I wonder how many actually recognized that the Church had carefully written their material with the sole attempt of "Mind Conditioning" and Psychological manipulation?
It's true. While perusing through the "Bulletin", which was the predecessor to the "Pastor General Report", I noticed that Garner Ted Armstrong was writing to the local Pastors about the practice the church was implementing about local church areas conducting Sex Classes. Apparently, there were long, drawn out classes on exactly how to "do it". Notice the careful wording in this segment: That there was "careful" Mind conditioning being said in the classes of the past. They were certainly well aware of exactly what they were doing, conditioning the minds of their members.
That was not all that was said about mind conditioning.
Garner Ted Armstrong, a little farther down, said clearly that the book "God Speaks Out on the New Morality" was carefully produced to condition the mind with what he called a "careful psychological approach".
This was not just a book on sex. This was a "carefully" constructed book meant to "psychologically" impact readers that Garner Ted Armstrong said could not be duplicated under "lecture" conditions.
In case you did not need any further evidence that the Worldwide Church of God was a Cult - using Cult techniques - here's something you need to read on Brainwash and Mind Control of the Cults:
Here are some points that are listed within the article:
5) CONFUSING DOCTRINE
9) UNCOMPROMISING RULES
10) VERBAL ABUSE
12) DRESS CODES
13) CHANTING OR SINGING
15) FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
16) FINGER POINTING
17) ISOLATION
21) NO QUESTIONS
22) GUILT
23) FEAR
It is clear, that by the admission of Garner Ted Armstrong, that the Worldwide Church of God was educated in the very psychological techniques they condemned as satanic or demonic. Could it be they were afraid if members learned about these techniques from psychologists, that members would be "on to them"?
It is clear that by the admission of Garner Ted Armstrong, that the Worldwide Church of God was actively involved in mind conditioning the brethren - admittedly, and knowingly using Mind Control on the members of the Church. It is clear that this conditioning was most likely not only just used on the "New Morality" booklet, but most likely by every booklet written by the church.
The Church used a careful psychological approach to brainwash the members. Yes, Garner Ted Armstrong admitted that. These booklets were not written in a way of chance. The approach was clear and fully aimed at complete control of the minds of their members for their own gains and purposes. The Worldwide Church of God was a Cult. And The Leaders of the Church knew it all along.
contributing writer SHT
19 comments:
I remember Hearing Mr. Meredith mention in an LcG sermon that they don't use mind control on members, when I heard him say that I was convinced that they were indeed using it.
They were bottom feeders, using low grade mind control, for the most part turning misfits who had little to give into tithe slaves.
Kids raised in this environment often had better education than their parents, and once they realized what was being done to them, and the huge negative their parents and church were to them in their lives, they left.
Every third sermon from my first minister was on 'obedience.' He defined 'obedience' by the way he (mis)treated members, ie, treating them as if he owned them, not having any natural rights. The repetition was pure brainwashing. My last minister used many of the same ploys, including identical wording. So the ministers discuss and share ploys to enslave their members.
Instead of teaching and practising the ten commandments, the church leaders always chose to put their trust in bully morality such as brainwashing, threats, intimidation, extortion, character assassination, slander, deceit, the game of the unjust steward, bashing members (forget due process) etc.
In bully morality we trust.
PS, about a year ago, Dave Pack wrote on his web sight that if a member is unjustly punished by a minister on account of a false accusation, that member should follow Christ's example and take it patiently. According to this article, Christ would have been on occasion unjustly accused by his brothers and sisters, resulting in punishment by his parents. I find no such account in my bible. At age 12, his parent couldn't find him for several days in Jerusalem, but no punishment is mentioned.
So ministers don't need to repent of denying members their moral/legal right to due process. Rather members need to surrender such rights.
This makes a lot of sense to me. I've been saying for years about the ministry doing goodcop badcop routine on members. Head workers trying to mess with your head.
It has never ceased to amaze me, to how stupid the ministry think the brethren are.
It is my understanding that Joe Tkach Jr. had a keen interest in, and had studied, the brainwashing techniques of "Neuro-Liguistic Programming".
you're making a mountain out of a mole hill...
"mind conditioning" is everywhere, from politics to advertising, and everything in between....baptists, methodists, catholics, protestants, all use it too.
humans like for others to agree with them, so they present their spiel in a manner that will induce agreement.
Yes, 6:54. This is what the hippies recognized, and why they attempted to resist the establishment. Unfortunately, in attempting nonconformity, they ended up with simply another form of group conformity.
The level of induced stupidity and compartmentalization in ACOG members never ceases to amaze me. One minister will tell a church kid to quit his pizza-delivery job because he is making money from selling pork products. Another minister will praise a church kid for industriousness in holding a pizza parlor job in which he must make pizzas with pork products to sell to customers. In so much of the ACOG world, there is no consistency other than "if the minister said it's OK, it's OK." This is not how you produce healthy, mature Christians.
6.54 AM
You don't understand abusive cults. Try reading Steven Hassans 'Combatting cult mind control.' What you call 'mind conditioning.' a sociologist would call socialisation (present in all cultures). The two are very different.
"you're making a mountain out of a mole hill...
"mind conditioning" is everywhere, from politics to advertising, and everything in between....baptists, methodists, catholics, protestants, all use it too."
So what you are saying is that the Church's use of worldly techniques was ok for "The True Church"? Jesus said to come out of the world, did he not? If "Mind Confitioning is employed by "the world", as you just admitted, why then does "the True Church" have to resort to such worldly tactics?
The method Jesus used has nothing to do with "Mind Conditioning", but actions of love to God and neighbor, verified by the fruits of the Spirit. The employment of positive action in love. That's the God way. Not psychological tactics to conform and brainwash the soul.
-SHT
The only mind conditioning in the old WCG was to fall asleep when someone was talking.
9:49
Who was that excellent tutor from the bible who made me millions by urging me to "speak unto the jew like the jew and greek to the greek. Best marketing advice ever. Best sales advice ever to not sell what one would not buy oneself. Indeed a golden rule.
Nck
Relating by using different facets of your experience and personality is fine, nck. But, instead of disingenuously being all things to all people, why not be honest, and be the same thing to all people? Being an effective salesman has nothing to do with being a good Christian, or Christian mentor!
So your saying it's no big deal Anon 6:54 for the Church of God to be acting exactly the same way as the outside world. Banks, advertising, politics you name it.
No big deal for a Church of Christians to be the same as these wordly institutions to be practicing wordly mind conditioning. Whats the problem ? Finding fault over nothing ?
I don't think that is what people mean when they use the world mind-control.
They followed the "Golden rule" alright. WE'll RULE over you and you are "privileged" to
GIVE us ALL your "gold". As 'sheeples" you weren't "smart enough" to know how to spend it anyway. They had "better use" for it. :-I
RE: GTA's book on Childrearing...more of a treatise on child abuse, I remember how "proud" if
I can use that term, many in Spokesman club were with their hole drilled spanking paddles.
Made to sting as much as possible. A ping-pong paddle wasn't good enough. MIND CONTROL to
the extreme. Sadistic. NEVER, EVER, will forget it.
"The method Jesus used has nothing to do with "Mind Conditioning",..."
yes and no...the holy spirit certainly conditions the mind, away from the carnal and to the spiritual....
Whoa. They made that at spokesman club. For the holes did they use the same coins that they used for the holes in the pointy hats.
This brings a new meaning to "attack speech". Or "the beam in ones eye monte wolverton picture in the manual.
nck
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