As an evangelical christianity survivor, I am familiar with the tactics that all cults use to recruit and retain their members ... from love-bombing, to 'the evil out there', to "we are the protective fold", to separation from parents/family who question it, etc ... in short the whole "Problem-Reaction-Solution" thing used at all levels in society by those thirsty for power over others - ie: psychos.
I am seriously concerned for my seven grand-children (aged 2-9) who are entering the school-indoctrination system. At least they're not in America but it's coming to Europe. As a parent and grand-parent the issue outlined in the article above is what keeps me awake at night. I hope I can rise to the challenge and find the right words to say in the right way at the right time. This article will help me; thank you.
I's scary, and scary how quickly "postive" mantras (like "my body, my choice") are twisted and weaponised to serve certain agendas of control and confusion. Normal teenage identity angst has been hijacked by the narrative of "gender dysphoria" - replete not only with its murderous pharma-product-'solutions', but also driving a wedge between families - like covid did.
Thank you for bringing clarity and insight to a very complex topic. This summary is excellent (I will order the book). I hope this heightens the awareness of how corrupt and insidious the efforts of these “cultists” are to pollute the minds of children and deceive the masses. I am sad for the innocent children whose lives have been forever altered by predators and those who are supposed to protect them — teachers, schools, doctors, legal and governmental authorities, and in some cases, even the parents.
Interesting. My first thought was that the book might make interesting reading. Then I read the introduction. I have a familiarity with both Marxism and Gnosticism from my past readings, and I grew up in a cult. I explored Gnosticism as a potential spiritual path for a time in my late 40s to early 50s before moving on to other things.
I can see the point the authors are making. But even setting aside questions of 'what is Gnosticism' and 'what is a cult', after reading I was left with an odd feeling. I couldn't identify it at first, but then I looked at what I had been reading in terms of "divide and conquer", and it occurred to me that the authors might be presenting the "Queer Cult" as oppressor and society (or at least "Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, School Principals" not to mention the children) as the oppressed.
At that point I had to change the subject since it was early Easter morning and the choir I am in had anthems to sing, and call time was approaching. But this afternoon, reviewing the introduction again, yes, this might be happening, recursively.
Again and again I read or hear about how the problem is this or the problem is that, the finger inevitably pointing at something or somebody else. And again and again I attempt to point to the possibility that the problem lies with us as much as with anybody else, and that it is one that we can't solve on our own. I can tell you that this is not a popular way to look at things.
In the worldview I hold to, finger pointing can be traced back to Adam saying “the woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate" and Eve coming back with “the serpent deceived me, and I ate”. (Genesis 3:12-13). Finger pointing aside, Eve's reply approaches more closely to the truth that we are subject to the influence of something that is not us, the root problem for which we are not equipped to solve on our own. Our problem is that we endlessly try to solve it ourselves.
Today might be a good day to suggest that the root problem is that for which Jesus came to us and solved. Now I know that this is nonsense to many people, or foolishness as the Apostle Paul liked to call it, but what things do people choose to believe instead? Are those things any less foolish? Might it be worthwhile to look into a bit of foolishness that offers an exit from trying the same things over and over again, expecting a different result?
First, the cult. The cult is a group of interest composed of individuals sharing some visions and pursuing some shared goals.
Drivers are a cult, with a special sect of EV drivers coming recently to prominence. They all share similar rituals apparent mostly through circular gestures of hands and push-release foot cycles. They tend to isolate from the society in closed cans. They follow their own rules, marked clearly with white lines, color lights and special appointed elites who control the movement of the drivers cult. Disobedience is punished by fines, ban of the privilege of belonging to the drivers cult and being banished to non-drivers. Sever disobedience may be punished by seizure of the car and/or lifetime ban to non-drivers.
Drivers are not allowed to behave like non-drivers: they cannot communicate their needs by voice or hand movements, and obligatorily must use strong lights and loud sound systems. Non-drivers are expected to know the rules by drivers live, under penalty of fines, imprisonment or losing life, usually on the spot, by the hand of the driver (actually by his/her car).
Drivers are not allowed to enjoy life in its basic forms: drinking alcohol, smoking, talking over phone or texting are the activities strongly forbidden in the car and even outside of it - which is often checked with sophisticated equipment and punished mercilessly.
Drivers tend to be reckless and dangerous to their communities, killing large numbers of non-drivers every year. Since most decision-makers belong to the drivers cult, these killings are not particularly investigated. So far, nobody has been brave enough to demand disbanding the drivers cult.
