• saucerwizard@awful.systemsOP
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    1 year ago

    Not just Scientology; Peoples Temple, Aum, or Shining Path all apply too.

    Edit: they also have more money and political influence at this point then the above. this isn’t good imo.

    • maol@awful.systems
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      1 year ago

      Yeah it is the classic cult characteristic. Synanon members putting a snake in someone’s letterbox is another example. Also Hare Krishnas, MOVE, etc etc.

      • maol@awful.systems
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        1 year ago

        …no?!? ETA: you could get the “learning small skills” benefit this LessWrongie claims to have gotten by, I dunno, learning how to play chess. Without having to enter a Scientology org. And they wanted to do more courses with the Scientology public speaking course???

        It’s not a cult folks, it’s definitely not a cult…

        • saucerwizard@awful.systemsOP
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          1 year ago

          I know journos are looking again, finally, but like Peoples Temple was taken down that way.

          (also I really recommend reading Raven or the PBS documentary on Jonestown).

          • maol@awful.systems
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            1 year ago

            In secondary school we were doing a unit on religion and one day when the teacher was out we watched a documentary about Jonestown, pretty horrible. Ended with the Jonestown tapes. It became clear at the end that most of the other girls in my class had never heard of Jonestown and were really shocked by how it all ended. I don’t know if I can go back and look at it all again. Interesting though if only for their relationship to SF politics.

          • David Gerard@awful.systemsM
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            1 year ago

            @self perhaps we need a “how to post from mastodon” guide

            it’s possible but you have to do particular things I think?

            • self@awful.systemsM
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              1 year ago

              that’s a great idea! in the meantime before we write that post, this archived reddit thread has some details on how to do things here from mastodon. in brief, I think starting a new toot, tagging @SneerClub@awful.systems, following that with the post title, inserting two newlines (aka start a new paragraph), then writing the post body and posting that should work. keep in mind that markdown probably won’t make the trip over!