Have you or anyone you cared about been involved in a cult...?

[bliss_eternal]

...or any other demanding religious sect/denomination or group?

I lost a friend to a group in southern California that I understand originated somewhere in Boston.

I lost relatives to a whacked out, so-called Christian freak.

Anyone? Care to share your story...?

I was reading an article about a young woman that broke away from Scientology, if you are wondering what inspired me to ask such a thing...

:hi:

[progmom]

1. You mean besides DU?

:tinfoilhat:

[bliss_eternal]

3. LOL!

We aren't on cult watch,...yet.

:scared:

[Crazy Guggenheim]

2. Yeah, but they're not from this planet.

:woohoo:

[Droopy]

4. Does the mind fuck known as David Icke

qualify as a cult leader?

I got pretty wrapped up in that at one time. Gave him some of my money. Then I realized that the guy was crazier than me and that's saying a lot.

[bliss_eternal]

5. Sure, I'm not familiar w/who this is though...

If you gave him money, I would think that may qualify for some sort of cult status.

[Droopy]

7. If you've seen the alien lizard stuff floating around DU

David Icke is the originator of that. But he really means it.

[bliss_eternal]

8. Yikes--I'm sorry, Droopy.

I hope it wasn't a lot of money...

[Droopy]

11. No not too much

I think I sent in $50 for his defense fund because the bastard got sued in Canada for slander or something like that. I also bought 3 of his books and a video probably totalling around another $80.

[bliss_eternal]

19. That's not too bad...

I know any amount of money feels like too much, when you realize the person, cause or whatever isn't what you thought they were. But when I look at people that have turned over life savings, etc.--you didn't do badly at all.

[deadparrot]

6. I've got a couple friends in Opus Dei.

I don't know if that qualifies or not, but it creeped the hell out of me.

[bliss_eternal]

10. Hi deadparrot--

I'm going to have to google Opus Dei, as I'm not familiar with that one.

Are your friends ok? Has it changed your relationship?

With my friend, she was always trying to get me to go to one of their backward ass bible studies. The crazy thing was she called them a cult long before she joined up with them. Then later, a guy she was seeing went to them, and she changed her mind and joined up. :wtf:

[deadparrot]

17. Check out OD, then ODAN--Opus Dei Awareness Network.

Or something like that. If you've read The Da Vinci code, it's that group.

For me (a lapsed Catholic who isn't religious) and those particular friends (VERY religious Catholics), we try to stay away from the topic of religion. I know a lot of DUers advocate dumping all of our conservative friends, but I don't feel the urge or need to. They're good people who are, as I've found out, very misguided and uneducated in their opinions.

I have another friend, and one of these OD girls asked her to attend an OD camp. My non-OD friend is Catholic, but not anywhere near the intensity of these girls. She was definitely iffy on it. When her mom looked the camp's website up on the Internet, she refused to let her go because it was too cultish.

That same OD girl from the camp story has admitted that certain members do practice corporeal punishment, but swears that no one she knows does it.

When it comes to religion (and especially OD), we just don't discuss it. They don't try to convert me, and I don't rag them about their activities. We have an awesome time together, but that topic is pretty taboo.

[bliss_eternal]

21. Oh--the DaVinci code--thank you.

I had just finished reading from a site about it. Opus Dei. It didn't mention the Davinci Code, but from what the site said, you're right, they do seem cult like.

I hope that the Opus Dei people don't force them to choose between the 'group' and your friendship. Some groups like this eventually get to that point.

Glad that so far you guys have been able to still enjoy one another's company. I wish i hadn't had to lose my friends.

[deadparrot]

22. Maybe it's not "healthy" in terms of psychology,

ie, repressing opinions you feel strongly about just because you don't want to upset each other. I don't know. I don't think they're into anything harmful to them. They just get a little too "into" it for me. I just know that I probably wouldn't have gotten through the past few years without my circle of friends, and I'm very, very hesitant about letting them go.

[HEyHEY]

9. Yeah, I worked for a big corp once

[bliss_eternal]

12. That qualifies, lol...

I've seen people buy into all the stuff their corporation tells them,like it's religion. Can be scary...

[WCGreen]

13. I worked for a republican State Senator....

Not in his poltical office, but in his business office....

[bliss_eternal]

15. Really?! What was that like?

:hi:

[WCGreen]

18. It was alright...

We use to get in fights about stuff...

But I had the rest of the office on my side...

[bliss_eternal]

20. I guess that didn't last very long...

:P

[WCGreen]

27. about a year and a half... I was his replacement controler...

[Floogeldy]

14. I just started my own cult!

It's Floogeldism Rose.

It only costs $25,000 to join!

PM me if you're interested.

It's all about acceptance, love, but not forgiveness. No fucking way on the forgiveness shit. Don't ever lie to me.

}(

[bliss_eternal]

16. What a bargain--

How much more is it for forgiveness--I really think that should be part of the deal. I mean, shouldn't my soul be cleansed and all of that?

:rofl:

[Floogeldy]

24. Eggzackly!!!!!!!!!!!

:hi:

[LeftyMom]

23. I knew a couple who were really into scamway

It was weird how tied up in their religion it was. They'd listen to the tapes in their car and it'd be all about how God loves them and wants them to succeed and he's going to provide for them and Amway's the vehicle for that. They were absolutely convinced they were going to be rich within months, to the point that they were going to new developments and checking out houses with the expectation that they could get one very soon.

It was really sad.

[bliss_eternal]

25. That does sound sad--

do you know what happened to them? Did they ever get it--or did they just lose a bunch of time and money on it?

:(

[LeftyMom]

26. They never made any money on it

I don't know if they ever gave up on it, she got a better job and they moved to a less expensive town closer to her family. I haven't heard from them in years.