At what point does the victim of a cult become the oppressor?

Question

Yesterday I found myself in a rage against Scientology. Then I started to think about where I should direct my thoughts. It's easy to say "the church" itself, but as the church is mostly made up of individuals who have been brainwashed, then what?

So I assume the absolute leaders of this cult can without doubt bear the brunt of my venom. But what about the individual centres in each city? Do the higher level people realise what they're doing? Are they too brainwashed to have real responsibility? I do wonder if, when first being indoctrinated, the majority of people have a moment when they willingly abandon their instinct or common sense. Perhaps that split second of mental capitulation is the answer.....

What do you guys think? When does the victim become the bad guy?

Too many great answers to choose, so let's put it to a vote....

Thanks to all!

Answer 1

right now it is very easy for me to make my grandmother the bad guy. while we got her out of attending Scientology services, or whatever they want to call them, she still believes very strongly that all medicine is bad. And she is slowly killing herself by not taking any medication and is in fact dieing from Alzheimer's at a much earlier age than she would be if she would take the medicine that the doctor wants to prescribe. She also refuses to be seen by a doctor so it makes things that much worse. I can't blame the Scientology anymore and I have to blame her. She hasn't been to a Scientology center in over 20 years.

but i can't tell you the exact moment she went from victim to bad guy. I guess in my eyes it was when i found out that she was refusing the medical treatment....

Answer 2

Good question! Victims can become offenders if he or she cannot channel his or her energy in a positive way.

A good victim will do everything in his or her power to prevent others from suffering the same way. A bad victim will harm others to make other innocent people feel the way he or she felt when the victim.

It is a choice all victims must make, and we as a society need to stop letting victims use their past as an excuse to harm others. Who better than a victim knows the pain of any assault? At some point everyone must be responsible for his/her own actions.

A victim becomes an offender once he or she has inflicted harm on another person. Victims can be predators using their experience as a victim to inflict worse crimes against society and individuals.

Answer 3

understanding the spiritual realm can be complicated...however, I have no doubt that this is where these transformations ...if you will.... take place. People are searching for a higher power... someone to save them, and should they open themselves up to the wrong ..... power.... or influence, then there's a world of things that can happen within and outside of the individuals will. Is it a choice... yes, I believe so.... but I also believe that there are people on the earth that are controlled by and carry out destructive persuasion of perverse doctrine. You can't honestly point the finger at any certain individual...as you said.... there's a much bigger picture... it's really sad. Okay, hope I didn't' sound to freaky with all of that.... gosh that can get into so many issues of which many would debate.

Answer 4

The point at which they knowingly do harm to others is when they become the bad guy. I know how you feel.... I know how incredibly adept Scientology has become at brainwashing it's unsuspecting victims, but when those people who have been victimized then begin actively victimizing others, keeping families apart, destroying the lives of those who would stand up and declare this organization to be the cult that it is, deprive adherents of necessary medications because of the cult's anti-psychiatry fervor, then they become the oppressors.

Answer 5

Whenever someone joins a cult, they do it because they are lonely, miserable, or curious. In the case of Scientology, they make you take a test, and if you are miserable enough, you join. So, everyone who joins starts out by being miserable. But the longer they spend listening to the gibberish of the cult, the more they begin to believe it.

Eventually, the victim, who is probably still miserable, sees that the only difference between them and the cult leaders is that the cult leaders are converting people...and they seem happy. So, the victim goes out trying to convert, in hopes of being happy.

Answer 6

Oprah and Matt are the only victims here, LOL, No, seriously, the victim starts to become the bad guy when they get too involved and gain enough respect from the other victims and they are able to climb to the top. Think of it as starting out at a big company but working in the mail room or getting coffee and then slowly you work your way up to CEO

Answer 7

Pretty much all the practitioners are "bad guys" in that they're doing the work of the cult/church and spreading it's influence. So, in action, they're all bad guys to varying extents. But if we're talking about intent, then I figure the truly bad guys are a handful of leaders at the top of the hierarchy who realize it's all nonsense but an effective means to line their pockets and exercise power.

Answer 8

Why rage?
Scientology is not necessarily bad. It is not a cult, it is not a religion. You can remain to be a Catholic, or atheist or any other belief system and still take part on Scientology programs.
I believe in free will. I do not believe in making others look bad for their use of free will if it is not violating laws of men.
Bad guy is a bad guy when he/she starts to do bad things. Simple as that.

Answer 9

The church is not a building, it is a community. It is community of the human beings like you. We all have our hopes and dreams. It is very important to find a community where you have a sense of belong.

I follow Jesus Christ. If I have ever stepped from His path, it has never brought me a joy that lasts. It brings emptiness and shame and hopelessness to be apart from Him.

I have made an intellectual choice to follow Jesus. He is the way and the truth and the life. I want to be with Him here and after. Call me a victim of " God's love and grace and mercy and hope " if that makes any sense. : )

Answer 10

I think that split second of mental capitulation is the moment they became blinded by the prospect of money. Or maybe not, since most of them get ripped off rather than gain anything.