http://forum.rickross.com/index.php EN Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:11:58 +0100 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:11:58 +0100 Cult Education Forum Phorum 5.1.25 60 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,61939,78876#msg-78876 Mville04 I recorded the show and am now trying to figure out how to post it or send it.]]> Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,61939,78876#msg-78876 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:11:58 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78875#msg-78875 Mville04 I think if I just cut out the commercials I may be able to make it into 4 videos. I don't think there should be a copyright infringement due to it's use as educational material and the proper station credits given.

Let me know what you think.]]> Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78875#msg-78875 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:04:10 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78874#msg-78874 BraveHeart Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78874#msg-78874 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:22:25 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78873#msg-78873 JustAsIAm
I caught parts of it and thought it was a fantastic show. Even the people calling in in support of Tony looked rather foolish. Eric Hogue has experienced spiritual abuse and knows the signs. He didn't let any of the supporters get away with just "Tony's a great guy; I got saved at that church" etc. He actually called it a CULT on the air! I wonder how this affects the current lawsuit and the others that are being filed soon? I have to believe it will help a lot!

Pray that those who remain will allow their eyes to be opened and to begin to ask questions. This hiding behind the excuse of "I wasn't affected personally" or "It isn't my drama and I don't want to be involved" has got to stop. Christ did not look meekly on when wrong was being perpetrated on his people.

By the way, if there are any people reading this who still attend RLC you need to wake up to the fact that you WILL NOT recognize this man or his manipulations while you are still involved. How about you use the brain God gave you and ask questions? At least then you'll be making an informed decision, not one that you have been manipulated into.]]> Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78873#msg-78873 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:01:30 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78872#msg-78872 Mville04 Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78872#msg-78872 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:46:15 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?4,1202,78871#msg-78871 The Real Deal Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?4,1202,78871#msg-78871 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:45:12 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,58575,78868#msg-78868 tsukimoto
The second is also interesting. Here are some quotes from it: "SGI members will seemingly look like good persons and will give you advice with a grin. But their eyes will be crazy because they have been brainwashed that Daisaku Ikeda is the greatest man in this world. They will ask you persistently so it is dangerous to make friends with them...he [Ikeda] has pretended to be Japanese and has taken poor people for decades....it [SGI] ties up with a gang named "G-gumi" and kills a man as if he killed himself."

Years ago, I heard rumors that Ikeda was not actually Japanese, but of Korean ancestry. Surely this can't be true; Japanese have a family registry...you can find out pretty quickly who someone, and his ancestors were. And really, what difference would it make if he did have Japanese or Chinese ancestors? It's the taking poor people that is the problem.

Gang ties? Making a murder look like suicide? The person who made the videos did not give any specific information about those things.]]> Former Cult Members and Affected Families http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,58575,78868#msg-78868 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:15:58 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,61939,78867#msg-78867 LearningPoint
A note on predestination: The Scriptures say that those whom He FOREKNEW He predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. For me, that helps clarify how it seems to work. God didn't eeny-meenie-miney-mo us to salvation or damnation. He merely knew ahead of time how each of us would choose; and those He knew would respond to His call, He THEREFORE predesitned to be placed in that process of being changed into His Son's image. Now, God is sovereign, and I don't pretend to understand fully that tension between sovereign will and free will, but I know that freewill is legit, so God's not making robots. Anyway, I see YOU being conformed to His image, according to His kind intention toward you. THAT'S THE BEST KIND OF NEWS IN THE WORLD!

You might have felt like you were going to fall and fall and fall, but He had (and has) hold of you, dear brother.

With much love in Christ,

LP]]> Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,61939,78867#msg-78867 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:44:05 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,58575,78866#msg-78866 Yzak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQQ_Fa2jszQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKb29Q5N6dU&feature=video_response

comments anybody?!]]> Former Cult Members and Affected Families http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,58575,78866#msg-78866 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:12:49 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,2579,78865#msg-78865 corboy
And it appears what Cohen & his devotees have mastered is not enlightenment but mere PR and pushing shame buttons. That 'skill'nothing to be proud of.]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,2579,78865#msg-78865 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:55:56 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,2579,78864#msg-78864 corboy
Rosenman actually addressed the situation in which a violently assaulted and shocked person is impregnated with shards from the assailant's own self.

