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<DIV>Ahoy, Popeye, whoever you may be. Its not that I don't believe cults exist,
its that the list can be used to describe nearly any organization, including
businesses, churches or your local Boy Scout troop.</DIV>
<DIV>For example, teen cliques more often than not exhibit the following:</DIV>
<DIV>Strict dress codes, everyone looks alike; </DIV>
<DIV>Suppressing legitimate feelings when they do not fit the group's mind
set; </DIV>
<DIV>The need to be like leaders or like others in the group</DIV>
<DIV>Scapegoating within or outside the group;</DIV>
<DIV>Secrecy between members or between different levels of a group's
structure</DIV>
<DIV>Public humiliation or embarrassment in any form</DIV>
<DIV>Peer pressure: non group ideas receive icy silence, ridicule, or
condemnation</DIV>
<DIV>Loaded language: the group has its own clichés, jargon and slogans that
become simplistic explanations for complex situations</DIV>
<DIV>Labeling: Dissenting members, other groups, and different belief systems
are given negative labels/names</DIV>
<DIV>Effusive praise and flattery for leaders;</DIV>
<DIV>Enemy making, a common enemy outside the group: other business groups,
other religions, other countries, other life styles, other races;</DIV>
<DIV>Fear (or feelings of guilt) about the prospect of leaving the group;</DIV>
<DIV>Feelings of superiority and exclusiveness</DIV>
<DIV>Competition with other members or with outsiders;</DIV>
<DIV>Conflicting opinions viewed as moral assaults and disloyalty; </DIV>
<DIV>Control of information within group environment;</DIV>
<DIV>Criticism of group, system or leaders is discouraged;</DIV>
<DIV>Different beliefs or ideas are perceived as threatening</DIV>
<DIV>Authoritarian hierarchal control;</DIV>
<DIV>Black and white thinking: either or, we they, us them;</DIV>
<DIV>Centralized power structure</DIV>
<DIV>That is 21 of the 40 characteristics, according to the minister a cult
will have "many" of these characteristics. Is 21 enough to be considered a cult?
If so, schools around the globe are loaded with cults.</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dctrofdamind@gmail.com href="mailto:dctrofdamind@gmail.com">Popeye
Landscape</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 10, 2007 12:35
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Characteristics
of Christ Church</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Kai,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If these cult identification factors don't uniquely identify then
they are certainly at least IMPORTANT identificatory factors to consider
in cult spotting. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Perhaps you don't believe in cults, Kai, since you didn't
propose any additional uniquely identifying characteristics. I</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>f the factors Robert Dickows referenced insufficient they surely go along
way. Are you suggesting that they don't do a lot of identificatory work
here?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Perhaps you would prefer to start from an established concrete
example of a cult and extract the extra factors from the example.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Starting with Christ Church and Doug Wilson one could probably
get a spot-on ID. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'm sure even Kai would agree with that.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Popeye.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kai Eiselein</DIV>
<DIV>Gheez, if you you that list you could describe:<BR>A: Your average group
of teenagers.<BR>B: Political parties.<BR>C Unions.<BR>D: A professional
sports team</DIV>
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<DIV>Kai Eiselein<BR>Editor, Latah Eagle</DIV></BODY></HTML>