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I want to know what people think of the small cults that same to pop up all over the USA.

Be them of the Christian based ones or some way out there concept I would really like to know what those of us who are already in the fringe of society think of such "groups"

I want to include the groups that have more normal concepts such as the Christian based one to those who think space ships will come to save them before Armageddon. Please don't leave out the groups labeled as Satanist or devil worshipers and groups like the ones in Jones cult and Waco, Tx as well.

These groups interest are really across the board but they are still kind of all the same..

I think that the word cult can descibe all belief based groups. Many groups call Wicca a cult.

Let me start off by stating that obviously, there will always be a cult as long as there is somebody to introduce and lead it.

All people who follow these cults generally see their beliefs and lifestyles as 'normal', so I don't think you can really say one is more normal than another.

I believe there is truly no harm in cult followings as long as no harm is inflicted upon anybody as a result of cult practices. Everybody is entitled to different beliefs and lifestyles, whether or not it is accepted in society as we know it. As a matter of facts, the more cults there are, the more choices are present, and people can find a belief system that best suits them as a person.

I believe following a cult that you have faith in is far more respectable than attending a church and not believing anything that is going on.

There is always going to be somebody out there with a theory, and there are always going to be others that agree with it. Yes, the theory may seem wacky. But as long as it does not harm anybody, I say to each his own.

hmm, I see what you mean. But not everyone in Wicca follows the same person or leader, and some dont follow anyone. So I'm not inclined to say they are. I disagree, what other thoughts might you have?

You have to tred very carefully here. Calling a belief system a "Cult" is tantamount to saying it is invalid and is quite insulting.

As RavynDarkrose stated, a believer in one faith would consider believers in another faith they don't believe in as "Cult members". Who is to say which one is a "legitimate" religion and which is a "Cult"?

A cult often refers to the size of a religious organization and it being against the common widespread religion. Even Christianity started off as a cult. Pretty much any religion starts off this way.

The word took on a much darker term due the media coverage of the groups that were pretty far from normal and in some cases dangerous.

Jim Jones was the leader of a Cult...that commited suicide...and murdered others.

The People that commited suicide over the comet coming back was a cult...

The people in Waco that the FBI raided their camp...was a cult.

Lets begin with the meaning of thr word, cult.
Cult:
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.

3. the object of such devotion.

4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

So on and so forth.

All religions are definied as cults.

Only athiest or solotary worshippers aren't apart of a cult.

I think of ~all~ religions and such as cults. The Catholic church is just one REALLY BIG cult...

I was raised Catholic: I'm merely voicing my opinion, and am not trying to hurt or offend anyone.

The word "cult" has a negative connotation, no matter how it is used. It makes people think of religious practices which are different from what they are familiar, or that make them afraid. If a religious group is portrayed in the media, the story is given a spin depending on how the group is presented. Jim Jones was a respected minister to his congregation in San Francisco, and had support from the Mayor and the community. Then he pulls his faithful congregation to Guiana and builds a community in which something awful happened to spin his ministry into a cult. There are usually strong charasmatic people found as cult leaders, how they operate and who supports them usually makes the difference between acceptable and the unacceptable to the public.

I think some of you are missing the point of what "cult" means.

As religions are sanctioned and accepted by nations and world beliefs, then they are hardly cults.

True cults are those none sanctioned, manipulated social groups deemed nessessary by certain individuals who exploit others beliefs to have cause to demonstrate ideas phsyically.

I may be wrong on certain parts of the above paragraph, but you get my point.

I agree with soulshroude on this one. Cults are a group of like minded people that others outside of there beliefs consider out of the "mainstream". Thus as the religions merge into society they would no longer be considered a cult.

I feel that cults are just small spiritual groups of like minded people, yes, there are those where the like-minded people are not sane. Same as in any group.

As long as a Cult doesn't promote violence, hate, segregation or Tom Cruise then I have no problem with them :)

As many have said, they are a group of like minded individuals, the negative promotion of Cults is due to the fact that some of them take their belief systems to the point where common sense is thrown out the door I guess

Soulshroude, has a very good point , it would be like calling paganism or druidism for that fact a cult in which it is not, while many there small groups out side of a small base are non-sanctioned and could be considered in that group, its is a rather thin line what falls there and what does not. I personally think this article is a lil touchy

Regardless of the beliefs cults will always be around as long as u have a leader and followers.

