Let’s talk about cults.
Cults are not exclusive to the United States. But, it seems that our country has a bit of a fascination with the social phenomenon. And a long history with them.
Most likely, it is because of this. In all the world, the levels of religiosity tend to be the lowest in countries with the highest standards of living. You know. The countries that have high education levels, long life expectancies, and all those sorts of things. But here in the United States, we stand as an exception to that rule. We are both highly developed and full of people who are religious believers.
The experts estimates there are as many as 10,000 cults today. But they are smart. They very deliberately try to stay under the radar. At least, that is what the experts say. Unless they commit a crime, unless they do something that draws attention to them — negative attention and criticism to them — we generally don’t know about them.
Some of the most famous cults have become news fodder and the focus of documentaries, giving us insight into how they operate, their belief systems, and how they affect members.
So. What exactly is a cult?
Again, the experts say that a cult is difficult to define. But. Look for these things. They typically have charismatic, authoritarian leaders who draw in followers with their belief system or supposed prophetic powers. Cult leaders tend to isolate members from family and other loved ones.
Some try to mask the word “cult” and prefer to use “new religious movements” to define these organizations that fall outside of mainstream religions.
And here are some:
Manson Family
Probably one of the most famous cults of all time was the Manson Family.
Yes, those followers of Charles Manson, were a group of mostly young women who helped recruit new members. The group began in San Francisco before Manson and his followers moved to Los Angeles so he could pursue a career in music. Some postulate that after he failed to break through with his musical career, he turned to violence.
Manson predicted a race war. And. To help instigate it that war, he ordered his followers to carry out murders during a two-night killing spree.
I don’t remember a thing about this. So I wonder how big it was on the news.
Anyway, here is how things went.
On Aug. 8, 1969, his clan arrived at 10050 Cielo Drive, where music producers Terry Melcher and Candice Bergen once lived. At the time, Sharon Tate and husband Roman Polanski, who was away filming a movie, rented the home. The Manson Family killed a pregnant Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, and Voytek Frykowski. They killed two more people the next night.
Though Manson did not kill anyone during those two nights, he went to prison for life. Originally, it was a death sentence for Manson and his followers, but California banned the death penalty. Manson and other members died in prison.
Peoples Temple
The other famous cult was The Peoples Temple.
Led by Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple attracted followers who sought economic and racial equality. The cult began in Indiana before relocating to California. From there, Jones and his followers moved to Guayana, where the leader became more erratic.
A concerned Leo Ryan, a California congressman, headed to the South American country in November 1978 to learn more. “The allegations were serious: Jonestown sounded more like a slave camp than a religious center,” according to the FBI. “There was talk of beatings, forced labor and imprisonments, the use of drugs to control behavior, suspicious deaths, and even rehearsals for a mass suicide.”
Ryan attempted to help members escape, but armed men opened fire, killing the congressman and several others. Back at Jonestown, Jones ordered the followers to drink a cyanide-laced drink, killing more than 900. Jones died of a gunshot wound.
Heaven’s Gate
I would also be remiss if I did not mention Heaven’s Gate.
Heaven’s Gate members, led by Marshall Herff Applewhite Jr., believed that leaving their bodies behind on Earth would transfer their consciousness into an extraterrestrial being. The group started in 1975. In 1997, nearly 40 members died by mass suicide.
There are many more.
Like:
Love Has Won
Sullivanians
The Family International
Unification Church (Moonies)
Blackburn Cult
And more.
The bottom line is that they are highly dangerous to the welfare of the individual. In short, cults use a combination of emotional manipulation, isolation, and harmful ideologies. Because of this, their practices make cults potentially very dangerous, both for individual members and for society at large.
And we’re seeing that on a large scale now, I believe.
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“The problem with cults is not that they are based on falsehoods, but that they are based on truths that have been distorted.” – Michael Langone
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“Cults are a form of extremism that prey on people who are vulnerable, and often, the allure is an offer of certainty in a world that seems confusing and chaotic.” – Rachel Bernstein
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“The goal of a cult is to make people believe that they are part of a special group chosen by some higher power, while isolating them from the outside world.” – Margaret Thaler Singer
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The worst clubs. Here, there, everywhere.
