Christian cults recruiting in Trinity

BuckleUp

It seems that word is catching on that Trinity is a good place to find new recruits for cults. I've been approached three times (I look small and vulnerable on sight): the first time by the same two Asian girls asking me if I am a student in Trinity and introducing themselves as being part of the Christian something-or-other, and the second time by an Asian girl who started talking about God the Mother and when I said "No", started trying to get me to go to a festival they were having. All three girls state they are studying biblical studies in Trinity.

I've seen the first two girls approach other people, threatened to call security and actually called security in the Arts Block on them. They have also manipulated a friend of mine by asking her to meet them so they can practice their English on her. Luckily she realised and didn't meet them.

These groups are dangerous and as Trinity is such a big and unwieldy place, it is EXTREMELY easy for them to find young, vulnerable and lonely people to prey on. They have been banned in campuses in the UK and it's just a pity that it is too late for TCD campus publications to publicise this.
If you are approached by them, walk away as they will keep on trying approaches.

Owen

Down with this sort of thing!

balzarywex

careful now...

Moorsy

Jaysus this is mad. The above poster is not lying, although I am not small or vunerable looking to Asain girls with terrible English approached me and asked if I would like to study biblical studies in Trinity I thought they were asking me to recommend to them that the theology faculty/school was good for studying in. But they didn't really get the point and kept asking would I like to read the bible didn't want to insult them but quite pissed me off. I'm an Atheist .

King.Penguin

The same two girls called to my girlfriends house in botany bay. They just knocked on the door (don't know how they got in). Herself and her flatmate didn't really know what they were on about at the start, they thought they were students looking for some help on a presentation. Then they started giving a big religious spiel. Kinda funny and scary at the same time.

Any idea what cult/club/far-out brainwashing society they are involved with?

PHB

lol, you people are funny. I talked to them, they basically have homework every week, t hey have to try explain a theological concept to people in English, so need people to practice on. They are basically foreign students trying to learn english, but the english is being thought by religous people.

PHB wrote:

lol, you people are funny. I talked to them, they basically have homework every week, t hey have to try explain a theological concept to people in English, so need people to practice on. They are basically foreign students trying to learn english, but the english is being thought by religous people.

Bahaha.

tuxy

That's for clearing that up. Gave me a laugh.

Edwardius

Edit: Deleted drunken post. Was convinced I was in the eighties. Carry on...

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

BuckleUp wrote:

It seems that word is catching on that Trinity is a good place to find new recruits for cults.

These groups are dangerous and as Trinity is such a big and unwieldy place, it is EXTREMELY easy for them to find young, vulnerable and lonely people to prey on.

PHB wrote:

I talked to them, they basically have homework every week, they have to try explain a theological concept to people in English, so need people to practice on. They are basically foreign students trying to learn english, but the english is being thought by religous people.

classic thread! Did the ickle girls frighten BuckleUp?

BuckleUp

Roundtower2 wrote:

classic thread! Did the ickle girls frighten BuckleUp?

Aww. How condescending.

Anyway, those of you who have a clue about Scientology et al know that it is quite common for people to be approached about said "groups". Like I said before, these "Christian" "groups" have been trying to recruit on UK campuses.

And no, RoundtowerWhatever, scared isn't the reason I posted, I'm just aware of how persuasive these groups can be, having known people who were actually brainwashed, and, on one occasion, committed suicide because of it. There is also the need to inform people of their dangers, i.e. I actually give a crap about people.

It's people like this (Roundtower2) who put me off coming back to boards more regularly.

Ps why would someone keep mentioning a festival if they were merely supposed to explain a theological concept?

shanethemofo

buckle do you regularily visit the conspiracy theories section of boards? :rolleyes:

Edit - 900 post

Awayindahils

Ps why would someone keep mentioning a festival if they were merely supposed to explain a theological concept?

Easter Festival.
Christmas Festival.
Passover Festival. (not celebrated to the same extent in christianity but still in the bible)

Festivals happen in Christainity, maybe that's why. They could have been using 'festival' as a point of refernce.

cunnins4

were they hot?;)

ApeXaviour

There was a born-again christian sect/NRM, that'd leave posters in the hamilton a few years ago. Thier... I guess you'd call recruitment nights, would usually go under the stealthy guise of an "International Food Night".

