Who are top cults today?

[jetc57]

Pardon me for going back to page one, but i hadnt read this thread before.

I assume you meant your brother showed you a book...that it wasn't a book written by your brother. Not that he is not capable of writing a book; I know nothing about him...just deducing from the way you posted. If so, I am mildly curious who wrote and/or put out that book way back then. CFNI sponsored my (future) wife's family when they came to the U.S, leading to our many excursions to TX over the years.

Anyway, the above list sounds pretty similar to what my deprogrammers threw at me. All the above named groups and others (such as Scientology) were on their "list". Now, in theory, Jesus Christ being God or not was not a factor, or so I was told...ithe methods used were supposed to define a group as a cult or not. However, in practice, it was no doubt a factor; certainly in my case, and related to the Lutheran Church through which my deprogramming was instigated.

It was in the late 70s, and I'm sorry but I don't remember who wrote the book. I do remember it was written by several people not just one author. I might try, but no, my brother did not write the book, and I would happily tell you my brother does not have the capabilities to write a book.

I'm wondering if you might care to share about your 'deprogramming' experience. Were you one of those who were kidnapped by Ted Patrick and his gang? I have a friend who still now lives in MA who was kidnapped by Ted Patrick. She was put through days of 'Jesus Christ IS God, or you worship with the Anti-christ' retorick. CFN (Christ for the Nations) has a Bible College in Dallas Texas. They are still going strong today.

[Lifted Up]

NO it wasnt Ted Patrick...it was a bunch that was a little less extreme than I hear he was. However there was still the kidnapping and holding against my will. The harassment was not too much physical but a lot of verbal...usually several on me at once, never "one on one".

Yea, Ias I said, I know about CFN. They still hold the trust to my wife's family's house they got when they came to the U.S. in 1983 as one of the two "Siberian Seven" families.

[TheInvisibleDan]

What an intensely weird experience the "Deprogramming" must have been.

As bad as the Way was, I still can't see the justification for such

barbaric actions. I've always been under the impression that there were very

few deprogramming successes among Way people.

Danny

[Oakspear]

I was under that impression as well, but then again, I've personally met only three people on whom it was attempted: Lifted Up - successful; the Nebraska Limb Secretary in 1981 - successful; a ninth corps guy from western Nebraska - unsuccessful. So my personal experience is that it worked on 2/3 of those it was tried on. Not a scientific poll, I know, but could it be that TWI made sure that we knew about the deprogramming failures, and ignored the successes?

[Lifted Up]

May I add that successful in terms of getting the person out isnt necessarily successful in terms of the person's well being.

[GarthP2000]

Oak,

How was the deprogramming incident successful on Lifted Up? Lifted Up, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you get out and didn't succumb to the attempt?

Also, as Lifted pointed out, keep in mind that even if they were 'gotten out', in many cases the 'cultee's' belief system/attitude didn't really change that much, and often their relations with their family was damaged for the worse.

I do know that that would have been the case with me if I was deprogrammed. Without a doubt.

[TheInvisibleDan]

I personally knew of two people, neither upon which the deprogramming worked.

One with whom I was a "spiritual partner" in the Corp.

What a brutal experience he went through.

[Rachel]

Christian Identity.

White Nazi-Like So called Christians.

They believe all other races are impure and will be exterminated,

Hopefully by them.

Rachel

[def59]

Deprogramming is so wrong. My parents were thinking about it once on me.

[Oakspear]

May I add that successful in terms of getting the person out isnt necessarily successful in terms of the person's well being.

Yup...In use the term successful advisedly...I mean that the deprogrammers succeeded in getting the person out

Excuse me, Lifted, if I was presumptuous in the use of your handle.

Edited October 25, 2005 by Oakspear

[Lifted Up]

Oak, no problem. After all, Over the years, I have mentioned my deprogramming several times.

Garth, since you have always been well aware of how I have viewed my deprogramming experience, you may have assumed that it was not "successful", that is it didn't get me out. It did, but only because from my point of view, my family was being held hostage...that is, I was not and could not be accepted as the same person while I was in TWI. It was so absolute....just as were the reason given to me as to why the deprogramming was needed, because neither I nor anyone else could ever leave TWI on my/his/her own, no matter how bad things got. So put huge, bold faced quotes around that term successful.

[Oakspear]

While there were always rumors of deprogramming attempts on Way people, I only knew of two while I was in, and one that I met here at GS. I maybe heard of two or three others mentioned by name during the time I was "in". One was featured prominantly in a Way magazine article, another was the subject of Wierwille's "By The Way" paid editorials.

Looking back, TWI would have made a big deal of every unsuccessful deprogramming. So either there wasn't that many attempts, or most of the attempts succeeded in the deprogramees getting out of TWI.

Anyway, that's the way it looks to me -_-

[Linda Z]

Of the four people I knew well who were kidnapped by deprogrammers, none left twi. All went through harrowing experiences to escape their captors.

One other woman, with whom I was only acquainted, did leave twi. I didn't much care for her when she was in, and she didn't seem that different after she was out. :)