Loved everything about this post and the photo (lol on the "careful snakes and poison ivy"). You know you're an adult when you can see the cults you've been a member of. Mine were the Democratic party and, oddly enough, a local garden club! No deviation from the groupthink. (Gosh, most HOAs fit in that category as well...) Thank you so much for this!
Good article. Makes a person think. And when this person thinks about it, based on the definition, of cult, it's obvious that we're living in a gigantic one in the U.S. We're in the US cult, masquerading as good, eliciting evil wherever we go.
No offense but... "The truth is that any form of authoritarian control—any type of "government," whether constitutional, democratic, socialist, fascist, or anything else—will result in a set of masters forcibly oppressing a group of slaves. That is what "authority" is—all it ever has been, and all it ever could be, no matter how many layers of euphemisms and pleasant rhetoric are used in an attempt to hide it." -Larken Rose, The Most Dangerous Superstition
Nice shoes! Our four year old would love to add those to her Fancy Nancy collection of fabulous footwear for dress up!
As a former cult member TWO TIMES OVER, I can say how it easy it is to be drawn in. I was in an ACTUAL yoga cult, and there was nothing good about it. I am grateful I got out and I think (hope) I finally learned my lesson, but I do stay vigilant. Regular self-reflection about my thoughts and beliefs are an impotant part of my vigilance. "Why do I believe what I believe? What is the evidence for what I believe? Who else believes what I believe and how accepting am I and other with my beliefs about differing persepctives?" I have a long history of believing false things about myself and the world, and it led to a lot of heartache and damage for myself and people I love. Thanks for the insightful essays!
Jenny Glick - "The only difference between a cult and a culture is its size." Amen to that Jenny!
Jenna - my sister and I (very briefly) thought about sending a copy of your book to our brothers. But then we came back down to earth and realized it would just start the nastiness all over again once they read my essay in particular. Jenny's essay was one I would have highlighted for them.
I pray that your book may indeed soften some hearts and change some minds. If nothing else, it will plant seeds. It's up to God to help them grow.
Think for yourself. Realize you are not all-knowing, all-wise, that others might also have insights and perspectives that might be helpful or even wise. It's your job to discern the difference between the bull and the bullshit. Look for evidence, not opinions or suspicions. And above all, make sure the snakes and poison ivy you encounter are careful. Jenna, those flaming pink shoes are the definition of lethal weapons. Remind me never to get on your bad side!
As an ex cult member, I couldn't relate more to this great article, in fact I have a similar list of red flags in my book "Rising from the Ashes of Jehovah's Witnesses" - therefore I saw a huge cult influence with the jab and did a massive swerve! Isis Allthings aka The Past Life Detective
I liked this line: "[good cult...] how we foster a sense of belonging through supporting individual thought, respectful discourse, and the amicable honoring of difference. "
Individual thought without ridicule is a rare thing these days.
I would argue (or agree) that we have several cults now representing our fractured society (mass formation psychosis). Are you a republican that can have a discussion with a democrat or democrat that can talk openly with a republican? Will you vote for one party without questioning if they deserve your vote?
This was a great article and brought up many memories of my personal experience during "covid".
There were a lot of uneasy things about covid from the start, but it took me at least three months to cotton on... the inability to question anything, the removal and deplatforming of qualified experts who differed from the narrative seemed super odd, and rang some alarm bells deep in my gut, especially once the low infection fatality ratio was well known, yet the "carry on" was just insane as if there was 100% death rate or something.
I had studied a little microbiology many years ago, and when they said the solution was genetic tinkering inside your cells, interfering with a crucial system of cellular communication and health, and making cells pump out a non self protein... WTF?? The final straw... Something deadly crazy and deadly evil was afoot.
I had also studied psychology at uni to fill up some degree units, and I could see elements of the Asch conformity experiment and Milgram Authority experiment being deliberately engineered via the media and public officials... and the grip upon many friends, and bosses (who gleefully mandated this poison) to a fever pitch.
A lot of books I had been forced to read at school (I had to read "1984", in 1984!! Brave New World, even Lord of the Flies, holy crap they were important after all).
