The Elisabeth Moss dilemma: Is it possible to be a fan of a Scientologist?
"She did not elaborate further, encouraging readers to seek out her previous comments on the matter, which were made to the gay publication the Advocate in order to say that she, personally, believed the freedom-centric teachings of Scientology allowed for same-sex partnerships, and that “Many of my church’s stances and concepts are grossly misunderstood by the media. It’s a long list.”"
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Event videos in case you missed it.
Event videos in case you missed it.
For many children, child abuse begins in the church. The earlier the indoctrination, the harsher the potential abuse can be. An example being a child be told over and over by a parent that the pastor is always right. So when the child is told by the pastor that they need to do "certain things" to get closer to God, but "don't tell anyone because this is special for you", what is the child supposed to do? If the indoctrination has be frequent and strong enough, that child will do what they are told.
On January 20, 2014, a significant 24 hour live Youtube even was held called the International Day of Protest Against Hereditary Religion. Many of the personal stories would break your heart. Many of the statistics would make you angry enough to do something. At 9 am US Pacific time, your host at WCW, Rob Robinson was on telling about child abuse in Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses and other "religions" I have included that interview here. The rest of the links to the even are at the bottom of this page.
"Vulnerable naive children all over the world are routinely consigned by their parents to faith organizations to be groomed as members of the parent’s faith. Toddlers are led into religious houses of worship and surrounded by hundreds and perhaps even thousands of emotional adherents. The experience often overwhelms and frightens children who have no way of processing what is happening. Most adults commonly encounter difficulty understanding supernatural bizarre religious ideas and rituals. Accordingly, children can suffer emotional trauma and anxiety as a result of practices fostered by the cultural acceptance of endorsing hereditary religion. Universally, civil authorities are oblivious to the way the practice violates a child's human rights and the emotional damage it can inflict. Although civil libertarians have long objected to childhood indoctrination, perpetrators unfailingly offer the defense of free will. They argue a child is always free to choose a different faith, or no faith, when they reach their majority, (usually 18 years), and leave the family home. This is an incoherent argument because determined and repeated efforts are made during the child's formative years to insure they will never leave the faith. Furthermore, recent brain science research reveals conclusively that constant repetition of the same inputs to the brain results in permanent neuronal configurations that are nearly impervious to change without great difficulty. Moreover, leading researchers increasingly question the age old assumption that free will is a fact. Instead, they assert that free will is a convenient illusion. Rigorous and prolonged religious grooming that happens to children before their brains are completely developed can shape their thought processes for life. Such abuse ignores children’s human right to an open future free of wanton manipulation and interference and can set them on a path of rigid dogmatism." - IDPAHR
Here are the links to the entire event. Thank you for reading.
More on Lev Tahor
More on Lev Tahor
Rabbi Helbrans
Amid all the legal and media hype, Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans, leader of the Jewish sect, Lev Tahor says all they want is to be left alone to practice their religion. The problem is, their practices also include the subjugation of women and the wide spread abuse of children. Rabbi Helbrans, ruler of the sect that has been called the Jewish Taliban, rules this group with an iron fist, considers himself the law of the group and even goes so far as to personally name all the the children in the cult.
The media storm, which started two years ago, centers on fourteen children who had been ordered removed from their homes by child services. Allegations of sexual abuse, confinement, and beatings with crowbars, belts, whips and a coat hanger are among the claims detailed in recently released police documents connected with the ongoing investigation into the ultra-orthodox Jewish sect.
The new documents allege that in December 2012, a 17-year-old pregnant girl, who was taken to hospital by ambulance, was sexually abused by her father and beaten by her brother, adding that she had been married off at age 15. The documents say the 17-year-old girl was “in a psychosis” and incapable of being interviewed after arriving at a children’s hospital, but her injuries were photographed. In a video interview afterwards at the hospital with investigators, the girl makes “no allusion to a crime,” the documents say.
Disobedient girls as young as 13 and 14 were confined in basements of the homes, the documents allege. A report from social workers says a 14-year-old girl they interviewed did not want to return to the community out of fear of marriage, and says she was being intimidated to keep her silent.
“She doesn’t want to return to the community because she is promised to a man, she is very scared and seems to be very indoctrinated and members of the community are very present (redacted) to intimidate this young girl so that she does not talk,” the documents state. The 14-year-old girl said that her father hit her in the face with a belt, and that the wife of a high-ranking sect member beat her with a coat hanger.
