Michael Purdy: I don’t know and I’m not ... I guess that’s a question not for me. I couldn’t tell you that. I don’t know. ibid.
cf.
Michael Purdy: I’ve heard, yeah, there is a Strengthening Church Members Committee … ibid.
Mormons believe that you can baptise the dead. They’ve done that to thousands of Jews who died in the Holocaust. ibid.
I became convinced that’s it’s a fraud. ibid. Park Romney interview
These are masters of mendacity. ibid.
I am alienated from my family. ibid.
Every now and then, someone would be honest. But instead of having it open the floodgates, it was quickly stopped. It was very rare to have a critical conversation go anywhere. You looked over your shoulder, and wondered if someone was listening. You were not supposed to have doubts, feelings, or questions ...
When I went to the temple, and came away horrified, I could not talk to anyone. It was just dreadful. I felt I was part of a sick cult, but I could not tell anyone. I tried an indirect approach, and was told that I just needed to keep going. I did, and it got worse.
Missionaries are also very isolated. They have no-one to talk to ...
And what a church. They have the most lonely members on the planet. Doubt is weakness, and weakness can lead to questions, accusations, and trouble. lightfingerlouie, board post 30th September 2007, ‘The Amazing Ability of Mormonism to Keep People Isolated’
I don’t know if anyone else will find this helpful, but I did a lot better in my transition out of Mormonism when I recognized that I had experienced a tremendous loss when I realized the church wasn’t true.
Seeing the Kubler-Ross model helped me see where I was in my recovery or grieving process.
... For me, it went something like this:
1) Denial: For several years I refused to accept the logical conclusions of the evidence about the church. I had a testimony, so there obviously were answers somewhere. It was true, period. So, I put a lot on the ‘shelf’ and pretended it wasn’t real.
2) Anger: I probably went through two years of real anger toward the church. I used to flip off our stake center in Texas when I would drive by.
3) Bargaining: I made all kinds of compromises and promises with God and my family just to put things back the way they had been before. Didn’t work.
4) Depression: Considering I attempted suicide in June of 2007, I’d say that qualifies.
5) Acceptance: I have my moments, but mostly I’m OK with life as it is. I know my wife will never look into the problems with the church. For a long time I wanted so badly for her to just listen, but she wouldn’t. I finally had to be OK with her not knowing, as long as she was OK with me. I go to sacrament meetings fairly often with my wife, and that’s OK. I used to roll my eyes and grind my teeth a lot, but now I mostly just take it as an hour of observing a culture. It’s kind of entertaining. Runtu, board post 15th June 2012 ‘Apostasy and the Five Stages of Grief’
Jane fell for a charismatic guru who claimed he could heal his followers. Today Mohan Singh is serving a long sentence for sex crimes. Trapped in a Cult? Channel 5 2015
Tom had become involved in an online discussion group called Freedomain Radio. ibid.
All Alpha Omega [Mr & Mrs Denton] members had to give up all their monies and goods. ibid.
Cults inspire fear and fascination grabbing headlines with apocalyptic shootouts, mass murders and more. Codes and Conspiracies, Discovery 2015
We will begin the session now. You will remain aware of everything that goes on. We’re going to find an indecent in your life you have an exact record. Then by sending you through it at the time it happened, we’re going to reduce it. We will reduce the pain. Go to the beginning of that incident. Tell me what’s happening. Scientology: Going Clear: The Prison of Belief ***** opening scene, 2015
‘My favourite concept of Scientology is a world without criminality, a world without war, and a world without insanity.’ ibid. John Travolta
Therefore I contract myself to the Sea Organisation for the next billion years. (as per Flag Order) 232. [witnessed x3] ibid.
‘A civilisation without insanity, without criminals, and without war, where the able are able to prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology’. ibid. L Ron Hubbard
Hubbard moved in and became Parson’s assistant ... Hubbard ran off with Jack’s girlfriend. ibid.
‘All these things were complete lies ... He told me he was going to commit suicide if I didn't marry him ... And he hit me across the side of the head ... I got up and left the house.’ ibid. Sara
‘That confessional nature makes you feel better.’ ibid.
‘These people were paying $500 a piece in the 1950s for training and Dianetics.’ ibid. testimony of Sarah Northrop
‘He degenerated into a really paranoid terrifying person.’ ibid.
He responded by kidnapping their baby and taking it to Cuba. ibid.
‘He said he cut her into little pieces and dropped them in the river.’ ibid. Sarah
There was a tyrannical overlord of the galactic Federacy called Zenu. ibid.
‘We did it to ourselves. And I learnt from it that I would never ever again do the bidding of a tyrant.’ ibid.
‘There’s no half-in and half-out.’ ibid. new leader
She was a very troubled young woman … We’re all very close here. Satan’s School for Girls 2000 starring Shannen Doherty & Julie Benz & Daniel Cosgrove & Richard Joseph Paul & Taraji P Henson & Aimee Castle & Mandy Schaffer & Victoria Sanchez & Kate Jackson et al, director Christopher Leitch, head to woman
This unholy cult must be wiped out. Dracula 1958 starring Michael Gough & Christopher Lee & Melissa Stribling & Carol Marsh 7 Mailes Malleson & John van Eyssen & Olga Dickie & George Benson & Charles Lloyd Pack & George Woodbridge et al, director Terence Fisher, van Helsing
Meet Deborah Drapper. 13 years old and very different from the average teenager living in Britain today. Deborah lives tucked away in a remote corner of rural Dorset. Deborah 13: Servant of God, BBC 2009
‘So you’re a lying, thieving, blasphemous, coveting person. Do you still think you’re a good person?’ ibid. Deborah
Deborah is the fourth of eleven children. ibid.
Deborah is a strict evangelical Christian. She believes she found God at the age of six and hasn’t looked back. ibid.
Deborah prefers Creationist sermons found on the internet. ibid.
‘Anyone that’s told the smallest white lie should go to hell.’ ibid. Deborah
‘We’re about to start my initiation ritual into the Luciferian religion. Inside Colombia’s Temple of Lucifer, reporter, Vice TV 2014
‘I saw him an angel; he was enormous with seven wings.’ ibid. worshipper
‘My goal here on Earth is to gather souls for him.’ ibid. top knob Victor
‘No doubt this guy knows how to put on a show.’ ibid. reporter
I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: ‘Stop. Don’t do it.’
‘Why shouldn’t I?’ he asked.
‘Well, there’s so much to live for!’
‘Like what?’
‘Are you religious?’
He said: ‘Yes.’
I said: ‘Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?’
‘Christian.’
‘Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?’
‘Protestant.’
‘Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?’
‘Baptist.’