Wake Up America, It's Time To Leave The Cult
We Need To Deprogram Ourselves From The Brainwashing and Indifference Caused By Harmful Beliefs, And The Sooner The Better
It’s Post-Easter, Spring 2022, and as the incomparable Temptations sang many years ago, the world seems to be nothing but a “Ball of Confusion”
I was recently looking for something to watch on Netflix to escape it all and came across an excellent, but disturbing documentary series called “Scientology And The Aftermath”. Maybe not the best choice for “escapism” via entertainment. The series is hosted by actress Leah Remini. Ms. Remini, like many current and former cult members, was raised from birth as a “parishioner” by her parents and is no longer a member of Scientology. Upon becoming aware of heinous actions and abuse performed by current Scientology leader David Miscavige, Remini was moved by a sense of humanitarian duty to produce the series, with the goal of alerting the public to what is, clearly, a cult that brainwashes, subjugates, abuses, and imprisons its members. Especially when any of those members try to speak out on those abuses.
In one episode, Remini brought former members from a similar religious organization, the Jehovah’s Witness, to discuss and discover the similarities between the two organizations. The patterns of hiding sexual and familial abuse are similar. To quote from the article linked above:
Believing that those Jehovah’s Witnesses who stray from scripture also will not survive Armageddon, followers police each other, panelists said. One means of doing this is “disfellowshipping,” or shunning church members who have disobeyed rules that range from adultery to smoking a cigarette; family, friends and church members avoid contact with those who have been disfellowshipped.
Quarry and panelist Sharon Follis noted that they had been disfellowshipped for dating “worldly” partners. Another panelist, Cliff Henderson, was disfellowshipped for having a relationship with a woman while he was depressed. After, he says he made “desperate” attempts to re-contact his family, including showing up at his brother’s wedding, where his father rebuffed him. When his mother saw him, she started crying but didn’t say a word: “I have to accept that I may never have a relationship with them again, and that hurts,” Henderson said.
“The basis of this organization is conditional love,” Quarry noted.
“Disfellowshipping” is, in essence, ex-communication, and denial of the literal existence of any JW member that has fallen short of the “standards” of The Witness organization. It is such a devastating force, that disfellowshipped members have committed suicide in the inevitable trauma and complete despair of being abandoned by their fathers, mothers, and family members, thrust out into the world with no support system. It’s a life lived FOR the cult, and no deviations from that path are tolerated.
The reach and power of Scientology, the Jehovah’s Witness, and similar cults, the harm they do, and the power and money they have, should not be underestimated. In the case of Scientology, they literally, like the New York City Mafia, rolled into the town of Clearwater, Florida, and took it over, piece by piece.
In a 20-year program of using their power and money, combined with successful intimidation techniques developed by founder L. Ron Hubbard himself, Scientologists essentially own the town. Due to the fact that Scientology was able to successfully sue the IRS and receive tax-exempt status as a “religious organization,” they own VAST Real Estate holdings worth billions of dollars around the world, and in the case of Clearwater, whole towns. Most of these are mansions and commercial buildings that are literally empty. Nothing happens in Clearwater that Scientologists don’t approve of. The Clearwater Police are their private security force.
As I was watching the Jehovah episode, I took a break to check Twitter and saw that it was blowing up with the news that a federal judge, (U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle for the Middle District of Florida), with no scientific evidence, and even less understanding of COVID transmission and the protections afforded by masking, had overturned the mask mandate.
In a moment of weird synchronicity, I realized that Florida was not only the epicenter of the Remini episodes concerning the cult of Scientology in Clearwater, but that Florida was now at the epicenter of the “living with COVID”, freedom from masking, freedom from mandates cult led by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Over the last three years, DeSantis has effectively brainwashed his supporters, poo-pooing and ridiculing masking, suppressing data, arresting data scientists, and letting COVID spread unchecked, with a degree of fervor and enthusiasm arguably unmatched by any other leader. For someone allegedly in charge of public safety and health within the boundaries of the State of Florida, it’s a stunning abdication of responsibility. Yet even “left” media has cheered him on.
