amway_golden

The Golden Calf

THE GOLDEN CALF - From a Former Profit Sharing Direct Distributor and web site visitor.

This article is for those who are, have been, or may in the future be approached by a multi-level marketing scheme - in particular those schemes that are associated with powerful motivational organizations that are sometimes known as "The System".

As one who was involved for several years with an Amway Motivational Organization (AMO) and at one time had a fair size business, I would like to warn others of the deceptive, exploitative and even cultic nature of this type of business.

The top leaders of these organizations, over decades of fine tuning, claim to have developed systems that are helping large numbers of people to earn income even to the point of ‘financial independence’ in a business ‘whose time has come’. I believe and intend to demonstrate that these people have in fact put in place a program that is exploiting most of its participants in a business that is in fact a relic of the past.

I have come to believe that these organizations are robbing most of their participants of time, energy and treasure that could and should be spent elsewhere.

Their time and energy is spent ‘showing the plan’ endlessly to people most of whom have no idea what the presentation is all about, attending weekly meetings, and traveling hundreds of kilometers to weekend business functions.

Their money is spent on tickets to the meetings, on function tickets and related travel and lodging expenses, on expensive business support materials and on lots of network products. Many of the products purchased are superfluous to their needs and would not have been purchased before they became involved in a system that constantly exposes them to aggressive product promotion.

In these systems they are exposed to the extravagant lifestyle of wealthy up-line and taught to "fake it ‘til you make it" until they reach a profitable level. " Faking it "means always pretending you are doing better than you are in the business- no matter what your level of recognition or income may be. It also means, if you are financially successful already, giving the false impression to both prospective and actual distributors in your network that your financial success comes from your MLM business. This encourages them to work the business and buy a lot of products in order to duplicate your perceived success.

If you are not financially successful, and have reached a level of recognition in the business where you should be, you are encouraged to put on a false show of prosperity. You do this by buying a used Cadillac and shopping for fancy clothes at consignment shops and other used clothing stores.

These tactics bring more and more people into your business and the system teaches them to participate in the same deceptions. This is known as ‘duplication’. This continues until your business is full of enough people faking it and buying products, function tickets and business support materials that you are actually making some money. Then you are encouraged to re-invest this money in your business in the hope of attaining the ‘financial freedom’ that a very tiny percentage of participants actually attain.

My wife and I were involved in this vicious circle for several years and were blinded to the deceptions I have just described by the smoke and mirrors built into this business over several decades of refinement. These smoke and mirrors or distractions include the psychological manipulation of large crowds at business functions. Thousands attend these rallies/seminars where a receptive mindset is created by appropriate music and by speakers who include world-famous personages - ex- presidents, generals, entertainers, franchise kings, leaders in the conventional business world, and positive- thinking gurus. The impression is given that all these famous people approve of the business activities of the motivational organization and the product manufacturer. In fact, however, few of them have much understanding of this type of business. They do know, however, that they will receive handsome speaking fees. Of course, these fees come from ticket revenues. Christian pastors who apparently approve of this business often speak at the functions as well.

Included in the roster of speakers at these events are top level achievers in the MLM business who have supposedly reached their levels of success and wealth through the movement of consumable products through their businesses. Depending on their background, the content of their speeches can include the story of how they got involved and/or how they went from poverty to wealth in the business. They explain why they use as many products from the business as possible, how they love their up-line and how attending functions and using business support materials helped get them where they are. They usually expound on the disadvantages of working at jobs and of owning conventional businesses. Statements such as, "I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor and I can tell you rich is better." and, "If money can fix it, it’s not a problem." abound and everyone is encouraged to invest in the system. Many of these charming people show videos of their extravagant lifestyle - large homes, expensive cars, exotic vacations and so on and they tell the audience that all of them can be where they are if they follow their example. They make no mention, however, of the real source of most of their income.

The moment of truth for my wife and I came when we learned about the true source of most of the income for these top achievers in the business. It does not, as they would have everyone believe, come from the use or sale of consumable products available through their network. We were shocked to learn that the lion’s share of their wealth comes from the sale of function tickets and business support materials- mainly cassette tapes. I believe their determination to keep this important information from the masses in the business shows that they know this is wrong. Their implied attitude of "They wouldn’t understand." smacks of pure cultism.

If you need confirmation of this pyramiding in tickets and business support materials just go to the busiest search engine on the Internet and type in the name of the MLM Company you are investigating. You may have to spend some time searching but you can find the truth about this business there. In particular check out the applicable lawsuits and the web-site(s) of the higher level distributor(s) who got sick of keeping secret the hidden agenda of the ‘system profits’ and decided to expose it. The Internet also exposes the fact that any MLM business in which the distributors buy most of the products themselves is in fact illegal.

