Active Cults = DFF #319

I'm sure a lot of people would say the 9/11 hijackers were victimized and brainwashed by their religion.

Devourlord Asmodeus

Not sure about that NXIVM thing. Where do you draw the line? Would you say that the 9/11 hijackers were just victims who were brainwashed into taking their own lives? I believe everybody should be responsible for decisions about their own bodily autonomy. Not to mention that HBO has something to gain by making the leader look as worse as possible and the "victims" have an interest in portraying themselves as well as possible. I'm big on the Transformers fandom. If Protoman, the guy who runs the TF Slag Podcast, and I started going to TFcons together for years, I'm definitely gonna notice something is seriously wrong if he ever asks me to take my dick out. I would say no and leave.

DownrightSuperb

Getting an editor was a very savvy decision. I always enjoyed DFF but the editing has taken it way over the edge. Very nice.

Dillon Richardson

Paul, if you do a part 2, maybe you could cover The Family International. Not as big as they once were but still going. It's the one Joaquin and River Phoenix spent part of their childhood in (tragically) Bonus, Red Letter Media got a hold of one of their propaganda pieces and featured it on Best of the Worst called SOS so you could have material to watch if you can find it without the commentary. I'll leave a link with a timestamp so you know what to look for at least. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceUSZBMeREY&t=1583s

SamiDC

I called the rottenass place. Cussed out that bitch@!!!!!! I feel so powerful

Aaron Marentette

Also, Paul should check out United Nation of Islam if he hasn't. Probably has I imagine. Aparently they started doing by the name "value creators" but I have no idea if they are still active

hookshot245

Growing up a Jehovahs Witness, I can tell you that shit was a cult, which I mean like, highly authoritative and exploitative, discourages you from asccoiating with non members for anything more than necessity or getting them in. Fucked up my social development and emotional maturity and probably a bunch of other stuff quite a bit. The most intresting and cooky shit is the religions history, a lot of which is currently glossed over in the clut to make it more agreeable. For instance, I was never allowed to grow a beard, and was told it's because people we preach to will see it and think that we are unkempt or somthing, but found out the real reason is cause some high ranking dude who died forever ago supposedly had a really sick beard but he was insecure about the possibility of people having a better beard than him. Cooky shit. Oh, also there's child sex abuse or somthing. Shocker

hookshot245

Where was this? I used to go to a lot of festivals and this sounds familiar.

That school reminds me of Jack’s backstory from Mass Effect.

Samuel Dunn

I got scammed into an MLM cult by this Mormon girl who I shamefully once called my friend. They advertised these supposedly top-of-the-line air conditioning units that were all natural and good for the environment and all this nonsense. Looking back on it, I was pretty suspicious but, as we all know, hindsight is 20/20.

Charles Houston

I followed a girl into a cult. Young dumb and full of cum. Apostolic

Nunya

Once I got a “job” for cutco it’s an MLM. I was “hired” on the spot. The next day after doing some research to what they were. I called my “hiring manager” and told them “You’re scammers and go fuck yourselves.”

thepeasantchef

the problem is, in the real world inside the churches these two categories intertwine all the time. Young enthustiastic pastors/priests start off as genuine believers, but as they advance in their career and rip the benefits of it, they change. Of course they do, they're fucking people. At some point they all realise it's all a game of money and power like anything else. And there's no problem with that - cause the flock of sheep stays constant.

Leah

First cult: eh kinda boring Sex slaves were involved: wait what?

Samuel Wright

Where are the TJicofants?

Luke Winter

So when are you guys going to make your cult? Are we already in it? When is TJ going to get busted for having overweight male sex slaves?

Jason

This episode was not edited by Baffacake.

PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS

Baffacake is pretty good, but this is a bit overedited for a podcast in my opinion. I wouldnt go quite so far as to call it obnoxious, but it's gettin there. I would recommend toning it back a bit but that's just me

Bigass Frog

Fuck, I used to really like Nicki Clyne in BSG, and now she's getting disvorced by Allison Mack and is dancing outside Keith Raniere's prison, while still defending him. Geez, I hope she gets the help she needs :(

Maya Balsich

I'd like to make a suggestion for another cult episode: COLONIA DIGNIDAD. That was a very interesting group. However, it was not US-american, but german/chilean.

