Religious Cults in America

The Southern Baptist Convention is classified as a cult. Perhaps people get caught up in off beat religious groups because it fulfills a need or offers a sense of belonging for a particular cause or reward. These features are not unlike what mainstream religion offers. A fear factor of punishment and retribution ensures obedience without questioning celestial authority.

Most preachers are sales representatives promoting their product for the better good. Sermons repeatedly cover the same material because there can be no deviation from the source. Interesting are the key phrases using exactly the same words and phrases to make a point.

Dad and church made me feel incapable of happiness as I was taught to submit and be thankful regardless the circumstance. It is unreasonable to assume life full gloom and suffering based on fear of eternal damnation for church noncompliance.
 
I don't understand the correlation; but name a religious cult and there will be some weird sexual practice. We've all met those overly religious zealots, and sex seems to be a lightning rod to them. That's just my observation. There probably wasn't anything good on TV when I thought of that.
 

ALL churches are cults. Best to keep one's money and just invest in new toys every year. I'd rather play Civilization VI for hours each day for just a few bucks to buy the game. Civ VI is MY CULT.
 
This is an old discussion. Interesting that it's been revived!

It's become very obvious that in this country, at least, there are also non-religious cults. They're not always based on the supernatural. Some of them are based on a twisted conception of reality.
 
Interesting discussion, seems like what a Cult is depends on who is deciding.

I looked it up and Google says:

cult
/kəlt/

noun

a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.
"the cult of St. Olaf"

a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.
"a network of Satan-worshiping cults"

a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.
"a cult of personality surrounding the leaders"
 
Irwin said:
Some political parties are cults. When your entire platform is bases on lies and crazy conspiracy theories, that makes it cult-like.
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It seems to me currently, it's not some, but most. Your guy/gal needs to be put in jail, but not my guy/gal who did the same or worst.
 
JaniceM said:
Are you familiar with the Independent Fundamental Baptists, or the Westboro Baptist Church?

Some research netted the info that all cultists need to do is take on one or two practices of a legitimate religion and then they can call their cult the religion.
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Long ago we went to a fundy Baptist church, they believed once saved always saved. So I have it made if I am wrong and a god does exist.
 
Sunny said:
This is an old discussion. Interesting that it's been revived!

It's become very obvious that in this country, at least, there are also non-religious cults. They're not always based on the supernatural. Some of them are based on a twisted conception of reality.
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There was a famous non-religious cult in Sweden in the 1800s called Oneida that went around killing people....to eat their hearts, I think.
And there was a cult in Vietnam in the 70s whose members had to appease some sort of huge apelike jungle monster.
Just wanted to point out they aren't exclusive to the US.
 
Jeni said:
was one in the 70's, I believe called the family cult .....in Australia........was led by a woman Anne Hamilton Byrne
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Here is a article about her. https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...-australia-melbourne-cult-anne-hamilton-byrne

The Great White Brotherhood had a group on Mt. Shasta, Ca. It was lead by Elizabeth Clare Prophet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Clare_Prophet

The man who started the church I belong to was close friends with someone involved in Claire's group. We were considered a "cult" by bible belt Christians ( middle of Missouri ), and devoted buddhists that followed some special teacher ( Asian usually ). Even someone here on the SF described our group as "shady". We have never had any trouble with the law or the State. I am still here, and we do not proselytize in anyway. If a person is interested in our approach to community living fits them, then they are welcome.

People use the word "cult" in a pejorative way. Many groups form out of large groups so that there is reformation of some kind. We wouldn't have the catholic/protestant wars if it wasn't so. How many different Baptist churchs are there? Lots. Or buddhist off shots, or any religious institution that gets to big, or inspires a group to believe a little different. They become "cults" to many of the traditional believers. If crime is an indicator of a religious group being a cult, then about every group I can think of has some people that are criminals. Some are lead by very narcissitic people, and some terrible conseqencens can happen to those involved, but they are the sensational ones....Just because many people "think/feel" that such 'n such is a cult in the pejorative way, doesn't necessarily mean that they are "evil". They could be the beginnings of a more refined awareness of the nature of life, that others are not able to comprehend. We see this in all aspects of life, and especially today when we have been reduced to fighting over EVERYTHING. :)


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Irwin said:
Some political parties are cults. When your entire platform is bases on lies and crazy conspiracy theories, that makes it cult-like.
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Absolutely, Irwin. That's what I was thinking of when I said not all cults are religious. I didn't want to go any further, because it ventures into the political. But the word was used in an excellent documentary I watched yesterday on MSNBC called Love and the Constitution. The word was used to describe violent, criminal behavior by a group in the grip of a cult leader.

