"Mormons did not invent the technique of causing commitment to be made early, in public, and repeated as often as possible. This tactic has been an effective belief shaper in religious, political, and many other groups throughout history. It also works to sell cars, Tupperware, knives, financial products, etc."
Very interesting line from the article. Even the temple. They get you to commit before you even know what you are committing to. Human nature then takes over not wishing to go back on one's word, not wishing to look weak. Looking strong is a survival skill after all. Being admired and praised for your great faith is seductive as well.
Reminds me of the article about elephants where in the young are chained to a heavy stake that they cannot pull out of the ground no matter how they try. As grown elephants they could easily pull the stake out of the ground but stay tethered because they have accepted that the stake is stronger than they are.
Technically the elephants and the Mormons are both free. They could remove the stake, they could act on their own cognizance. Neither realizes that they have given up their freedom voluntarily.
The control techniques of the Mahouts and the "Mormon Mahouts" are very effective. A tale as old as time.
That elephant growing up with a chain is very true. I was told that analogy like a month ago. I felt chained so long that even now it takes a lot to convince me and my mind that i am a free adult able to make his own choices. I have not been used to myself being able to make its own choices for this long. My brain thinks that it has to be controlled or oppressed by something or someone or it is like illegal in my mind. Me have real freedom consistently? Not really used to this. Used to being intimidated behind the cover of them telling me 'you have free agency'. If someone tells you you have free agency do not believe them. Its just words. There is real intimidation to stay in line and not walk away freely as we know.
That you stand before these witnesses and angels (not seen) to promise to uphold every covenant made in the temple today less you be under the influence of Stan.
Yes, that's how they nail people to stay loyal to the church (and how members feel blindsided despite attending a temple prep class).
babyloncansuckit Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The next thing you know you’re drinking > margaritas and posting on RfM.
They were still calling it "Free Agency" not Agency during the formative correlation years. I resented being told that I had chosen my parents/family in pre-existence. Why the hell would anyone choose a half-ass, broken down, poor, dysfunctional mormon family (like mine)? Wouldn't you choose a freakin' rich mormon family?
You are free to choose as long as you choose to do everything the church says. Wasn't that Stan's plan according to mormon theology?
I never felt free to choose for myself or even breathe without worrying about the harsh punishment for choosing incorrectly.
"We have long underestimated the way in which our perspective, which is largely a product of our social group, controls what we can see."
Attempting to see the forest elves through the family trees.
What a bloodless conception is human thought. It doesn't account for labor pains nor human passion as thoughts travel from human mind to human mind changing what they "see."
Well the way I see it a society needs rules and bounds for people to respect each other. And religion is the place where young people are taught about their responsibilities towards each other and to society and the public.
Lets get clear what freedom is first.... Freedom is the privilege of living life as you want without a despotic government, tyrant, or thief, stealing your stuff. A civilized society (where there is freedom) is one that follows rules and procedures such as habeus corpus, and trial by jury, in punishing criminals, instead of following the drastic whims of a mob.
I don't see mormondom stealing peoples freedom, or private property in the same way that other totalitarian states do. The USSR with the golugs, and Nasi Germany with their concentration camps are good examples of places where there wasn't freedom. Mormons are free people.
I find it very sad that grown adults in 2019 feel they need a church to tell them how to be kind, respectful, and reciprocal ---as well as tell them when to have sex, with whom, and who to give money to.
If you can't live a good life without a church you aren't worth much. The word crutch is often mispronounced church for a reason.
You underestimate the power of computers. It takes baptism by immersion and the laying on of hands to make you a member. All it takes to reverse that is a few keystrokes on a computer keyboard. All hail Bill Gates. That’s right, it will be a cold day in Hell when TSCC switches to Linux.
It all works with Mormon logic. One cannot undo a baptism, confirmation, initiatory, endowment, or sealing. Evidence for this is their proxy rituals. There is just no undoing. They deliver the souls dead or alive for God to sort out.
In a pyramid of crushing totalitarian obedience only the top are free from the weight of crushing conformity. They are the ones holding up their dead prophets which are pretty light in comparison to the ward clerk sweating away at their books in the night and praying to have do his lords' work righteously.
It isn't great freedom but it does come with the management of a 100 billion dollar portfolio.