talk about cults!
revclaire, ever hear the saying, "It's not a cult, since I'm in it"? I think that would apply to you. Southern Baptist perhaps? Foursquare? Church of Christ? Jehovah's Witness? Those are all cults in my mind.
A quote from the website that she recommends, [
www.freedomofmind.com] :
[i:ddb842588b]"Mind control" techniques are not necessarily bad. Although I typically use the term "mind control" when describing unethical and abusive social influence, many of the techniques can be used ethically to promote positive spiritual and personal growth.[/i:ddb842588b]
Translation : It's mind control when we don't like the group, yet a "technique...to promote positive spiritual and personal growth" when we do like the group.
Kind of like "regime change" as opposed to "invasion", huh? doesn't change the facts of the matter.
and I hate to say it, but most of the descriptions that people have posted here, of their loved ones being somehow "ruined" by these groups -- most of these people sound like they had a few screws loose to begin with, and you are looking for something to blame for the implosion.
anyone that goes to one of these seminars for 2 days and turns into a 100% indoctrinated robot has some serious issues to begin with.
I've been to the Sterling Weekend, and it's really not all that big a deal in my experience. Are there some nutjobs there? Sure there are. Were they nutjobs beforehand? I'm sure they were. You don't just go to a 2 day seminar, regardless of low levels of sleep and people yelling at you, and instantly become a freak -- it may trigger the inner freak that is already there, but so can a car accident, a death in the family, or watching Armageddon too many times. These guys are NOT The Process, the People's Temple, or the Branch Davidians.
Are there people that take it too far in the Men's Division? Hell yes! Just like in everything else -- most people are joiners, and get swept up in group dynamics. I've yet to see any sign of individuality-quashing tactics beyond the type of thing that ANY group activity uses. The average high school football team or fraternity does more hazing than these guys.
Personally, I think some of the content from Sterling is useful, some of it less useful, and some of it total bullshit. Which is about on par for most things, and much better than network news, politics, or organized religion.
Most of the complaints that I've read in this thread seem to be centered around secondary or tertiary accounts of events / experiences that make YOU uncomfortable, not necessarily the people involved. Who gives a rat's ass if your boyfriend prances around nude or makes phone calls at 10pm? I do agree though, if they start neglecting their life to participate in a group, ANY GROUP, they've got a problem.