Rosenman examined drastic situations such as torture, rape, imprisonment. Because all human beings begin life as powerless infants and require a very long period of dependency upon adult careproviders all of us, even the strongest, exit childhood with some remaining pressure points which, if hit hard, can compromise our boundaries and reactivate a childs latent need for security and orientation from an all powerful parent figure.

Rosenman did not address how an assailant may be empowered by a social setting that worships use and abuse of brutality and rationalizes utter cruelty as necessary for spiritual development.

Alice Miller did address this in her book, For Your Own Good: Roots of Violence in Childrearing.

It will do much good if the New Age scene ceased to support and lend retreat space and advertising space to teachers who acquire documented records of emotional, financial and physical abuse.

Also some gurus find ways to obtain embarassing informaton about followers such as film footage or get follower to do things that leave them shame ridden.

If that film footage or letters stay in the ashram files, it can exert paralysis upon those who physically leave. To make amends, Cohen needs to surrender this material and ensure no one else, such as his heirs gets access to it.l]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,2579,78864#msg-78864 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:54:19 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78863#msg-78863 Guess Who Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78863#msg-78863 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:37:58 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,34685,78862#msg-78862 SeekingTruth Former Cult Members and Affected Families http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,34685,78862#msg-78862 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:12:36 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78861#msg-78861 Guess Who Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78861#msg-78861 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:05:59 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,78857,78859#msg-78859 SeekingTruth
We the undersigned believe that any extra money from the Religious Orders should be used solely to benefit former residents of all of the Institutions for medical, dental and other welfare purposes.

http://www.alliancesupport.org/petition/

Reading the comments below is also instructive. The Catholic Church is a CULT and an abusive one.

ST]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,78857,78859#msg-78859 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:35:14 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,78857,78858#msg-78858 SeekingTruth
http://www.alliancesupport.org/about-the-alliance.html

ST]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,78857,78858#msg-78858 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:21:18 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,78857,78857#msg-78857 SeekingTruth
The worst cases of abuse occurred - surprise surprise - at Catholic orphanages, especially at Christian Brothers establishments.

This is one of hundreds of reports:

Irish religious to fore in Australian abuse scandal

Wed, Nov 18, 2009

ANALYSIS: Many of the children abused in Australia, prompting this week's apology by the prime minister there, came originally from Ireland, writes MARY RAFTERY

THERE IS always one story that haunts you, so graphic and disturbing it is almost too terrible to contemplate.

In over a decade of researching the experiences of people all over the world whose childhoods were destroyed by state-sponsored abuse, one of the worst I came across was that of a small, blue-eyed boy at Tardun, an orphanage in western Australia. He was one of the tens of thousands apologised to on Monday by Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, as that country at last faces up to the savage abuses suffered by so many taken as children into state-funded care.

This boy had been sent to Australia from the UK. He told his story to a British House of Commons select committee established in the late 1990s to investigate the child migrant schemes.

Tardun was one of the more notorious of Australia's 500 or so children's institutions. It had all sorts of Irish connections. It was one of four such institutions run by the Christian Brothers, who were tightly controlled by their Irish leadership, based at the Dublin headquarters in Marino. They even named another of their western Australian institutions Clontarf - it is to be found in Waterford, a suburb of Perth.

Many of the brothers working in the Australian institutions were first generation Irish. These included Br Paul Keaney, the infamous resident manager of Bindoon (another Christian Brothers-run boys' orphanage) up to the 1950s, who was born in Rossinver, Co Leitrim.

Thousands of boys passed through these institutions. Most were Australian, who, like so many Irish children, ended up in care during the middle decades of the 20th century for reasons of poverty and disadvantage.

Thousands of others, however, had been sent from institutions throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the promise of a new life of sunshine and hope. And among these were to be found a surprising number of Irish children, born to Irish mothers fleeing the censorious atmosphere in this country and hoping to keep their pregnancies secret by going to England.