Comparatively then, there's a cult of home cooks, complete with secret recipes and sauces, rules about cooking temperature and jargon like saute and braise? Non cooks unwelcome. Or a cult of gardeners or hikers or people with hair versus bald people?
As with drivers, it seems to me these differ from the article you are commenting on in that minors who can't yet even drive by law are permitted to remove body parts and take drugs that will permanently alter their bodies and prevent procreation.
For those of us too simple minded to understand- those not in the Dan cult - what are you trying to say? I'd genuinely like to understand the point you're trying to make since you went to the trouble of writing about it.
I think you do Gnosticism a disservice by a) perpetuating a misrepresentation of it, b) labelling it a cult, and c) associating it with what obviously is a cultish promotion and application of an ideology. The statement that Gnosticism was a 'secular faith system' that had 'controlling, isolating effects on adherents' suggests an awareness of that school of thought based on a stereotype rather than based on research. It's a pity that a more fitting example of a known cult wasn't chosen, it's not like there aren't enough to choose from, as the rest of the article is an excellent and valuable analysis.
This explanation of Gnosticism has been perpetuated by fundamentalist Christians (naturally, as it goes against their Papist dogma) and is a distortion of Gnosticism.
The essence of my response (in the form of a separate article - it came out much longer than I expected) was to show a different “cult” to which most of adult people belong. The drivers cult actually does recruitment, vey persuasive, and very merciless. Once you are in, you will bring in enormous money to the drivers cult, and you will be so programmed that you won’t want to leave. Hey, what are you talking about?
My point is that we use wrong words to describe specific phenomena or events.
To answer your accusation: I am not offended by this article. I view this article as one huge misunderstanding. Sophisticated language won’t help. Referring to the “bad guys” as a sign of authority won’t help.
Everything in this article is wrong, and it is so because the departure points are wrongly marked.
Oh, so you WERE offended! We all have our opinions and thanks for sharing yours. But I thought the article was RIGHT ON and was very accurate in pointing out how this Marxist/Queer movement exemplifies a cult. On the other hand, characterizing “driving” as a cult is a long stretch. Again just my opinion.
Just read your article (noted in your link). Your writing is incisive and clear; you made some excellent points. Thank you for taking the time and energy to formulate such a well thought out response. You have inspired me to be more thoughtful myself in my own community comments, Dan.
Frankly speaking, I am terrified by how fast we as a group of people gathered together at a certain place and time (like shopping) are losing the capacity to talk to each other. Almost every word can be misunderstood, taken as an offence, taken as a challenge, taken as a provocation or open hostility. Obviously, this can escalate in an instant when the two persons are clearly different (age, size, sex, color, clothing, hairstyle, glasses, whatever). Our streets are becoming a war zone in which all fighters are mixed together.
My view is that we cannot change it directly by indicating what is wrong - it will spiral up the moods. Long time ago, I chose to say what I really mean and use the words as close to it as possible.
The first month or so was a nightmare. I was angry with myself. I could not talk to myself without false meanings or different meanings in words vs. undertones. Pretty quick, I understood how difficult I could be for others. No wonder 20-year-old marriages split over trifle misunderstandings.
After this short intro period, something “clicked” in my mind and this being aware of my own intentions translated into words has never been any problem since then. I felt as if I had two modes of communication programmed in my mind: “lazy” is activated by default, while “respectful” is a request-only option - but it’s free :-)
The essay brings to mind Obama and his cult of community activism/activists, and all that has flowed from it.
As an evangelical christianity survivor, I am familiar with the tactics that all cults use to recruit and retain their members ... from love-bombing, to 'the evil out there', to "we are the protective fold", to separation from parents/family who question it, etc ... in short the whole "Problem-Reaction-Solution" thing used at all levels in society by those thirsty for power over others - ie: psychos.
I am seriously concerned for my seven grand-children (aged 2-9) who are entering the school-indoctrination system. At least they're not in America but it's coming to Europe. As a parent and grand-parent the issue outlined in the article above is what keeps me awake at night. I hope I can rise to the challenge and find the right words to say in the right way at the right time. This article will help me; thank you.
My friends in Rome said their kids call em fascist for not jumping on board w this .
