Jon Ronsons Channel 4 Documentary on the Alpha Course.

Oracle

I watched the Jon Ronson documentary about the Alpha course on Christianity. It's part of the Channel 4 series on religion called Revelations. It was very interesting, I'm a big Ronson fan anyway, like many others here: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/revelations/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1

Although Ronson didn't say it explicitly, I thought the documentary demonstrated that the Alpha course uses typical cult techniques. For example, careful selection and recruitment, love bombing, using attractive young women, the focus on the guru, alternate reality, cognitive dissonance, peer pressure, heightened emotionality, etc..... It changed by mind about what I though was a fairly innocent course about Christianity.

P.S. If you haven't seen this yet there's still a chance. It's repeated on Channel 4 on July 2nd. (tomorrow) at 4:25am (maybe set your video recorder) It'll probably be on More4 and Google video at some time as well.

watty

C4 since they ever started have promoted an "alternate" agenda... Atheism, gay, Lesbian, and anything controversial.

I've helped and/or attended an Alpha course. I've familiarity with cults too. Also with traditional, Charismatic and Pentecostal parts of Catholic Church, Evangelicals, Anglicans and Orthodox Jews.

It *IS* an innocent very orthodox course on Christianity, pretty much what C.S. Lewis calls "mere Christianity".

careful selection and recruitment: No. Anyone can come / did go
Love bombing: No idea what that is supposed to mean.
Using attractive young women: Well the women were just an average cross section. I don't remember anyone especially young or attractive on any course. One it was mostly coulples in 40s & 50s.
The focus on the guru: No just the regular Pastor or Minister people familiar with (Practically Familiarity breeds Contempt!)
Alternate reality: No idea what you mean,
Cognitive dissonance, peer pressure,: No people just went through the material together and very freely gave their own opinions and interpretion on any I attended.
Heightened emotionality, etc.: I've been at Charismatic meetings (Catholic and Evangelical) and some "plain" Old Time Evangelical in N.I. where this is true enough. Not on alpha courses. If anything nearly the opposite.

Location: Manse living room, Church meeting room, pastoral centre are typical locations.

Channel 4 is deliberately Edgy, distortive etc. They feel it's part of their PSB mandate. Though if anything in the last 10 years they have just dumbed down a lot and substitute simple rudeness for Edgyness if anything.

The attractive young women may be in plenty on sunday morning. Not too many at bible studies or coffee Mornings. Though some may say 40 is young, and I know attractive women that are over 60.

I haven't seen the C4 "documentary". But I do know about Bible Studies, many denominations of Church, cult like small groups and oddly orthodox Judaism.

On a related note BBC Horizon used (about 20years ago) to do science quite well. Recently it's like a tabloid and devoid of accuracy, balance and common sense. It sounds a bit like this C4 series is doing the same journalistic approach to Christianity.

Oracle

This Jon Ronson documentary about the Alpha Course, part of the Revelations series on Channel 4, is now available on You Tube in 4 parts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrT5huilT0M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPHyYABHQcM

loldog

The Alpha course is cool, nothing to see here.

.

Oracle

loldog wrote: »

The Alpha course is cool, nothing to see here.

You're entitled to your opinion., Loldog. I think it's far from cool, everything about it looks like a cult to me.

squod

There's cults spreading faster and faster in this island of ours. Esp. the ''it's not a cult'' freemason brigade. Might start my own, all I need is a few like minded individuals to dream up some horse-shit story with me. Anyone in?

digme

They have all perverted the words of christ and called it Christianity.

loldog

Oracle wrote: »

You're entitled to your opinion., Loldog. I think it's far from cool, everything about it looks like a cult to me.

I've been on several alpha courses, mostly for the food. Never did me any harm.

I know many people who have done the alpha course, not one of them expressed any misgivings or came to harm in any way.

Christianity itself is a cult, but there's nothing extra pernicious about the alpha course crowd.

.

Oracle

loldog wrote: »

I've been on several alpha courses, mostly for the food. Never did me any harm.
I know many people who have done the alpha course, not one of them expressed any misgivings or came to harm in any way.
Christianity itself is a cult, but there's nothing extra pernicious about the alpha course crowd.

None of the things you say mean that the Alpha Course is not a cult or not using cult techniques. As Jon Ronson's film shows, the Alpha course is a recruitment tool, for this particular type of Christianity. The fact that you, or people you know, have not been harmed or recruited doesn't mean others haven't.

You say "Christianity itself is a cult", I think there's a difference between a religion and a cult. The difference is the systematic and consistent use of known cult techniques, particularly during the introductory or recruitment phase. I described some of these in my first post;

• careful selection and recruitment
• love bombing
• using attractive young women or men
• the focus on the guru
• alternate reality, cognitive dissonance
• peer pressure, heightened emotionality

These are all clearly shown to be used by the Alpha Course organisers in the documentary.

Brown Bomber

Last edited by Oracle; 01-07-2009 at 20:46. Reason: I had a senior moment, meant to write "Jon Ronson" but wrote thread title as "Ron Jonson"!

Oracle

According to The Sunday Times, The Alpha Course organisers are intending to run an advertising campaign for The Alpha Course in Ireland. The newspaper says, the campaign will run adverts in cinemas, featuring Geri Halliwell and Bear Grylls. I didn't realise until recently how obsessed with homosexuality the Alpha Couse people seem to be. That makes Grylls and Halliwell the perfect choice, both celebrities have an obvious appeal to the gay community :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr9X-GKtbJI