There are no precise figures so far, but it has been estimated that up to a quarter of those sent might have Irish parents.

In 1998, in what remains the most damning picture of Australia's children's institutions, the House of Commons select committee reported that "the worst cases of criminal abuse in Australia appear to have occurred in institutions run by the agencies of the Catholic Church, in particular the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy".

The report went on to say that some of the abuse investigated "was of a quite exceptional depravity, so that terms like 'sexual abuse' are too weak to convey it".

[b]Then comes the indelible account of the blue-eyed boy: "Those of us who heard the account of a man who as a boy was a particular favourite of some Christian Brothers at Tardun who competed as to who could rape him 100 times first, his account of being in terrible pain, bleeding and bewildered, trying to beat his own eyes so they would cease to be blue as the Brothers like his blue eyes, or being forced to masturbate animals, or being held upside down over a well and threatened in case he ever told, will never forget it".[/b]

With evidence of this kind coming from a British parliamentary committee, and substantiated over and over again by various Australian senate committee reports, the wonder is that it has taken the Australian government so long to apologise.

The pressure for such an apology has been building for a quarter of a century as thousands of former children in care began to trace their origins and uncover the sordid saga of their forced migration. Many had great difficulty tracking their families throughout Britain, but none more so than those whose mothers turned out to be Irish.

Giving birth in the relative anonymity of a British hospital was regarded by thousand of Irish women as preferable to facing the stigma of an unmarried pregnancy going full term in Ireland and resulting in a birth. Many of these mothers gave up their children to various British-based agencies. In some cases, the babies ended up in state-run children's homes, in others they were given into the care of religious orders. A number were also adopted and fostered.

Their fate was much fought over by self-styled Irish protection and rescue organisations, who patrolled the wards of Liverpool and London maternity hospitals, pleading with Irish mothers to bring their babies home and give them up to religious orders. The idea was to ensure the children would be raised as Catholics. The fact that many of them would end up in Irish industrial schools was of little concern.

Those Irish babies who remained in Britain were usually placed in institutions run by Catholic nuns, principally the Nazareth Sisters. And these institutions in turn provided the bulk of the thousands of Catholic children sent to Australia under a scheme jointly run by the Australian and British governments, which lasted until the late 1960s.

There was a promise that these children, many as young as three years old, would be placed with Australian families who would treat them as their own. This, however, became a reality for very few.

Almost all of the Catholic children were sent immediately to institutions run principally by the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy - the two congregations also most prominent in the management of the Irish industrial schools. Given the scale of migration from the UK, it is at first glance peculiar that there was no similar scheme for children to be shipped out directly from Irish institutions to Australia. That this one misery at least was not visited on the multitude of children in Ireland's industrial schools is thanks largely to Eamon de Valera, according to Alan Gill in his seminal history of child migration, Orphans of the Empire.

In 1938, the head of the Christian Brothers in Australia, Br Louis Conlon, was in the midst of a major and highly successful campaign to increase the number of children (and consequently income by way of grants) being sent from the UK to Australian Catholic institutions. He approached the Irish government, seeking to extend the scheme to Ireland. The response from the cabinet secretary was a terse note to inform him that his suggestion for a child migrant scheme was "not approved". According to Alan Gill, this was "almost certainly based on the personal views of de Valera, who opposed child migration, and indeed migration in general, as a solution to the new State's problems. His supposed "prejudice" in this matter was aired in a gossip column in the Irish Independent, which criticised his stance".

For those Irish children who did end up in Australia, it would seem that the least we as a nation could do for them now would be to provide every assistance, including financial, to allow them to trace their roots and their families. It was we as a society who hounded their unhappy mothers from our shores. We should now open our arms to their children.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Raftery is a freelance journalist who, with reporter Mick Peelo, produced and directed the documentary Cardinal Secrets]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,78857,78857#msg-78857 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:16:54 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?8,74610,78856#msg-78856 Lordship
Most of you seem to have been correct in that those around Gale from whom he was drawing support rather than unduly influencing have distanced themselves from him. Those that supported him at the HPC hearings and gave glowing testimonials of his professional proficency have now come to the realisation that association with Gale is damaging their own professional status, particularly with regards to their campaigns to fight statatuory regulation of psychotherapy in the UK. The blatant anger of some former Gale supporters is either an oscar winning impression of people who were duped or a very real and deeply felt guilt that they too may have contributed to the physical, sexual and psychological abuse over many years of many of Gale's clients. Do they too now fear the knock on the door?

