Heretic

[Heretic]

First things first. I am 58, a Brit and I'm an Atheist.

The label Heretic was given to me, while I was still a Christian, by other Christians. It's a label I have never been ashamed of. I became an Atheist about 20+ years ago as a result of a long progression from a Cultist to Born Again Christian through Christian Mysticism onwards to Atheism.

I was at one time a deprogrammer, helping people recover from indoctrination by anything from Hare Krishna to far left political parties.

By trade I have been a Computer Programmer, An IT Teacher and an Internet Helpdesk. I am now disabled with a partially paralysed left arm and suffer from a Chronic Pain condition that I have taken 3 different painkillers for over 10 years.

In a nutshell that's me.

Peace

Heretic

[AtomJack]

Welcome!

[Sinfidel]

Heretic wrote

First things first. I am 58, a Brit and I'm an Atheist.

Peace

Heretic

Hello! So, you too are enjoying what Mother Teresa called kisses from God. I wish He'd go away, although Tylenol keeps Him at bay for a while. I can sympathize because arthritic pain from gout flareups render my left hand just about useless, and, wouldn't you know it, I'm left handed. But enough about the golden years, laughter is still the best medicine, and rattling the cages of theologues, who are in short supply here, and thus need to be appreciated and hugged occasionally (not too closely), is more fun than an American election. Welcome, and share the mirth, and a glass or two or three....

[dogpet]

Heretic wrote

I was at one time a deprogrammer, helping people recover from indoctrination by anything from Hare Krishna to far left political parties.

Hi & all that. Can you tell us more about that? There's a vision of you helping reactionary families kidnap their student trot offspring to throw even more money at them. Enlighten us please.

I am now disabled with a partially paralysed left arm and suffer from a Chronic Pain condition that I have taken 3 different painkillers for over 10 years.

Trust me, 3 a decade is not enough. If skunk weed wasn't one of them you should try it.

[Smellyoldgit]

58? - sheesh, I can just about remember that!
Brit? - yup, that's me as well - but I can be part Welsh if there's winding up to be done.
Non-goddy? - yup, always have been - no time to listen to religious horseshit any more.
Chronic pain? - sorry, no can do. Knees occasionally ache a bit, but that's my own fault for running too many marathons.
Internet Helpdesk? - You bastard! I must have abused you at some point over the years!

[Heretic]

dogpet wrote

Hi & all that. Can you tell us more about that? There's a vision of you helping reactionary families kidnap their student trot offspring to throw even more money at them. Enlighten us please.

The first thing we did was help the family that there was something wrong at home. If this was not unserstood to be true then we walked away. Usually the problem was with the parents but not always. We had to be very hard on the family because otherwise the moment the child was given back to them he/she would dart out of the back door the moment peoples backs were turned. As far as the child was concerned we just needed to know the doctrines of their cult better than they did and to show that they were being exploited. The doctines I knew belonged to 'The Moonies', The Childrren of God' and the Hare Krsna. We all backed each other up and so he had a working knowledge of other groups. Please don't confuse what we did with the content of some movies that have hit the big screen (I can't even remember what they were called now - that's what happens with trash). We had a far gentler way of achieving the same effect.

Trust me, 3 a decade is not enough. If skunk weed wasn't one of them you should try it.

My narcotic of choice is a glass of single malt.

Peace

Heretic

[Heretic]

Smellyoldgit wrote

Internet Helpdesk? - You bastard! I must have abused you at some point over the years!

I doubt it unless you worked for a school. The ISP I worked for supplied the net to a large part of the schools in Liverpool. I must of been fairly good because on day 1 I (we as someone was meant to be showing me the ropes[he was sacked after I was there about 10 days]) was overwhelmed by calls but when I left six months later I was only getting on average one call a week. I guess I must of been doing something right.

Thanks for the welcome.

Peace

Heretic

[dogpet]

Heretic wrote

The first thing we did was help the family that there was something wrong at home. If this was not unserstood to be true then we walked away. Usually the problem was with the parents but not always. We had to be very hard on the family because otherwise the moment the child was given back to them he/she would dart out of the back door the moment peoples backs were turned. As far as the child was concerned we just needed to know the doctrines of their cult better than they did and to show that they were being exploited. The doctines I knew belonged to 'The Moonies', The Childrren of God' and the Hare Krsna. We all backed each other up and so he had a working knowledge of other groups. Please don't confuse what we did with the content of some movies that have hit the big screen (I can't even remember what they were called now - that's what happens with trash). We had a far gentler way of achieving the same effect.

That's all fine & good, but I was hoping to hear about the deprogramming of left leaning citizens. How did you come to be invited to provide these interventions, or was it a calling?

[Heretic]

Why did I help deprogram people on the left? It is not difficult to compare extreme politics with extreme religion. The reason is clear when you realise that politics, like religion, has it's own churches and ideologies, moderates and extremists. What is a political ideology but religion without a god? Islam manages to make the two inseparable.

The reason young people join extremist political movements are identical to the reasons others join extremists religions. Always look first to the family environment first and fix the family before even trying to help reunite them with their loved [?] one.

Though I mentioned extreme left politics I could just as easily of mentioned the extreme right, I just helped in cases from the far left and though we could help just as easily cases from the far right but as far as I recall we were never asked.

It must be said that all such families [with alienated or runaway children] have their own unique problems. I do remember one family where we were able to help identify their problems and help them face them, however the attempt to reunite the family failed (but they took what we taught them and managed it themselves about six months later).

Peace

Heretic

[dogpet]

Heretic wrote

Why did I help deprogram people on the left? It is not difficult to compare extreme politics with extreme religion. The reason is clear when you realise that politics, like religion, has it's own churches and ideologies, moderates and extremists. What is a political ideology but religion without a god? Islam manages to make the two inseparable.

So do the joos, but that's politics hiding behind forbidden criticism. No way can you tar politics with the stupid brush without an agenda of your own.

Please don't sign your name again. Peas.

[Heretic]

dogpet wrote

So do the joos, but that's politics hiding behind forbidden criticism. No way can you tar politics with the stupid brush without an agenda of your own.

Please don't sign your name again. Peas.

Our agenda if that's what you want to call it was simple: to reunite families.

If you have not seen the fanaticism of fringe politics then you will not understand why we did what we did.

Peace

Heretic