Date Posted:13:09:01 06/11/04 Fri Author:Joey Subject: Re: What is faith? In reply to:
Chris
's message, "What is faith?" on 03:02:43 06/10/04 Thu
Chris,
From a thought-reform/mind control standpoint, this "magical thinking" falls into several different areas, the first being "Mystical Manipulation". This is to reinforce the idea that God/Christ are behind many of the things that happen (Good or Bad), without regard to external controls or plain and simple hard work.
Another point is called "Dispensing of Existance" or that the group is good, and to leave means bad things will happen...or that those outside the group are evil and always wrong. We, as reformers, are wrong, always wrong and should anything bad happen...well, we are just "recipients of God's wrath".
Third point being "The Demand for Purity" or more simply, group ideology is absolutely good, and everything else is absolutely bad. This concept becomes reinforced with ideas like "Kingdom of priests" (something very seperatist from the "world"). Don't forget that there was also a reinforcment of living "apart from the world"...
Basically, it's simple reinforcement (intentional or otherwise) of basic mind-control techniques.
(I refer heavily to "DR. ROBERT J. LIFTON'S "THOUGHT REFORM: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TOTALISM"" here...)