Those of Gale's clients who feel empowered by the HPC process and have started raising questions and kicking up still feel trapped by the binds Gale put around them with their "statements of support" and even giving evidence under oath. Of course Gale has informed them in no uncertain terms that if they too were to now leave his therapy and make complaints they would be charged with perjury. This of course is bollocks but it is a very powerful persuader to stay where they are and keep paying up. Are they really still waiting for the promised utopia of being able to lead their lives as Gale leads his or are they so confused they do not even realise that they are just waiting for an opportunity to escape his clutches?

Gale's life at the moment is in turmoil. His personal relationships have all collapsed. He has found himself with nowhere to turn and even his most entrenched acolytes are desperately looking for a way out of his crashing spiral. Gale's outbursts and violent anger are driving the trapped deeper into his traps. Almost as much as Gale himself his clients fear the upcoming civil court actions because of the pressures that he will again exert on them. One real family very close to the heart of Gale's psychotherapy cult family have become so afraid of Gale that they are now lying about their financial position to him in the vague hope that he will not expect even more payments from them for his "defence fund". His efforts to reassert control through his regular "psychodrama" workshop recently failed so badly that he himself is now deeply questioning his own self belief.

Abandonment is the route that Gale has chosen.

Of course Gale himself is very clear in his unpublished novel about an exposed sexually abusive therapist what he would do upon realisation that the game was up.

[i]"About his clients, he suddenly discovered that he didn’t care about them very much at all. They hadn’t cared about him in his hour of need so doubtless they would be able to cope without him in the future.
Many of his clients expressed no such callousness and were hoping that it would not be too long before they could resume therapy with him, but they were to be disapointed and those who still thought kindly of him never got an opportunity to express it or to have their kindness repaid."[/i]

Because his clients are now challenging him and questioning him he is blaming them for not caring about him. Thus way he will justify to himself abandoning them when he heads off to Brazil in the new year.

Of course he has promised that he will return messiah like in three years time and that promise should hold them in his thrall for about 12 months but after that the breakdowns and collapse will really set in. Let's prey that they can find their way to the proper help they deserve.

Goodbye Derek - but please don't make the mistake of thinking we won't be watching and awaiting your next raspberry to us :-)]]> Clergy and Therapy Abuse http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?8,74610,78856#msg-78856 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:07:15 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,58575,78855#msg-78855 rattyboy The Mentor/Disciple thing? They are really pushing that. I agree. The other Spiritual leaders you mention seem much more inspiring and some more humble. And, I recognize the not so humble schisters in new age/ religious movements. Ikeda doesn't move me. For over 15 years...does not move me. I won't suggest anything negative about him here.
It is with a certain amount of trepidation that I write these words. 'Oh No!' my karma!' 'What if the wrong people read this'. Well forgive this not very well paid dissatisfied customer who did have an up and down practice.
I have believed the chanting itself works and if the 'organization' and people with all their faults are part of the reality lesson of 'poison into medicine' and, well if you leave it at that, good luck to anyone who gets a phone call to come back.
I never felt good about calling someone 'my shakabuku'. i felt like I had a chain around their ankle. It stole their individuality away.]]> Former Cult Members and Affected Families http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?5,58575,78855#msg-78855 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:04:25 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78854#msg-78854 Hector_Ragnar Now Tony can not hoodwink everybody in the church all by himself oh no he is not that slick! This is where Tony calls upon his handfull of elders to valadate and strong arm members to submit to Tony. It is just a matter of time and thee will be a class action law suit against SOMA, RADIANT LIFE CHURCH AND TONY CUNNINGHAM.]]> Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78854#msg-78854 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:56:29 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?4,61930,78853#msg-78853 Hope
What you describe above definitely fits the catbox. How closely does that follow EST/Landmark?

