TET: With Great Power & All That Jazz

[Farnhamia]

That's what you have teeth for.

I mean, if we didn't have them, BITE wouldn't exist.

It would but it would be called GUM.

[Geneviev]

Danube steam shipping electricity main plant construction sub-civil servant company boss, according to Google Translate. Hmm. Nice.

The longest German word, with seven additional letters added that I creatively thought of.

[Ethel mermania]

Danube steam shipping electricity main plant construction sub-civil servant company boss, according to Google Translate. Hmm. Nice.

I have clawed my way to middle management

[Ethel mermania]

I mean, if we didn't have them, BITE wouldn't exist.

It would but it would be called GUM.

Hey, I still have most of my teeth.

[Hurdergaryp]

It would but it would be called GUM.

Hey, I still have most of my teeth.

And some of them can't even be taken out! Well, not without force, that is.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

It would but it would be called GUM.

Hey, I still have most of my teeth.

Show us your grill.

[Heloin]

Hey, I still have most of my teeth.

Show us your grill.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Show us your grill.

Not that kind of grill but the food there looks amazing.

[Ethel mermania]

Show us your grill.

And we were going to have shrimp scampi, now I want barbecue

[Hurdergaryp]

And we were going to have shrimp scampi, now I want barbecue

Random TET participant shows picture of food, Ethel hungers. It is always the same.

[Ethel mermania]

And we were going to have shrimp scampi, now I want barbecue

Random TET participant shows picture of food, Ethel hungers. It is always the same.

I am predictable that way.

[Grenartia]

I mean, they pretty much are. They score high on every part of the BITE model.

The BITE model isn't particularly accurate. It would make my church a cult, for example.

All religions have a non-zero score, but only higher scores qualify as cults. Depending on where on that spectrum your church falls, maybe it is a cult? I mean, I hate to say it, but still.

In that case your church is a cult. Your elders appear to have failed when it comes to instill fear of thinking independently in you, though. Don't let them find out!

Steven Hassan, who created the BITE model, isn't even particularly qualified and has lied about things pretty often. He's not a reliable source of information about cults and tries to expand the definition so that people are afraid of their "growing" influence and buy his books.

How is a mental health counselor who himself escaped a cult not a reliable source of info about cults and not qualified to talk about them?

All of these accusations sound like specifically provable things, so you should be able to.

[Luziyca]

Show us your grill.

Looks delicious.

[The Village Green SSR]

I mean, they pretty much are. They score high on every part of the BITE model.

The BITE model isn't particularly accurate. It would make my church a cult, for example.

I mean, from what you've described of your particular sect, it does seem rather... cult-ish, perhaps? No offense intended, of course. But sometimes I worry about your mental and emotional well-being while immersed in such an environment. It doesn't seem particularly healthy if that makes sense. Of course, I'm not omniscient, so feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken. If you feel I am mistaken, then you have my apologies.

[Infected Mushroom]

Persuasion is difficult indeed

I find it hard as well

It's difficult for most people, I think. It should be taught in schools to correct that. But then having most of society disagree with you will always make it even harder.

I see...

[New Visayan Islands]

I mean, if we didn't have them, BITE wouldn't exist.

It would but it would be called GUM.

Like the Russian department store?

[The Free Joy State]

In that case your church is a cult. Your elders appear to have failed when it comes to instill fear of thinking independently in you, though. Don't let them find out!

Steven Hassan, who created the BITE model, isn't even particularly qualified and has lied about things pretty often. He's not a reliable source of information about cults and tries to expand the definition so that people are afraid of their "growing" influence and buy his books.

Who told you that, out of interest, about the mental health counsellor who escaped the Unification Church (recognised as a cult) and now specialises in destructive cults? Your Pastor?

If so, it's amazing how often the opponents of high-pressure religious groups get slurred, isn't it? I wonder why that happens... It couldn't be anything to do with the fact that sources of information that urge people to question if their behaviour is overly regulated, and their emotions are being controlled and if the world is distorted into black/white good/bad and inside/outside can be threatening to the leadership, can it?

Does your Church have anything to say about cult expert Rick Ross (which also brands the JWs a cult)?

By the way, Rick Ross' ten warning signs of a potentially dangerous group and leader are:

• Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
• No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
• No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
• Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
• There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
• Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
• There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
• Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
• The group/leader is always right.
• The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

[Farnhamia]

*walks in wearing a jester's cap and carrying a rubber chicken* Hiya, folks ... *stops short after seeing the recent posts* Oh, sorry, I thought this was TET. *turns to go* Hey! Wait a minute!

[Galloism]

*walks in wearing a jester's cap and carrying a rubber chicken* Hiya, folks ... *stops short after seeing the recent posts* Oh, sorry, I thought this was TET. *turns to go* Hey! Wait a minute!

This convo is a bit like wearing a suit to a nude beach.

[Farnhamia]

*walks in wearing a jester's cap and carrying a rubber chicken* Hiya, folks ... *stops short after seeing the recent posts* Oh, sorry, I thought this was TET. *turns to go* Hey! Wait a minute!

This convo is a bit like wearing a suit to a nude beach.

Just a little, yeah.

[Galloism]

This convo is a bit like wearing a suit to a nude beach.

Just a little, yeah.

I should do that just once.

Wear a suit to a nude beach, I mean.

[The Free Joy State]

*walks in wearing a jester's cap and carrying a rubber chicken* Hiya, folks ... *stops short after seeing the recent posts* Oh, sorry, I thought this was TET. *turns to go* Hey! Wait a minute!

*grabs the rubber chicken and plays keep away*

(Sorry, Farn. Get me on the subject of cults, and I can talk.)

And -- in honour of my resolution to be entirely silly in TET -- a thoroughly silly song, made to represent all the silly but annoyingly memorable holiday songs, from Spitting Image (which I remember from my childhood): The Chicken Song.

[The Village Green SSR]

Just a little, yeah.

I should do that just once.

Wear a suit to a nude beach, I mean.

I wear suits to the beach, albeit not nude beaches (which aren't a thing here in PA, at least to my knowledge).

[Farnhamia]

*walks in wearing a jester's cap and carrying a rubber chicken* Hiya, folks ... *stops short after seeing the recent posts* Oh, sorry, I thought this was TET. *turns to go* Hey! Wait a minute!

*grabs the rubber chicken and plays keep away*

(Sorry, Farn. Get me on the subject of cults, and I can talk.)

And -- in honour of my resolution to be entirely silly in TET -- a thoroughly silly song, made to represent all the silly but annoyingly memorable holiday songs, from Spitting Image (which I remember being from my childhood): The Chicken Song.

I should do that just once.

Wear a suit to a nude beach, I mean.

I wear suits to the beach, albeit not nude beaches (which aren't a thing here in PA, at least to my knowledge).

There are beaches in PA?

[Abserdia]

*walks in wearing a jester's cap and carrying a rubber chicken* Hiya, folks ... *stops short after seeing the recent posts* Oh, sorry, I thought this was TET. *turns to go* Hey! Wait a minute!

A queen and a jester?