I would content that there are as many reasons that people join groups in general (such as the Jesus Christians) as there are people.
I would further contend that there are a number of factors, a whole myriad of reasons that would drive somebody to want to join the JCs (in their present-day, post 1998 incarnation) specifically, and these people are joining without having given the appropriate informed consent, are being subjected in the group to a constant bait and switch, and are trapped in an abusive and controlling situation.
Frankly, I'd say that at the present rate there is a 80% chance that a Heaven's Gate-ish tragedy is unavoidable... that being said, that 20% is still certainly worth trying for.
I'm not sure what else can really be done, though, other than to try and continue to make people aware of the JCs, prevent other kids from joining them... but how do you reach those still inside?
In practical terms, one can't, one really can't.
No sense in trying to reason with them, IMO. The confirmation bias is too strong.
It's truly a waste of time IMO to bother with trying to have a rational, objective, mature discussion with any of them.
All they'll do is twist whatever you communicate back onto you and try and make it into some personal attack.
McKay and his cronies simply cannot be reasoned with.
There's no point in even trying, IMO. That approach is pretty useless.
There's nothing that anybody can say, some magic phrase, that will make any of them just snap out of it and decide to exit the group.
Trying to get through to them with logic and reason is like banging your head into a wall over and over again. After a while, it becomes painful.
Their confirmation bias is too strong. The group seems to be made up entirely of "true believers" in DM and his mission.
Therefore, any attempt at dialog is futile IMO. They are in their minds incapable of being wrong or incorrect, about anything, ever.
Therefore, I am glad that the JCs have been driven underground, are somewhat contained, don't seem to be recruiting much, and have had no new recruits lately other than a dog.
Sad? Of course. Regrettable? Certainly. But IMO all too true nonetheless.
Confirmation bias is also known as "Tolstoy Syndrome." The irony!
I love to find ironic quotes.
Here's a couple from their beloved Leo Tolstoy, who they seem to like to hold up as an honorary Jesus Christian, owing to his literalistic interpretation of Jesus' teachings, especially as contained in the Beatitudes:
"I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabrics of their life".A related Tolstoy quote is:
"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
The cognitive dissonance that these Jesus Christians must constantly experience, the self-deception that they put themselves through day after day!
Tolstoy Syndrome. Incredible.
Here's a good article called "Jonestown and Confirmation Bias"
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www.latimes.com]
Personally, I have about as much contempt for senior JC leadership (the ones other than DM and his consort) Roland, Sue, Rob, Christine, and all the rest, as I do for DM himself.
The JC leadership are pretty much all a bunch of contemptible people in my mind, frankly.
I think of them like I think of the Family's WS unit leadership, the Continental Officers and all those people.
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www.xfamily.org]
They know exactly what they are doing.
They are simply willing accomplices, and are more interested in covering their own backsides and evading exposure, than they are interested in engaging in constructive dialog with their critics.
They at one point might have been victims, but now they are knowingly complicit to DM's evil plans.
Cults are always such a sad situation.
Personally, I tend to focus on "cutting off the blood supply" via education and prevention rather than getting those who are in, out.
The days the kidnapping and "deprogramming" are over (as opposed to exit counseling), and I think that is a good thing.
Obviously I feel that depriving people of their liberties, even temporarily, is wrong, no matter the purpose.
That's why I focus on helping the public to exercise informed consent with respect to learning about these groups.
The sooner they go to Kenya together the better IMO. At least they won't be running around trying to mentally molest anybody else's kids any more.
The way I see it, the Jesus Christians really do not know what they believe, other than that 1) They are personally and spiritually superior to the rest of The Church, as well as to society in general and 2) (related to 1) that everybody is a hypocrite except for them. Jesus Christian belief and world view seem to pretty much boil down to those two points.
The Jesus Christians' members like to freely spread the thought amongst themselves that no one on the earth holds a valid view point on any subject except for members of their group.
Most people would (and do) respond to that arrogant idea by simply saying, “they’re crazy.”
I am of the opinion that Mr. and Mrs. McKay are very disappointed that they didn't become major "players" who got to lead a "movement" of their own.
From Armageddon for Beginners:
Solomon was a good man; but he can't hold a candle to Christ. Nor can anyone who was ever born. As Christ said in prophecies about the last days, people will find many replacements for the true Messiah. (Matthew 24:24) But when they do, their replacement (whoever it may be) becomes an antichrist. (I John 2:18; II John 6-7) The so-called Christian church would rather follow St. Paul, or the Pope, or Billy Graham, or, for that matter, Solomon, than to follow Christ.
See also
The Fall of America,
Just Do It! and
Bin Raiders for writings about Billy Graham.
The Jesus Christians, in like manner, are following David McKay rather than following Christ.
But it's hard to see the picture when you're in the frame, right?
Mr. McKay is implying something in the above texts about how God chose Billy Graham to be an apostle and raise up communities, but Graham chose to defile his conscience in the pursuit of world renown as an evangelist. McKay is basically saying that Billy Graham loves power and fame more than his calling.
In talking in such a disparaging manner about Billy Graham, Mr. McKay gives a really good definition of himself, as it is obvious to me that he loves power and acclaim.
However, the Jesus Christians' "know it all attitude" thankfully only puts people off, and attracts only a mere unfortunate few.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2009 11:53AM by zeuszor.