Wicca is a religion and not a cult

Thank you, Soulshroude. You hit on more of what I was saying..

I was not asking for a debate on what a Cult is more asking what you think of the ones that exist.

I disagree with many things already stated in this thread and also want to point out that there is a difference between a Cult and a religion.

Religion is a set of beliefs that people follow, IE Catholicism, Hinduism, Christianity, Wicca, Druidism ect..

A Cult is a GROUP that follows a set of beliefs .

It seems many of you are mixing up the two.
With that said you can have a Catholic cult or a Wiccan Cult but what makes them a cult is that they are a small group, not the religion in which the practice.

Most cults that I was talking about are not mainstream groups. They tend to be fridge groups with extream belifes and practices.

A cult is most dangerous for it's control of thought and it thrives on member ignorance. Controlling thought allows you to control behavior. If we're seriously talking about cults in the negative sense, a cult is often a single leader or at least a small power structure benefitting from the ignorance and blind obedience of it's followers. The term gets thrown around pretty loosely in regards to some religions but cults are most importantly about control.

What do I think of them? Well it's a shame mostly that so many people seem so willing to give up their individuality and their decision making in order to 'feel' a sense of safety and belonging. Beyond that I'd say that there is a certain amount of danger inherent in cults since power is maintained by the thinnest of margins and all it takes is for a few members to begin to think rationally in order for leaders of cults to become desperate and start throwing around 'end of world' demands on their followers. Most mass suicides or violent stands by cults were begun when a leader begins to lose his grip on the power he/she holds over the 'flock'.

im with the "all worship that is organized is cultish" group, frankly i dont care what you believ, but i have huge issues with any worship that is public or missionary in nature...its should be done in private.

no offense to anyone but cults just brainwash people

hmm they can but so can other things.
Indoctrination is also a form of brain washing.

The inner-self, personal cult is the most important and the most healthy from all of the others around here.

It is a group that follows a beleif or beliefs. Much like religions of today it requires blind faith. As DarkWolf mentioned with Waco and Jonestown, they act on these beliefs placing all trust in the leader.

The trend seems to be the leader(s) chasing their own delusions and acomplishing some type of personal gain, be it monetary, sexual, criminal, etc. Wacos leadership was having sex with young girls and using the bible to somehow manipulate the parents into allowing this. They also create an element of fear of betrying the leader. It's the cowboy and his cattle. Leading the herd.

Have you heard about a cult named "Temple of the Vampire"?

Yes, I have.

What is your opinion about them? I have read some stuff on them and I am still "digging"...

Easy...I wouldn't call them a cult just yet.

The Strigoi Vii on the other hand...
Why do you say Temple of the Vampire is cult my friend?

They are tending to be one... as long as they said about themselves that are "An international church devoted to the immortal vampire religion." "Strigoii Vii", is not quite correct because "strigoi" is nor living or dead and "vii" means "alive".

In most cases cults are just about brain washing. One egomaniac gets to play with the lives of other people and he/she gets off on that. Has nothing to do with religion.

The Strigoi Vii (pardon my previous typo) is out there. You can link to it from my pro. I won't get into my personal opinions about it, but I have read the books. Always question everything.

i believe that a cult has its own way of doing things,some might be right,some might be wrong,but whos to say that 1 specific cult is the right cult?

I believe people label different groups as cults to disparage the belief in that group. It is too easy for other people to shift the public view off of their group by condeming another group without proof.

Doru, not to discount you but have you ever really read into some of these groups?

They breed and thrive on the weak whom are unable to protect them selves, most times stripping them of not only their identity but their worldly belongings and some times even their children or their own lives.

I know people first hand who have been involved in these groups not because it was their choice but because their parents followed blindly. As children people do not have a choice and are often the abused, neglected and some times the killed.

I have heard horror stories of torture, blood letting and murder. Most of these groups get away with it too and the "leaders" move on to just start new groups while their followers go to jail or kill them selves.

I dont believe in sectioning religion but some where there is a fine line between religion and abuse, cheating, lining and plain down right Evil.

