- Topic
This last Saturday my family was at church for quite a while. I texted my wife to see what was going on. It was around 1030pm, and she told me my oldest daughter was in a "course study". I'm guessing they got home around 1130 to midnight. Is this similar to the preaching practices?
Thats what they are. Course study is Preaching Practice. It was never called that in the church I was at, but I realized other branches called it that.
UntouchableJ wrote:
Thats what they are. Course study is Preaching Practice. It was never called that in the church I was at, but I realized other branches called it that.
course class is another one.
Zion University, is when the ask members to PAY to learn and get signatures from one Course Study/Sermon book. Its a complete scam, because the members pay anywhere between 200-500$ to get signatures on the sermons for thr book they already own. They also change the name to Elohim academy, and as of now at some University and Colleges they are trying to operate under different names to no longer draw attention
UntouchableJ wrote:
Zion University, is when the ask members to PAY to learn and get signatures from one Course Study/Sermon book. Its a complete scam, because the members pay anywhere between 200-500$ to get signatures on the sermons for thr book they already own. They also change the name to Elohim academy, and as of now at some University and Colleges they are trying to operate under different names to no longer draw attention
That's exactly what they are doing at the colleges in Chicago right now. They are trying to stay ahead of their bad reputation by changing the name they operate under after they get challenged by admin at a college.
And the paying for the courses thing is really similar to what Scientology does. Squeezing every last dime. They are very good at that.
@mountain Maybe Dupage should get a friendly heads up about WMS tactics.
Dupage already has. Some parents have been very upset, the way I hear it, and Dupage administrators have already dealt with the group once. They are on the radar there.
You know, what should really happen is that the college newspaper should do a write up. That's what has happened at some other Universities. That is likely the key to alerting students. There's an idea.
A friend of mine gave me some of his old Elohim Academy books. I have tried to get through their "Sermon" book. Everytime I read some of this stuff I always feel dirty like I've done something that has infected me. Yuck! I have made it through the first fourty pages and I can't believe that anyone would put their name on this stuff. As in years past I cannot find anything that doesn't have problems with it. It conflicts with the Bible, history, and even Ahns own words. It has to suck so bad when your own man made created god has written words that conflict with what your being taught to believe. Some of my friends (ex-members) have done a great job of seeing the truth after leaving and even posting videos showing others the problems and deceptions. These course studies/preaching practice are designed to make the members lie to themselves and not hear the truth when others point out something that contradicts.
I want to throw something out here to everyone. If you want to get somebody off guard and semi-willing to open themselves up to other possibilities you only need to attack one of three areas of a persons life. Imagine if you will that you have a heavy ball ontop of a three legged table. The ball is centered and the legs are all the same and everything is in balance. (This works in politics very well also.) The three legs represent Security, Basic Human Needs, and Belief. If you affect any of these areas of a persons life then the ball ontop of the table must shift or else the table will topple and the ball will fall off.
Here's an example: You are not better off because of "White Privilage". This attacks one or more of the legs of the table. Are you less secure? Probable not. What about your basic human needs? Now you might be thinking that you should have been better off than you are right now. This is a possiblility. What about your beliefs? Again, this is a possibility. Origionally you might have believed that you were at this place in your life because you only got a two year degree from college and others have a higher degree so they have been promoted faster. Hold on, you just told me that the reason why I have not gotten to a better position in life is because of "White Privilage". I might start relooking at what has happened in the past and start seeing just how this "White Privilage" has kept me down. My life becomes unbalanced and I have been opened up to a different possibility and belief system. The truth is probably what my first gut instinct told me but now I'm off balance and my world is shaky.
Probably not the best example but do you get it?
@LoG it most likely is. If a “Zion” is to small to do a Zion U., or Elohim Academy, they will conduct it at the nearest Big Branch church. What they did to double the revenue, was have Elohim Acad. at the Church I was at for 200$, then have it at the huge Regional church in New Windsor for 600$ or so. Thats two sessions in a year, multiplied by all the members who attend 2x. Big money, big scam. Now again, your only mastering the sermon Book you ALREADY have. For instance I was on Sermon/Course book #1. If I went to the academy and completed it in a day, or if I never went and it took 12 Saturdays…it would still be completed.
UntouchableJ wrote:
@LoG it most likely is. If a "Zion" is to small to do a Zion U., or Elohim Academy, they will conduct it at the nearest Big Branch church. What they did to double the revenue, was have Elohim Acad. at the Church I was at for 200$, then have it at the huge Regional church in New Windsor for 600$ or so. Thats two sessions in a year, multiplied by all the members who attend 2x. Big money, big scam. Now again, your only mastering the sermon Book you ALREADY have. For instance I was on Sermon/Course book #1. If I went to the academy and completed it in a day, or if I never went and it took 12 Saturdays…it would still be completed.
So, this in addition to tithes, I am assuming. Wow. Just like Scientology, making people pay for courses. All tax deductible, too. I know they make money hand over grubby fist.
The money argument is going to go absolutely nowhere. Money-scam-talk will look like nit-picking to members.
"The higher up in the organization one goes, the less material things they have" or something similar.
In my opinion "what are the case studies" has not so much to do with money as it has to do with buy-in to earn one's slavation….er, salvation. What, emotionally, do people get out of it? And this:
Joshua wrote:
These course studies/preaching practice are designed to make the members lie to themselves and not hear the truth when others point out something that contradicts.
as for this:
Joshua wrote:
Here's an example: You are not better off because of "White Privilage". This attacks one or more of the legs of the table. Are you less secure? Probable not. What about your basic human needs? Now you might be thinking that you should have been better off than you are right now. This is a possiblility. What about your beliefs? Again, this is a possibility. Origionally you might have believed that you were at this place in your life because you only got a two year degree from college and others have a higher degree so they have been promoted faster. Hold on, you just told me that the reason why I have not gotten to a better position in life is because of "White Privilage". I might start relooking at what has happened in the past and start seeing just how this "White Privilage" has kept me down. My life becomes unbalanced and I have been opened up to a different possibility and belief system. The truth is probably what my first gut instinct told me but now I'm off balance and my world is shaky.
Probably not the best example but do you get it?
Definitely get it. Personally have been attacked in this regard, and as if I am the mastermind of the white world. Never hung around to verify if a cult was involved but it was out in the "regular world", which goes to show how easily it is for people to buy in to ideologies and to justify their maltreatment of others.
I have to agree with JW on one point: The money argument doesn't usually go somewhere with members. But I am concerned more with people who have never been members at this point, and warning them BEFORE they experience bankruptcy and other financial problems that keep being talked about by ex members. If they don't join, they won't be scammed. And we know it's a scam.
The money argument is definitely going somewhere out in the "regular world." There is a money trail, and I'm sure it is picking up attention now.
@Mountain If the truth is segmented more, then there will be alot more info. WMS always wants to battle with logic via Bible. But if a video is done on their financial practices, The fact that they make members pay for items that they write off to the IRS (Elohist magazines, Sermon Books, ASH books, Food, and Funerals) then it will help others see what else is going on.
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