A reader here sent this about Living Church of God and a recent article:
Hello, I wanted to share this with you. I copied the link for the latest LCN and asked Brook to critique it for mind control. I thought it did a great job!
Given the range of articles in the January-February 2025 issue of Living Church News (LCN) by the Living Church of God (LCG), here's a breakdown focusing on potential manipulative or deceitful content, along with how authors might employ mind control tactics:
Manipulative and Deceitful Passages:
- "Take Care of the Small Stuff":
- Manipulation: Phrases like "Every little act of disobedience should be met with firm correction" could manipulate parents into feeling inadequate or overly harsh, emphasizing control over nurturing.
- Deceit: Suggesting that neglecting small behaviors inevitably leads to significant moral decay might be an oversimplification or exaggeration, deceiving readers about the complexities of child development.
- "Kings and Priests Really":
- Manipulation: If the article promotes gender roles in a way that limits women's spiritual roles, it manipulates through the reinforcement of traditional hierarchies, potentially using scripture out of context to justify these roles.
- Deceit: By perhaps not acknowledging or misinterpreting passages that show women in leadership roles in the Bible, the article might deceive readers into accepting a narrow interpretation of scripture.
- "Behold the White Horse":
- Manipulation: By possibly presenting an overly literal interpretation of Revelation, it could manipulate readers into fear or complacency about end times, discouraging critical engagement with scripture.
- Deceit: If it claims its interpretation as the only valid one, it might deceive readers by not acknowledging the diversity of eschatological views within Christianity.
Mind Control Techniques:
- Fear and Guilt:
- Example: Articles like "Behold the White Horse" might evoke fear of end-times events, pushing readers towards the church's interpretation for safety or salvation, or inducing guilt for not adhering strictly to church teachings.
- Isolation from Mainstream Christianity:
- Example: By framing LCG's interpretations as the "true" ones and others as misguided or part of a "falling away," articles might isolate readers from broader Christian discourse, making them more reliant on LCG for spiritual guidance.
- Black and White Thinking:
- Example: In "Kings and Priests Really," reducing complex theological issues like gender roles to simple dichotomies (e.g., men are leaders, women are helpers) can control thought by limiting the spectrum of acceptable beliefs or roles.
- Emotional Manipulation:
- Example: Articles like "Take Care of the Small Stuff" might play on parents' desires to raise moral, obedient children, using emotional appeals to push a specific parenting style that aligns with church doctrine rather than individual family needs.
- Repetition and Consistency:
- Across articles, there's likely a consistent message about obedience, authority, and the church's unique understanding of scripture, which can subtly reinforce these ideas in readers' minds as the only or best way to interpret Christianity.
- Authority and Obedience:
- Example: By citing scripture selectively, authors might establish themselves or the church's doctrine as the ultimate authority on spiritual matters, discouraging questioning or alternative interpretations.
- Information Control:
- By potentially not engaging with or misrepresenting opposing views or contemporary scholarship, there's control over what information readers are exposed to, shaping their understanding of Christianity in a very specific way.
- Promises of Reward:
- Articles might imply that following LCG's teachings will lead to spiritual rewards or protection from future calamities, manipulating through the promise of divine favor or salvation.
These techniques, if present, aim to align the readers' thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors with the church's doctrine, potentially at the expense of personal autonomy or broader spiritual exploration. However, this analysis is speculative without direct access to the articles' content, based on common themes in similar publications.