[/quote]

Very closely. After I thought about it and wrote it out, it is difficult to separate est/EL from Dr. I approach to running the box.

It does seem very odd that someone would put est on their bio. Graduates have the option of attending seminars at a reduced cost, so it could be something she is still involved with. I wondered a while back if that was why she picked on a member (she changed her name to Dingbat) whose abusive ex was deeply involved in Landmark.

You made a good point about the two male posters. Someone on another forum did find via the Wayback Machine the different times one was banned for his preachy way of posting. He was allowed to come back under different names. The second male poster recently called out "Coach" for breaking the rules by coming back under a different name to post to the Rebuilding the Catbox thread. As I found with Landmark, they definitely have double standards.]]> Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?4,61930,78853#msg-78853 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:17:23 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,77450,78852#msg-78852 corboy
"Oprah Winfrey was set to announce Friday that her powerhouse daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Winfrey planned to announce the final date for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during a live broadcast, according to her production company, Harpo Productions Inc. She said at the beginning of the show that she had some news to share and that she would discuss it at the end of the show. "]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,77450,78852#msg-78852 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:27 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,77450,78851#msg-78851 corboy
[b]End of an era: Winfrey ending show after 25 years[/b]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_en_tv/us_winfrey_show_ending;_ylt=Ao35XLNkDgt8AnMMZfRVi6.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFrNmYxNmJiBHBvcwMxNjUEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9lbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50BHNsawNlbmRvZmFuZXJhd2k-

[quote]By CARYN ROUSSEAU, Associated Press Writer Caryn Rousseau, Associated Press Writer – 7 mins ago

CHICAGO – Oprah Winfrey was set to announce Friday that her powerhouse daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Winfrey planned to announce the final date for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during a live broadcast, according to her production company, Harpo Productions Inc. She said at the beginning of the show that she had some news to share and that she would discuss it at the end of the show.

A Harpo spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday on Winfrey's plans except to say that "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which has seen ratings slip 7 percent from a year ago, will not move to cable television.

Winfrey, 55, is widely expected to start up a new talk show on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a much-delayed joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. that is projected to debut in 2011. OWN is to replace the Discovery Health Channel and will debut in some 74 million homes. An OWN spokeswoman declined comment Thursday.

CBS Television Distribution, which distributes "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to more than 200 U.S. markets, held out hope it could continue doing business with Winfrey, perhaps producing a new show out of its studios in Los Angeles.

"We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success," the CBS Corp. unit said in a statement. "We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterwards as well."

Many fans heading into Harpo Studios on Friday morning seemed to support Winfrey's decision to end the show.

"You always want to end a show when people want more — and not when people are sick of watching you," said Rebecca Switaj, 31, of Chicago.

Said Sandra Donaldson, 59, of Indianapolis: "It's time to elevate to something new. Whatever she does is going to be a blessing. It's going to be rewarding and eye-opening. Her name alone opens doors."

Once a local Chicago morning program, the production evolved into television's top-rated talk show for more than two decades, airing in 145 countries worldwide and watched by an estimated 42 million viewers a week in the U.S. alone.

"Oprah Winfrey is in a category of her own," said Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University. "This is a great American story and like any great American story it's supersized."

Fans expressed hope that Winfrey would announce another project on Friday.

"Oprah, she impacts everybody, her life, the way she gives," Shawana Fletcher, 29, of Chicago, said outside Harpo Studios. "I hope she's not totally done. That's what we're praying."

Winfrey's 24th season opened this year with a bang, as she drew more than 20,000 fans to Chicago's Magnificent Mile for a block party with the Black Eyed Peas. She followed with a series of blockbuster interviews — Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, singer Whitney Houston and ESPN's Erin Andrews, and just this week, former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

As a newcomer, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" chipped away at talk-show king Phil Donahue's dominance. Later, it turned to inspiration. The show's coverage ranged from interviews with the world's celebrities to an honest discussion about Winfrey's weight struggles.

"As the show evolved, it really kind of dressed up the neighborhood of the daytime talk show," Thompson said.