A person interviewed by police in the documents said he witnessed one member ordered to hit a woman in the face because she refused to wear a burqa-like covering as dictated by Shlomo Helbrans.
The documents also allege children were brought to Canada from other countries under a false pretext when they were really being brought for a future marriage. Children in the sect were allegedly told “there are black angels who will come find them and they will burn them in hell,” according to the documents.
Exclusive Bretheren – A hereditary religious cult.
Exclusive Bretheren – A hereditary religious cult.
A cult by any other name is still a cult and this so-called religion fits the bill. This group caught my attention when an article came across my news feed about a religious group running its own school in the U.K. that was trying to get charity tax status. The article at the Daily Mail was talking about some of the harsh rules that these kids live under and some of the penalties for infraction of these rules. One teenaged girl was shut up (placed in solitary home confinement) for 37 days, just for making a Facebook page. Students at the school, as well as all parishioners, are not allowed to use the internet, watch television, read the newspapers or use cell phones to contact anyone outside the faith. They call us Worldlies and they are not even allowed to share a meal with us, even family members that are not of the "church". Like many cults, if you leave the fold, you are excommunicated and forbidden contact with any one inside, including spouse, parents or children. And like most cults, excommunication is less about rehabilitation and more about punishment as this short video shows:
The Exclusive Brethren is a worldwide organization, with 43,000 members. Australian Bruce Hales is its world leader and "Elect Vessel". The conservative Christian sect has been extremely controversial in Australia because of allegations it tried to influence politicians despite its members being exempt from voting, reports the Herald Sun. There is evidence in some recent court case that the church is being investigated for human trafficking, assault and sexual assault. Some are even claiming murder although that has not yet been proven in court. If you have the time, please watch the following documentaries.
The next Documentary deals a little more with the policy of Shutting Up, which is a type of involuntary imprisonment. It also has a few of the priest on to defend and explain the actions of the church.
Be warned, this is a dangerous cult. Thank you for reading.
Teen Mania – The Christian Cult for Kids
Teen Mania – The Christian Cult for Kids
Credit: http://www.recoveringalumni.com/
Michael Langone, director of the International Cultic Studies Association and editor of Recovery from Cults, defines a cult as:
“a group or movement that, to a significant degree (a) exhibits great or excessive devotion to some person, idea, or thing, (b) uses a thought-reform program to persuade, control, or socialize member (i.e. to integrate them into the group’s unique pattern of relationships, beliefs, values, and practices), (c) systematically induces states of psychological dependence in members, (d) exploit’s members to advance the leadership’s goals, and (e) causes psychological harm to members, their families, and the community.”
Whatever happens to you, it is your fault. Leave your critical thinking at the door. Tell your doubts to no one. However much you do, whatever you have contributed to the group, it is never enough. Never criticize management, they are the ones that provide God's will for you. Those who have been in an abusive group, religion or cult know those tenets by heart.
Acquire the Fire. Global Expeditions. Honor Academy. These are all trademarks of the group called Teen Mania led by Ron Luce. This group exclusively targets Christian teens with promises of making them Soldiers of the Cross. They promise college credits for attending their summer and leadership training programs, but when students go to transfer their credits they find out that most colleges and universities will not accept their credits. They actively search for children with a passion for God and then betray that yearning with their quasi-Biblical blathering and abusive mind control tactics. Part of the "training" is called Gauntlet Week and has been referred to as part Marine Boot Camp and part Fear Factor. Some young people have spent as much as ten years and more trying to get their minds back. Although kids have to spend over $8,000 for the summer program they still must work over 80 hours a week to earn their keep.
One young woman said "While being an intern, I confessed to a woman in leadership that I had been nearly raped when I was 17. I was told that my impure thoughts had made it happen. I also confessed that I had masturbated on and off through my high school years and this woman in leadership told me that because of my doing that to my own body, that I had caused this man twice my age to attempt to rape me. She told me that I might always be sexually scarred and never be able to have a healthy relationship with a man unless I continually asked God to forgive me for touching myself and for making a grown man touch me."
There are more than 80 stories from young people who have been abused at the Recovering Alumni Website and I encourage you to read them so that you can get a good idea of the abuse that occurs there. You may be able to help keep a young person from making a terrible mistake. Here are a few excerpts:
Please watch the MSNBC show "Mind Over Mania" with four victims of this cult.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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