Destructive Cult

The history surrounding cults is not as simple as one might think. Cults raise a

Cultic activity has taken place since the practice of religion was established thousands of years ago. Since then, literally thousands of denominations have been inoculated throughout the world, especially in the United States. A cult, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is a system of religious beliefs and rituals. By definition, this includes organizations such as Baptists, Catholics as well as Satanists and Witches. While this maybe true, cults have been popularly perceived as Separatists who are consumed by the belief of apocalyptic events, and the leader is someone who believes he or she is chosen by God or some other deity to lead those who are to follow him or her. One group that fits this description is the

David Skorton and Glenn Altschuler wrote the essay “Do We Really Need More Guns on Campus.” This essay focus on the guns on campus controversy. There are two sides that the authors explain: the side in favor and the side against. Every side has points to think about it. For example, some reasons to be against the conceal are the fights, the lack of experience and the drug abuse. The side in favor has good reason too, as the importance to stop a mass shooting, the right to bear arms and the secure feeling that the gun give.

Cults have been around since the beginning of civilization and today there are thousands of cults around the world. Cults vary in ideas and beliefs, whether it be political, scientific, or focused on self- development. The majority of cults claim to have the answer to life’s biggest, toughest questions and, use this to their advantage. They target people with loneliness or, people who look to fill a void in their life. Cults across time have consistently shown that the power of manipulation can empower a group and lead them to commit even the craziest of acts like mass suicide and murder. While we associate cults with violence, cults are formed on a religious type basis that maintains its followers faith geographically.

Group Psychodynamics and CULTS by Margaret Singer mentions, “No one type of person is prone to become involved with cults. About two-thirds of those studied have been normal young persons induced to join groups in periods of personal crisis, [such as] broken romance or failures to get the job or college of their choice” (Singer). The answer to my question is that anyone can be a victim of being recruited into a cult. I myself think that I would never fall into one, but there have been numerous times in my life where I have felt helpless and lost meaning in my life. At that time, if someone had told me that they could help me, I would have believed them. There are lots of cults that we have not heard of, so if one cult decides to recruit you then you might be curious enough to join without thinking of the expectations. Many recruits start by making you feel special. That you will be apart of history in the making and that God chose you to change the world. You, and only you, have the ability to do what you have been called to

Cults use self-serving bias, conformity, and informational social influence to indoctrinate their members and manipulate them into achieving the goals of the leader.

The church of Scientology has been the subject of controversy since its inception. Its methods and beliefs have attracted the attention of scholars from around the world. The church has been under government investigation and has endured a countless amount of lawsuits (Reitman 14). It is also a hot topic by the media with several endorsements by some of the most recognized Hollywood celebrities. However, the main topic of debate regarding the Church of Scientology is its status as a religion. Some members claim that the church has helped them overcome their struggles and that they are happier people, while others condemn it as a dangerous cult (Sweeney). The church of Scientology is a religious group whose purpose is to retain their

Bloody rituals and moonlit sacrifices define a cult. As long as religion exists there are cults. Initiation involves feats of courage and skill and often results in fatality. Once their initiation is complete they are an official member. Members advance in rank by following the regulations and being faithful to their deity.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines cult as: "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents." Indeed, any religion involving unconditional worship and unquestioning obedience to God could be labeled as a cult (using the derogatory suggestion of the word), since such a religion would have that high level of dependency, obedience, and unwavering compliance ascribed to cults by definition. Many mainstream religions still require their members to believe in God unquestioningly, to have faith that he is good and that what he does is good, to consider one's own wants and needs as unimportant while accepting the will of God as paramount. All of these are certainly characteristics commonly attributed to cults, but while it would not be unreasonable to apply this definition of a cult to any dogmatic religion that requires strict compliance with God's word and will as a condition of membership, the notion of applying the word "cult" to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or any other major world religion today is considered absurd. There are those who make this very claim: that those who worship God fit the classic depiction of cult members in their dogmatism, unswerving

Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster’s dictionary as a “system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc.” Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused “ tens of thousands to abandon their families, friends, education’s, and careers to follow the teaching of a leader they will never meet”(Beck 78).

Next, the two groups celebrate customs that are often blindly followed. Finally, the dominant world religions and smaller cults pursue a lifestyle that is accepted by their group. By analyzing the recognized beliefs, the different customs, and the controlled lifestyle of the widespread religion and cult followers, it will become evident that the two are ultimately similar.

Cults can be classified as destructive, considering the methods used and how membership affects individuals. According to the International Cultic Studies Association or ICSA, cults can be considered destructive to its members. Reports form former cult member’s reveals that they have trouble trusting others, problems forming and maintaining relationships, and feel disconnected with the world. In addition, former cult members report being diagnosed with depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD often having flashbacks of events that occurred while they were in the cult. Finally, it is important to mention that cults also cause injuries or death. Considering these reports cults can be classified as destructive because members may have a difficult time adjusting to life outside the cult, difficulties in living life

My experience on eyewitness to history day was very fun. I was a guide to Barry Sweeney, who was in the 24th division of helicopter pilots; he also participated in the desert sheild/storm operations. In the beginning of the day I sat down with him and we talked for a bit while we waited for the opening ceremony. He showed us a lot of things he used to help him pilot's helicopter. One story we were told was that he was driving a military jeep type vehicle, and there were Iraqis walking by. So he said “How are you?” and the Iraqi responded “How you do?” So he asked them “What the f*** are you doing?” (He actually didn’t curse in the story) So the Iraqi said “Busch said drop weapons, take off shoes, go home. f*** Suddain, we go home. He told us other stories like how somebody set up a latrine next to the spot where he was supposed to land his helicopter, and so the person in there; so the person came out of the latrine covered in ‘Doody’. There was another time where one person had made a model of the battle field to present to the general, to show what he thought should be the next course of action for the military; complete with sand hills, and detailed little figures. When Mr. Sweeney flew the general into the camp, he was landing, the downdraft from the helicopter was blowing away the sand and the figures, so the person who made it was laying on top of the model, desperately trying to stop the sand from blowing away. There was another time that he was flying with the

The word “Cult” has not always had such a negative connotation attached to it. Many religions would’ve been considered cults when they first began. By the end of the 19th century many visionaries had revealed radically new religious systems, claiming immunity to the impurities of the old ones (Powers, 1997). These were no more than a group of people organizing themselves in worship and devotion for a person, object, or movement. They practiced rituals different to other “mainstream” religions, and were therefore considered cults.

Leech (1966:25) posits, “Most advertising language comes under the broader heading of “loaded language” that is aimed to change the will, opinions or attitude of its audience…” Cook (in Okeke 2006:13) says advertising as a part of communication. In his book The Discourse of Advertising, Cook argues that communication has to do with text, content, interaction and persuasion and advertising performs all these functions. Leech (1966:74) agrees with this opinion when he asserts that any aspect of language use is an aspect of discourse. He describes the style of discourse in the language of advertising as being either “colloquial-formal; casual – ceremonial; personal-impersonal; or simple - complex, depending on the particular audience and the audience sought to reach”.