In 1986, pianist-showman Liberace gave his final TV interview to Winfrey, just six weeks before he died. In a 1993 prime-time special, Michael Jackson revealed he suffered from a skin condition that produces depigmentation. Tom Cruise enthusiastically declared his affection for the much-younger Katie Holmes on the program in 2005 — and jumped on the couch to prove it.

In 2004, Winfrey unveiled her most famous giveaway, when nearly 300 members of the studio audience opened a gift box to find the keys to a new car inside. The stunt became a classic show moment as much for Winfrey's reaction — "You get a car! You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!" — as its $7 million price tag.

The show also became a launching pad for Oprah's Book Club, which then launched best-sellers. The titles ranged from "Song of Solomon" and "Paradise" by Toni Morrison to Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone" and Elie Wiesel's "Night."

For others, the selection backfired. "A Million Little Pieces" exploded in sales after Winfrey chose the James Frey memoir in fall 2005. Soon after, it was revealed as a fabricated tale of addiction and recovery, and Winfrey later chewed out Frey on her show.

"I call her `Queen of the New Consciousness' because she did so many things to change lives, the books that she promoted," said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.

The loss of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" would be a blow to CBS Corp., which earns a percentage of hefty licensing fees from TV stations that use it — largely ABC affiliates. CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves told analysts two weeks ago that the contract with the show runs through most of 2011 and "if there's a negative impact, it wouldn't hit us until '12."

"Oprah's been a force of media and there's really no person you can look to out there who you could say, `That's the heir apparent,'" said Larry Gerbrandt, an analyst for Media Valuation Partners in Los Angeles. Gerbrandt noted many stations build their schedules around Winfrey's show.

"It's a big loss, but not as huge as it would have been 10 years ago," he said. "However, it still commands the biggest audience and ABC station competitors are licking their chops."

Talk of the show's end often has accompanied Winfrey's contract negotiations. Before signing her current contract in 2004, she talked about quitting after the 2005-2006 season. As far back as 1995, she called continuing "a difficult and important decision."

Winfrey started her broadcasting career in Nashville, Tenn., and Baltimore, Md., before relocating to Chicago in 1984 to host WLS-TV's morning talk show "A.M. Chicago" — which became "The Oprah Winfrey Show" one year later. She set up Harpo the following year and her talk show went into syndication.

Powered by the show's staggering success, Winfrey built a media empire. Harpo Studios produces shows hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw and celebrity chef Rachael Ray. O, The Oprah Magazine was the nation's 7th most popular magazine in the first half of 2009.

"I came from nothing," Winfrey wrote in the 1998 book "Journey to Beloved." "No power. No money. Not even my thoughts were my own. I had no free will. No voice. Now, I have the freedom, power, and will to speak to millions every day — having come from nowhere."

Earlier this year, Forbes scored Winfrey's net worth at $2.7 billion.

___

AP Business Writer Ryan Nakashima in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

The Oprah Winfrey Show: [www.oprah.com][/quote]]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,77450,78851#msg-78851 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:50:49 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?13,56220,78850#msg-78850 corboy
[quote]By CARYN ROUSSEAU, Associated Press Writer Caryn Rousseau, Associated Press Writer – 7 mins ago

CHICAGO – Oprah Winfrey was set to announce Friday that her powerhouse daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Winfrey planned to announce the final date for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during a live broadcast, according to her production company, Harpo Productions Inc. She said at the beginning of the show that she had some news to share and that she would discuss it at the end of the show.

A Harpo spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday on Winfrey's plans except to say that "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which has seen ratings slip 7 percent from a year ago, will not move to cable television.

Winfrey, 55, is widely expected to start up a new talk show on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a much-delayed joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. that is projected to debut in 2011. OWN is to replace the Discovery Health Channel and will debut in some 74 million homes. An OWN spokeswoman declined comment Thursday.

CBS Television Distribution, which distributes "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to more than 200 U.S. markets, held out hope it could continue doing business with Winfrey, perhaps producing a new show out of its studios in Los Angeles.

"We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success," the CBS Corp. unit said in a statement. "We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterwards as well."