The indoctrination is everywhere
I's scary, and scary how quickly "postive" mantras (like "my body, my choice") are twisted and weaponised to serve certain agendas of control and confusion. Normal teenage identity angst has been hijacked by the narrative of "gender dysphoria" - replete not only with its murderous pharma-product-'solutions', but also driving a wedge between families - like covid did.
Thank you for bringing clarity and insight to a very complex topic. This summary is excellent (I will order the book). I hope this heightens the awareness of how corrupt and insidious the efforts of these “cultists” are to pollute the minds of children and deceive the masses. I am sad for the innocent children whose lives have been forever altered by predators and those who are supposed to protect them — teachers, schools, doctors, legal and governmental authorities, and in some cases, even the parents.
Interesting. My first thought was that the book might make interesting reading. Then I read the introduction. I have a familiarity with both Marxism and Gnosticism from my past readings, and I grew up in a cult. I explored Gnosticism as a potential spiritual path for a time in my late 40s to early 50s before moving on to other things.
I can see the point the authors are making. But even setting aside questions of 'what is Gnosticism' and 'what is a cult', after reading I was left with an odd feeling. I couldn't identify it at first, but then I looked at what I had been reading in terms of "divide and conquer", and it occurred to me that the authors might be presenting the "Queer Cult" as oppressor and society (or at least "Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, School Principals" not to mention the children) as the oppressed.
At that point I had to change the subject since it was early Easter morning and the choir I am in had anthems to sing, and call time was approaching. But this afternoon, reviewing the introduction again, yes, this might be happening, recursively.
Again and again I read or hear about how the problem is this or the problem is that, the finger inevitably pointing at something or somebody else. And again and again I attempt to point to the possibility that the problem lies with us as much as with anybody else, and that it is one that we can't solve on our own. I can tell you that this is not a popular way to look at things.
In the worldview I hold to, finger pointing can be traced back to Adam saying “the woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate" and Eve coming back with “the serpent deceived me, and I ate”. (Genesis 3:12-13). Finger pointing aside, Eve's reply approaches more closely to the truth that we are subject to the influence of something that is not us, the root problem for which we are not equipped to solve on our own. Our problem is that we endlessly try to solve it ourselves.
Today might be a good day to suggest that the root problem is that for which Jesus came to us and solved. Now I know that this is nonsense to many people, or foolishness as the Apostle Paul liked to call it, but what things do people choose to believe instead? Are those things any less foolish? Might it be worthwhile to look into a bit of foolishness that offers an exit from trying the same things over and over again, expecting a different result?
Very well said!
My Mystery Cult. The Covidian cult explained in song. Watch the music video: https://turfseer.substack.com/p/my-mystery-cult
Documenting the current zeitgeist seems rather a "Studs Terkel meets Kraft-Ebbing" proposition.
We are mystery babylon
So many one-sided views of complex ideas.
First, the cult. The cult is a group of interest composed of individuals sharing some visions and pursuing some shared goals.
Drivers are a cult, with a special sect of EV drivers coming recently to prominence. They all share similar rituals apparent mostly through circular gestures of hands and push-release foot cycles. They tend to isolate from the society in closed cans. They follow their own rules, marked clearly with white lines, color lights and special appointed elites who control the movement of the drivers cult. Disobedience is punished by fines, ban of the privilege of belonging to the drivers cult and being banished to non-drivers. Sever disobedience may be punished by seizure of the car and/or lifetime ban to non-drivers.
Drivers are not allowed to behave like non-drivers: they cannot communicate their needs by voice or hand movements, and obligatorily must use strong lights and loud sound systems. Non-drivers are expected to know the rules by drivers live, under penalty of fines, imprisonment or losing life, usually on the spot, by the hand of the driver (actually by his/her car).
Drivers are not allowed to enjoy life in its basic forms: drinking alcohol, smoking, talking over phone or texting are the activities strongly forbidden in the car and even outside of it - which is often checked with sophisticated equipment and punished mercilessly.
Drivers tend to be reckless and dangerous to their communities, killing large numbers of non-drivers every year. Since most decision-makers belong to the drivers cult, these killings are not particularly investigated. So far, nobody has been brave enough to demand disbanding the drivers cult.
Read more here:
https://thepathishere.substack.com/p/the-drivers-cult
Your logic of “drivers as a cult” is lame. Drivers don’t “recruit” others and ruin their lives. Why are you so offended by this article?
Thank you for the compliment, appreciation and respect.
I also like it that you so precisely know my feelings about the article without even understanding the essence of my text.
What a terrific display of narcissism and cult bullying, Dan.
