this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Tbh it's really hard to reverse brainwashing and conditioning and speak out which means you lose your entire family and friends (that are also in the cult), whether you were raised in it or tricked into it yourself is even of little consequence.

To expect someone to say "oh hey I got a little professional success now I should by default make my friends and family and entire community hate me and make the most litigious cult mad at me (no way they'd want a piece of the success I'm leaving them for, right?), and go against all the crazy shit I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on trying to become 'clear' or 'OTVIII' (just to learn what South Park already taught us no less)." isn't wrong but it is unrealistic. She'll need a whole ass deconditioning really, or at least it's something that will take quite a long time.

Cults are fucked, way more so than you may think, and this whole "why doesn't she just leave" thing, it's basically the same question as "why doesn't she just leave her abusive boyfreind." Maybe it's impossible to understand either until you've been through one, idk.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io -1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You're hitting several fallacies here. First, her being potentially brainwashed is not an excuse. Yeah, that may be how she got there, but that does not mean that is how and who she should be - let alone have her replace Chester of all people.

Secondly, it's not about her success. No one should ever be in a cult like this, regardless of your fame. I expect the same thing from every other member too. However, in this case we have someone replace a SA victim that is in a cult that literally does the same fucking thing (and worse) to others.

One of the victims of Masterson and her husband, which this is kinda about, were also both members of Scientology. They even got their dogs murdered by them, yet they still fight - and that's what every member with a sane conscience should do.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Should be? No, nobody should be subjected to that abuse. But she is, and has been since she was born into it. Some things just are whether they "should be" or not. It's life. I bet if when she was born they said "will you defend our cult against rapists? If no say no and we won't let you in, if yes say nothing." She probably would have picked "No" had she not been a literal baby who had yet to learn english. But they don't, they slowly ramp up the abuse until escaping is at least psychologically neigh impossible.

You can blame her for being a victim of this cult all you want, it's not really my fight and my guess is you'll never understand until you've been in a comparable situation (which is hopefully never) so it would be a waste of time. I've said my piece.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I don't blame her for being a victim, I blame her for being an abuser. Cedric and his wife are victims. She is part of the problem.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Cedric and his wife are also victims. There are typically more than two victims involved in a cult.

The difference is I consider all the members of the cult who have been abused and manipulated into the position they're in by the leadership to be victims, and you only seem to consider someone a victim if they've already started the process of breaking free.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io -3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yes, like the other women that Masterson raped for example. But I'm sticking to what's relevant to the topic of the article.

But you would also see the Nazis as victims, so I'm checking out at this point. No reason to keep talking to abuser apologists.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Not being familiar with each of their religions they are certainly victims of Masterson, they may or may not be victims of scientology. But the members of scientology (specificially not management), are victims of scientology. Cults prey on the weak, you don't have to too.

Tell me, do you also think women are only victims of their abusers once they leave too or is that criticism reserved only for people who are abused on a larger scale by their entire community?

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io -2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Tell me, do you also think women are only victims of their abusers once they leave too or is that criticism reserved only for people who are abused on a larger scale by their entire community?

If they help other women getting raped or harass other victims of the rapist then yes, they're part of the problem. But it's a bad faith argument anyway, so thanks for proving my point. Just like you calling Scientology a religion instead of a cult. I think that was a wonderful end for this comment chain.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Frankly I use religion and cult interchangeably, there's not much difference. The main separation is age, really. That means yes I often refer to say, Catholicism, as a cult as well.

(Edit: And btw, I referred to Masterson's victim's unknown religions as "religions," not "Scientology." If some of them are scientologists then I suppose I technically did by happenstance, but you pretending you didn't understand that just because you don't want to concede that I'm actually right and use it as a personal attack is pretty funny.)

You can just say you have no idea what it's like to be seriously abused and move on. Tbh, that's good, I hope for your sake you never know.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I was raped in Kindergarten but okay.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

Tbf I was not, and not knowing specifics of your situation I'm not sure how that translates to long term abusive partners and cults, actually, but on the surface that seems psychologically different. As it relates to the conversation at hand I'm bot sure how much decision making power kindergarteners have, though the abuser uses similar vectors in that kids are vulnerable by default and cult victims are vulnerable by circumstance. Sorry you went through that and all however, of course.