These are good measures of a cult martyboi 1) Behaviors, ideas variant with general society and 2) The amount of dsyfunctional behavior
Not sure with TM, Amma's cult scores heavily on these two measures. 1) The idea of worshiping a crude, unsophisticated, uneducated woman who fit her mystical experiences in to a narrative based upon primitive, superstitious village beliefs of deity possession, of a divine Mother who is pure (read virgin, doesn't pee or menstruate). This is very perplexing to me, as to why Westerners especially women would be fascinated with a woman that promotes such medieval, misogynist values so alien to modern, Western values. 2) The amount of dysfunctional people is very high, based upon by observation and experience. Amma encourages people to quit jobs, families so she has a steady supply of free workforce for her sham of a charity(ies). These people work temp jobs, lack health insurance and end up at the mercy of government - even one of a senior American women brahmacharini living in India was forced to fend for herself here when she ended up with Cancer. And then dysfunctional people are naturally attracted to cults. On Tue, May 14, 2013 at 1:42 PM, martyboi <marty...@yahoo.com> wrote: > ** > > > Consensus reality is probably more accurate than the word "Cult" which > actually means something like subculture. When you make statements like: > "everyone is crazy", or "everyone is in a cult" - you reduce the meaning of > words "Crazy" or "Cult" to logical absurdities that renders them useless as > terms that can be used in a rational discussion. > > When I ask myself questions like:"Do I know anyone who is not a little > crazy?" or "Do I know anyone who doesn't participate in a cult?" The answer > is always "no" - everyone I know seems a little crazy and everyone I know > also identifies with some group or other. It's really just a matter of > perspective isn't it? I mean to a west coast Bay Area person, such as > myself - most people east and south of here are Obviously Insane ;-) > > Therefore as a practical matter, the words "crazy" and "cult" should be > reserved for discussions about people and groups that have behaviors and > ideas that are so variant with society at large that they are rendered > dysfunctional in a major way. (i.e., can't sustain a relationship or a job.) > > Having preached that - I actually do think everyone is both crazy and in a > cult...but you won't catch me sayin' it. > > >
