...Tom Cruise Tom Cruise is a well-known actor, who has starred in many movies. However, becoming an actor was not his first choice of careers. Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962. Cruise was never good in academics due to being diagnosed with dyslexia, on the other hand, Cruise was phenomenal at sports, which he thought about making a careers out of until an injury in high school. After the injury, Cruise tried out for an acting part in his high school play and won the lead role. Cruise became aware at the age of seven that he had dyslexia. Cruise was not the only one in his family who had dyslexia, his mother had it as well. His parents later than divorced when Tom was twelve years old. “Finding his father “a bully and a coward … a merchant...
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...church would focus on various Scientologists’ futile attempts to get at that dang ruin” (Collier,1). Now while Collier was able to see past the Scientologists’ attempts many people who are desperate enough to trust anything resembling salvation will follow Scientology. Janet Reitman, a New York TImes Reporter, shows the promise Scientologists offer after the personality tests. “ They suggested Life Repair, a $2,000 package of one-on-one private auditing sessions, which she said would help me handle my everyday problems” (Reitman 1). Some people get into Scientology without even knowing it. Scientology has many sister-companies, such as Narconon, a company supposedly dedicated to helping former drug users get rid of their addiction. Many people...
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...The Present and the Future of Religion" Please respond to the following: * Among the religions we discussed this week, identify one religion that you find the most interesting. Explain your response. * Explain at least three ways that social trends affect the formation of new religions and dictate new religious movements. The one religion that I found to be the most interesting is Jainism. This one was not only the most interesting one, but caused me anxiety. This is a religion of non-violence, and promotes peace of the world and peace within the self; and this is what I don’t have a problem with. I wish all religions were like that! What caused me anxiety is the amount of self-discipline and training. They are, what I think, the purest religion in the world. They don’t eat animals, they don’t even eat underground vegetables OR smelly vegetables (Onions) because a lot of microscopic insects are attracted to them and are killed when cooking them. They pray before and after they go to bed, for the sins that were committed and are about to commit; because the air that we breathe has microscopic organisms, and they sinful for killing them. Also, they don’t eat during the night, because without the heating rays of the Sun, many insects develop in the raw foods and die during cooking. It sounds like an awful way to live, yet humbling at the same time. In the book, three ways that social trends affect the formation of new religion is; Ethnic Identity “Except for...
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...different words to describe their actions, from cyberterrorism to hacktivism. I would like to isolate my examples only to the group activities of Anonymous, but the questions raised would affect any person or group embarking in hactivism. Is it ethical to use hacking, is it a form of first amendment speech, or is it a malicious attack on another entity? As an example, let’s take a look at the attacks of Anonymous against another controversial group, the Church of Scientology. In 2008, a video was leaked of actor Tom Cruise extolling the virtues of Scientology. The Church immediately claimed that showing this video violated it’s copyright, and sent cease and desist requests to the websites hosting it to have them taken down. According to Fox News, in response, Anonymous “set up a web site to coordinate a string of attacks using phone, internet, and fax methods, which it called ‘Project Chanology’.” Anonymous would encourage it’s members to act as a denial-of-service attack, in an effort to bring down Scientology web sites. They would also exploit vulnerabilities in the site using hacking techniques. They would also use “black faxes” or fax sheets of black paper, to use up...
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...Introduction: In America, the Amish religion began in the early 1700s--its small following has been growing in America ever since. Scientology has roots in the 1950s, and has significantly grown in popularity due to endorsements from very influential celebrity followers. The Branch Davidian once held a considerable following; however, in 1993, that came to a fiery end. In the United States, there is a growing interest in smaller religious groups; groups, that when looked further into, are at the center of much adversity. With growing popularity, juxtaposed with growing controversy, what is it that compels society to join these almost secular groups, instead of the traditional ideologies the nation was founded upon? At the arrival of this...
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...Scientology: A Look at its History, Theology, Cosmology, and Current Status Religion, a remnant of the ancient world, before science, before concrete evidence, was used to explain the unexplainable. A constant in human culture, religion has concretely been about the relationship between either a supernatural deity or supernatural deities and nature. It sets up the morality of the people, explains the transitoriness of life, but most importantly, it gives people a sense of meaning and purpose. Now, with all those things in mind, replace religion, in the most general and abstract sense, with Scientology. Scientology, since its birth, has been the subject of criticism not only by outsiders, such as the media, but by former members, as well. As...
