.Thanks! hugs,T

    Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny..."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense-you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."

  • slipnslidemaster
    slipnslidemaster

    HEY! I already covered 15!

  • MacHislopp
    MacHislopp

    Hello Deacon,

    just to thanks you for the excellent
    reminder. The list is very appropriate to verify...!

    Tina: very interesting remarks about " behaviour .."
    It fascinates me always, very intriguing...and yet
    most of the time so elusive and difficult to grasp.

    Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp

    " One who has an accurate knowledge
    of God's Word will have no problem
    in refuting false religious ideas".

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