I always read stories about what’s going on in Gloriavale, and I quite enjoy videos of random communities abroad as well. Other than Gloriavale what other fringe communities exist in NZ?

  • flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I’m tempted to make poor taste jokes but really I’ve got nothing other than what is the difference between a cult and a religion?

    Obviously there’s some judgement in there, but I’m a little rough on the distinction

    • ciaocibai@lemmy.nzOP
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      1 year ago

      According to the cults website the other guy mentioned “cults have a strong tendency to harm and control their members” so… Mainstream religions tend to have numbers on their side I guess, but a mass delusion is still a delusion.

      • flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        But surely every religion is essentially control. As for the barn aspect, that’s very interpretable.

        This is just confirming my bunch that the difference is really spelling (as a non-bitter ex-Christian. Gosh, I am sounding bitter, however!)

    • ciaocibai@lemmy.nzOP
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      1 year ago

      Wow. I vaguely recall the name but I was just a little kid when that all broke. I didn’t realise how much shit went down there. That Wikipedia article makes for quite a read.

    • WardPearce@lemmy.nz
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      1 year ago

      Lmao they have a “False religion” key, so any religion what isn’t Christianity falls under that key.

      Also this… “Abortion - There is probably no greater danger to New Zealanders than abortion. The physical danger to babies is obvious”

      Keyed as a cult

        • WardPearce@lemmy.nz
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          1 year ago

          Don’t need to say “I feel”, deffo would be more balanced if the list of cults wasn’t written by someone in a cult

    • ciaocibai@lemmy.nzOP
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      1 year ago

      Wow there is some pretty whacky groups and people on the list. Love that they’ve for the advance + freedom parties there too.

    • liv@lemmy.nz
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      1 year ago

      That website seems to be run by someone with… very specific ideas.

      Their glossary defines several beliefs about god, including atheism, as “a false belief”.

    • ciaocibai@lemmy.nzOP
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      1 year ago

      That wiki article got more nuts the further I read. How people still believe after all those failed prophecies is beyond me, and the idea that this group demands young female members meets Korean beauty standards is even crazier. Thanks for the share.

      • liv@lemmy.nz
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        1 year ago

        Yeah it’s amazing especially meeting people who have likely never even been to Korea yet they are caught up in this thing.

  • BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz
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    1 year ago

    there are a lot of weird and small cults in NZ.

    Oh there is the business roundtable or whatever they are calling themselves these days.

    • TagMeInSkipIGotThis@lemmy.nz
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      1 year ago

      They merged with the NZ Institute and collectively they call themselves the NZ Initiative now. You’ll see them in media quite often being quoted as though they’re presenting a consensus of experts in things rather than promulgating the desires of the fairly extreme idealogues they’ve always been.

      • BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz
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        1 year ago

        It’s a part of their deception. Keep changing the name so the people get confused and can’t hold you accountable.

        • batwingnz@lemmy.nz
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          1 year ago

          NATLFED comes to mind when you say that, nothing to do with NZ, but the weird convoluted structure so no-one knows who is responsible for what