My friends and I would make a point of attending as many of these as we could, stuffing ourselves silly, usually after a couple of hours in the pub. Then giggle obnoxiously as the pastor would enthusiastically get up on his mic, and slowly but oh so very surely, sneek some god under the table. It was funny to see how long these people's resolve would last in the face of such comments as "ah yeah, but we all know the bible's just a load of hoop really". We'd also rescue a few souls, obvious by their pensive demeanor, telling them "you know this is a CULT meeting... right?". Before hastily retreating through the fire exit once the grub was gone.

I mean come on... They're furtively and underhandedly attempting to convert us. I have no qualms or sympathy if I make a mockery of their efforts.

ApeXaviour

Woh... I'm going to hell.

Stargal

I this thread

Tricity Bendix

ApeXaviour wrote:

Woh... I'm going to hell.

Yep.
See you there...
From heaven.

Seriously, I would have loved to meet these girls. People have tried to convert me in Trinity before, but when I described myself as an a la carte catholic, they didn't know what I meant, so I figured they didn't know that much about religion themselves, so I told them I wasn't interested. Generally, I'm very open to listening to peoples' views on spirituality, but only if the demonstrate themselves to be in any way intelligent.

Danger Bob

OK so we've all had a bit of a laugh about this but does anyone find it a little weird that these girls are calling to residences and practically stalking people through Trinity and they don't even go to college here?

I've had my own experience of these people and while they are particularly sweet looking little girls who wouldn't strike much fear into people, they are shockingly persistant and regularly follow students from Front Arch to the Arts Block trying to wear them down. Whether they're converting people or not, it's a nuisance and for as long as Trinity insist on banning charitable groups from collecting here for the same reason, I think it should be looked into as to whether we should tolerate this kinda stuff.

It may be their homework but a school which sends out its pupils to aggressively preach religious doctrine to young people while they're going about their daily lives seems a bit dodgy to me. Surely they'd learn more english if their assignment was to talk to people in a bar or to go for a meal in an Irish restaurant or something. It seems that their teachers have a little more on their agenda than simply teaching English.

John

If anyone offers you a stress test on the street, run like the hills because it's the bloody scientologists! They tried to get me but when the books on their table are written by L Ron Hubbard I gave them a healthy "**** off!" and walked away.

Slow Motion

If they say they are students ask to see their ID and report them to whatever dept. they are studying in, if they are not surely you can report them to security ! Can't say I have seen them though and I would be around the campus a fair bit, mind you I don't look particularly approachable

Hector Gilbert

This is quite interesting to see, as I believe I was approached by one of these girls. I was walking up the path from the Hamilton end to the Berkeley Library when I was stopped by this Asian girl, and she looked a bit lost so I supposed she might have wanted to ask for directions (that's all I could ever recall being stopped on campus by strangers for before then). It was hard to get much sense out of what she was asking but I eventually gathered she was asking me to attend a "prayer meeting". I told her I wasn't religious, wished her well and walked off though I'm not sure how well she understood me. Haven't thought about it twice since then until this thread

Have any of them been more aggressive than that?

ApeXaviour

John wrote:

If anyone offers you a stress test on the street, run like the hills because it's the bloody scientologists! They tried to get me but when the books on their table are written by L Ron Hubbard I gave them a healthy "**** off!" and walked away.

I've always wanted to go up with them one time just to see (and laugh at) what they tell me. But I've never had time when asked

You should do it, it'd be a laugh. I mean John, the clever athiest neuroscientist. I think you're fairly safe from whatever indoctrinating influence they have. See what they're about for yourself. I'd prefer not to rely on southpark and christian propaganda to tell me they're a load of b.s.

Have you ever read any L. Ron Hubbard books? I don't mean any of the wishy-washy dianetics crap obviously. I've read Battlefield Earth, it's pretty good. The man was actually a semi-talented sci-fi writer.

