Invasion of the Body Snatchers

[Diogenes]

A favorite book and movie, the 1956 version has been remade several times.

Re-watching the 1978 version I was struck by how it could be a metaphor for the evangelical conversion experience, particularly the one featured at thousands of church sponsored summer camps. A more apt title might be Invasion of the Soul Snatchers.

Trump and MAGA were supported by evangelicals at over 80%, the highest of any of his demographics, along with those less educated. Both the movie national conservative and evangelical politics urge the individual to conform.

For Debate:
Does the Christian conversion experience explicitly plead with the individual to surrender their own ego, their very essence of who they are, to subvert their very nature and join the collective as they bow to a 'higher order?' Is this a good thing for either society or the individual?

Are MAGA supporters Pod People?

[bjs1]

Christianity and evangelism in the US differs markedly from most other countries in my experience. The nationalism associated with it is far less prominent in Europe for example, US Christianity is quite distorted I think. This might be due to the history, the US is young, Puritans represented most early Christians here (and Quakers to a lesser extent but of course Quakers aren't quacks).

So this question is more about US society and culture than it is about Christianity I think.

Christianity in the USA may be markedly different than Christianity elsewhere, but with 200 some denominations in the country compared to the 45,000 globally this shouldn't be surprising.

"Estimations show there are more than 200 Christian denominations in the U.S. and a staggering 45,000 globally, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity"
source

.

For whatever it is worth, to get to that 45,000 the Center for the Study of Global Christianity counted each country that a denomination is in as its own denomination. So in America the Roman Catholic Church, the Wesleyan Church and the Anglican Church count as one each, for a total of three denominations. Globally, each country they are in counts as its own denotation. So the Anglican Church counts as more than 100 denomination all on its own.

[Miles]

Christianity and evangelism in the US differs markedly from most other countries in my experience. The nationalism associated with it is far less prominent in Europe for example, US Christianity is quite distorted I think. This might be due to the history, the US is young, Puritans represented most early Christians here (and Quakers to a lesser extent but of course Quakers aren't quacks).

So this question is more about US society and culture than it is about Christianity I think.

Christianity in the USA may be markedly different than Christianity elsewhere, but with 200 some denominations in the country compared to the 45,000 globally this shouldn't be surprising.

"Estimations show there are more than 200 Christian denominations in the U.S. and a staggering 45,000 globally, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity"
source

.

For whatever it is worth, to get to that 45,000 the Center for the Study of Global Christianity counted each country that a denomination is in as its own denomination. So in America the Roman Catholic Church, the Wesleyan Church and the Anglican Church count as one each, for a total of three denominations. Globally, each country they are in counts as its own denotation. So the Anglican Church counts as more than 100 denomination all on its own.

But with only 195 countries in the world such doubling would hardly account for much of the 45,000 denominations.


.

[bjs1]

But with only 195 countries in the world such doubling would hardly account for much of the 45,000 denominations.

It does not get us to 45,000 denominations. It does suggest that the 45,000 is an inflated number and therefore it would be unwise to draw any conclusions from that number.

[Miles]

But with only 195 countries in the world such doubling would hardly account for much of the 45,000 denominations.

It does not get us to 45,000 denominations. It does suggest that the 45,000 is an inflated number and therefore it would be unwise to draw any conclusions from that number.

Perhaps the number is inflated, yet looking around the internet 45,000 it is the most commonly cited number, which was calculated by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. Followed by 43,000 denominations arrived at by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. And lastly, the 33,00+ denominations from the World Christian Encyclopedia (up from 21,00 in 1982).

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[Diogenes]

Regardless of the denomination, religious organizations practice mind control. Common techniques:

1. Mandatory, regular attendance
2. Big, fancy, majestic buildings
3. Hierarchical leadership
4. Charismatic leaders
5. Trance stimulation
6. Repetitive drills (and consequences for nonconformity)
7. Separating the believers (the in crowd) from the non believers
8. The call to action is to entrench yourself in the group and base your life on its doctrine.
9. The charismatic leader manipulates your emotions
10. You’re given an ultimatum
11. You’re encouraged to humiliate yourself and mimic others
12. You’re asked for money, and your worth is tied to the amount of money you give.
13. Socializing with the in crowd
14. Using indoctrination techniques in your own time and policing your peers
15. Recruitment
https://churchandstate.org.uk/2016/11/1 ... cults-use/
I'm sure many of us could add examples of these indoctrination attempts, from our own experience.
I remember cringing at how obvious these techniques were, even when I was only in jr. hi. in 'Sunday School' classes. The absolute WORST were when they'd bring in 'special speakers' to talk to us. Even as a 13 year old 'believer' I thought these guys sucked. They were personified insults to our intelligence.

Of course it's not just churches. Have you ever been roped into a "time share" indoctrination while minding your own business on a vacation?
Some churches are worse than others:
https://www.academia.edu/1074966/A_Stud ... Watchtower