Freedom of Mind by Steven Hassan
Herewith a few pointers on how to identify a CULT. I will be adding more information, but due to time constraints, this is it for now. I have not added my personal comments, up to you to judge and fill in the blanks - and decide for yourself whether the Jehovah's Witnesses are a CULT or not...
CULT: Tightly controlled, high-pressure social environment. Limit access to outside information (Page 3)
Some religious cults have “An elite group that claims to know the real meaning of Scripture” (Page 4)
They rail on about how all the other Churches are dead and unscriptural (Page 7)
Threatening Prophecies (Page 12)
“Love” depends on meeting expectations and goals (Page 13)
Demand for purity: Establishing impossible standards for performance, thereby creating an environment of guilt and shame. No matter how hard a person tries, he always falls short, feels bad and works even harder. (Page 17)
Sacred Science: The belief that the groups dogma is absolutely scientifically and morally true, with no room for questions or alternative viewpoints (Page 17)
Dispensing of existence: The belief that people in group have the right to exist and all ex-members and critics or dissidents do not (Page 17)
Cult control is a social process that encourages obedience and conformity. It discourages autonomy and individuality. The groups dogma becomes the persons only concern (Page 19)
Thought Reform: Create a tightly controlled system with a closed system of logic, wherein dissenters feel their questioning indicates something inherently wrong with them (Page 20)
Behavior Control (Page 22)
- Dictate with whom the member lives and associates
- Restrict leisure and entertainment
- Encourage group-think (not stumbling others)
- Impose rigid rules & regulations
Information Control (Page 23)
- Discourage access to non-cult sources of information - Internet, Critical Information, Former Members
- Keep members busy so the don't think and investigate
- Outsider versus insider doctrines
- Encourage spying on other members
- Extensive use of cult-generated information, including magazines and other media
- Misquotations, statements from non-cult sources taken out of context
- Unethical use of confession
Thought Control (Page 24)
- Members required to internalize the groups doctrine as “the truth”
- Instill Black and White thinking
- Good versus Evil; Us versus Them
- No critical questions about leaders, doctrine or policy allowed
- Alternative belief systems viewed as evil
Emotional Control (Page 25)
- Make the person feel that problems are their own fault – never the leader or group
- Excessive use of guilt – You are not living up to your potential
- Excessive use of fear
- Fear of the outside world
- Fear of losing one’s salvation
- Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by the group
Phobia indoctrination
- No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group
- Terrible consequences if you leave
- Shunning of those who leave, fear of being rejected by friends and family
- Never a legitimate reason to leave; Those who leave are weak, unspiritual, worldly or seduced by sex
Steven Hassan - Freedom of Mind - Book Summary
by Designer Stubble 5 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Designer Stubble
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LoisLane looking for Superman
Designer Stubble...Thank you for posting this.
I read Ray's C of C just over a year ago. That was enough for me to start my fade. I can only digest so much at a time. I don't know if I will ever read his other book.
It has been painful for me to read Blondie's Comments You Won't Hear at the KHall. As a good JW, we are taught blind obedience. Don't think, just do what we tell you. That kind of reasoning is wrong on all levels. Blondie's comments speak the honest truth, how the Watch Tower twists things, cherry picks scriptures, to suit their game plan. It is horrible religious abuse to say the least.
It feels like a slap in the face, everytime I am confronted with another WTB&T$ lie and there are so many. After reading here on JWN for almost a year, I have been educated in ways, I never dreamed of
I can handle the truth about the falsehood of this religion, and in time, I will read Steve Hassan's book.
Just Lois
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cantleave
Now does that remind you any group in particular?
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label licker
Reiligion is not an excuse to abuse others! Reading book now! UNBELIEVEABLE
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Dogpatch
You are actually MUCH BETTER OFF reading the subtle techniques of cults, as in Steve's books, BEFORE you tackle the doctrines of your particular cult. Otherwise you will have to go back and start all over re-identifying the mind tricks they have pulled on you. You won't really "see" the whole picture just by studying the Watchtower's history, as you will not be fully aware of their motives.
It is 95% technique, and 5% doctrine that matters in the end. The FEAR and GUILT must be constructed first, before they fully indoctrinate you. So it is only natural to study FEAR and GUILT promotional techniques FIRST, then go down the cults one by one and see the similarities. Otherwise you could just stay home and read their stupid books and become a JW on paper, but would still be clueless as to the vast amount of mind control used.
Learn to put yourself outside the box and imagine you were a Moonie or follower of Jim Jones or Manson. Teachings are simply man-made vehicles to accomplish a much more sinister purpose.
On the other hand, if you are not aware that these practices are universal among cults, you will end up excusing over half the mind control used by the WT, simply because you are too close to it to recognize it.
Just my advice!
Randy
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Phizzy
Great advice Randy ! thanks. It is so true, because the Doctrine has constantly changed, so that cannot be the element that keeps people entrapped, it is the mind-control.
Once a person has read Steve's books, and your own offerings on Freeminds, one can see the mind-control at work in virtually every paragraph they write.
It is chilling to think what cold hearted ,manipulative individuals these must be who do this in the WT's Writing Department.