Posted by Robert on May 27, 2101 at 16:15:31:
In Reply to: Re: Listen posted by PatK on May 26, 2101 at 16:50:32:
After having to work for the last couple of days (something I can only guess you don't do much of) I've now got the time to respond. First let me say the few posts that there are debating my views are somewhat weak. In fact they are nothing more than "leave us alone" pleas.
Someone asked what I believe a cult is? One of the more popular definitions of the word cult is as follows:
Cult (totalist type): A group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g., isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear of leaving it, etc.), designed to advance the goals of the group's leaders, to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community. (West & Langone, 1986, pp. 119-120)
This is but one understanding of the word and only about one type of cult. There are many more. Do the words "information management" in the above paragraph ring a bell at all? How about dependancy on the group?
Your splinter group fractured from the religion of Islam, with only 100,000 members in the entire USA is by most peoples definition a cult. Now let me get this straight. You want all people to have about the same amount of assets. No rich people no poor people. Sounds like communism to me, and of course we all know that didn't work! You also want the entire planet to come to your way of thinking and let you lead us all, right? Not a cult huh? Real mainstream right?
Of all the religions on the planet you could have splintered from you choose Islam. I don't suppose you/ve noticed that there isn't a progressive country on the planet that has Islam as it's major religion. The only place you find Islam in mass is in the third world where desperate people look for any kind of hope, where ever they can find it and governments use it to control the masses. If they didn't, with all the poverty and discontent they would have civil war. If you would like to debate the realities of Islam much less your splinter groups beliefs I'd be glad to do that. I've lived in the Middle East and have seen it for myself, unlike most of you I'm sure. Let's do a little better on the next round of replies.
Fights On!
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