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In Reply to: Re: Zablocki article posted by Perry on December 03, 2005 at 19:31:34:
Well, Perry, you can always try again. Some of these folks receive emails in the hundreds if not thousands.
One point: I am very opposed to the term apostate for many reasons. I really think it should not be used by so-called experts and I would discourage its use. When it comes to relationships or work relations nobody would dream of calling an ex-spouse or previous co-worker an "apostate." See below:
adj : not faithful to religion or party or cause n : a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc. [syn: deserter, renegade, turncoat, recreant, ratter]
Keyword: NOT faithful. NOT something positive.
Since the MAIN issue ex members have with cult involvement has to do with deception, fraud, violation of human rights, etc. then it is helpful to constantly remind people that the right kind of language should be used. Who was not faithful, not loyal, a renegade in TF?
It is a disservice to us to start with if anybody who claims to write for us, or as an expert on our behalf as ex-members uses the word apostate. It would be a bit like using the expression "tax relief" when you are talking about a situation where there is no objective "relief" at all - see George Lakeoff on how language frames an issue with a specific agenda a priori.
I am favorable to the term ex-member. I am sure we could come up with other words, but "apostate accounts" stink and has always stunk because it is loaded to start with. This takes us back to the issue of owning up to our own experience being able to use our own words to describe it and not be co-opted by the ones who claim they are doing it for us.
