I was brought up with virginity pledges, not being allowed to wear pants, strongly encouraged to have long hair, the extreme hatred of LGBTQ+, horrible judging of people on government assistance, anti-abortion propaganda including a scare tactic video with spaghetti footage (1)

People were told who to vote for from the pulpit, the submission of wives to husbands, soul-winning and Bible quiz meets, fear of government involvement in the school, so no one said anything about being beaten with ping pong paddles as punishment, certain types of music (2)

was considered sinful, along with movies and books and other popular media. All of this brain washing was doled out daily. This is one of the reasons I want to believe the extreme right fervor can be corrected. (3)

But I also know that coming out of cult programming takes a long time, and every thought you have has to be examined and slowly accepted or rejected after you are out. But being out is key to that process. The extreme right that has become the republicans is filled (4)

With people who are still in their echo chambers, not realizing they need to go through the deprogramming process. When I got out I still wore the clothing approved by the cult for several months. I didn't date. I didn't react emotionally to things like stubbing my toe (5)

I had to put a lot of work into getting out of extremist thinking and behaviors. The people in the alt right don't want to change their thinking. No amount of data will convince them masks are necessary. Just look at the rhetoric always being framed as if masks (6)

being worn to protect the wearer, instead of other people. They have been told this, but they cannot accept that information into their thinking, and the more they are told, the harder they will hold on to that "misunderstanding." (7)

I see a lot of parallels with the extreme right and cult mentality. This should make me hopeful, because I know personally that it is possible to escape a cult. But I had the two things deprogramming needs: I was out of that environment, and I wanted to learn how to think (8)

In a way that was examined carefully, instead of spoon fed. While there has been many people who have turned their back on trumpism, most don't want to get out, and learn to examine their thinking. He brought up the idea of nuking a hurricane, and didn't lose followers. (9)

This makes me very afraid for the future. I'm very discouraged and depressed. I remember a time when people pulled their support because the vice presidential candidate said potato was spelled with an "e." Trump suggested ingesting disinfectants and still his (10)

very devoted followers. I just can't get through another 4 years of this shit. I'm afraid and depressed. (11, end of thread)