The thought occurred to me that DeSantis's intolerance for ANY hard questions on ANY of his actions or motives is EXACTLY like the intolerance Scientology and JW have for any questioning of THEIR motives. The cult must never be questioned. His brainwashed supporters cheer on the unchecked spread of the disease as long as the nearby wing joint is open for food and drinks.
Two years ago, when we were “all in this together” and economic and governmental resources were quickly dispensed to try to contain COVID, I never would have believed that the Biden administration, much less the governments of the Western world, would embrace dropping essential protection like masking. Yet, here we are. A cult-like, brainwashed world where Republicans and Democrats in the US, and foreign Democracies, fly the banner of “personal choice” taking precedence over public health.
To understand how seriously indoctrinated and selfish society has become, consider that multiple airlines, some with passengers in flight, with unmitigated enthusiasm, announced, over the intercom, the end of the mask mandates. They appeared to be waiting for it. Multiple passengers and flight attendants tore the masks from their faces, cheering as if this was some sort of moment comparable to Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. As epidemiologist Greg Gonsalves, (who I recommend following on Twitter) said, public health and individual choice are not compatible. The cult has convinced everyone that their whims and choices don’t have any long-term negative effects on public health.
It would seem with nearly a million deaths in the US alone, the population would be clamoring for something that was hopeful, embraced life, and held out hope for humanity. Instead, like the members of a brainwashed cult, they cheer on the perpetrators of war, and the very real possibility that escalating weapons shipments into Ukraine could evolve into an existential scenario of unchecked nuclear conflict.
The millions of people “Standing With Ukraine” don’t REALLY want to join civilians and the armed battalions in the fight, because it takes far more effort than simply changing your personal profile icons to multiple Ukrainian flags. If they truly cared, they would insist on a diplomatic solution, which is now, too little too late.
The brainwashing and gaslighting are thick. There is talk that Putin is only bluffing about deploying nukes, and besides, there are “low yield” tactical nuclear weapons for “limited use”, so we presumably don’t have to blow up the ENTIRE world. Calm down and take your mask off, you can’t live your life in fear.
Zelensky has been strangely elevated into a cartoonish figure, a “Superman” on a hero’s journey, fighting for freedom and democracy, saving Ukraine from Russian dominance. One day, we hear that it’s only a matter of time before Russia HAS to surrender, they are on the ropes both economically and militarily, and victory for Ukraine is imminent. The next day we hear Zelensky is prepared to fight for 10 years, if necessary, as long as a perpetual flow of expensive and destructive weapons systems are supplied. Presumably, then, victory is not at hand? Who knows, the propaganda and brainwashing flow like water in a swollen river.
In the meantime magazines like The Economist, (who have apparently never met a war they didn’t love), feature articles perused by the global financial elite, in which war for profit is a topic to be discussed over a leisurely breakfast. They casually advertise and promote the latest weapons technology, as if the end result wasn’t death and devastation.
We have reached a terrifying moment where we have multiple existential crises to deal with. Between global war, the global pandemic spread, Climate Change, and economic instability, we need to divorce ourselves from cult-like thinking. Embracing caution and speaking out against narratives intended to brainwash and deceive us could be the difference between saving humanity and watching its end.
(UPDATE 4/20/22) It’s obvious that the cult thinking behind the forced “return to normal” has either infiltrated the clear thinking of politicians, who should know better, or, more likely, that they continue to serve, in a bipartisan way, corporate interests, and commerce by gaslighting the public. Consider Nikki Fried, current Secretary Of Agriculture an alleged “opponent” of Ron DeSantis in 2022. This tweet aligns with current Democratic messaging to ignore the immunocompromised and vulnerable and “move on” from COVID with a smile. The cult is not necessarily partisan.
This was an... interesting read, to say the least.
Simultaneously, I agree with everything you wrote in the title + description but completely disagree with the actual article.
In short - you see the cult of personal choice as a threat to public health.
I see the cult of "public health" (quoted because I don't believe that these measures make the public any healthier) as a direct threat to personal freedom.
It's great to find another voice of reason amidst the sea of confusion that has swept the US. I look forward to reading more. I find I'm needing to find touchstones of sanity to hang onto my own.