by Larry 20 Replies latest jw friends
My parents and several of their friends (all hardcore witnesses) have recently gotten involved with a MultiLevel Marketing company called PrePaid Legal. It's gotten quite big down here in Texas. I'm curious to see how it works for them.
6 months ago I talked to an Elder who was doing it -- quite sucessfully -- and his remark to me was interesting: "If you can sell the Watchtower to people, you can sell anything!" And that from an Elder no less!!
-Joe
yes indeed Amway is a cult , Quixtar Amway's sister company as they told us, when I was in Amway is as weird as Amway. Amway have advocates who encourage bible tapes and classes in the US. and stress high moral standards among their people. They are extremely pushing with their products, like the Watctower and to me I would say that they are all 100 percent CULT. They endeavor to control your mind with their thoughts and try to make yesbots out of their people. Materialism is paramount to them, as Sprituality is to JWs..
You`ll find a lot of dubs are involved in these get rich quick schemes...OUTLAW
This is a subject dear to my heart, because it was seeing the mind control techniques utilized by Amway and other MLM entities set down systematically in writing, which enabled me to see just how I was being manipulated by the WTS and their brand of mind control. I was researching on the web about some MLM company (Primerica) which had contacted my son. In the course of this research, I ran across a page which dscussed the Amway group and also the WTS, which was therein referred to as BORG. As a life long Star Trek fan, the reference was not lost on me. I was intensely curious, but my son, a zealous JW, did not want to look. I went back later, and read for about 3 hours, after which, I knew I could no longer go on as a witness.
There is much information on the internet about these companies, their manipulations, and the damage they cause. One document about Amway in particular was very eye-opening to me. It is called "The Things They Will Say". I saw so many similarities in it to the way things are done in the WTS. Here is the url listed on the printout of it that I have.
.... http://www.angelfire.com/or/amwaydreamers/index2.html
truman
Thanks for the responses - No, I never heard of CitiFinancial but I heard of Primmerica. In fact, I was a member for a week or two, but they are all the same. Once I saw the similarities I left quickly. Anyway, here is a list of similarities I've notice btw the WTS and all these multi-level organizations -
They blame the victim for failure
They think they have the only' answer
Women are viewed as second class' citizens
Will talk about the evils' of the society and at the same time depend on the evils' for their survival
Will preach - The more you suffer the greater your reward
Make you feel guilty for not using their product
Need to report thoughts, feelings and activities to superiors - Spying is encouraged as well as confessions
Encouraged never to speak negatively about your superiors, even if it is true.
Mostly minorities' get involve in these organizations and the folks on top are Caucasians
The information is control - All the information you will ever need comes from us
Uses misquotations and statements taken out of content
Leaders show interest in those members that show the greatest potential
Uses language unique to the group - loaded language
Encourage to attend weekly meetings, conventions, etc
Destroys families b/c of different beliefs and money issues - Will pick organization over family
Alienates close friends and family due to not believing in their system
Thinks that non-believers are stealing their dream away or are evil
Won't associate with non-believers - Only deal with you if there is some potential in you becoming a member
Warns members about negative' internet sites
More ex members than active members
Every aspect of their conversation is geared towards converting you - Will proselytize anywhere and with anybody - Prospect Radar is on
Want you to listen to tapes of good' speakers
They are international and are growing in 3rd world countries
Pushes books, publications, magazines, and tapes
After YEARS of being in it, they realize it doesn't work, but have invested too much time and effort and burnt too many bridges to give up - endless cycle
Always keep that carrot' dangling in front of their face i.e. money/paradise - Selling you a pipe dream
If the regular member can't convince a prospect, they will call on a more seasoned member to try and deceive you
Depends on rote learning- repetition, repetition, repetition
Doesn't encourage independent thinking; Individualism discouraged
Created a false sense of brotherhood and love at meetings and conventions
Will play' on words, avoiding direct answers - Implied misrepresentation
Use scare tactics i.e You will be dead broke' at 65; You will die at Armageddon; You will always be a failure
Thanks - Larry :)
Ive had some involvement with Amway during the phase when I was joining cultic movements.
The first thing of nate, is that when I first made contact with them, I was decieved, into attending an amway meeting . The person who took me was a personal aquaintance who told me he was taking me to a party and that there were numerous people there who were very eager to meet me. Very flattering. very hard to say no.
Upon arrival I found myself surrounded by his friends "Family", thats what he called them. They were all people above him in the chain. These people lovebombed me, especially the women, who flirted quite outrageously and were very touchy feely. These people totally surrounded me and continually bombarded me with slogans and tried to induce visions of fabulous wealth into my mind.
Then the speeches started. These were very coniving. One was a real rev up with fast talking and shouting. Another consisted entirely of very complex mathematics that were incomprehensible. These things were designed to sow confusion in my mind and make it more maleable.
Afterwards, the "family" surrounded me and tried to get me to sign up. I consistently refused. At first they tried to jolly me into it, then they "reasoned" with me, after that they started to get agressive and frowned a lot and grimaced in disgust at me.
When all this failed they SHUNNED me!!
I had to find my own way home.
One would encounter similar tactics at a moonie recruitment.
Edited by - refiners fire on 22 July 2002 19:40:0
RF
Amway works fast. They did in one evening what it takes the wt a year or two.
SS
Another thing I noticed about the Amwayites I have met is that they were all working their butts out. 10pm meetings with a person to try and recruit them, shoes worn out from walking. Exhausted people. These are the grass roots people of Amway. The corporation makes its money from selling motivational talks, seminars, and tapes to these suckers. They arent achieving their dreams of fabulous wealth. Why not?? Because they arent motivated enough. They need to attend more seminars.
Unfortunately, so MANY people I have met in cults who are grown adults have already BEEN in a cult. They might have left the Church Universal and Triumphant and then got sucked into Amway.This happens a lot.
SS.
Of course thats not necessarily the ONLY method of recruitment. But it is one that was applied. Ive dabbled in being recruited by Amway twice. The second time it was a married couple who played me much slower, they took me to some seminars, gave me a load of books, and gave me tapes that normally had to be bought and they didnt push too hard, but that was because we played their own manipulation methods against them.
God do I remember how big the MLM's were in the dubs when I was growing up!
Shacklee sold "vitamins" didn't they? Ok let me re-phrase that. Shacklee's product was vitamins. There was another outfit like that in the 80's called TSI (Total Success Incorporated, I think) Anyone remember that one? If memory serves, TSI had a large number of dubs as big shots.
When the subject of MLM's comes up, I'm afraid that we do have to give the old codgers in Brooklyn credit because the WTBS did put out some articles discouraging getting involved in them. Once in a while, even the Empire gets one right huh? Then again, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
Mike.
