It could be, but not necessarily. I'd keep an eye on it if I were you, but for now, I don't think anything more is warranted.
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoterrmoderatorTimmer: You don't make much sense here. "What the Bleep" is a psuedo-dcumentary produced by followers of New Age guru J.Z. Knight who claims to channel "Ramtha." See The inclusion of this film on the list does not mean that it is directly related to Landmark and no one said that, but rather generally connected by the genre of rather subjective
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

What makes you think that "What the Bleep" is associated with Landmark?
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteCosmophilospherUnity is so decentralized, that many of the problems are LOCAL. Like the local Unity Church where the Minister was having sex with many women. Because he stacked the board, they could not get rid of him. Aren't the boards elected? Clearly, that group needed to oust its board. QuoteWhere are the FACTS to support their outrageous claims? There are ZERO facts, just s
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteCosmophilospherIts not my opinion. There are ZERO objective facts to back up CS. Just anecdotes. Recorded accounts by the people involved of the healings that they have had, which is dismissed as invalid evidence by the "Establishment" for whatever reason. QuoteOf course people should go to doctors. But some don't because they have been "brainwashed". There ar
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuotebozmanIn theory, that is the case. However, ACIM people often do everything they can to stack the deck in their favor -- including working to get rid of ministers who don't want ACIM taught in the church. They have also gone to great lengths to keep church members ignorant of the many controversies surrounding ACIM, such as the Endeavor Academy cult (and attendant suicides), the copyr
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteSarahLQuoteDidn't the nice mainstream Catholics recently have a child abuse scnadal? As I recall, virtually none of those priests was defrocked. Yet you hold the reprehensible conduct of one Unity minister as a reason to dislike the movement, but I don't see you posting about the Catholics and their scandal. You're certainly not warning people to stay away from them. This is
Forum: Destructive Churches

Quoterrmoderator"Channeling" is frequently little more than a business scheme used to con people out of their money. Often, but not always. For example, I don't think the woman who "wrote" A Course in Miracles made any money off it. Others, maybe, but not her. She was a professor carrying out an experiment. The story is that she heard a voice telling her to write do
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I've been dealing with this guy on a couple of boards, and he is closed to any possibility that any of this could possibly work. I don't see what the point of outside tests are. Do we insist on tests to determine whether Christian prayer works? No, that's to be accepted on faith. But let someone outside the mainstream denominations demonstrate healings (as so many have done
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

QuoterrmoderatorFirst of all, if a person requires medical care this can easily be established through an examination by a qualified and trained physician, that is an MD medical doctor. People do need doctors to perform necessary surgery, administer a vaccine, anti-biotic etc. That's not the kind of doctor I'm talking about. QuoteAnd psychological problems and/or mental illnes
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

What would be the point? People who work with the principles know they work, and people like you are closed to the possibility that they could. No one is going to accomplish anything by doing this.
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

QuoteCosmophilospherChristian (Anti)Science is a complete farce, and a total lie. Mrs. Eddy did not acknowledge how much of her ideas she got from Quimby, but the ideas worked for her, for many of Quimby's other clients such as Julius Dresser, for Myrtle Fillmore, and for countless others over the years. QuoteThe damage caused to people, expecially CHILDREN, who are not given medical
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

QuoteULTAWAREHas anyone been asscociated/had other (friend/rel) experience with your (or sig other or "mon ami') employer offering (as a benefit) practitioner services from Christian Science????????? Does anyone find it intersting that Christian Science Practitioner services are sometimes offered by employers, but not the services of, say, Religious Science Practitioners or other New
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

QuoterrmoderatorPeople most often see doctors because they have training, credentials and licensing in a field and accountability. True, and there is nothing wrong with that. But to make it out as if you NEED the doctor to improve the conditions in your life is, IMO, cultic thinking. There are other kinds of counselors, helpers, healers, also trained, credentialed, and licensed, who cna help yo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteCosmophilospherAlso, CS is NOT "sound" in any way. Well, that is your opinion. I find many sound principles in CS; it needs to be open and expand beyond wehre Mr.s Eddy was, however. It's stuck. Tehre is, however, a new group calling themselves "New Christian Science" that is trying to move the philosophy beyond the place where it's stuck. The Mother Ch
Forum: Destructive Churches

