Religion Vs Cult Research Paper

As defined by the American Heritage Dictionary a cult is “1) a system or community of religious worship and ritual 2a) a devoted attachment to, or extravagant admiration for, a person, principle, etc., especially when regarded as a fad b) the object of such attachment 3) a group of followers;” (Aronoff, 2000).

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.

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

As he grew up he began finding his interest in religion as he attended churches around town, eventually obtaining a friendship with a minister at the Pentecostal church (Biography.com Editors, 2014). This friendship truly marked the beginning of Jones’ religious fanaticism as it led to him preaching to/at his community and friends, even though he only could hold a few. His devout nature drove away many, but it was his view on other’s behaviors that really caused his lack of friendships. He regarded many behaviors to be sinful or wrong, which caused an anger towards the boys who portrayed them if not a hostility. In her research paper, Antoinette Pick-Jones (2007) provides the example “’…Jim was so upset with one of his friends for going home rather than going out and witnessing, that he ‘grabbed his father’s gun and shot at the boys…”’ which shows just how far Jones would go if he felt like someone was acting in a sinful manner.

The Peoples Temple A cult is a system sharing religious beliefs and devotion towards a specific figure or object. Every system or organization has a leader, and a cult leader is followed blindly by his/her followers. Leadership and control over people is a form of manipulation and the people who mastered it to perfection are the people who are at the top of the pyramid. Jim Jones is the founder of Peoples temple and he is a great example.

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).

Although “Adam Smith” is a hypothetical terrorist, the “homegrown terrorist” has become a steadily growing phenomenon. A homegrown Islamist terrorist is one whose familiarity with American culture makes them more difficult to detect prior to their acts of terror. (Maras, 2013) In the 1995 book Cults in Our Midst, the author, a clinical psychologist, explains an individual’s vulnerability to seduction by an exploitative cult, such as Radical Islam. (Singer, 1995).

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

The cult stereotype, characterizes these religious bodies as being led by a charismatic leader and recruiting members through persuasion and other types of manipulation (ProQuest Staff). “It had been defined as a group of people who had been brainwashed by a megalomaniacal persons who imposed severe

A cult is defined as a social group or a social movement under one charismatic leader. It maintains a belief system, which includes a transformation of a group member. Members of the group have a high level of commitment to the leader, members, and beliefs (Lalich). An additional definition to consider is from the American Journal of Psychotherapy:

     Such groups are usually thought of in terms of religion, although other types of cults can and do exist. "Cults can be described by their major focus or function: religious, psychotherapy or personal growth, political, or popular or faddist" (MacHovec, 1989, p.10). Cults require strict adherence to a set of beliefs and, in turn, provide a sense of meaning and purpose to their followers.

Manson was referred to both as "God" and "Satan" by his followers. As the family's guru, he claimed to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. The police and DA argue that Manson found sections within the Beatles' song Helter Skelter and within the last book in the Christian Bible, Revelation which he felt referred to a devastating future race war between blacks and whites. Although Manson is not believed to have killed anyone directly, he ordered his followers to commit the famous Tate, LaBianca and other murders.

Cults and cultural movements serve the same purpose. They fulfill something for people, such as love, community, validation, or a voice. When the culture people are raised in does not fulfill their needs, they will turn to countercultural movements, and other communities. Cults have uniforms, commandments, set opinions, and are perpetuated by their members (Lalich). Many cultural movements, including current ones can be considered cults. The Hipsterism movement in the US is a prime example of a cult- cultural movement dimorph. It has roots in the Beatnik movement, but has evolved to have many of the traits of a cult as well.