Even old TV shows and movies, made as warnings of dystopia, and authoritarianism, probably helped too... I must admit an old TV show called "The Prisoner" where the main character undergoes a rigorous psyop in every episode came flooding back to me, as I felt like I was in a "unreal" set up, where people were acting oddly, especially those in power once early facts about "covid" were known.
Anyway it certainly made me reflect on why I am where I am about covid today... this was a great article from Jenny... I'm forwarding on many times, to some people who REALLY need to read this!
(and I can bet they still won't understand)
I was reading another Substack that 7 News in Australia has started taking down much of their propaganda *cough, sorry* "News stories" about covid and the protesters (many who were beat up and shot at with rubber bullets by hysterical police, in Melbourne, the worst place to be during covid)... Of course these "news stories" were about demonizing anyone questioning mandates or ridiculously long lockdowns throw as much divisive name calling as you can into these supposed news stories "far right, fascists, antivaxxers" it was appalling...Seven even did a morning show story "How to treat the unvaccinated this Christmas " pure vomit... Now they're sheepishly deleting many of these stories... Cult regret??
Loved everything about this post and the photo (lol on the "careful snakes and poison ivy"). You know you're an adult when you can see the cults you've been a member of. Mine were the Democratic party and, oddly enough, a local garden club! No deviation from the groupthink. (Gosh, most HOAs fit in that category as well...) Thank you so much for this!
College sorority comes pretty close too.
Oh yes. Once you start looking, cults are everywhere! :-)
Good article. Makes a person think. And when this person thinks about it, based on the definition, of cult, it's obvious that we're living in a gigantic one in the U.S. We're in the US cult, masquerading as good, eliciting evil wherever we go.
There are some of us who just do not fit in...Thank God...
Now I have a question. What is this pink shoes issue? Hot pink? My wife would look good in hot pink!!!
No offense but... "The truth is that any form of authoritarian control—any type of "government," whether constitutional, democratic, socialist, fascist, or anything else—will result in a set of masters forcibly oppressing a group of slaves. That is what "authority" is—all it ever has been, and all it ever could be, no matter how many layers of euphemisms and pleasant rhetoric are used in an attempt to hide it." -Larken Rose, The Most Dangerous Superstition
Nice shoes! Our four year old would love to add those to her Fancy Nancy collection of fabulous footwear for dress up!
The Most Dangerous Superstition was one of the pivotal books in my life.
I think I am in a cult. I might be The Cult. I think everyone who doesn't agree with me doesn't have the ability to think critically. Well, shit.
Hahahahahaha same THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. ;)
As a former cult member TWO TIMES OVER, I can say how it easy it is to be drawn in. I was in an ACTUAL yoga cult, and there was nothing good about it. I am grateful I got out and I think (hope) I finally learned my lesson, but I do stay vigilant. Regular self-reflection about my thoughts and beliefs are an impotant part of my vigilance. "Why do I believe what I believe? What is the evidence for what I believe? Who else believes what I believe and how accepting am I and other with my beliefs about differing persepctives?" I have a long history of believing false things about myself and the world, and it led to a lot of heartache and damage for myself and people I love. Thanks for the insightful essays!
Jenny Glick - "The only difference between a cult and a culture is its size." Amen to that Jenny!
Jenna - my sister and I (very briefly) thought about sending a copy of your book to our brothers. But then we came back down to earth and realized it would just start the nastiness all over again once they read my essay in particular. Jenny's essay was one I would have highlighted for them.
I pray that your book may indeed soften some hearts and change some minds. If nothing else, it will plant seeds. It's up to God to help them grow.
♥♥ I really hope things look up for your relationship, but if it doesn't, it is what it is and you have done everything you can. ♥
Think for yourself. Realize you are not all-knowing, all-wise, that others might also have insights and perspectives that might be helpful or even wise. It's your job to discern the difference between the bull and the bullshit. Look for evidence, not opinions or suspicions. And above all, make sure the snakes and poison ivy you encounter are careful. Jenna, those flaming pink shoes are the definition of lethal weapons. Remind me never to get on your bad side!