What does anyone know about the Foundation of Human Understanding of Grants Pass, Oregon, and its founder and leader Roy Masters? Full disclosure: I wrote some articles several years ago that were published in a magazine that was run by Masters' son Mark.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Many people here would argue that these are the ideas of a cult. I don't agree, butif you're goign to maintain that groups like Unity are "cults," then why isn't this a cult? QuoteCognitive therapy teaches you how certain thinking patterns are causing your symptoms — by giving you a distorted picture of what's going on in your life, and making you feel anxiou
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Want to date a Randist? More information on Rand: And an intersting article on "the Ayn Rand Cult" by someone who used ot be in her circle:
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

There are many ideas in Rand that I have incorporated into my own thinking. She is one of the sharpest defenders of freedom that I have ever read. I have learned a lot from erading her. But you have to be able to evaluate her philosophy piece by piece. Certain things, such sa those that are outlined in the post at the top of this thread, are just nutty.
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

The Randists have their own organization, the Ayn Rand Institute:
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

Well, in fairness to Oprah, we are not reproducing in this country at the replacement rate. That is one of the reasons we find a need for so many immigrants, legal and illegal. (Of course, the fact that our government refuses to do a darn thing about it is a major factor, too.) So making more babies is not a bad idea.
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

QuoteCosmophilospherFirst, its a Catch-22. They believe you have to believe 100% with NO DOUBT to get a Demonstration. Not at all. You get the demonstration in proportion to what you ar eready to accept. But if you don't really believe that you'll get a million dollars, you will get a very good demonstartion of not getting it. QuoteThey also believe that Thought controls externa
Forum: Destructive Churches

Quotefrogs25the way Christian Scientist were brainwashed to think So they're brainwashed? Do you think it's possible that people join CS because they buy the philosophy? QuoteIn a nutshell she only wanted to continue practicing it because she thought my birth was a result of CS prayer. As it may well have been. Prayer can do powerful things. QuoteHer after birth challenge
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteCosmophilospherEddy flat out lied about how CS was created. She was treated by Quimby, and then stole his ideas, and changed them around a bit! Mrs. Eddy did not admit that she got a lot of her ideas from Quimby, but everyone knows it and most people knew it then. QuoteBut a "normal" religion is much preferable to the CS craziness, in my opinion. CS ha problems, like not using
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteGonzoI don't know if any one is aware of the new Law the UK wants to implement. They want to make it illegal to critise religions... This will be against the freedom of speech and cut deeply into our human rights... I am looking for more Information about this.... This is a serious violation of freedom of speech. And it opens the door to restricting speech in other areas of life, in
Forum: Terrorist and Extremist Groups

QuoteCosmophilospherHere is a fun chart, i have no idea if it is accurate. New Thought History Chart It's pretty accurate, although I would add afew things and some of the current organizational connections require updating. For example, there are about 4 branches of Religious Science now, and there may soon be another, as the Agape International Spiritual Center of Truth is divorcing
Forum: Destructive Churches

I'd still rather deal with Falun Gong than the Communist Chinese government. And the way teh government is treating them is shameful, tyrannical, and not acceptable.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotebozmanIn UNITY, unfortunately, those who would advocate the use of some sort of firewall are silenced or marginalized, at every level. I know of no one who has had such an experience. QuoteIt is taboo to openly criticize ACIM, even in some cases the extreme forms such as Endeavor Academy, or the bogus teachers who glom on to the movement such as James Twyman. Even the fake "gold-f
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuotebozmanUNITY is not a cult per se. However, because it has become so far removed from its own guiding priciples, it has become a perfect haven for cultic groups. In what way do you think it has gotten away from its principles? The Unity ministers, licensed teachers, and members I know are all teaching pretty much what they have always taught. Quote3HO, the Sai Baba groups and Endea
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteGold DustI have found so many people in the New Age movements of Channels and Gurus having financial problems. Yet, they will find a way to pay thousands of dollars to their teachers.... and let the needs of their children and self go in the name of God. That is unfortunate. Unity and the other New Thought churches do not practice channelling or have gurus or engage in psychic phenomen
Forum: Destructive Churches