I am debating whether to go to this Rael meeting on Sunday

[FuSoYa]

It'll probably be the same business as last time, only this time there may not be cameras, along with the fact that I am like a VET now.

Also the Abduction as an Art form lady may be there so I can pester her about that. Only problem is, I kind of feel crappy and sort of don;t want to do anything this weekend. Maybe I'll feel better on Sunday.

Anyway, do any of you want to come along?
It's at 1 PM Sunday in Boston.

 

[xfer]

they will think you are one of them. it's like how you're never too friendly to the jehovah's witnesses who come by, because they'll think they've got their hooks in you and come back more often.

 

[FuSoYa]

Yeah, but I owe the main Rael guy 5 bucks, so I kind of have to go.

 

[goatschool]

i would go if i could.

i would be interested in challenging certain viewpoints (in a polite, conversational manner, of course) from the viewpoint of another contactee organization, such as Adamski or Meier.

although i fully admit i don't know a lot about Rael and whether or not they address their inter-sectarian issues.

 

[FuSoYa]

Ah ha, see the thing I noticed about these types of meetings - the way cults kind of attract people is that they make it very very clear that their teachings are "not for everyone" and that "you can choose to believe it or not."

There were some instances were people would question certain viewpoints, and regardless of their lack of tact, the meeting leader (named Mehran, who was from Tehran.. hee hee!) would kind of skirt the issue by saying that you just had to read the book (Rael's "The Message Given By Extra-Terrestrials"... interestingly, if you take the dust jacket off this book, the cover beneath displays a different title: "The True Face of God"!!!) and that not everyone is fit to be a Raelian.

How do you think a person could get him to answer controvesial questions without giving these cop-out answers?

 

[goatschool]

i hate to suggest trickery, but that seems to be the only way. i mean, if that is not a rhetorical question.

i think you can probably shmooze into a question, such as -- "you know, adamski's space brothers believed this, and i notice a similarity between that and Raelian thought; could it be possible that they correlate as...."

i see this getting answered with a wry grin and a "welllllll... i don't think that it correlates because, etc etc", but then you have opened the door for more.

that probably makes no sense.

 

[FuSoYa]

That sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately last time there seemed to be some communication difficulties as both the meeting leaders, being immigrants, seemed like they had a hard time explaining themselves in English. It's worth a shot though.

I feel like a superiorist bastard saying this, but the people leading this meeting seemed like they could have been brainwashed by ME if I really tried. What I'm saying is that I really would like to attend a cult meeting where the leader is SUPERBLY eloquent and charismatic and I leave feeling all fucked with.

 

[goatschool]

i don't think that is superiorist, i think it is most likely the "reality" (if there is such a thing) of the situation.

 

[FuSoYa]

Oftentimes during the last meeting, Mehran was getting verbally attacked by this stupid oaf of a skeptic, and I found myself defending Raelianism to her because Mehran appeared to be having some kind of aphasic bout. Not a good trait for a cult meeting leader to possess.

 

[The Dope]

Yeah, but I owe the main Rael guy 5 bucks, so I kind of have to go.

Why??

 

[FuSoYa]

Well last time I wanted to buy the 15 dollar Rael book from him but I only had 10. He agreed to give it to me if I gave him the rest "the next time i saw him."

 

[The Dope]

That guy must be pretty trusting. He also must have been confident that you would become a Raelian convert, thus ensuring that he'd see you again.

 

[xfer]

paying for the rael book is like BUYING a t-short with a nike swoosh on it, instead of BEING PAID to wear it.

 

[The Dope]

I don't know. I think unless you were walking around in public, overtly displaying the book and preaching the gospel of Rael, then that analogy isn't quite the same, but I see your point.

 

[xfer]

you dont learn from a t-shirt, so the analogy is perfect! unless it's one of those TEN REASONS BOSTON COLLEGE GUYS/GIRLS SUCK ones or something.

 

[The Dope]

I guess my point is that you can buy a shirt and wear it and people will see it and it's like free advertising for the company, but unless you are actually displaying the book, nobody will know you have it.

 

[VangelicSurgeon]

Yeah, but I owe the main Rael guy 5 bucks, so I kind of have to go.

this makes me really happy for some reason

 

[xfer]

well, uh, yeah, but my analogy was "they are selling you something they want you to have".

 

[FuSoYa]

who sells stuff they don't want people to have?

 

[xfer]

sorry, "that they want you to have more than they want the money you paid for it".