These web-sites also expose the blatant transgressions of MLM laws and regulations in a self- policing business that has flaunted the rules for years. The breaking of these rules means that many of the people who are at the top levels in the business have sometimes got there in part by buying up thousands of dollars worth of products that sometimes take years to dispose of. This is financed sometimes by the hidden profits earned from the tapes and tickets and gives newcomers to the business the impression that the higher levels are a lot easier to achieve than they actually are. As a result of this many come into the business with high expectations and are puzzled and frustrated at their lack of success. They have no idea of the chicanery that goes on behind the scenes. Of course, those whose efforts prove unsuccessful are blamed by up-line for their failure. Feelings of guilt and the resultant lowering of their self-image make distributors more easily controlled by the people who are supposed to be helping them.

Some up-line gurus compare the growth of this business to the spreading of the gospel. New ‘converts’ to the business are sometimes called ‘believers’. There are frequent references to Jesus at functions and statements such as "God honors commitment". How God could honor anyone’s commitment to a deceptive, dishonest and even illegal business is something with which I have a real problem.

To give credit where it is due, distributors who go to functions are exposed at times to correct biblical teaching at non-denominational Christian worship services and encouraged to join bible-believing churches. Many become Christian believers as result of this exposure but their bible learning sometimes leads them to see the worldly errors of the motivational organizations and this causes them to drift away from the business. This has happened to us.

On the spiritual downside, however, books of metaphysical and occult content are promoted and made available through the business. Some of their authors include E.W. Kenyon, Joseph Murphy, Bob Proctor and Napoleon Hill who, in his book ‘How To Grow Rich With Peace Of Mind’, admitted to getting his information from disembodied spirits or ‘ascended masters’. Books and newsletters by well- known prosperity teachers/preachers have also been promoted and/or made available.

The business is also promoted to Christians as a means of evangelism. I did this myself when I first became a Christian. When I got involved in a church that had a vibrant evangelistic program in our community and sent missionaries world-wide, however, I saw how true evangelism worked. I then began to see the terrible inefficiency of the business evangelism where we had to show the plan to large numbers of people to get even one to the functions and then to the non-denominational worship services.

We now realize that we were drawn into a system that, though professing to be bible or Christian based, actually attains growth through getting its participants to sell out to many worldly false gods.

There is the false god of consumerism/commercialism. In this business, as I already mentioned, you are constantly exposed to vigorous product promotion, which leads to the unnecessary and budget-breaking purchase of large numbers of products to help you attain higher levels of achievement. After all, you are buying from ‘your own business’ that may make you rich someday.

Distributors are also told to get a ‘dream’, a burning desire to attain specific material possessions that will motivate them to ‘sell out’ to this business. They are encouraged to do ‘whatever it takes’ (legal or not, honest or dishonest) in order to obtain this dream. Distributors are encouraged to find out the dreams of their down-line and use them as leverage to get them to do the business. I have also heard our supposedly Christian up-line guru say forcefully: "You should never be satisfied with what you’ve got." This sacrifices many to the false gods of greed, covetousness and discontent. The following scriptures point out the error of this attitude:

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Phillipians 4: 12)

". . . godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness." (1 Timothy 6: 6-11)

I do not believe the bible teaches that there is anything wrong with trying to better your lot in life. There are plenty of bible directives about working hard, earning our own keep, providing for our families, leaving an inheritance for our children and being good stewards of the worldly wealth that is entrusted to us by God. I do believe, however, that the previous scripture quote warns against the fervent and obsessive efforts to attain riches that is promoted and practiced in businesses like this and to the harmful results that come from such practices.

There is also a lot of exposure to the false god of positive thinking-the ‘name it and claim it’ mentality that leaves the will of God out of the equation. This is also obeisance to the false god of self.

" Now listen you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on a business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, " If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that." As it is you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins." (James 4: 13-17)

This positive thinking mentality also leads to the sin of duplicity and manipulation.

" Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matt 5:37) Also see John 8: 44.

Homage is also paid to the false god of nationalism. Many of the leaders in the business figuratively wrap themselves in the flag at functions and liberally use the name of God and Jesus. They do this while blatantly ignoring the word of God and the law of the land in their business practices as I have previously pointed out. "What you do speaks so loudly that I can barely hear what you are saying." is an MLM business cliché that can be aptly applied to this hypocritical behavior.

