"Inside a Cult" on NatGeo

by undercover 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  undercover

  I watched a couple of episodes of "Inside" on NatGeo last night. These two episodes were, "Inside a Cult" and followed the cult led by Wayne Bent (who calls himself Michael Travesser) who claims he is divinity and humanity in one and that he is the Messiah.

  The guy's a true whack job. He prophesied the end of the world on October 31, 2007. Guess what...it didn't happen, yet the majority of his followers remained.

  Bent went to jail for improper sexual contact with an underage girl who was in the cult. He had other sexual contact with other member's wives, including his own daughter-in-law.

  During the two episodes they had snippets of interviews with professionals who deal with people who get involved with cults. They went into how people will change their own reality to conform with their beliefs, especially after an 'end times' prophecy has failed. Sound familiar?

  The one moment of the show that gave me chill bumps came from the underage girl that Bent "lay naked with". Even though authorities charged him and he was found guilty of most of the charges involving this girl, she herself is still enamored with this guy. She believes he is the Messiah and looks forward to consumating their relationship. Her parents have left the cult.

  But they showed a clip of her talking when she said that some people had claimed that she was "brainwashed" and I can only paraphrase what she said but it wen to something like, "Yea, Michael gave my brain a good washing and it is now clean of the evil and wicked thoughts of the world".

  The main things about the cult don't relate to JWs....one Messianic leader who has sexual contact with members; live on a compound; give all their money/possessions to the leader...but many of the details were spooky JW like. Shunning former members, not being part of the world, looking forward to destruction of all the wicked and of course that brainwashing quote, which has been in WT publications.

  As Bent was on trial, former members came to town to watch the trial and they showed them gathering and talking about being part of the cult. One son left the cult and had to leave his parents behind. Another girl had left and her parents were still in. It showed her attempting to have some dialog with her mom outside the courthouse. It was truly disturbing to watch, from our perspective. It could have been a group of ex-JWs watching the trial of a JW pedophile and DFd/DAd members trying to reach out to JW parents/family.

  No real point to this thread/post other than to get it out of my system since I laid awake for quite some time reflecting on the show and the comparisons and it's still on my mind this morning.
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  Heaven

  The main things about the cult don't relate to JWs....

  undercover... something struck me about this statement you made... for some reason I added 'yet' on the end of it. I think if the wrong people get into the authority positions, this can change. It seems some of these groups start out with good intentions (like the JWs?) and morph into a cult while others start out with the cult goal firmly in mind.

  At any rate, you are correct when you say there are many similarities. I see the brainwashing in my father. I have a mix of anger and sadness about this. I have seen a lot of mental illness in my JW family members (and friends). These cults need to be held more accountable for the toll they exact.
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  undercover

  ...something struck me about this statement you made... for some reason I added 'yet' on the end of it. I think if the wrong people get into the authority positions, this can change.

  That is a good point to ponder. Actually I wonder two things...

  1. The Governing Body has slowly elevated themselves into a higher position than before. For the longest time, the GB was just the spokesman for the Faithful and Discreet Slave class. Of course, they called all the shots and ran things, but they were willing to let people believe in the FDS as the spirit-directed group sort of working together. In recent years, they've methodically demoted the Slave class and promoted themselves. While this is a group of men, instead of one Messianic leader, the possibility of change for the worse is quite possible, maybe probable, if the wrong people are in the GB.

  2. With Teddy declining in health, and all the old guard gone, the GB could be ripe for some charismatic person to take the reins and lead the Society/JWs into a new era. It wouldn't happen overnight. It would be a slow transformation. It probably wouldn't even be noticed by the rank and file until he had enough power to control the rest of the body and then could place himself on that pedestal.

  On the plus side, the JWs is such a large sect, cult, whatever, that any major moves made is going to cause some commotion all the way down the line.

  Of course the cult continues to morph over generations and they still maintain a devoted following. So if done slyly enough, it could happen and the generation of JWs that falls under that leadership will have no real knowledge of the old leadership, just as we have no real knowledge of what it was like to serve the bOrg during the 30s and 40s.
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  startingover

  I read the upcoming study article that was posted here by Mickey Mouse http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/180266/1/The-Faithful-Steward-and-its-Governing-Body

  It really struck me how they have set themselves above the rest and give all this "scriptural" proof that the rest of the FDS class should just be preaching. Morphing in action.
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  QuestioningEverything

  I saw the show last night and it WAS creepy. Those girls were so honored to lay naked with the perv. I'm glad he got sentenced to jail. I have read that his son has taken over the 'church' or whatever they call it now that dad is in jail.
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  Pistoff

  I can't remember where I read it but there is some evidence to suggest that as predictions fail, the adherence by members actually grows stronger.

  P
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  willyloman

  "With Teddy declining in health, and all the old guard gone, the GB could be ripe for some charismatic person to take the reins and lead the Society/JWs into a new era."

  I agree this is quite likely to happen in the future. These people are starved for dynamic leadership. The organization is in a holding pattern. Someone will emerge and jumpstart the organization. That's the only feasible "reform" in the Society's future - a big shake up led by a charismatic leader (or leaders) who energize the restless flock. The stage is being set at Bethel for power to be put into the hands of just a few and when the right personalities converge, look out!