Friday night, late, a friend of mine called me with a throb in his throat. "Did you hear about the terrorism in Paris? I've met some of the musicians that play in that band! " He explained that they are not a heavy metal or death metal band but took the name of their band as a kind of joke. Whatever, they do play rock and roll, which is offensive to Moslems, and the terrorists targeted people out to have a good time, if not sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
I had not heard about this latest act of terrorism by Moslem EXTREMISTS, as I'd been feeling under the cold, windy, weather and was laying in bed under a crochet blanket with my dog and reading a book, so I told him I would call him back. Within fifteen minutes, thanks to the internet on my low budget cell phone, I was able to tell him that the band members themselves were OK. From that point on I read at least a hundred articles from news services all over the world, especially The Daily Mail - UK, but also the New York Times, Washington Post, and many others, searching for the latest tidbit of information that would bring the whole picture into focus.
Sadly, I will tell you what the whole picture is in one word: EVIL
And that evil is prevailing makes me feel tearful and depressed. This morning I wanted to stay in bed under the covers and not get on with my day but I snapped out of it while taking a hot shower and then dressing and putting on makeup and perfume and leaving the house. I put on my best appearance anyway despite feeling so down. I knew that I could not quit living my life out of fear...
The American Holiday of Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and is the beginning of our holiday season with Christmas and the New Year coming up fast and this is the time of year when most people make an effort to share, give generously, and be more loving and tolerant, beginning with their own family and then to strangers.
I've already bought slices of turkey breast, stuffing bread, pineapple, onions and garlic and ginger, an acorn squash, sweet potato, zucchini, and other ingredients to make a small American feast. But I'm planning on attending a local community celebration that I went to once years ago that happens to be put on by a local Jewish congregation and is open to everyone of any faith. It is held outdoors rain or shine and wind and cold might keep me away, but I was looking forward to it, and thinking of asking this particular friend along. I can easily make my personal thanksgiving meal for the following Sunday's meal.
Now that Moslem EXTREMISTS are killing the innocent outside of SYRIA (where even children have been beheaded and women have been killed for refusing to be sex slaves) well, their TERRORISM has worked. Paris is terrified. Certainly London is. But let's not fool ourselves into thinking that terrorism only takes place in big cities.
I'm afraid to go to this community gathering where hundreds of people will be on Thanksgiving, especially because it is being held at a Jewish temple. I also hesitate to take the subway. I fear that the subway would be a great target during rush hour. Yet I know that our HOMELAND SECURITY and other governmental agencies are doing their best to find terrorists and other criminals who mean to hurt or kill others before they can do so. Still, I think most people I've been talking to feel a bit paranoid.
There is only one way to understand people who blow themselves up, in an effort to kill others.
THEY HAVE BRAIN WASHED and are in a CULT.
So while I cry for the innocent victims, I decided today, knowing that people from all over the world can read this blog, to talk to you about BRAIN WASHING and CULTS.
What is the difference between a regular religion and a cult?
A cult often expects you to cut yourself off from your family and friends, which is to say, your support group, and gradually you are surrounded only by people who are indoctrinating you. They isolate you as part of their ownership of you. In a cult, your mail may be censored or kept from you. You may be denied use of communications such as the phone or e-mail. You may not be allowed to leave the cult, not even to go out to the doctors or shopping, alone or without permission. You may be expected to give them your money, maybe even sell your house and give them all the money from the sell, and move to live with or near others in the cult. Without the finances to leave them, they now have more control over you. They will put you to work, often extensive volunteer work, in exchange for bare necessities or access to the leader or permission to marry.
Women are often sexually exploited in a cult. They have no right to own their own bodies, to decide when or with whom they will have sex with, or are brainwashed to think that having sex with other cult members or the leader doesn't count when it comes to promiscuity. They may be forced to marry someone not of their own choosing. Their husband may rule their lives like never before, or the couple will be ordered to not have sex or not have children.
What they tell you BEFORE you give up your family, friends, job, possessions, and MOVE to be with them, and the reality may not match. But you may, having given up so much, and being idealistic, still decide to give it a try, not knowing you can never own your life again. (I have to wonder if some of the suicide bombers kill themselves because they see it as a way out!)
Some cults use constant teaching called programming to challenge your normal thought processes. Some use actual hypnosis, sleep deprivation (keeping you working for days on end without proper sleep), nutritional deprivation (keeping you on a starvation diet, or making you work longer and harder for the reward of a full meal), all of these things making you more and more likely to do things their way and to submit and become part of a hierarchy that is dictated.
When it comes to acts of violence, which you may or may not have been prone to before you joined or were recruited by the cult, your training includes desensitizing you. (As I understand it the terrorists in Syria even train children to behead beginning with the use of dolls, which of course cannot feel pain or shed blood.) Because you have learned to think of other people as the Other, not like you, not part of the cult group, even as the enemy, their humanity is in question. (The Nazi's did this by comparing the Jews to vermin.)
If you try to leave the cult because you realize it is one and that you do not want to be controlled, you may not have any old friends or family left to take you in. You may be threatened with violence yourself, or be shunned, attacked verbally, or find yourself the target of slander that makes it impossible for you to regain employment. (This is the testimony of many an ex Scientologist.) Some cult members have found themselves in desperation and decide to make the best of their situation, and years go by before they can leave, often when the leader dies or the group breaks up.
It's best, whenever you encounter a new religion, or version of your religion, in which your personal freedoms and right to determine your own life or fit into a multicultural society, TO NEVER GET INVOLVED IN A CULT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
However, it is a known fact that some people have, though intensive deceptions, including group hypnosis, joined a cult, totally changing over their life, in as little as one long day, or weekend. Some cults have recruiters looking for their type of person - someone a bit disgruntled with their own life or the state of the world who is idealistic and believes they can make change - but often also someone who is intelligent, educated, or who has special skills and talents - such as an ability with languages, computer programing, or in the case of terrorists, some history of military use of weaponry.
Here is Southern California, there have been and are many cults. Some of them are storefront preacher-lead cults. Rarely are they violent.
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