Many people ask what they can expect when they join the Church of
the SubGenius. Here's an excerpt from the Dobbstown acolyte's handbook,
copyright 1966 by the SubGenius Foundation.
THESE ARE THE WAYS BY WHICH WE LIVE:
*Absolute submission to leadership
*Polarized world view (we're good/right, everyone else is bad/wrong)
*Stressing feelings over thought (emotions seen as more hilarious than
rational thinking)
*Manipulation of feelings (through guilt, fear, "acu-beating," etc)
*Denigration of critical thinking (characterizing the mind or thinking as
wasteful or foolish)
*Salvation, fulfillment, and/or self-realization is possible only through
sending membership fee to box 140306 Dallas Tx 75214 USA.
*The ends justify the means.
*"Bob's" concerns always come before individual concerns, needs, etc.
*Secrecy, elitism, guarded initiation rites, cannibal fetus rituals.
*Warnings of severe or supernatural sanctions for defection from the Church.
*SubGenius beliefs constitute the absolute truth and are above secular law.
*Church membership gives one access to special powers and privileges
IN ADDITION PLEASE NOTE:
*The Church controls the member's time and activities
*The Church controls the member's access to information
*The Church manipulates language, ascribing new meanings to ordinary words
*The Church discourages critical, rational thought
*The Church practices trance-induction techniques
*The Church pressures members to reveal extremely personal information and engages in "gut-blowout"
*There is intense group pressure to fail to conform
*The Church pressures the convert to maintain a rigorous lifestyle which
reflects irrational and insane values
*The Church pressures the member for public testimonies of loyalty
*There are repeated threats of sanctions for leaving
*The members are dependent upon the Church for relationships and support
*There are promises of imminent fulfillment, peace, salvation, if they
just "stick it out a little longer," or "try a little harder."
*There is control of sexuality and intimacy within the cult if they just
"stick it out a little longer," or "try a little harder."
*Members are pressured to give ongoing confession and self-denigration.
*Members have excessive financial obligations to Dobbs.
It's not as bad as it looks. You get used to it after a while.
-N-
--
-Copyright NENSLO KDV 1995- VERBUM SAPIENTI SATIS EST
Send One Dollar to box 86582 Portland OR 97286
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Subject: Re: What We Stand For
From: i.stang@metronet.com (Rev. Ivan Stang)
nenslo@teleport.com (NENSLO) wrote:
> Many people ask what they can expect when they join the Church of
> the SubGenius. Here's an excerpt from the Dobbstown acolyte's handbook,
> copyright 1966 by the SubGenius Foundation.
>
> THESE ARE THE WAYS BY WHICH WE LIVE:
[snip]
Nen-guy, with this formula, we can start a WHOLE NEW CULT and maybe do it RIGHT this time! And make a damn BUCK!! For once. I wish I'd've been so
organized in '79. Shit. I mean, you hit the nail right on the head, but
we've been SLOPPY about it. I think this list is gonna get people's hopes
up too much. We can deliver on MOST of it, but we're bound to let the
Bucks and Bobs down, don't you think? Let's start again from scratch,
using this idea of yours. I'll be President and you can be Vice President,
okay? I'll make sure you get paid as much as me.
Stang
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Original file name: What We Stand For
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