Cults don't have to be about heaven and hell, although they can bring plenty of hellishness to us right here on earth.
 
I had a friend in college who was a bright science student who probably had a promising future ahead of him. He was, however, spiritually empty and questing for purpose. After graduation, he somehow fell into the orbit of Rev. Moon’s Unification Church, who knew how to exploit his vulnerabilities. When he wrote me a strange letter talking about all of his “perfect brothers and sisters,” I knew that he had been programmed and lost to a cult. The dangers of this happening to someone you might know are real…
 
Warrigal said:
What is it with America and cults? You seem to have pretty much cornered the market.
Australia is not immune but most cults in OZ are not home grown.

There was one that I remember called the Little Pebble cult. It attracted a lot of attention because of a charismatic leader.

William Kamm​

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Kamm, also known as "The Little Pebble" (born 1950 in Cologne, West Germany), is the founder and leader of a religious group in Australia called the "Order of St Charbel" (or sometimes referred to as "The Community") named after the Maronite saint Charbel Makhlouf.[1] The Order of St Charbel is considered as a Christian sect and a fringe religious grouping.[2] His religious order claims to be part of the Roman Catholic Church, but the Maronite Church and the Holy See do not regard the group as being part of Roman Catholicism.[3] He was released from prison after serving 9 years of a 10-year prison term for the rape and assault of a teenager.[4][5]
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It called the Constitution and in particular the 1st Amendment.
 
OneEyedDiva said:

5. Scientology Cult​

Decades ago, I bought the L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. I cracked it open a couple of times but found I couldn't get into it. Turns out that he founded the Church of Scientology after he lost the rights to Dianetics in a bankruptcy proceeding. His ideas, some quite strange, were discredited and ridiculed.
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/04/26/ron-hubbard/
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Hubbard was a first rate con man for sure. Even though he was nuts, he made a fortune on it and it still flourishes with even more wackos, including some very famous ones.
 
If nobody minds me being straightforward- I don't understand it. I'm not one of those people who goes into "hissy-fits," what I get is worried.
To the best of my recollection, this is the 3rd topic.

First, a couple of years ago, I posted some info on a housing program when members were talking about addiction issues. Two members commented- one essentially said 'Whatever,' and the other said something like 'Back to what I was saying..'
More recently, there were a couple of threads on housing issues, so I posted some links. From what I've seen, no one read them.

The second was this topic: https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-...cia-Burgus-and-Multiple-Personality-Disorder/
Not only has it not "gone away," nor is its scope limited to "therapists," with the expansion of the "#MeToo" movement it's getting as extreme as it was in the past.

This thread is the third example. I'd think as no one figured the "Intro" that I posted was important enough to comment on, no one really wants to hear about this topic either.

What it comes to: lack of interest in serious issues makes me nervous. People aren't willing to address or acknowledge serious issues unless it affects them.. or until it affects them.
 
Most times nothing is done to prevent an impending disaster until after a disaster occurs. Serious issues are sometimes put on the back burner until the pot overflows or someone gets burned.
I read the article posted @JaniceM regarding malpractice suits for misdiagnosis and medical mistreatment. When a potential client seeks medical the client surrenders control to the physician or person of authority based on the understanding the doctor or religious figure must know better than the client proper treatment for what ever is wrong with them.

The concept of helplessness and responding to authority starts before birth as mom prepares for your arrival. To get along we have to trust someone who may or may not be give the best advice but we follow instructions, take medicine, watch our diets and exercise because we give people authority to tell us what we are doing wrong.
 
Mr. Ed said:
The concept of helplessness and responding to authority starts before birth as mom prepares for your arrival. To get along we have to trust someone who may or may not be give the best advice but we follow instructions, take medicine, watch our diets and exercise because we give people authority to tell us what we are doing wrong.
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I don't know about that. Just because a doctor says I should do something doesn't mean he/she is right, and it certainly doesn't mean I'll blindly follow his dictates.
 

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