 Quote:
Originally Posted by Dylan  ... Which is all well and good, but worthless in a debate. If you can't prove your position, then it just proves that your position is weak. Also, as I've mentioned before, just because some people think something, it doesn't make it true. It's a logical fallacy to claim that belief is evidence of anything. You're also begging the question. | Peggy Sue nailed it quite well. Here it is:
A cult uses and exploits it members through psychological legerdemain.
The leaders demand certain behavior and get it from mind control (teaching youngsters to hate Jews, for example) and from teaching the people to be too dependent on the leaders for approval and guidance. There is an excess of being devoted to a person such as mohammad and the idea of being in allah's army to defeat the non-believers (infidels).
The goals of the leaders (mullahs) are important to the members even when behavior is not good for the members (teaching young 'volunteers' to strap bombs to their bodies and how to get in to crowded places to take out as many civilians as possible). Families of suicide bombers would be taught to look forward to the martyrdom of their son. The mullahs don't do as they tell their followers to do; I've never read of a muslim leader strapping a bomb to himself.
There is also the matter of being required to pray at certain times of the day, no matter what one is doing prior to the call to prayer. The clothing and behavior restrictions on female members are extreme and the rules lend themselves to the objectfication of the female members.
Scientology falls in the category of a cult as do other recent groups such as the Jim Jones group, (I don't remember their name), and the group that thought they'd hop onto a comet after committing suicide. http://tinyurl.com/hdyff
Last edited by alias; 08-08-2006 at 07:10 PM.
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