Just what is optimised crapness? Why should you care? And what has it got to do with customer service? We also introduce our new feature called Tweet of the Week.

We've had a heavy few weeks so we thought today we'd lighten things up a bit and talk about some modern day problems with a hint of - how to deal with callers at your door trying to save you from Armageddon.

One of the most influential researchers into cults, Dr Lalich has experienced the phenomena of cults both from the inside, as a member and then as a researcher. She is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, an author and educator and speaks eloquently and compassionately about the experience of being a member of a high control group. 

We enjoyed a wonderful interview with Dr. Lalich in which she talks about the Bounded Choice model and her book Leaving Utopia specifically about "born-ins" - a particular area of interest to this podcast. We talk about the particular difficulties for those born into groups, the added challenges for members of fundamentalist religious cults who are LGBTQ+, homeschooling, how society should deal with coercive groups and much more.

Website

www.janjalalich.com

This bonus content is a pilot for a new series called Cults as Organizations where I explore Organizational Psychology and how it applies to cults. 

In this episode I look at French and Raven's Bases of Power.

If you want to watch the illustrations along with the audio you can access it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqWStGShLgI

Celine and Stephen look at the seminal work of Margaret Singer: Cults in Our Midst. Now over 25 years old, the book still has important information to tell us about the cult phenomena. Where do Jehovah's Witnesses sit on the Continuum of Influence and Persuasion? The book also prompted Stephen to think about whether we could or should be looking more closely at creating a new taxonomy of different types of High Control Group - or maybe that's already been done!

Cults in our Midst

Singer, M. T., & Lalich, J. (1995). Cults in our midst. Jossey-Bass.

Rob Crompton was a Special Pioneer, a full-time preacher for the Jehovah's Witnesses and dedicated to his faith, but he had a thirst for knowledge. After leaving and pursuing higher education he became a Methodist Minister. He is a prolific author with some controversial opinions about religion, the Bible and the process of leaving the High Control Group.

Rob's books

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-Crompton/e/B001HP9S8M%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Website

https://robcrompton.org/

What is the relationship between commerce and LGBTQ+ issues? Are corporations allies? Or are they merely jumping onto a bandwagon to appear progressive? Is buying power a route to a more progressive society or is direct action more important? In this special episode Celine and Stephen think about these questions, as well as discuss attitudes towards Gay people within fundamentalist Christian groups. Celine and Stephen preview their upcoming documentary "The Pink Pound" due to be released middle of June 2021 where they talk to a range of voices with the LGBTQ+ family, asking these very questions.

Dr Calonddu talks about her life as a young Jehovah's Witness, her academic studies into Anglo Saxon Christianity and its attitudes towards women and sexuality, her exiting process from the Witnesses, her mental health difficulties and recognition of her own sexuality. A fascinating and unique perspective from a remarkable guest.

Resources

https://www.faithtofaithless.com/

What is 'Body Positivity'? Celine gives her dad the history and they discuss the somewhat mixed messages around this subject. Stephen thinks back to the negative messages about bodies and sinfulness that he remembers being raised as a Jehovah's Witnesses, and its association with the belief in the fall of man.

Our Sunday Interview is with Professor Chris French, Emeritus Professor and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. As well as being a well respected academic and researcher he has also appeared on many TV shows and documentaries investigating apparent psychic or supernatural phenomena.

We talk to Professor French about his work on false memories and the disturbing accusations of ritualistic Satanic abuse of the 80s and 90s. 

This episode of the podcast includes themes related to sexual abuse and descriptions of what was alleged to have taken place. Listener discretion is advised.

What would happen to Christian Fundamentalist's beliefs if we discovered life on other planets or if they visited us on Earth? How would their theology cope with such a revelation? Jehovah's Witnesses and other Groups have a theology that puts the Earth at the centre of a sort of Universal courtroom drama, so what would this mean?

You can read a transcript of the episode here: https://www.evilsheep.co.uk/blog

Video referred to: Alien Contact What Happens Next?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTqLPvBz8xc&t=163s