"Dangerous Persuasions" on the ID Channel

[onager]

Standard Disclaimer: Posted in the Atheists/Agnostics Group, a place sometimes described as a dangerous anti-theist cult its own self. Nothing herein should be construed as a criticism of True Religion, only criticism of False Cults. To know the difference, consult with a licensed Sophisticated Theologian.

The link below is a wrap-up of this season's "Dangerous Persuasions" show on the ID Channel, with previews of each episode.

The show deals with people who have escaped from dangerous cults or similar orgs.

Pretty good season, overall. Shows included a couple about the $cientologists, a bizarre Xian para-military sect where a Mom was forced to beat her baby with a belt, and others.

Last night's episode veered away from religion somewhat - "Asking Questions Means You're An FBI Agent." About a woman enlisted into a San Francisco Communist group in the late 1970s. The tactics for recruitment etc. were exactly the same as those for a religious cult, which was interesting. Separation from relatives, browbeating, physical punishment, etc.

Even the goals were the same - "Builidng a Better World!" Whether you want to do that with Jesus, Marx, or El Ron, it always seems to involve the same thing - surrendering your own identity and working 24/7 for The Cause with no pay.

Conclusion - if a cult ever pays minimum wage, it will probably conquer the world and we will all be doomed.

http://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/dangerous-persuasions/dangerous-persuasions-video/asking-questions-means-youre-an-fbi-agent/

[F4lconF16]

1. Not a real fan of tossing Marx in with El Ron and Jesus.

He was a lot more humane and did a lot more for the world than either of those two ever did. Seems like just a nice little anti-commie-atheist comment to me, implying that communism (which of course is associated with atheism in the US) is a religion.

[onager]

2. Yep, bad choice. I should have remembered...

...what happened when Lee Harvey Oswald went to the American Embassy in Moscow:

Embassy Employee: "Mr. Oswald, why do you want to renounce your American citizenship and become a Soviet citizen?"

Oswald: "Because I'm a Marxist."

Embassy Employee: "Then you're going to be the loneliest man in Russia."

Oswald didn't get the joke.

Switching political theories: I'm currently going thru 9.000 kinds of (non-existent) Hell trying to buy a house. I'm starting to suspect everyone involved in real estate is a thief or impossible. Including me. So I'm really channeling my Inner Proudhon right now.

[AlbertCat]

4. "Then you're going to be the loneliest man in Russia."

Yes.... just because there might be "socialist" or "republic" in the title, doesn't mean they are actually very socialistic or a republic.

I keep telling religionists who insist that Commies have killed more people in the name of atheism than all the millennia of religions, that replacing an all knowing infallible god with an all knowing infallible political party is not really atheistic in flavor.

[RussBLib]

3. never seen that before

I guess I'll try to add it to my ever-growing pile of recordings on the DVR.

[William King]

5. There are two good books on the subject of cults...

...written by the same authors, Flo Conway and Joe Siegelman:

Snapping: http://snapping.stillpointpress.net/

Holy Terror: http://holyterror.stillpointpress.net/

I have both in my personal library, read both back in the late 90's, Good reads.