This story is much longer than one sentence or one comment. Why jumping to conclusions so early?
Comparatively then, there's a cult of home cooks, complete with secret recipes and sauces, rules about cooking temperature and jargon like saute and braise? Non cooks unwelcome. Or a cult of gardeners or hikers or people with hair versus bald people?
As with drivers, it seems to me these differ from the article you are commenting on in that minors who can't yet even drive by law are permitted to remove body parts and take drugs that will permanently alter their bodies and prevent procreation.
For those of us too simple minded to understand- those not in the Dan cult - what are you trying to say? I'd genuinely like to understand the point you're trying to make since you went to the trouble of writing about it.
Thank you for this response. I have just posted a longer explanation. It is a long text, so I did not want to hijack the space in comments here.
https://thepathishere.substack.com/p/wrong-names-wrong-results
I hope you will like my conclusions...
I responded to you there
I think you do Gnosticism a disservice by a) perpetuating a misrepresentation of it, b) labelling it a cult, and c) associating it with what obviously is a cultish promotion and application of an ideology. The statement that Gnosticism was a 'secular faith system' that had 'controlling, isolating effects on adherents' suggests an awareness of that school of thought based on a stereotype rather than based on research. It's a pity that a more fitting example of a known cult wasn't chosen, it's not like there aren't enough to choose from, as the rest of the article is an excellent and valuable analysis.
The roots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_mJfcZ8rYI
Workers of the World, UNITE!
FIGHT PATRIARCHY!
This explanation of Gnosticism has been perpetuated by fundamentalist Christians (naturally, as it goes against their Papist dogma) and is a distortion of Gnosticism.
Not interest in debating, those who wish to know more can read about it here http://gnosis.org/gnintro.htm
There's many sects of Gnosticism, my particular favorite is Valentinianism http://gnosis.org/library/valentinus/Brief_Summary_Theology.htm as it rings more true to me. YMMV.
Well, maybe I misunderstood. I apologize .
The essence of my response (in the form of a separate article - it came out much longer than I expected) was to show a different “cult” to which most of adult people belong. The drivers cult actually does recruitment, vey persuasive, and very merciless. Once you are in, you will bring in enormous money to the drivers cult, and you will be so programmed that you won’t want to leave. Hey, what are you talking about?
My point is that we use wrong words to describe specific phenomena or events.
To answer your accusation: I am not offended by this article. I view this article as one huge misunderstanding. Sophisticated language won’t help. Referring to the “bad guys” as a sign of authority won’t help.
Everything in this article is wrong, and it is so because the departure points are wrongly marked.
Read more here to understand why I say this: https://thepathishere.substack.com/p/wrong-names-wrong-results
Oh, so you WERE offended! We all have our opinions and thanks for sharing yours. But I thought the article was RIGHT ON and was very accurate in pointing out how this Marxist/Queer movement exemplifies a cult. On the other hand, characterizing “driving” as a cult is a long stretch. Again just my opinion.
Just read your article (noted in your link). Your writing is incisive and clear; you made some excellent points. Thank you for taking the time and energy to formulate such a well thought out response. You have inspired me to be more thoughtful myself in my own community comments, Dan.
I appreciate your kind spirit. Bless you.
Barbara, thank you for coming back.
Frankly speaking, I am terrified by how fast we as a group of people gathered together at a certain place and time (like shopping) are losing the capacity to talk to each other. Almost every word can be misunderstood, taken as an offence, taken as a challenge, taken as a provocation or open hostility. Obviously, this can escalate in an instant when the two persons are clearly different (age, size, sex, color, clothing, hairstyle, glasses, whatever). Our streets are becoming a war zone in which all fighters are mixed together.
My view is that we cannot change it directly by indicating what is wrong - it will spiral up the moods. Long time ago, I chose to say what I really mean and use the words as close to it as possible.
The first month or so was a nightmare. I was angry with myself. I could not talk to myself without false meanings or different meanings in words vs. undertones. Pretty quick, I understood how difficult I could be for others. No wonder 20-year-old marriages split over trifle misunderstandings.
After this short intro period, something “clicked” in my mind and this being aware of my own intentions translated into words has never been any problem since then. I felt as if I had two modes of communication programmed in my mind: “lazy” is activated by default, while “respectful” is a request-only option - but it’s free :-)
Best regards for you,
Dan
Thank you Dan!
this would be so much more effective if it were less mixed up with various terms.