♥"It's your job to discern the difference between the bull and the bullshit". YES!
What a fun read!
I didn’t mean to think of *Jiminy Glick the whole time I was reading, but it actually made it funnier!😂
(*a Martin Short character from SNL)
As an ex cult member, I couldn't relate more to this great article, in fact I have a similar list of red flags in my book "Rising from the Ashes of Jehovah's Witnesses" - therefore I saw a huge cult influence with the jab and did a massive swerve! Isis Allthings aka The Past Life Detective
There you go again, separating the wheat from the chaff.
Thanks, Jenna McCarthy.
Wow, that was REALLY good. Thank you!
I did have a sickening feeling while reading about cults. Side effect, I am sure.
Ok, now I understand why I do not fit in anymore. I never did. Cults are shunable. I am in the cult of shunning asshats!!! Ha!!!
I liked this line: "[good cult...] how we foster a sense of belonging through supporting individual thought, respectful discourse, and the amicable honoring of difference. "
Individual thought without ridicule is a rare thing these days.
I would argue (or agree) that we have several cults now representing our fractured society (mass formation psychosis). Are you a republican that can have a discussion with a democrat or democrat that can talk openly with a republican? Will you vote for one party without questioning if they deserve your vote?
This was a great article and brought up many memories of my personal experience during "covid".
There were a lot of uneasy things about covid from the start, but it took me at least three months to cotton on... the inability to question anything, the removal and deplatforming of qualified experts who differed from the narrative seemed super odd, and rang some alarm bells deep in my gut, especially once the low infection fatality ratio was well known, yet the "carry on" was just insane as if there was 100% death rate or something.
I had studied a little microbiology many years ago, and when they said the solution was genetic tinkering inside your cells, interfering with a crucial system of cellular communication and health, and making cells pump out a non self protein... WTF?? The final straw... Something deadly crazy and deadly evil was afoot.
I had also studied psychology at uni to fill up some degree units, and I could see elements of the Asch conformity experiment and Milgram Authority experiment being deliberately engineered via the media and public officials... and the grip upon many friends, and bosses (who gleefully mandated this poison) to a fever pitch.
A lot of books I had been forced to read at school (I had to read "1984", in 1984!! Brave New World, even Lord of the Flies, holy crap they were important after all).
Even old TV shows and movies, made as warnings of dystopia, and authoritarianism, probably helped too... I must admit an old TV show called "The Prisoner" where the main character undergoes a rigorous psyop in every episode came flooding back to me, as I felt like I was in a "unreal" set up, where people were acting oddly, especially those in power once early facts about "covid" were known.
Anyway it certainly made me reflect on why I am where I am about covid today... this was a great article from Jenny... I'm forwarding on many times, to some people who REALLY need to read this!
(and I can bet they still won't understand)
I was reading another Substack that 7 News in Australia has started taking down much of their propaganda *cough, sorry* "News stories" about covid and the protesters (many who were beat up and shot at with rubber bullets by hysterical police, in Melbourne, the worst place to be during covid)... Of course these "news stories" were about demonizing anyone questioning mandates or ridiculously long lockdowns throw as much divisive name calling as you can into these supposed news stories "far right, fascists, antivaxxers" it was appalling...Seven even did a morning show story "How to treat the unvaccinated this Christmas " pure vomit... Now they're sheepishly deleting many of these stories... Cult regret??
https://youtu.be/xj8DeDaSOGo?si=7VwMB69dlRt15C_3
Imagine living in Melbourne during covid... crazy scenes... Like an authoritarian cult had taken over, and would not permit questions 🤔??
https://www.bitchute.com/video/0BZGfx6v819x
Probably why 60,000 people decided to make the uncomfortable and expensive decision to flee during 2020 to 2021... Fleeing the cult?!!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-09/melbourne-population-falling-still-on-track-biggest-city/100949158
Great essay. A lot to think about there. Could you be in a cult if you think Biden should be on Mt. Rushmore?🤔