Yes. It reinforces the idea that the world is corrupt, fallen, that it won’t accept them. That only the cult will accept them. It reinforces the separation of cult and world, and makes cult the only attainable form of community.
Community is the cult’s greatest weapon. Gangs, religions, the manosphere, neo-Nazi… so many groups work by finding the isolated and disempowered, offering them a community that will adopt them (conditionally). Isolated people swallow the conditions readily in order to have a community, even an unhealthy one. Humans are social creatures.
Getting your members to do behaviours you know will see them rejected (like door-knocking) reinforces the indoctrination that only your cult can offer community. Even if they have doubts or discomfort, they won’t leave.
In my wayward youth I was heavily into church and went to a conference where you went to classes about evangelising and apologetics (arguing your beliefs) and then approaching people out in public to talk about Jesus. The success rate is low but it’s not zero.
Some of my strongest convictions against Christianity come from learning they told flat out lies in the apologetics classes and used lots of logical fallicies.
The basic door to door proselyting strategy (which has a 0% success rate) to make sure they don’t leave the cult, then…
Yes. It reinforces the idea that the world is corrupt, fallen, that it won’t accept them. That only the cult will accept them. It reinforces the separation of cult and world, and makes cult the only attainable form of community.
Community is the cult’s greatest weapon. Gangs, religions, the manosphere, neo-Nazi… so many groups work by finding the isolated and disempowered, offering them a community that will adopt them (conditionally). Isolated people swallow the conditions readily in order to have a community, even an unhealthy one. Humans are social creatures.
Getting your members to do behaviours you know will see them rejected (like door-knocking) reinforces the indoctrination that only your cult can offer community. Even if they have doubts or discomfort, they won’t leave.
In my wayward youth I was heavily into church and went to a conference where you went to classes about evangelising and apologetics (arguing your beliefs) and then approaching people out in public to talk about Jesus. The success rate is low but it’s not zero.
Some of my strongest convictions against Christianity come from learning they told flat out lies in the apologetics classes and used lots of logical fallicies.
When I read your post I heard Stewie Griffin in my head say “Flat out lies and logical fallacies? Well you don’t say!”