Methodology and Application of Indoctrination and Mind Control in Theological Cults I have come across a number of very interesting concepts. I choose to share them with you. Not for confrontation but for your further enlightenment.
Chapter 5 of my book deals with monetary commitment
Please feel free to comment but don't attack me!
Discovery and introduction are almost always FREE but the novice member is told that only by paying dues can he fully enjoy the benefits of membership.
This type of organization admits new members for free. No charge to join.
Then once the new adherent is in it is explained to them that in order to realize the full benefit of membership donations are required. In theological organizations that is usually labeled “tithing”. In some organizations in some organizations it starts out as 10% of the member's gross income. There are even those that require assignment of all worldly possessions to the cult!
If for some reason the member refuses the will be ostracized and possibly shunned and shamed by the congregation as a whole until they get it together.

First, the matter of tithing might be better treated in the context of esotericism, that is, beliefs that are disclosed as the initiate is involved, incrementally & more deeply, in the group. Some things are just too deep/sacred/complex for the newcomer. In plain language, he'd be scared off if he knew the group's more bizarre beliefs and/or demanding practices.

In the context of LDS, they would emphasize "unpaid leadership" and "love offerings," the appealing stuff, and reserve tithing for later, especially as a requirement.

That is, if there were a Church-wide policy. Generalization may not apply because of varying practices with different leadership in different areas or parts of the church. This is especially true of worldwide Catholicism.

A different take, dear Ratte, might be the matter of "investment:" A high-control group (not limited to LDS, or religions, for that matter) might get the newcomer gradually invested in the group in matters other than financial: time, relationships, accumulation of knowledge, varying degrees of compliance & obedience, and so on. Money would be one factor among many.

Edit: typos and word replacement



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2019 05:10PM by caffiend.

Good stuff. To add to caffiend's last paragraph:

I would think that sometimes membership IS NOT free. If you can get someone to do something extra to join, it can make them even more committed. It doesn't have to be just money.

Here are some examples of what I mean.

You have to do some kind of test to prove you are ready to join.
You change dietary practices or refrain from something.
Or maybe you are given assignments to study.
You have to pass knowledge assessment, and/or interviews.
This makes you think you have passed some kind of qualifying criteria to get into the exclusive group because they don't accept "just" anyone. You feel special, chosen and accepted as worthy to join. I would include Jewish acceptance practices here along with others.

It's not free, IMO. Time and commitment are not free.

If a scammy business can get you to buy the supplies you need to "get started" that is another method used to get people invested enough that they feel they need to follow through. Religions do this using time and participation as payment.

If the person joined for emotional or social reasons, they pay by providing support to others in the group. The expectation is that there will be reciprocity.

OK look at it this way If 1,000 people donate $15 that is $15,000 per month times 12 months comes to $180,000 and brother that ain't hay.

Not having researched this, that is my understanding of how televangelists work: Get people to regular, committed if possible, with modest donations. Automatic bank account deductions, credit/debit charges, etc. or fix them up with a supply of envelopes. Over time, send them religious trinkets (prayer cloths, jewelry, display knicknacks).

Just keep the money coming in, and provide psychological assurance that they are invested in the work. Out of all these small donors, a few big ones will emerge, maybe people with estates--so much the richer!

Back in the 1980s, I was doing USPS truck deliveries on Commonwealth Avenue in the Boston University area. I had a drop of 4 or 5 "trays" of letters, each three feet long, with letters arrayed vertically on their bottom edge--a few hundred letters per tray. The stop was for some religious organization, but it was a kind of warehouse/office building, nothing church-like. I asked what the group was, and got a generic name (I just researched, it was "The United Christian Evangelistic Association."

I asked what church this was, and a young white woman just said, "a church." I inquired about their doctrine, services, etc. and she was very evasive, and just said it was "preachin.'" Couldn't get much out of her.

I later found out that this was "Rev. Ike's" group, one of the most brazen of prosperity preachers! Along with that info, somebody told me (paraphrase), "They keep a real close eye on the mail there. Lots of cash in those envelopes. Every so often, somebody is found with his pockets full of those envelopes."

Rev. Ike very consciously took his doctrine from New Thought (Christian Science, Unity, etc.) and Norman Vincent Peale. I've heard there are doctrinal connections between him an Oprah Winfrey, but I've never looked into it.

When I was on my mission, I gave many interviews pre-baptism. Converts had to be paying or promise to pay tithing before they could get dunked.

Yes. The Law of Tithing is explained upfront and covered in the baptismal interview. It is not hidden.

My bad. As per LDS and askng for tithing.
However I find that many additional requests for money are concealed. The new mwmber usually does not truly understand that there will forever be petitions for more and more money. I do believe that there is a great deal of guilt tripping about more and more donating.
If the member can afford and is willing I have no problem with donation to whatever cause is appealing. It is only when it borders on extortion that I take issue. And in many issues with many cult like theologies This is the case.
Enough! I rest my case for now.

I think the conference talk where the church stated to pay tithing even if couldn't afford rent, food, medical care etc proves they care nothing for their people.

Rusty's talk to the members in Africa promising them financial security if they pay tithing is the most recent example.

I paid a full tithe approximately 10% of the time I was a faithful Latter-day Saint. When the Ward I attended stopped taking my personal post-dated checks, I stopped.

I remember I once delayed an oil change in my 1965 Volkswagen bug for four years so that I could pay Fast Offerings.

The car stopped running, due to various oil alternatives we tried.

After it died, I hitchhiked to work using a gas can. That was successful until The Salt Lake Tribune ran a short article about me. The loss of employment from that exposure caused my fourth and fifth divorces.

I began to hitch hike to work, but lost my thumb to frostbite in January 1984.

This is my experience with tithing. I was never asked to give a talk about it in 22 years of active membership.

That made me think the Bishop was inspired. But then, after pondering and arguments with my sister, I now believe he was just opinionated or perhaps lucky.