Boston

Space Barnacles living in your stomach. That all I ever needed to know about those Scientology lads

John

ApeXaviour wrote:

I've always wanted to go up with them one time just to see (and laugh at) what they tell me. But I've never had time when asked

You should do it, it'd be a laugh. I mean John, the clever athiest neuroscientist. I think you're fairly safe from whatever indoctrinating influence they have. See what they're about for yourself. I'd prefer not to rely on southpark and christian propaganda to tell me they're a load of b.s.

Have you ever read any L. Ron Hubbard books? I don't mean any of the wishy-washy dianetics crap obviously. I've read Battlefield Earth, it's pretty good. The man was actually a semi-talented sci-fi writer.

I've never really wanted to look too deeply into Scientology. What I do know (based on reading around) is that Hubbard created scientology by firstly doing a survey on what people found comforting about religion and then put together a religion that touched on all these bases. He built a religion not out of any spiritual reasoning or insight but to purely exploit and control. Bad enough you think but then he moved on to things like the Sea Org which is even sketchier and more frightening.

King.Penguin

a cynic might say that's how all religions were created and why should be less tolerant of Scientology purely because it's more recent?

John

Not all things about "wild type" religions are comforting though. Plus I'm sure very few were initially set up to exploit. How many thousands of religions are there and how many of them are built on power and money?

Edwardius

Hmm, who was it that said "the best way to get rich is to start a religion"?

shay_562

ApeXaviour wrote:

I've always wanted to go up with them one time just to see (and laugh at) what they tell me.

Same here, but I've never actually run into them, and I never seem to have the time or inclination to actually track down their office yokey. Methinks I have a summer project...

King_Penguin wrote:

a cynic might say that's how all religions were created and why should be less tolerant of Scientology purely because it's more recent?

Quite. I aspire to be equally intolerant of all religions.

Crash

Thats largely the difference between a cult and sect - no matter how much a cynic may feel lots of people are conned by organised religion, only a small number are conned by organised religion that asks for all their money

Stargal

Dead Ed wrote:

Hmm, who was it that said "the best way to get rich is to start a religion"?

Coincidentally enough, that was the clearly very spiritual and not at all ****ing deranged L Ron Hubbard

the_syco

ApeXaviour wrote:

Woh... I'm going to hell.

I salut thee:D

ApeXaviour wrote:

Have you ever read any L. Ron Hubbard books? I don't mean any of the wishy-washy dianetics crap obviously. I've read Battlefield Earth, it's pretty good. The man was actually a semi-talented sci-fi writer.

Pretty sure I've gotten one of them. Its teh funneh. It's like something you'd write when stoned off your tree.

King.Penguin wrote:

a cynic might say that's how all religions were created and why should be less tolerant of Scientology purely because it's more recent?

That's why I doubt the christain religons. 2000 years? Pffft.

=-=

Also, a cult is made to make money, and dies when the founder makes enough of it. A religon is made to worship their god(s), and people make money out of the religon when it expands. Thats the difference: one is made to make money, the other money is made from it.

=-=

Are these only around during the weekdays, or also the weekends? I'd do it for the craic, to get the info on siad "meetings". That and do see if they believe in the one, true, almighty "trouser-snake":cool:

rsynnott

This is exactly why murder needs to be legalised for particularly annoying people. In the end, I had to scare them away by mentioning that I was a gay atheist.

Edwardius

Stargal wrote:

Coincidentally enough, that was the clearly very spiritual and not at all ****ing deranged L Ron Hubbard

Precisely!

John

rsynnott wrote:

I had to scare them away by mentioning that I was a gay atheist.

A gaytheist if you will

Edwardius

That could catch on y'know. Jesus is crying!

shay_562

This is exactly why murder needs to be legalised for particularly annoying people. In the end, I had to scare them away by mentioning that I was a gay atheist.

Eh, they have electrodes and torture chairs that'll fix that right up. And all it'll cost is all of your money forever and ever! Foolproof!

johnl

This has been going for at least 3 years...

maireadmarie

I believe these people are probably the sect known as the 'Moonies' - none of these sects are benign, and the people at the services desk would like them reported as soon as you encounter them.

Ferrioxide

Cults in College. Missed that completely.

Sangre

Been approach a few times by these 2 asian girls. They've terrible english, only realised it was some religious thing the last time where they asked me if i was christian.