https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvs0/episodes/player

P.T. Joshua was a "prophet and faith healer" who died in 2021. He operated a cult that is now run by his widow. The BBC got involved when a former cult member contacted the British broadcaster to tell her story. Many facets of this story should be familiar to ex-Mormons and those who read the works of Rick Hasen.

While there is some text available, most of this story is told in audio podcasts that last 35 minutes each. Some of the stories that impressed (or perhaps depressed is a better term) me included the walled guarded compound; the minister's sexual relationships with his female disciples (including forcing them to have abortions when they became pregnant); the collapse of one of the buildings in the compound with little to no accounting to the families of those killed; and the daughter, legitimate or illegitimate (no one knows), who now must live in a safe house because members of the ongoing cult (run now by P.T.'s widow) continue to threaten her life; and more.

My one outside comment is that it always amazes me how far people will go to escape the drudgery of their own existance. I'm afraid that it is altogether too true that many people, possibly a majority of us, prefer to be entertained by the clowns rather than to face up to the realities under which they are living and then try to make the world a better place for all of us.

" . . .it always amazes me how far people will go to escape the drudgery of their own existance." Says a lot, that line.


Makes a case for the need for betas in this world. The only way that a world of 8 Billion people can function. What if they were all alphas? Guaranteed blood bath that. Without subservient people, how could anything get done? All pretending team work when subjugation is often the case.

And, how much of the Joshua religion, or any religion, is dependent on the deep need of many humans--luckily not all--to fit in, to be validated, to experience the illusion of being cared for? Those being the salve for the perceived looming drudgery of life. Aren't those needs seeming to be met at least as important to the religious process as the promise of heavenly glory. Or, if not glory, at least everything being all right finally.

Once you step on that conveyer belt you keep going with the idea that maybe, just maybe, what your leader promises is true. All you need is to hold tight no matter what and have FAITH. And you'll get what you need. And what is faith really? Just the promise that somehow, some way, the future won't be drudgery ever again. Everything will be alright. Forever. Yeah, right!

>...prefer to be entertained by the clowns rather than to face up to the realities under which they are living...

I can't express enough how disappointed in humans I have become.
I went from thinking humans were little Gods in embryo* to realizing how cruel and greedy many of us actually are.

*New Rule: Gods in embryo (good covenant path Mormons) are now to be considered ACTUAL Gods due to the enlightenment that came from Alabama.

Same there. It took the pandemic to really open my eyes, along with other happenings in the good ol' USA. I've come to the conclusion that many people are just not all that intelligent -- and as you pointed out, often cruel and greedy as well. I don't think that represents any big change. It's just that I can see it now. The blinders are off.

My blinders are certainly off after 2020. It taught me a lot.

    I like to think that I've never had blinders on, that I've always been able to see, if not understand, the full 180° our binocular vision gives us.  I've even learned to swivel my head, so as to increase the angle of vision.  

    But I still can't see what's behind me, and since they're speaking a different language, I'm pretty much clueless about what I can't see...

    I decided a long time ago to steer clear of becoming too involved with humanity.  There are some delightful people out there who are worth the effort, but the majority of humanity and I have little in common.

    "Needs" are one thing, but "Wants" are another.  Stay away from people with "wants."