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...On August 19, 2009, Tommy Davis, the chief spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International, received a letter from the film director and screenwriter Paul Haggis. “For ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego,” Haggis wrote. Before the 2008 elections, a staff member at Scientology’s San Diego church had signed its name to an online petition supporting Proposition 8, which asserted that the State of California should sanction marriage only “between a man and a woman.” The proposition passed. As Haggis saw it, the San Diego church’s “public sponsorship of Proposition 8, which succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California—rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state—is a stain on the integrity of our organization and a stain on us personally. Our public association with that hate-filled legislation shames us.” Haggis wrote, “Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.” He concluded, “I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.” Haggis was prominent in both Scientology and Hollywood, two communities that often converge. Although he is less famous than certain other Scientologists, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, he had been in the organization for nearly thirty-five years. Haggis wrote the screenplay for “Million Dollar Baby,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2004, and he wrote and directed...
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...Troeltsch believed that a sect was “the opposite of a church” and he describes this type of religious organisation as a small, tightly knit group of individuals that often criticise mainstream values and attempt to change society in some way. Cults on the other hand, are loosely knit and don’t tend to have any firm beliefs. There are therefore some significant differences between these two organisations, however it is widely accepted that they are similar, in that they are usually short lived. Many sociologists state that sects, cults and New Age movements only appeal to a minority of the population. For example, people on the margins of society who are poor are often attracted to sects as they offer them a sense of belonging. Others, who may be undergoing a personal crisis such as the death of a loved one, may find that belonging to a sect or cult may help them to overcome this crisis. However, when they feel they have been helped to get over the crisis, they often leave the sect, as there is no further reason to belong to it. This seems to suggest that these organisations only appeal to a small section of the population perhaps seeking short-term help, so they will remain fringe organisations. However, other organisations such as the Scientology movement are still around today with a well recognised and idolised member such as Tom Cruise has helped to increase the popularity of the sect. Supporting the view that sects and cults are short lived, Niebuhr produced some explanations...
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...Assess the sociological explanations for the growth of new religious movements. By: Amy Rashid Over the years, there has been a growth of new religious movements in the society. This growth can be explained in terms of why people chose to join the movements or in terms of wider social changes. Hence, in this essay, I shall discuss several sociological explanations for this occurrence. Firstly, Steve Bruce (1995, 1996) attributes the development of a range of religious institutions, including sects and cults, to a general process of modernization and secularization. He believes the weakness of more conventional institutionalized religions has encouraged some people to consider less traditional alternatives. As modern societies developed and faith in traditional sources of authority (eg: churches) declined, religious pluralism and diversity were increasingly tolerated. More recently, in what Bruce believes is a more secular world in which people are less likely to hold strong commitments, cults have become more popular. These require fewer sacrifices and less commitment than churches and sects and are therefore more tolerable in a modern clientele. These new religious movements engage in worldly activities and allow people to drift in and out of participation as the sample the beliefs on offer. For example Transcendental Meditation (TM) is associated with a political party that fights general elections on policies that advocate the benefits of TM and ‘yogic flying’ for solutions...
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...Do NRMs/NAMs attract more members of the poor and deprived classes? (18 marks) Deprivation is the lack of material benefits considered to be basic necessities in society, there are many different types of deprivation which will be discussed and analysed. Glock and Stark identified them to include gender; the disabled (organismic deprivation – mental/physical problems); ethical; social; or economic. The poor and deprived classes could include the working social class and ethnic minorities who are marginalised, and reject from wider society for example afro-Caribbean’s. Barker has adopted the concept of new religious movements as an overarching idea that embraces both sects and cults, it is a more neutral term to highly negative meanings of sects and cults in popular culture. A new religious movement (NRM) is a religious community or spiritual group of modern origins, which has a peripheral place within its nation dominant religious culture. Wallis’s typology of NRMs looks at the relationship between wider society and sect’s, he identifies 3 – world affirming, world accommodating and world rejecting. World affirming NRMs try to gain the most from society, and seen as a less threatening ‘loose’ organisation for personal achievement. Specifically they lack religion and use internet and technology for contact, levitation or meditation are examples. World accommodating disagree with society but choose to accept it and live normal lives, they seek to restore faith and religion into...
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...Despite their wealth and having all the material comforts of life, they feel a spiritual void. So, a cult – which, according to Stark & Bainbridge offer compensation by offering people the things they lack; might appeal to those who materially have everything but spiritually lack fulfilment. Also, most cults allow members to lead conventional lifestyles – a factor appealing to the middle classes who might need to retain this sort of life in order to keep on making money. However, Troelstch believes that the M/C actually find the more conventional church more appealing. This is because the church is very well-established in society and perceived as hierarchical and formal. Belonging to a church therefore serves to reinforce their status in society or their local community. E.G Several wealthy and famous people like Tom Cruise & John Travolta belong to Scientology – which even though perceived as a cult actually regards itself as a church and has been established in American society for over fifty years. Wilson believes though that NRMS still have greater appeal for the M/C, especially young, white ones. In the 1960s, when many such groups became popular, these young people –...