The false god of ultra-conservative laissez-faire politics is also worshiped. To the leaders of this business ‘laissez-faire’ seems to mean, "Leave me alone so I can make gobs of money in my illegal and unethical business that is exploiting hundreds of thousands of people and leading many of them to spiritual destruction through the practice of worldly idolatry". Political connections are also cultured and lobbying is practiced to allay government interference in their questionable activities.

Do not make the error of being led to believe, as we were, that those who have succeeded in this business have done so because God deems them and their business to be righteous. There are examples all around us of the financial success of people in businesses that are clearly unrighteous. As I have already shown, the tactics used in this MLM motivational organization are anything but righteous in the sight of God.

Although these cult- like systems have been put in place by the motivational organizations of top level distributors, the corporation owners are giving more than tacit consent to these practices. More information on this is available on the Internet.

Gone are the days when people could get into this business and safely build a supplementary income by retailing products and recruiting customers. As soon as new people join, their names and addresses are made available to the super ambitious up-line who are sure to contact them. Shortly thereafter, many of them are caught up in chasing a ‘dream’ that is elusive for most if only because of the mathematical impossibility of universal success. For many of these people this means that any profits they are making plus much of their other household income will be quickly eaten up by products, tapes, books, function tickets, product seminars and travel expenses.

My wife and I were aggressively approached by a pseudo-Christian cult a few years ago and, as a result, we have been studying these organizations extensively. We were shocked to discover the following characteristics these groups share with the MLM motivational organization with which we were involved.

Here are the similarities that are most obvious, some with bible references that show their error.

Withholding of Key Information:

In our MLM people are not told of the main source of income of top level distributors (sale of tapes, books and function tickets) until they reach those levels. They are also not told of the blatant disregard of MLM rules and regulations about distributors buying up large amounts of products in order to attain higher levels of recognition. This gives new prospects the impression that the business is relatively easy to build.

The pseudo-Christian cults do not tell new proselytes about their heretical doctrines until they think they are ready for them.

2. Claims of Exclusivity:

Our MLM constantly told us on tapes and at functions that we were in the best business in the world that was the ‘only thing out there’.

Every pseudo-Christian cult claims to be God’s only representative on earth.

3. Claims of High Morality

In our MLM we were constantly exposed to the claims of the top gurus to high morality and integrity. These claims were made by up-line who were practicing a hidden agenda of pyramiding in tapes and function tickets and were flaunting business rules and regulations and encouraging others to do the same.

These constant allusions to high morality tend to lull the masses of distributors into a false sense of security about the integrity and legality of the business practices and this sets them up for exploitation.

Pseudo- Christian cults constantly claim high morals and integrity while deceiving about their true doctrines, some of them calling this ‘holy or strategic lying’.

"…When he (the devil) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44.)

Isolation of Adherents

In our MLM we were constantly told by our successful up-line to stay away from ‘ negative’ family and friends until we were successful. For the overwhelming majority of distributors success never comes so theoretically, for most, this isolation could last indefinitely. New distributors are sometimes encouraged to ignore objections of ‘negative’ spouses and stories of marital strife abound in this business. We had at least one couple leave our business to save their marriage and we are constantly hearing of others in this network who are having difficulties.

Our motivational organization warned us about ‘cross-lining’

(talking to distributors not in our own direct line of sponsorship -either up or down ) contending that this could hurt the growth of our business.

This resulted in more isolation that we now believe was designed to keep us in the dark about the hidden self -serving motives of our up-line. We were also advised not to read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch television. They suggested that our time would be better spent building our business.

Pseudo Christian cults are notorious for isolation of their proselytes from friends, family and the world. People who leave are usually criticized and/or ostracized by family and associates who remain in the organization. This has happened in part to us.

5. Near Deification of Leaders:

In our MLM group we were constantly told to ‘edify’ our up- line. In MLM language ‘edify’ means to always praise and promote and agree with your up-line no matter what they may be doing or saying whether you think they’re right or wrong. Do you remember the childhood tale, ‘The King’s New Clothes’?

This is also a corruption of the English language. The real meaning of ‘edify’ is ‘to enlighten, instruct and guide spiritually’.

Pseudo Christian cults demand unquestioning obedience of leaders and deliberately corrupt the language of the bible to spread their perverted heretical doctrines and some have practically deified their leaders.

6. Abuse of Adherents:

In our MLM we were blinded by the smoke and mirrors that I have already described to believe the lie that anyone could make it big, while in truth those who actually succeed, even modestly, are in the minority. There are several former members of my group who have told me that they have invested thousands in this business and made no profits at all.

