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no friend of landmark
The Church, Temple and Mosques give to the poor, feed the homeless, run soup kitchens, fund hospitals, etc. Landmark does what with the money they get?????
great question for someone who reasons as seanK does, but I won't hold my breath waiting for an answer.
My lekkie friend used to recite the exact words of SeanK to me about how landmark and churches are the same. I too couldn't reason with her about how different any type of church is, from what landmark really is.
One day, without actually expecting any cooperation from my friend, I invited her to come to church with me. I didn't invite her with the intention of converting her, I wanted to see if she would recognize any differences between a landmark gig, and a church service. I wanted to see if she'd react the same way in a church setting that I saw her 'reacting' at a landmark thing she had attempted to
enroll me in. I also wanted her to see a church that actually supported charities, funded hospitals, and feeds homeless people everyday five days a week, year round, unconditionally. I thought she'd see, and come to appreciate the fundamental differences between landmarks motivations, and the general intentions of a church. I mean a church that is transparent, and financially accountable to the people that support it.
She agreed to come with me, and she sat weeping quietly the whole time we were there. She had no explanation as to why she could not stop her tears, but she dismissed it all after her next landmark homework 'party'. It was very surprising for me to see how she was affected, because I thought she had been totally shut off emotionally by that stage of her involvement with landmark.
In any case, she lost her argument, because she saw that landmark cannot be compared to any church. The tears were not a one time thing either, she came a second time with me, to a different church, and her tears started as soon as we walked in the door. Again, uncontrollable and unexplained tears. Just the fact that no one came up and put her down, or psychologically thrashed her for having emotions, should have told her that she was in a place really different from a Landmark show. It should have seemed odd to her that her tears were not used as a deadly weapon against her by anyone in attendance, not even the leader of the church. Sadly, her unexplained tears didn't cause her to try to figure anything out for herself, because landmark doesn't let its followers think..about anything. Its all about programmed control, rehearsed behavior, and maniacal $$ driven recruitment activity. It is an amoral entity that operates as a business, but cons its followers into believing it has the Power of God. Even the lekkies who don't believe in God worship and serve landmark like it is a power much greater than they are. If I were an atheist, I'd want something other than landmark to surrender myself to. Landmark's idea of leadership is a bit too demeaning for my liking.
I haven't seen any people treated the way landmark treats its customers, at any of the churches I've attended, and I've never been told by any church leader that the worth of my integrity rests on how many people I recruit for the church.
When I've questioned the beliefs and teachings of my church, I was given food for thought in a very respectful manner, not threats and belittling for being 'uncoachable'. When I was still questioning, I was still welcome in church, and I was still free to ask whatever questions I had, whenever I wanted. More importantly, I've always been free to come and go as I choose. How would landmark treat someone that did all of the above?
Also, if I want to know how my church spends the money it collects from its members, I just have to ask to see the yearly financial statements, and its all there...I don't get ridiculed or berated for asking either. Nor would I be threatened with legal action for asking for accountability. Nuff said.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2009 02:23PM by ON2 LF.