Many fans heading into Harpo Studios on Friday morning seemed to support Winfrey's decision to end the show.

"You always want to end a show when people want more — and not when people are sick of watching you," said Rebecca Switaj, 31, of Chicago.

Said Sandra Donaldson, 59, of Indianapolis: "It's time to elevate to something new. Whatever she does is going to be a blessing. It's going to be rewarding and eye-opening. Her name alone opens doors."

Once a local Chicago morning program, the production evolved into television's top-rated talk show for more than two decades, airing in 145 countries worldwide and watched by an estimated 42 million viewers a week in the U.S. alone.

"Oprah Winfrey is in a category of her own," said Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University. "This is a great American story and like any great American story it's supersized."

Fans expressed hope that Winfrey would announce another project on Friday.

"Oprah, she impacts everybody, her life, the way she gives," Shawana Fletcher, 29, of Chicago, said outside Harpo Studios. "I hope she's not totally done. That's what we're praying."

Winfrey's 24th season opened this year with a bang, as she drew more than 20,000 fans to Chicago's Magnificent Mile for a block party with the Black Eyed Peas. She followed with a series of blockbuster interviews — Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, singer Whitney Houston and ESPN's Erin Andrews, and just this week, former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

As a newcomer, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" chipped away at talk-show king Phil Donahue's dominance. Later, it turned to inspiration. The show's coverage ranged from interviews with the world's celebrities to an honest discussion about Winfrey's weight struggles.

"As the show evolved, it really kind of dressed up the neighborhood of the daytime talk show," Thompson said.

In 1986, pianist-showman Liberace gave his final TV interview to Winfrey, just six weeks before he died. In a 1993 prime-time special, Michael Jackson revealed he suffered from a skin condition that produces depigmentation. Tom Cruise enthusiastically declared his affection for the much-younger Katie Holmes on the program in 2005 — and jumped on the couch to prove it.

In 2004, Winfrey unveiled her most famous giveaway, when nearly 300 members of the studio audience opened a gift box to find the keys to a new car inside. The stunt became a classic show moment as much for Winfrey's reaction — "You get a car! You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!" — as its $7 million price tag.

The show also became a launching pad for Oprah's Book Club, which then launched best-sellers. The titles ranged from "Song of Solomon" and "Paradise" by Toni Morrison to Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone" and Elie Wiesel's "Night."

For others, the selection backfired. "A Million Little Pieces" exploded in sales after Winfrey chose the James Frey memoir in fall 2005. Soon after, it was revealed as a fabricated tale of addiction and recovery, and Winfrey later chewed out Frey on her show.

"I call her `Queen of the New Consciousness' because she did so many things to change lives, the books that she promoted," said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.

The loss of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" would be a blow to CBS Corp., which earns a percentage of hefty licensing fees from TV stations that use it — largely ABC affiliates. CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves told analysts two weeks ago that the contract with the show runs through most of 2011 and "if there's a negative impact, it wouldn't hit us until '12."

"Oprah's been a force of media and there's really no person you can look to out there who you could say, `That's the heir apparent,'" said Larry Gerbrandt, an analyst for Media Valuation Partners in Los Angeles. Gerbrandt noted many stations build their schedules around Winfrey's show.

"It's a big loss, but not as huge as it would have been 10 years ago," he said. "However, it still commands the biggest audience and ABC station competitors are licking their chops."

Talk of the show's end often has accompanied Winfrey's contract negotiations. Before signing her current contract in 2004, she talked about quitting after the 2005-2006 season. As far back as 1995, she called continuing "a difficult and important decision."

Winfrey started her broadcasting career in Nashville, Tenn., and Baltimore, Md., before relocating to Chicago in 1984 to host WLS-TV's morning talk show "A.M. Chicago" — which became "The Oprah Winfrey Show" one year later. She set up Harpo the following year and her talk show went into syndication.

Powered by the show's staggering success, Winfrey built a media empire. Harpo Studios produces shows hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw and celebrity chef Rachael Ray. O, The Oprah Magazine was the nation's 7th most popular magazine in the first half of 2009.