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...ANALYSIS OF BUDDHISM’S APPEAL TO THE WEST INTRODUCTION “When you come back as a whale, you’ll be bloody glad you put Greenpeace in your will.” — Greenpeace advertisement on billboard in Taylor Square, Sidney, Australia As the above quotation from the advertisement indicates, there is no question that Buddhism has a certain appeal to the West. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. author of Prisoners of Shangri-la: Tibetan Buddhism and The West provides a cultural history of the “strange encounter” between Buddhism (especially Tibetan Buddhism) and Western countries, most notably Britain, Australia and the United States. It is no longer questionable that Buddhism, and again, especially the Tibetan stream, has permeated popular culture: since China’s invasion and occupation of Tibet in 1950, which will be discussed further, but most significantly since the 1990s. This is most likely accredited to the Dalai Lama’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, which brought him and Buddhism much exposure. In fact, every stream of Buddhism announces growing public acceptance in the West since the Dalai Lama first visited two decades ago. The Complete Guide to Buddhist America, written in 1998 for which the Dalai Lama wrote the preface, reports that the number of worship centers in the United States more than doubled from 1987 to 1997 to over one thousand. Several examples illustrate the recent exposure of Buddhism in Western popular and political culture. Firstly, one of the most popular films...
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...ALSO BY NEIL STRAUSS The Long Hard Road Out of Hell WITH MARILYN MANSON The Dirt WITH MOTLEY CRUE How to Make Love Like a Porn Star WITH JENNA JAMESON Don't Try This at Home WITH DAVE NAVARRO THE GAME PENETRATING THE SECRET SOCIETY OF PICKUP ARTISTS Neil Strauss Regan Books An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers Cover silhouettes are from the following fonts :Darrian's Sexy Silhouettes by © Darrian (http://westwood.fortunecity.com/cerruti/445/), Subeve by © Sub Communications (http://www.subtitude.com),NorpIcons 1 and Norp Icons 2 by © DJ Monkeyboy (http://www.djmonkeyboy.com). "The Randall Knife": Words and Music by Guy Clark © 1983 EMI APRIL MUSIC INC. and GSC MUSIC. All Rights Controlled and Administered by EMI APRIL MUSIC INC. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. In order to protect the identity of some women and members of the community, the names and identifying characteristics of a small number of incidental characters in this book have been changed, and three minor characters are composites. THE GAME COPYRIGHT © 200 5 BY N E I L STRAUSS. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022. HarperCollins...
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...62118 0/nm 1/n1 2/nm 3/nm 4/nm 5/nm 6/nm 7/nm 8/nm 9/nm 1990s 0th/pt 1st/p 1th/tc 2nd/p 2th/tc 3rd/p 3th/tc 4th/pt 5th/pt 6th/pt 7th/pt 8th/pt 9th/pt 0s/pt a A AA AAA Aachen/M aardvark/SM Aaren/M Aarhus/M Aarika/M Aaron/M AB aback abacus/SM abaft Abagael/M Abagail/M abalone/SM abandoner/M abandon/LGDRS abandonment/SM abase/LGDSR abasement/S abaser/M abashed/UY abashment/MS abash/SDLG abate/DSRLG abated/U abatement/MS abater/M abattoir/SM Abba/M Abbe/M abbé/S abbess/SM Abbey/M abbey/MS Abbie/M Abbi/M Abbot/M abbot/MS Abbott/M abbr abbrev abbreviated/UA abbreviates/A abbreviate/XDSNG abbreviating/A abbreviation/M Abbye/M Abby/M ABC/M Abdel/M abdicate/NGDSX abdication/M abdomen/SM abdominal/YS abduct/DGS abduction/SM abductor/SM Abdul/M ab/DY abeam Abelard/M Abel/M Abelson/M Abe/M Aberdeen/M Abernathy/M aberrant/YS aberrational aberration/SM abet/S abetted abetting abettor/SM Abeu/M abeyance/MS abeyant Abey/M abhorred abhorrence/MS abhorrent/Y abhorrer/M abhorring abhor/S abidance/MS abide/JGSR abider/M abiding/Y Abidjan/M Abie/M Abigael/M Abigail/M Abigale/M Abilene/M ability/IMES abjection/MS abjectness/SM abject/SGPDY abjuration/SM abjuratory abjurer/M abjure/ZGSRD ablate/VGNSDX ablation/M ablative/SY ablaze abler/E ables/E ablest able/U abloom ablution/MS Ab/M ABM/S abnegate/NGSDX abnegation/M Abner/M abnormality/SM abnormal/SY aboard ...
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