People who refuse to join are referred to as bozos and there is special vilification of those who leave the business. They are called quitters and losers and questions are raised about their mental capacity and/or stability.

Questions about the integrity of business practices are met with strange looks, personal attacks on your character, displays of anger or stony silence.

Pseudo-Christian cults are infamous for criticism, abuse and isolation of their members who ask pertinent questions and/or leave the organizations.

7. Authoritative Leadership and Control from a Strong Charismatic Personality or Personalities:

This is common in both MLM organizations and Pseudo Christian cults.

Could these be the false teachers /mentors described in the following passages?

"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come." (Matt.18: 7.)

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who brought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of the truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Please consider the previous verses if you think your fellow Christians would not put you into a situation where you can be exploited. Remember that many in this business have been indoctrinated to believe they are doing you a favor by offering you this opportunity.

8. Attempts To Control Many Aspects of Adherents Lives:

I have already demonstrated how this business is designed to control the thinking and actions of its members. Another way this is done is through ‘counseling with up-line’. The up-line counselor, however, has an immediate monetary interest in his or her distributors purchasing lots of network products. Also, depending on his or her level in the business, he or she stands to gain financially from the purchase of tapes, books, and function tickets by the counselee and the people in their group. He or she has also been indoctrinated to believe that their business is the ‘greatest business in the world’ and the ‘only thing out there’, that its right to do it, and that ‘anyone can make it big’. Some of them even believe that anyone who does not ‘sell out’ to the business is either stupid or crazy. This means that up-line advice can be biased to say the least. Much harm has been done by up-line counseling.

Christians who are making life-changing decisions based on up-line counseling and know or strongly suspect that they are counseling with a non-Christian would do well to consider the following scriptural directive:

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers." (2 Cor. 6:14)

If you are being encouraged by an up-line counselor to transgress the laws of God, please consider Psalm 1: 1. "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers".

Intrusion into and control of adherents’ private lives in order to mislead and exploit them by leaders of pseudo-Christian cults is well known.

9. Claims of Satanic Opposition:

More than once I have heard our top up-line guru claim that opposition to his business comes from Satan.

Many pseudo- Christian cults claim that they are fighting Satan and that he is working to thwart their activities.

Busy-ness and Sleep Deprivation:
Members of our network were constantly urged to work as hard as possible at the business to attain their dreams. We were told to travel long distances to recruit new people-no matter that you sometimes got home only in time to get an hour or two of sleep before going to work. "You can sleep when you’re dead." was a common slogan heard in the business.

Functions were hundreds of kilometers away and lasted to 2 or 3 a.m. some nights. It is well known that tired people are more easily indoctrinated and controlled. We have heard our up-line say that building this business is like walking up a ‘down’ escalator. If you stop, you find yourself at the bottom very quickly. Many top level people have had the number of people in their business shrink substantially. They still retain their titles, however. This way no one suspects that their business has shrunk and since most of their income is coming from the tapes and function tickets they can still show a good lifestyle.

All pseudo- Christian religions have a works-based theology and make the sacrifice of Christ redundant by keeping their adherents on a treadmill trying to earn their salvation. Some wear out their adherents by long hours of selling flowers, peanuts etc. on the street. Others keep their followers very busy with quotas of knocking on doors trying to proselytize new people.

"For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2: 8)
Contradictory Teachings and Resulting Confusion
In our network we were taught certain business-building methods that were hyped as being the absolutely best way of doing things because they came from our wise and experienced up-line. Confusion and doubt were created when new methods were introduced that were a complete about- face and contradiction of the old methods. The newly introduced method turned out to be no more effective than the old.

New programs were introduced that were supposed to revolutionize the business and make it grow extremely fast. Glowing reports followed about the awesome success of these programs in many parts of the network –some allegedly doubling their business volume. All of this was soon followed by the failure of these programs and by excuse filled speeches by up-line associates about why they did not work.

Certain product lines were re-vamped unnecessarily on a regular basis (bi-annually or annually) making it necessary for those who specialized in those product lines to absorb lots of new information and invest substantial amounts of money in new demonstration kits.

Most pseudo- Christian cults have ‘new revelation’ that is filled with contradictory doctrines and teaching. Some set dates for the return of Christ and come up with myriad excuses and implausible explanations when the dates come and go uneventfully.

" For God is not the author of confusion but of peace…"(1 Cor. 14: 33 KJV).
Criticism of Christian Beliefs and Practices:
I have heard several high- level distributors in the business show disrespect for new prospects’ decisions not to join the business on the basis of guidance from God through prayer.