Anyone can start a cult...can have a cult for about anything.. church of the wayward platypus... just takes that person having the charisma and savvy to collect those kinds of people that would buy into it and follow.

www.religioustolerance

One of the most confusing and dangerous religious term is "Cult". The word is derived from the French word "culte" which came from Latin noun "cultus." The latter is related to the Latin verb "colere" which means "to worship or give reverence to a deity." Thus, in its original meaning, the term "cult" can be applied to any group of religious believers: Southern Baptists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Hindus or Muslims. However, the term has since been assigned at least eight new and very different meanings. The original meaning of "cult" remains positive; more recent definitions are neutral, negative

I think some cults are alright depending on what they are about and what they do based on their beliefs, other extreme cults are just friggin crazy and some are really dangerous

well in reality if the society out there new what i know about there religions and there beliefs they would actually crap themselves to know their whole lifes beliefs were a big fat lie.and i thin all religions are a cult for real.

My view is that cults start out to be religions but some of the commonalities of cults that make them dangerous and destructive is the worship of the cult leader.

The leader is considered all knowing and dissent is not tolerated.

Second, cult members maintain membership in the group at the expense of financial stability, familial reationships, and sometimes their own virginity.

If your religion is causing you to go bankrupt and is destoying your family, then you are probably in a cult.

Most cults are full of people that need to have some one to look up to. People that just can't make it on their own. Most are "brain washed". I feel bad for people that feel them need to live that way. Most of the time the leader is just some one that uses the member of the cult for their own selfish needs.

"Religion" is the word used to describe supernatural worship beliefs not based in credible evidence in a positive connotation.

To describe the same thing with a negative connotation, use "cult".

To me a true cult is one that spoils the point of religion.

Don't you have to pay to be in one?

A load of bs.

And sorry for being inarticulate.

I'm exhausted and sick.

I'm definitly posting again on here tomorrow.

From skeptic.com they give the following description:

"Examined closely, however, the beliefs of Heaven's Gate or Scientology are no stranger than the beliefs that billions of "normal" people hold dear in their sacred religions: heaven and hell, angels, Satan, crucified gods, resurrections, reincarnation, messiahs, trinities, transubstantiation, and so on. As has been noted by others: The delusions of one person is insanity, delusions by a few a cult, and by many a religion."

Who can stand up and say with certainty any religion is worthy... I have my doubts...

Unfortunately the word cult is frowned upon due to the "Heaven's Gate" and "People's Temple" and like groups. In some cases the cults did not commit suicide or do anything rash. Has anyone heard of "The knight's Templar" or "The Rosie Cross"?

the church of scientology is definitely a cult in my opinion - i took an IQ test at one of their centers 10 years ago and they ahve sent me mass mailings EVERY DAY for the past 10 years.

I finally got them to stop by contacting HQ in LA, CA...

they were truly perplexed as to why I didn't "pursue the path"... actual words used, yes...

"most people really like it and stick with it"

no thank you.

have u ever heard of the riverside cemetery cult inappleton,wi

Well, cults are cults and religions are religions, whether its a matter of majority or minority, or which ones are sanctioned by society...people have different temperaments, and its no wonder people follow different spiritual paths. as long as these cults, or even religions, don't harm anyone, then they deserve to be respected and not ridiculed.

I agree that with a certain definitions of cult almost any group of believers can be considered a cult. But the connotation of cult is that the leaders of the group do bad things to the members.

For a religious group to be accepted by a government, it really must be accepted by society first. Usually society will consider a group a cult if it things the leaders have can convince the members to do things contrary to the members best interests.

We can probably put together a check list to determine if a group is a cult, and maybe test some groups against.

Clues to a cult:
- Members are to give up all their wealth and or income to the leaders. (perhaps this should be a percentage. Society, as well as the IRS accepts 10% as normal, maybe 80%)

- Members are to break off contact with family.

- Members are not to communicate the workings of the group to others. (This can be tricky, because there are many secret societies that are not generally considered cults)

- Members are to cut contact with the rest of society and only have contact with group members. (Sounds like an exclusive country club might fit this one).

- Members have made a pact for ending their lives based on a specific event.

