Cults Essay

Most of our thoughts about cults today are often a misconception of ideas that derive from our imagination. Practices that resemble a strange ritual or ceremony would certainly be fitting. Most of our culture could potentially spot a religious cult if the anomalies, or strange behaviors were evident. This simply is not a good way to identify cults today though. These groups are no longer apparent to the naked eye. Their systems of religious veneration and highly devoted groups blend in with our everyday

to destructively manipulate others' behavior. Most disturbingly, perhaps, leaders such as Jones appear to have derived some of their techniques from social psychologists' research, raising questions about research ethics and the future direction of cult research, says Philip G. Zimbardo, PhD, APA's past-president and a psychology professor at Stanford University. In as-yet unpublished research, Zimbardo has found that Jones quite possibly learned his ability to persuade from a famous social thinker:

it. The story is split into three chapters that introduces us to Thurston and Angell who learned of Cthulhu and starts researching about it, then in chapter two it gives us more detail about the fanatic cult and then in the third chapter, we learn a horrible truth behind the monster and the cult. The story shows how anyone who knows or anyone who even conceives the idea of Cthulhu becomes crazy or even dies. This fate has happened to the great uncle Angell, the narrator Thurston, and even possibly

Emiliano Diaz CW- 5th hour Argument Essay By definition religions can be considered cults. “Great devotion to a person, idea, object or work” (Merriam-Webster). But regardless of definitions, the media has made the word “cult” become surrounded by a negative connotation. A few famous examples of cults that have made headlines in America, especially in the 1980’s and 90’s include The Manson Family, Heaven’s Gate, and Scientology. Only Scientology is still active today and they have 25,000 followers

to explore cults. I have always had the perception of cults as being shady, underground groups of people chanting manically and performing

The film Imperfekt Strangers revolves around a pseudo-Christian cult the Faith Community that is based in Bloomington, Indiana. In the film, there are two Indiana University students who are roommates with two members of the cult. This movie reflects from actual events that happened in the 1970s in Bloomington, Indiana. The pseudo-Christian cult the “Local Church” that was held in Bloomington was led by Witness Lee who tried to gain members through college students and others around in the city (“Are”)

Not all cults fit into the previously aforementioned definition but become more of the nuanced dysfunctional definition. The media thrives off of featured stories such as a cult in which a man was married to dozens of women and yielded hundreds of children. Others are more menacing with groups breaking into homes and murdering families while others seemingly feel so dedicated to their cause that they kill themselves for the cult. This is the extremism that certain cults establish, however, these

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. New recruits rank lowest and the highest ranking member is the priest or prophet, climbing through the ranks takes years. Judith Lorber the author of “Believing Is Seeing: Biology

The people of both polytheistic and Catholic Rome fit into the previously mentioned ranking levels. For polytheistic Rome, there is both a supernatural leader along with a human leader. The supernatural leader would be considered the gods. This idea of having beings with great powers lead to priests ultimately creating the group. The priests would teach the messages and ideologies that the gods presented through their divine powers. The enforcers would be the emperors or kings. The reason why is

in aluminum coffins, came over to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Tax payers were irate at possibly having to pay for all the embalming and burial costs (“The Horror,” 28). Embalming and burial costs are expensive and many people lost sympathy for cult members. So, people opposed paying for the consequences of the Jonestown massacre. Jim Jones realized he was losing control over the People’s Temple, leading to the Jonestown massacre. Then in 1975, he uprooted his followers and isolated them in Jonestown