So I have just read this book about the secret history of Mind Control which I found fascinating, but one of the chapters was about the "Freedom church" or organisations like it. Basically, it's an organisation based on faith that encourages people to come along and shows them perfect kindness and love and encourages them to leave their families and give up their possessions and live in the Freedom church. That is where they do charity events like travelling the country and selling flowers or going around preaching the word of God and all money goes to the church. It has encouraged people to drop whatever they have been doing and go live with them whether that's uni, work or school. It sounds like no one would go for it but it's surprising how many do and dedicate their lives to it after leaving their families behind. The reason it was in the book about brainwashing and mind control was because it was thought that the leaders of the church brainwash the people by showing them absolute kindness and getting them to give up their stuff and their lives to the church. So, friends and family who wanted their children back found "deprogrammers" who basically tried to break through their defenses and make them aware that they have been brainwashed. It worked by kidnapping the individual and being harsh to them in interrogation until they broke and saw what was going on. They went back to their families and all was well. However, these deprogrammers were arrested for not only kidnapping these people but for not allowing the people their freedom of faith. So in a strange turn of events, the deprogrammers have come off as the evil people. But do you think it's evil to deprogram them? Do you think they really were brainwashed? Is it all such a bad thing? Do you know of anyone or anything related to such an organisation? Have you even heard of such a thing?
I don't think it's up to us to decide. The people subjected to this have already had their agency compromised, it's foolish and presumptuous to do it again. I'd say deprogram them so that they can see both sides of the issue, and then let them choose if they're offended or grateful. If they're allowed to go back to the freedom church afterwards then it's hardly a breach of their liberty. People don't always know what's best for them, but that doesn't mean it should be forced on them.
Nova covered most of it. It is not our place to judge whether or not someone else's desires are valid. If you or I want to make a brainwashed person broaden their horizons, we may do so for the same reason they may ignore us. It comes down to a battle of wills. I do my best to deprogram people and show them other options for several reasons, not the least of which being that brainwashed people are boring and I want interesting people in my life.
Never heard of the Freedom Church in particular, but that kind of cult unfortunately isn' t anything special. I' ve never met anyone who got hooked myself, but I' ve read testimonies and descriptions of a few mind control basics. Every country draws a different line between cults and religions. In France I think it has something to do with the amount of money that is expected from its followers. It tried real hard to get around it, but the church of Scientology is still classified as a cult here. For a broader definition I' d say a religion is a cult whose creator is long dead. My parents sent me to catechism when I was around ten, but although I was old enough to find it fishy from starters I wasn' t old enough to really think about it critically just yet. Bring me in a mass and I might react to this day to its various Pavlovian triggers. Many Christians are enrolled when they' re much younger than that, if that doesn' t qualify as mass brainwashing I don' t know what does. If one of their beliefs was clearly harmful I' d have no problem ripping it a new hole (though I wouldn' t necessarily go full frontal about it, that usually fails). And if I had to kidnap you for a short while to even get a chance to make my case, if I care about you, so be it.
I am against religion totally, so apologies if I get really into a rant here. I do bring up some personal experiences, and some will probably be disturbing: You have been warned. My dad met my mom in a cult. My mom's sister joined and my mom joined shortly afterwards. My mom soon was trying to get out of said cult and convinced my dad and sister to leave also. My dad currently is a born again/evangelical Christian who when speaking about said dad had a counselor literally cringe who has had probably about 20 years of experience when I mentioned what my dad is like about religion today. One is being how he put $15,000 into the church which half was my mothers in two years, and still now probably has put about 20-50 dollars a throw every time he goes. (I **** you not, I seen him do it myself.) There are maybe some people you can't save from a cult: The biggest problems with the people who join is that they are heavy followers. Easy to brainwash, easy to convert, easy to follow someone's lead, no matter how insane they are. The cult mentality is very ingrained early and if my mom stayed, I would probably be married to a 60 year old with the leader as my father with about 20 wives. He almost hand picked her himself. My aunt is about as insane, though as much richer, when it comes to religion. There are other people who join cults, I'm not zeroing in on one particular group, but a lot of cults seek out people like my dad and aunt to swell their ranks. And most of the time, sadly, no matter what you do or try, it usually never works. At some point, they'll go back, or they'll find something different close to said religion. Like my dad and aunt did. I admire them for trying, but really, sadly at the end, it most likely is a short term solution. There's really not much than can be done if they have that type of personality. If they are just young and making a mistake, or like Patman said, grew up with it and are just now realizing there's something wrong with it, and/or it's brainwashing. Then kudos, there are people who can snap out of this kind of thing, but it's extremely hard to do so. That's why cults have worked EXTREMELY well, and they continue. Look at Jahova's Witnesses, actually, don't, you'll probably never get rid of them.