I think cults are very good at "educating" individuals, for the usage of theirs cults order's only, and using them for various goals they wish to achive in the area of proaganda. They are not very healthy for a young mind out there. Gtta be careful today.

Cults regularly ask their members to give up something be it money/their families or beliefs. They are normally led by one leader who is manipulative enough to make cult members believe thir way is the right one & all other ways are wrong (normally by using fear tactics). This in my humble opinion is wrong & nobody should be MADE to change theire opinions or lives to such an extent.

I find cults very interesting. But how do you define the word is the biggest problem?

I learned a simple definition from a member of a cult that is building a restaurant behind my apartment. He said they consider themselves a cult because they have to move away from home and none of the people are spouses or children of another member. They work together and live together and do religious worships together.

I think cults give up a lot of their lives and become part of a small society.

I see them as an annoying little pest problem.

Not all cults are bad, depends on the people

Name a good cult?

Cults in my eyes are just a bunch of people who have decided to get together and basicly take what religion they have chosen and practice it in a group based manor, whether it be christinanity or whatever, and they chose to either meet up continuously or live together so they can practice it daily and according to what they feel fit.

Blue Oyster Cult!Sorry could not resist.

Manson had a cult!Without religious fever!

i think the pagen would be a cult.

to me in my oppinion its just a bunch of people who try to convince others to join their cause.they should just leave it the hell alone and go about there business

the black brotherhood.

I'm reading a book on the Black Dagger Brotherhood right now. Most people will say it's a cult just because they don't understand and feel the need to label everything.

Dabbler if you were talking about Charles Manson he did use religion to help him control his people.
He use to give them large doses of LSD.
He himself would take small doses for better control.
Then he would play out the death of christ hanging on the cross.
They beleved he was christ himself

The dictionary definition of cult > system or worship or devotion.

That covers quite a broad area.

Sulky0Uya, paganism is not a cult its a religon or a belief structure .. now you can be pegan or Christian or Hindu and be in a cult but the religion it self is not a cult.

The cult is self is more like a Church since you seem to have the two confused.

Honestly, cults have been looked down upon for several centuries by many. It isn't as obvious that certain gatherings could be considered as cults by many. I would never personally join a cult. But that is just my opinion.

ImmortalMistress -

Its nicer to think its one big disfunctional family.

With the drunk uncles, the drug addicted cousins, the nympho sisters and the gangsta brothers. =P et cetera lol

Hmmm so which of those categories do you come under lol!

Uh ... the ... hateful second cousin who everyone knows doesn't want to be at a family reunion, but is there anyway because he feels like it? =P

OK, I have deleted quite a considerable amount of off-topic and quite obnoxiously ignorant posts from this thread.

The thread is posted with the proposition: "I want to know what people think of the small cults that same to pop up all over the USA."

This does not include major denominations of Christianity or any other faith and so, it would be a good idea for members to steer clear of making their opinions of those known in the manner which I've read here.

Thank you.

From what I read on manson and what I know about Manson he had control with out religion and the girls weakened two bible thumpers as well as he could have.I wrote reports on manson and he saw religian as a nussance to be overcome as an inhabition.

no offense, but i think all religions are cults like christainity, judaisim & islam are just bigger, more accepted cults lol it's a person personal choice to do whatever they want, no one should say "don't join that cult" & stuff, if you don't like it, just don't join, that simple

rockerchickamc,

Your comment is an un-educated one and it shows that you did not read the thread as well..

First there is a huge difference between a religion and a cult. Any I repeat Any religion and or Group can be a cult, in fact you dont even need to have religion involved in order to be a cult.

Second no its not aways a simple as just saying "no" some people are children and their parents are members so there for they cant just say no... There are also the ones that are sucked into a group because they see a family of friends there it may or may not have any thing to do with religion.

In fact just to point this out because I am surprised that no one has brought it up , there have even been a few "Vampire" cults out there that have been discovered. Many of them "inducted" their members slowly and they did not even see it was a cult that they were blindly following this one person , doing their bidding and so on..

I highly recommend that you not only read the thread that you are posting in but research some thing before mouthing off about it.. We do not tolerate the bashing of any religion here for any reson!!

OK, since it appears that this topic cannot be discussed sensibly, it is now closed.