Robin Jackson Blog

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It seems as if John Travolta is cutting a very sad, lonely and miserable figure these days. The Saturday Night Fever and Grease star has been spotted over-indulging on junk food and seems to be gaining wait again. However, few would blame the star for this for he is battling to come to terms with the death of his 16-year-old son who died of a seizure at their holiday villa.

But it seems as if it is not just the death of his son that is tormenting Travolta of late. In Hollywood rumours are abound that cracks are starting to show in his 34-year-old relationship with the Church of Scientology, a cult that Travolta is a prominent member of. It seems that the sudden death of his son has deeply shaken his faith in the cult which claims to have the ability to cure mental and physical disorders. Travolta’s son was said to have suffered from autism and he is disappointed that the religion was not able to help his son more. Rick Ross, an American author and cult expert, said “It’s led him to question his faith.” 

It is also reported that Travolta is upset that senior members of the cult have instructed him to undergo intensive sessions with “ethics officers” who are trained to question John and other family members to ascertain whether their “negative influences” could have contributed to his son’s death.

Travolta, it seems, is in a catch 22 situation. If he carries out threats to leave and speak out against the organization the church could go public with embarrassing details of his private life. This is a practise that the Church of Scientology is notorious for carrying out. Like most cults the questioning members of Scientology can be excommunicated and labelled “destructive influences.” Former acquaintances and family members are not allowed to speak with or associate with these former members.

Last month I appeared on a current affairs television show called African Views which discussed cults. Appearing on the discussion panel with me was the Church of Scientology South Africa’s PR person. One statement that he made was that he was offended by people calling the religion a cult.

However, the Church of Scientology’s doctrines and practices fit the cult profile in more ways than one.

The following is an extract from my book Cults: How They Work

Information Control

Cults tell their members not to read any information outside the cult. All information from outside the cult is considered to be “evil”, especially if that information is in opposition to the cult. Only information which is supplied by the cult is true. Here too cults label any information against it as “persecution” or “spiritual pornography”. The cult I was a member of calls it “apostate literature”. No doubt books like this one will likewise fall into their respective labels. You also run the risk of being expelled from the group if you are caught in possession of any such literature. Members are trained to instantly destroy any information critical of the cult, and not even to entertain the thought that it could be true.

       Therefore, what we can conclude from this is that those who control the information control the person. Naturally, a person who does not consider all information will make unbalanced decisions. Throughout history the practice of filtering information available or trying to discredit it, not on the basis of how true it is, but how it supports the party-line is a common mind control tool.

       This extract from the Watchtower’s monthly publication, Our Kingdom Ministry, September 2007 edition, is a classic example of information control used by cults.

Does ‘the faithful and discreet slave” endorse independent groups of Witnesses who meet together to engage in scriptural research or debate?

No, it does not. And yet in various parts of the world, a few associates of our organization have formed groups to do independent research on Bible-related subjects. […] Throughout the earth, Jehovah’s people are receiving ample spiritual instruction and encouragement at congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions, as well as through the publications of Jehovah’s organization. […] For those who wish to do extra Bible study and research, we recommend that they explore Insight on the Scriptures, “All Scripture Is Inspired Of God and Beneficial,” and our other publications, such as those that discuss the prophecies found in the Bible books of Daniel, Isaiah, and Revelation. These provide abundant material for Bible study, […] (September 2007, Kingdom Ministry, Question Box) [Italics mine]

       In the above quote members are encouraged to only consult or research the Watchtowers publications for personal research purposes, thereby controlling the information they receive.

       Another former Opus Dei member, Colm Larkin, explains how every book that could be read by Opus Dei members carried a censorship rating that ranged from one to six. Books that were rated with the number one could be read by everybody. Books rated with the number two could only be read if permission was granted. The books rated between three and five could only be read by established members and also depended on the amount of time they belonged to The Work. Lastly, those books rated with the number six were completely banned to everybody.

       Legitimate groups have nothing to fear from their members reading critical information about them. The internet has become a valuable source of information. This tool has also proved to be a thorn in the side of many of these cults and they frequently discourage members from using it. Furthermore, I do admit that some information on the internet should be taken with a pinch of salt, but the vast majority of the information about cults is dead accurate.

       In my opinion, any organization that has to constantly warn its followers against using the internet has a lot to hide. And certainly many of these groups would much rather cover-up much of their past (and present). If you are instructed by a group not to read any information critical of the group, then it is a sure sign of a cult.

Winston Churchill once warned, “we have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” How true these words are when we analyse the motivating factor behind many religious and political movements. This is especially so when we apply this to the cults of our day.
It is one of the most common threads that weave cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and the Moonies together.

These cults fear change, loss of influence and modernization. They fear the influence of mass media and its ability to subvert the young with song, dance, fashion, alcohol, drugs, sex and freedom. Education is especially feared if it undermines the teachings of their religion. They fear a future they can’t control, or even comprehend.

Jehovah’s Witnesses fit this notion outright. Their doctrines are based on fear and it is a tactic they have used for decades to recruit new members and to keep the rank and file in check. One only has to look at their publications and literature wherein depictions of destruction and violence are rife. Their book of bible stories, a publication that is supposedly targeted to teach children about the bible, is notorious for its imagery of violence and brutality. No wonder there are reports of Witness children having nightmares when reading this book (And here I speak from personal experience). If their intention was to instil fear in the minds of their little ones then they have certainly succeeded.

Their blood doctrine is certainly the one that is rooted in fear. By now we all know that many lives have been lost due to their refusal to accept blood transfusions. This refusal to have a blood transfusion administered to them is supposedly in obedience to their god who wants them to die and leave family members and young children behind. Once again fear stands out. Fear of disobeying their god and losing their so-called hope of a resurrection into a paradise earth. And here I emphasise the word “hope” because you are not really guaranteed a resurrection according to the Witnesses.

Jehovah’s Witnesses also fear the “end of days”. The word Armageddon sends shivers down their spine. It is the one day they fear the most. They obey their savage and bloodthirsty god for fear of not being spared at Armageddon. Once again this is instilled in them with imagery in their publications.

The leadership is also to be feared. Every utterance that comes forth from the leaders is supposed to be seen as the undeniable “Truth”. And don’t you dare question the leaders! If you do, you are threatened with expulsion and excommunication. The fear of being expelled and losing ones family is what keeps the members from ultimately leaving. This characteristic of fear certainly is another identifying mark of cults and fundamentalist high control groups.

In a nutshell, Jehovah’s Witnesses and their fundamentalist principals characterised by intolerance and rigid adherence to those principles is a cult rooted in fear.