"I came from nothing," Winfrey wrote in the 1998 book "Journey to Beloved." "No power. No money. Not even my thoughts were my own. I had no free will. No voice. Now, I have the freedom, power, and will to speak to millions every day — having come from nowhere."

Earlier this year, Forbes scored Winfrey's net worth at $2.7 billion.

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AP Business Writer Ryan Nakashima in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

The Oprah Winfrey Show: http://www.oprah.com/index

[/quote]]]> Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?13,56220,78850#msg-78850 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:48:00 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,2579,78849#msg-78849 billyen You are so right about "Otherwise, if you make the mistake of running a personal blog and announcing your intention of someday writing a memoir about an oppressive guru, you may find your comments section swamped by guru loyalists who know how to press shame buttons installed in you during your time with the guru. They may not only 'astroturf' the comments section but their use of shame triggers may cripple the momentum needed to create and complete your much needed book."
Well, I finished my book [url=http://americanguru.net][i]American Guru[/i][/url] before the Andrew Cohen defenders got wind of it, but subsequently they have unleashed their "shame buttons" attack with a site devoted to astro-turfing and to shaming any critics, guru-talk.com, and also by ad hominem attacks posted as "reviews" on Amazon.
I have written and posted a commentary on the sad phenomenon of former students who cannot leave the teacher in spite of years of evidence of serious and dangerous abuses. It is posted on [url=http://www.integralworld.net/yenner1.html]Integral World[/url].

Peace,
William Yenner]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,2579,78849#msg-78849 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:21:25 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78848#msg-78848 Hector_Ragnar People need to be on guard testing every teaching against the scripture.
This will be a great show to listen to. By the way do they podcast this show?
Listen for the sycophants calling in to praise & worship Tony]]> Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78848#msg-78848 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:24:07 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,25113,78847#msg-78847 rudyh01
I'm not worried about web-sheriff at all, what can they do against a site that merely links to this forum? If anything, they should try to take down this forum, but of course we don't live in China, so they cannot simply dump our freedom of speech. I just think it proves the point about Mr. Hansard being a gross bully rather then a qualified and impeccable spiritual teacher...

If you cannot find the page on my website, it is listed in the left menu under 'Resources' and 'Controversy', the direct link is [url=http://www.viewonbuddhism.org/controversy-controversial-teacher-group-center-questionable.html]http://www.viewonbuddhism.org/controversy-controversial-teacher-group-center-questionable.html[/url]

Love & clear light,
Rudy]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,25113,78847#msg-78847 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:55:25 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,25113,78846#msg-78846 Dorje "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,25113,78846#msg-78846 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:36:28 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,62400,78845#msg-78845 The Anticult Where are they moving to?

They had some health code violations
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http://www.city-data.com/sf-restaurants/ONE-TASTE-URBAN-RETREAT.html
024 (Ready-To-Eat-Food) Food Contact surfaces not cleaned/sanitized
Violation descriptions:
024 Ready-To-Eat-Food - Exposed to Possible Contamination from Raw Meats/Poultry/Fish/Eggs All food shall be manufactured, produced, prepared, packed, served so as to be pure, free from contamination, adulteration and spoilage. All food must be stored in an approved facility.
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/sf-restaurants/ONE-TASTE-URBAN-RETREAT.html#ixzz0XOBqkgLc
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[quote lessthanzero]This might be of interest. On my way to work today I noticed that the One Taste building had a big old For Sale sign on the side of it.

http://www.loopnet.com/property/16359467/1074-Folsom/

http://www.hcmcommercial.com/resources/1074folsom_0914.pdf

Two different prices- have they had to come down?

This is my first post- I came hear over a year ago to read about Landmark, then stumbled onto this thread. I had experience with the One taste people years ago- an outside company was using their space for a series of classes. That was the only time that company used their space. I know I wasn't the only person who complained about the resident "hosts!"[/quote]]]> "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements" http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,62400,78845#msg-78845 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:11:45 +0100 http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78844#msg-78844 one voice Destructive Churches http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?14,68548,78844#msg-78844 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:25:16 +0100