Cults.

[ArKane]

Jonestown, Masons, etc...Whats your thoughts on cults? Most cults [Well all] use some sort of religious aspect to recruit members. Particully suicide cults like Jonestown.

What's your thoughts?

[Sylvan]

http://www.rickross.com/groups/king.html
This was the cult I was in, from age 7 to 16, with my family. Cults suck.

[TYRRHENUS]

Isaac Bonewits did a great thing (well, many great things) by putting together a cult awareness "Frame". Unfortunately, I can't get on his site today... Hopefully its just my computer.
One of the good things about Neo-Paganism is its lack of guru figures, which I'd say more than any other element can lead to the evolution of a religious group into a cult. However, there are crossovers. One I'd rather not mention by name comes to mind which encourages its members to drop out of society, cut off relations which Christians, predicts a "time of sorrow"... chilling.
I wouldn't put the Masons in the cult category though, they belong with Skull & Bones, Bilderbergs, etc.

[sweet nothings]

http://www.rickross.com/groups/king.html
This was the cult I was in, from age 7 to 16, with my family. Cults suck.

Is the main focus of this cult the church in England or the Church in Norwich?

[nvrgnabok07]

Okay, so I'm naive...But, define cult...What exactly do you mean? I don't know anything about a cult... What do they do?? What are they for? I dont' understand..can someone please explain?

[Klucky]

Okay, so I'm naive...But, define cult...What exactly do you mean? I don't know anything about a cult... What do they do?? What are they for? I dont' understand..can someone please explain?

This is what dictionary.com says.

"A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader."

Personally, in simpler terms, I think a cult is always made up by a person who wants lots of power, grabs people through too-good-to-be-true promises, brainwashes them, and almost always lies about what they're preaching.

Does that help at all?

-Klucky

[Heathen Dawn]

Here it is:

http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html (The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame)

I don’t know about neopaganism having no gurus. I think authors come pretty close—not intentfully maybe, but readers do drink their words uncritically.

[Sylvan]

Is the main focus of this cult the church in England or the Church in Norwich?
I went to the church in Norwich. The "Mother" church is the one in England, though, where the "Prophet" lives. They are one and the same, with members of both churches coming and going and visiting the other and intermarrying and swapping pastors for a time and whatnot.

There were originally 4 churches: New Wine in New Hampshire, Dayspring in CT, King's Chapel in CT, and Bethel in England. New Wine & Dayspring were both consolidated into King's Chapel..

[Aine of the Fae]

Here it is:

http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html (The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame)

I don’t know about neopaganism having no gurus. I think authors come pretty close—not intentfully maybe, but readers do drink their words uncritically.


Would the initials S.R. ring a bell? Or S.C.? Or D.M.? Each of these authors probably never intended to become 'gurus' but by the very nature of mass media, they have.

[greenview]

I think you really have to be unbias in the aspect of what is or isnt. Or perhaps what was and wasnt a cult.
I was really amazed a few months ago to be sitting back thinking i was going to be watching a little show in the history and new discoveries of the viking society. But the fact that they were considered cultist now in someone's history just doesnt ring right to me. Just because someone didn't believe in the catholic premiss of life and religion didnt mean they were a cult.
If the viking society hadnt decided to intermingle with catholics and decide to start to trade and earn living off services and sales then today we would probably be seeing a very different world out there. Im just trying to say if they had survived with there society intack who would be calling who a cult.
Its one thing to worry about today, but its another thing to twist history with words like cult when no one remains to stand up for them. thats why its called history.

[Faeawyn]

I think a cult is always made up by a person who wants lots of power, grabs people through too-good-to-be-true promises, brainwashes them, and almost always lies about what they're preaching.

Does that help at all?

-Klucky
I agree....and in the limited knowledge that I have on them....doesn't the leader like to proclaim themselves as some kind of "special" being as well...like Christ reincarnated or some other such thing??

[Empress Stillnight]

Although I spent many years as a member of a religious organisation that many nonmembers and former members identify as a cult,I find the word cult to be too vague for me. The word itself has many meanings, ranging from a group of persons who are zealous for a particular cause or thing, to groups that have come to tragic ends by mass suicide. The word is a red flag that can be attached to a group by well-meaning people who have either experienced harm or know of the harm experienced by members of the organisation, or it can be used by rival factions simply to keep their members from straying from their flock, or to keep the organisation from growing. Either way, it doesn't give a person who is interested in joining that organisation any information on which to base a sound decision.

I don't call my former religious organisation a cult. I refer to it as a high control religion-a VERY high control religion. And I recommend that everyone educate themselves about the aspects of high control religions. It can save you alot of anguish, believe me.

[greenview]

Does anyone have any views on the jhovas witness as a religion. From what little i have seen of it. You either got rid of all thought but theirs and stopped all associations with non believers or you wouldnt be one of the chosen few. But i have still seen members brake their own rules to do what they want, never mind the morals around it. What thoughts does anyone have on this. I just wondered cause i knew someone who was discribed to me as growing up in a brainwashed family. Shamed and controlled and programmed to feel thing and act a certain way, due purely to their familys choice in so called religion.

[Klucky]

I agree....and in the limited knowledge that I have on them....doesn't the leader like to proclaim themselves as some kind of "special" being as well...like Christ reincarnated or some other such thing??

Yes, in most cases, I think.

-Klucky

[moonchild]

yup, Masons are not a cult...

don't have much other to contribute tho :(

[Klucky]

yup, Masons are not a cult...

don't have much other to contribute tho :(

Awww, that's okay. :hugz:

-Klucky

[lunachic420]

I just aquired a new way of looking at cults...they are the embodiment of people's desire to return to a tribe...belong to a culture where energy and support are the cuurency of choice...in a cult (no matter how off the wall) you have a consant support system...people are there for you as only fellow tribe members can be. Cults aren't the problem...our rejection of tribal life is the problem and cults are symptomatic of that...
Blessed B and Namaste!

[banondraig]

Does anyone have any views on the jhovas witness as a religion. From what little i have seen of it. You either got rid of all thought but theirs and stopped all associations with non believers or you wouldnt be one of the chosen few. But i have still seen members brake their own rules to do what they want, never mind the morals around it. What thoughts does anyone have on this. I just wondered cause i knew someone who was discribed to me as growing up in a brainwashed family. Shamed and controlled and programmed to feel thing and act a certain way, due purely to their familys choice in so called religion.

my dad is in the jehovah's witnesses now. he explained it as trying to follow the Bible as closely as possible. for example, the Bible doesn't say to celebrate Christmas or birthdays, so they don"t. i don't know about anything forbidding them to associate with non-members. i do know that the chief elders or whatever it is they call them decide in advance what the topic of each sermon is to be every week, worldwide. no matter what "Kingdom Hall" you go to, it will be the same. so there is an aspect of high control there. exactly how high i couldn't say.

[Heathen Dawn]

my dad is in the jehovah's witnesses now. he explained it as trying to follow the Bible as closely as possible. for example, the Bible doesn't say to celebrate Christmas or birthdays, so they don"t.

The Bible doesn’t mention cars and computers either. :lol:

[Empress Stillnight]

Greenview,
You may want to visit www.jehovahs-witness.com, a site run by ex members.