They would say sarcastically, "I went back to get the materials from them and they said, "We prayed about it and we decided not to do it."

In this business anyone who decides not to do it is said to be ‘making excuses’.

The very existence of pseudo- Christian cults with their unbiblical and heretical doctrines and practices is an affront to the Christian faith. I have also heard their followers ridicule Christian beliefs.
Love- Bombing:

People in this business, as those in pseudo-Christian cults, are exposed to demonstrations of loving concern from their mentors to get them in and keep them in.

My wife and I have learned from first- hand experience with both the business we were in and with the pseudo- Christian cult that approached us that this ‘loving concern’ is far from unconditional. Arrogant hostility can replace the ‘loving concern’ once they see that their love- bombing and deceptions are not working.

Perhaps, like me, you have been traveling and have stopped in at a souvenir shop or greasy spoon restaurant and seen a humorous sign posted behind the counter that read: ‘This is a non-profit business. We didn’t plan it that way. That’s just the way it turned out.’ Sadly, that is the story of the overwhelming majority of people who get involved with multi-level marketing and I don’t believe it is funny. New people are lured and kept in by the charm and charisma of the people in the business, by the psychological manipulation of the system and by the carrot motivation of the supposed financial rewards that their participation in the business can provide. They spend years running on a treadmill until they either get weary or learn the truth about the exploitative nature of the business and then quit or quietly drift away. Most become silent victims, either shamed about not succeeding or embarrassed about being deceived.

All of this leads to speculation about whether the leaders who started these motivational organizations some decades ago intended to do the harm that has been done. I don’t believe so. I believe they simply saw the opportunity to get wealthy and through ingenuity and hard work inadvertently built their organizations one idea at a time, one block at a time into the mental prisons that they have become for many. When God’s warnings about severe striving after wealth (1 Tim. 6: 6-11, quoted above) are ignored, the enemy of our souls can move in and turn something that has potential for good into a system of human bondage. Like the humorous sign mentioned in the previous paragraph I believe the leaders of these organizations could now say: ‘This business is a system of manipulation and exploitation that leads people into deception and bondage. We didn’t plan it that that way. That’s just the way it turned out.’

Many of the leaders, perhaps to ease guilty consciences, donate generously to worthy causes. However, in light of the harm that is being done by their deceptive and illegal activities, I believe the Lord must consider these righteous acts as ‘filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64: 6).

Extricating ourselves from this system was not easy but we have no regrets. In fact, we feel as if we have been freed from serious bondage. It is wonderful to meet and associate with people and not have a hidden agenda and be thinking: "Would these people make good prospects for our network?" We do have some challenges with debts built up while investing in our business but they are easier to handle now since we are no longer spending money on superfluous products and on tapes, books and functions.

At network functions much mileage is made out of the freedom, both financial and other, that allegedly comes from the business. We now rejoice in being free from a cultic system that was consuming us and driving us away from God.

When people back away from the business their up-line claims that somebody ‘stole their dream’. These dreams usually refer to money, material goods, recognition, power and influence. We have no problem leaving these dreams behind us. We now have new dreams that we are determined not to let anyone steal from us. We dream of participating in productive and profitable work in honest employment and business opportunities. We dream of not bringing into business with us scores of people, many of whom will, while under deception, invest much of their time, energy and money and make no profits. We dream of not encouraging people to transgress the laws of God. We dream of not always pretending we are doing better financially than we actually are. We also dream of casting aside the false god of ‘name it and claim it positive thinking’ that leads to serious deception of, and resultant harm to, oneself and others. Of course our ultimate dream is to worship and follow the one true God of the bible and our Lord and savior Jesus Christ who, in his consummate mercy has freed us from this subtle system of bondage. We also dream of one day standing in front of the Lord and hearing him say, " Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matt. 25: 21). Except for the last one of course, these dreams have already come true for us.

Perhaps by now you have come to understand the reason for the title of this article. I truly believe the Israelites in Exodus Chapter 32 were no more idolatrous and in no more serious violation of God’s First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me."(Exodus20: 3) than those who are actively involved in the motivational organization I have described. The wrath of God exacted a heavy toll on these apostate Israelite idolaters (vs. 28 & 33). Indeed they all would have been destroyed by God for the sin of making themselves ‘gods of gold’ (vs.31) had Moses not stood in the gap for them (vs. 10- 14).

If you are actively involved in this sort of business or are considering getting involved I urge you to carefully investigate my statements, study the scriptures quoted here and others and prayerfully seek God’s direction in this matter.