Phantomology

YES, DFF Jared Leto, he is such a fucking douchebag. I’ve never liked him in anything. Think of how much better the last Blade Runner would be without him in it.

Gavvyn

Greatest intro ever

Darrell Peeler

Jared Leto runs a cult. It's like one person told him he looks like Jesus, and he ran with it. Honestly, DFF could do a whole episode just roasting him and his terrible acting, and I would be okay with that.

Bill Hicks died in 1994

Thomas Mestnik

Someone has to eat garbage right? Better these cultists than me

Brad The Patreorn

26:36 upps... Wake up mr editor

Adolf of Londor

This is the most beautiful intro to an episode yet

Noah Stillmunkes

I’ve always thought of the evolution of Mormonism as a good example of the distinction between a cult and a mainstream religion. They did have to moderate some of their views and practices in order to be tolerated by broader society, specifically with regard to polygamy (although maybe they are moving back toward cult status now that Utah has decriminalized it).

Tito Manfredo

DFF Subway Jared.

Justin Bulkley

Nah @O

Conner Cruz O'Brien

Fellow Mainer? 👊 ... Yeah I'm from Waterville and I had no idea about that school.

Xenos Nassar

a good definition of religion: a faith based belief system and associated mythology that proposes a way for the self to survive the death of the physical body.

O

a good definition of cult: a religion lead by a charismatic, living leader who enforces strict controls over, and lives with, adherents. these religions have fewer adherents than the average religion.

O

theist definition of cult: a cult is a religion thats bad and not true because i dont believe it. no one who is not an atheist can accurately define anything regarding religion.

O

Great episode, Paul. Your penis as well as your beard is thicc as ever

Jared Miller

The Elan School segment was great and angering. As someone who went to a similar school (Elan was basically the blueprint for the Troubled Teen Industry that exists to this day), I think this topic could (and should) be covered in more depth in the future. These schools still exist, and they continue to abuse children on their parents’ behalf.

Timbo

Same. I was forced into one from 2004-2005. They still exist to this day and that absolutely infuriates me. I’m pissed after watching that segment, but only because of the memories it brought back. I am so glad DFF covered this disgusting school, and I hope they do a whole episode about this “troubled teen” industry eventually because there is more than enough material, and people need to know that this is going on.

Timbo

They're okay at best.

Garrett Logue

I'm not a fan of people having this sort of free will in their lives but, this seems interesting.

Garrett Logue

i was at a place similar to elan school but not quite as extreme but there are some disturbing similarities. people i knew there were abducted. they called it "getting gooned". it wasn't quite as dehumanizing but some things kinda were.

reese jones

Great topic. Love it.

daniel schmitt

Poland Maine is where the old Élan School is if somebody wants to boot up Minecraft and torch the place. I’m physically angry about what was going on right in my backyard.

Isaac Peachey

One of my bosses is a big dead head and they told me about a cult called the 12 tribes that follows music festivals and convince freaked out hippy kids to come and work in their diners and follow this sudo Christian religion. They had some of the old cult booklets they would get handed. They would see them at festivals all the time. The cult had a very distinct bus.

Harley DeBord

cult=fun+responsibility, i would cook the food for the community and trim the gardens.

I'm in a similar situation... Feels like life is really unraveling. Gotta cling on to whatever stray threads of sanity you can. Stay strong, brother.

Dustin

Hell yeah! I'm feasting tonight!

Der Meister

Paul ego fat and dumb

Jimbo Slice

FANK YOU good sirs for the good content

YoOoOoOoO

indeed.

YoOoOoOoO

I love dff and paul ego

Bei Guan悲观

DFF is the best Podcast/Patreon of all time

Watermelon

Nice

nick

Children of salt

Seth

Today has been all depression for me, birthday is 6 days, hittin the 3 0...family in shambles...broke with too much make up work to do(freelance artist).....very few things make me give a fuck recently...really glad you guys do what you do. Thank you.

ian

The intro is pretty cool

My submission for “That’s What I Call Edge: Vol. 3” https://youtu.be/IX8ikY4ZEjA

P0oo0op 💩

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