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We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

labskausleben.bearblog.dev

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Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#51

Very clever. The scariest monster remains unseen. I try to live my life being open to challenging and being challenged by anything. But there are some things — needing money, clothes, electricity — which are hard to escape. I’ll try and have another go though, I promise.

Except they're clearly talking about Christianity.

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#53
post #11
post #7

I was waiting for the part that would make it clear what was being satirized, and it never came? I feel like I'm missing context?

My reading is that the very fact that it's so abstract and general is itself the point. What could the cult be? Politics? Religion? A particular professional mindset or focus? Many could fit. Apart from the reference to "promise of godly exaltation or gift in a theoretical afterlife" (which nod towards religion), you could apply a lot of this to many social groups.

Yup, the rest could apply to just about anything, but this brief phrase near the end makes it pretty clear that it's about religion. That, and phrases like "the cult has left noticeable marks on you". Somehow all atheists (or at least the militant kind) seem to believe religious people are all deeply scarred and twisted, no matter how "watered-down from its original form" their "cult" may be.

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#55
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A good indication of a cult is that there is a shopping list of specific core beliefs (say 20) you are expected to believe. And you believe 19 of them but on the 20th you have a slightly different view. If this causes you to be banished and ostracised, then it's probably a cult. JK Rowling would be an example of this.

"I completely agree with the core tenants of Buddhism, but I think I should be able to eat babies."

This is the kind of answer you'd expect from the member of a cult.

Re: We are sorry to inform you that you are in a cult

#58
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A good indication of a cult is that there is a shopping list of specific core beliefs (say 20) you are expected to believe. And you believe 19 of them but on the 20th you have a slightly different view. If this causes you to be banished and ostracised, then it's probably a cult. JK Rowling would be an example of this.

"I completely agree with the core tenants of Buddhism, but I think I should be able to eat babies."

"Everybody's own personal definitions are to be tolerated and accepted, unless their personal definitions are of the devil."
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