> From: Reggie Bautista <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > The Fool wrote:
A. You are mixing and matching groups, when this is supposed to show trends in one group. B. I did not write this. C. Not any one of this means the group is cult-like or mindcontrolling, but rather this shows trends. D. You list several absurd groups like the military for which this was not meant to apply to. > >Are you "UNDER THE INFLUENCE" > >of a destructive group or belief system? > >Find out with this > >SELF QUIZ: > > > >Does your group discourage doubts, criticism or ideas that differ from > >their > >belief system? > >Yes____No____ > > For example, does your group discourage ideas such as the validity of > religious or spiritual beliefs because those beliefs differ from your own > belief system? I am alone in my quest to rid the world of idiocy and dogmatism. > For an alternate view, try checking out > http://www.religioustolerance.org/ Which is a link if IIRC I posted to the list in the first place. > [snip] > > >Does your group have its own unique words, clichés, slogans, chants, > >prayers > >and doctrinal phrases that reinforce the group viewpoint? > >Yes___ No___ > > Sounds like any number of business or sports teams, or any profession that > uses profession-specific jargon. > > >Are doubts viewed as a lack of faith, dedication, commitment or > >disloyalty? > >Yes___ No___ > > Management of lots of companies (fortunately, not the one where I work) view > doubts in exactly the ways listed. > > [snip] > > >Do you often find yourself doing more and more things in the group or > >because > >of group peer pressure that you would not have done on your own? > >Yes___ No___ > > This could describe high school, the business environment at many > businesses, and even home life (peer pressure from siblings, cousins, > neighbors, etc.) > > >Does your group publicly humiliate or criticize members? > >Yes___ No___ > > Alternate question: Does your group publicly humiliate or criticize members > of other groups, for example does your group attempt to humiliate or > criticize religious or spiritual people? You are trying to reverse the meaning of this question. This question is about the abuse a group shows for it's own members. > >Does your group have a system of punishments and rewards for behavior? > >Yes___ No___ > > ??? Let's see... Yep, the U.S. Government sure does have a system of > punishments for behavior (ever get a speeding ticket?). Yep, the U.S. > Government also has rewards for certain types of behavior (ever hear of tax > breaks for redeveloping "blighted" areas of a city?). > > [snip] > > >Do you follow a particular individual or belief system that requires > >unquestioning obedience and loyalty? > > Or paraphrased, "Have you ever been in the military?" > No. > >) Do members of your group feel specially chosen, superior, exclusive, > >elite? > > Were you ever on the honor roll? In high school, were you ever on a sports > team where there were others who didn't make the team? Were you ever > selected for State Band, State Choir, or State Orchestra? No. No. No. No. No. > >Do you feel the need to save or convert others to your belief system or > >ideology? > > Have you ever tried to convert a religious or spiritual person into being a > non-religious or non-spiritual person? Have you ever tried to convince a > communist/socialist that democracy and capitalism are better systems? Have > you ever tried to convince anyone that copyright and patents are ridiculous > concepts? > > >Is your group secretive to outsiders about its inner workings, teachings, > >activities or beliefs? > >Yes___ No___ > > Have you ever been involved in government? Have you ever been involved in a > company that kept a new product secret until it was ready to hit the market? No. No. > >Does your group equate purity and goodness to being in your group, and > >impurity > >or evil to those outside your group? > >Yes___ No___ > > Have you ever accused someone of being evil because they were religious or > spiritual, or accused a religious or spiritual group of being evil? (And > how do you define "evil" under those circumstances?) Have you ever accused > someone of being intellectually impure because they were spiritual or > religious? No. > >Do you place your group’s mission or agenda above your own goals and > >ideals? > >Do group interests come before your own interest > >Yes___ No___ > > Have you ever been willing to sacrifice your life for your > spouse/children/parents? Have you ever been willing to sacrifice your life > for your country? No. No. > >Do you find yourself thinking in a we-they, us-versus-them mind set? > > This one's just *too* obvious. > > >Does your group/system have a clear outside enemy? > > Ditto. > > >Do you see less and less of your family and friends who do not belong to > >your > >group or who do not subscribe to your group’s belief system? > > Have you ever been in the military? Have you ever had to be away from you > family for a business trip? Have you ever had to be away from your family > for an extended period of time for business, or in order to, oh, I don't > know, attend college? No. No. No. > >Does your group use frequent public testimonials, confessions, or > >sharings that > >reinforce the group’s mission or agenda? > > Have you ever been to a corporate annual meeting for employees, commonly > known as a "rah-rah session?" No. > >Is communication within, into and out of your group controlled or > >censored in > >any manner? > > Have you ever worked for a company that had any priviledged information that > was not meant for general distribution? Have you ever had access to data > that the government deemed "top secret?" No. No. > >Does your group criticize, shun, abandon or demean individuals who leave > >the > >group? > > Have you ever been in the military? Have you ever looked down on anyone > because they were a deserter from the military? Have you ever called > someone who left a sports team a "quitter?" No. No. No. > [snip] > > >Do you feel pressured to attend meetings, events, lectures, seminars? And > >do > >you feel guilty if you don’t attend? > > Have you ever worked for a corporation? No. > >Do you feel pressured to give a portion of your income to the group, or > >spend > >money on courses, books or special projects? > > Have you ever paid taxes to your government? Have you ever taked a class to > improve your job skills at your own expense? No. > >Does your group discriminate against anyone regarding race, gender, > >belief, or > >sexual orientation? > > In this context, The Fool, are you sure you want to ask this question? I fif not write this question. > >Does your group have a totalitarian structure: a strict, top-down > >centralized > >control? > >Yes___ No___ > > [insert your own cheap-shot against the Bush or Clinton administration here, > depending on your political affiliation] > > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > > > >------ > > > >Do you wonder if you have been in a destructive group? > > > >Do you... > > > >...have difficulty forming new friendships and intimate relationships? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...have low self-esteem, poor self-image or loss of identity? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...have difficulty making simple decisions and choices? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...often feel depressed, anxious and nervous? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...feel isolated, lonely, guilty, cynical? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...feel like you are just now growing up, becoming a mature adult? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...have short-term memory difficulties? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...feel you have nothing to believe in? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...often feel anger and rage towards the group? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...have nightmares or unpleasant dreams? > >Yes___ No___ > > > >...find it difficult or impossible to stop mental or other group > >ritualistic > >practices? > >Yes___ No___ > > Have you ever been a teenager? > > >This quiz has no scientifically predetermined number of "yes" answers to > >indicate a destructive group. However, answering "yes" to any of the > above > >questions means you may need to examine your group and its influence in > your > >life in those areas. > > Really, I'm offended by the tone of these questions. "The unexamined life > is not worth living," but insinuating that answering yes to the questions > above means that you are "under the influence of a destructive group or > belief system" is just ridiculous and offensive. You missed the point, in that this was meant to show trends withing _one_ group. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
