Cults - 1286 Words

Cults Cults are often seen as an alternative religion. â€Å"A cult is defined as a religious or secular group that employs unethical and extreme measures of manipulation to recruit, control and retain its members† (Study Resources). Most cults are started because someone doesn’t like the way the world is and want to create what they feel the perfect world is. Then this person strives to make others believe as they do so they will join. There are somewhere around 3,000 to 5,000 of these cults throughout the United States, but only 75 to 100 are documented (Study Resources). The most commonly known cults are Reverend Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, Heavens Gate, and Charles Manson and the Family; these cults were able to drag people in and†¦show more content†¦The cult recognized most in America is the one created by Charles Manson. Manson grew up with no official name in a house with his mother who was a â€Å"teenage, bisexual, alcoholic prostitute† (Charle s Manson). Growing up, Manson was shown the cold sides of the world. His mother would trade him for beer, and his uncle would force him to put on a dress and go to school. Events like these caused Charles to become a troubled child and start his rap sheet at a young age. By the time he reached the age of 35 he had spent more than half of his life imprisoned (Charles Manson). Upon his release from yet another stint in jail, Manson moved to San Francisco where he was paroled in 1967. There Manson became known as the â€Å"God of F*#k†. He was able to surround himself by many beautiful girls who thought of him as god (Charles Manson, 2). Not long after moving to San Francisco, Manson relocated himself and the women that adored him to the Spahn Ranch. They began to call themselves â€Å"The Family†. â€Å"The Family† grew rapidly to more than 30 girls with more joining every day. Every night Charles would sleep with a different girl as they all got high. They obtained food by stealing it from garbage cans and would shoplift for all other things they needed. During the building of his family, Manson tried to launch his career as a folk singer. The music industry rejected Manson and thisShow MoreRelatedCult Is A Cult Or Cult?904 Words   |  4 Pagesthink of it as a Cult but, I ask the question â€Å"Could a religion actually be considered a cult?† A few religions that we have studied in class have actually been considered a cult at one point in history, either many years ago, or very recent. What intrigues me about this is: the definition and characteristics of a cult or religion, what groups/religions have been considered to be a cult, and why do we think that a cult is not considered a religious group. Some characteristics of a cult can be: thatRead MoreReligious Cults And Other Dangerous Cults1611 Words   |  7 PagesIn addition, many dangerous cults can be described as totalitarian (Kent, 2008, p. 109) and are often the defining characteristic of a cult. If a group revolves around one central leader who is controlling, authoritative, destructive, yet charismatic, it could be called a cult (Halperin, 1982, p. 21). In many instances, to be considered a worthy member of the respective group, one must perform in accordance with group norms as set by the leadership. If an individual meets the expectations of theRead More Cults Essay1139 Words   |  5 Pages Cults have become a phenomenon in our world today. Each year quot;hundreds of Canadians join some of the 3,000 unorthodox religions of one type or anotherquot; (Fernell, Branswell, 189) all across North America. Like every organization, club or even in the common work place there is usually a person who is a figure of authorit y or other wise know as a quot;leaderquot; and with every leader there are always rules and objectives that each and every member has to do and follow. The common psychologicalRead MoreWhat is a Cult? Essay1225 Words   |  5 PagesA cult is a good place for social outcasts to express their ideas freely, to feel safe, and to be enlightened for the future. A cult is a good thing to be involved in especially if you are a delinquent or criminal. Most people that join cults have a desire to belong, a lack of self-confidence, a desire for spiritual meaning, or to quit their addictions. A cult is a religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme. TheRead MoreCults Essay583 Words   |  3 PagesCults Many people feel that cults are nothing more than a nontraditional religion, because of beliefs, organization, and interest. Cults are much more than just little religions. They are a dangerous, and in the United States there is little we can do about it. The term cult has many different meanings. According to Jan Groenveld, a cult researcher and author, Christians define a cult as anything that differs from traditional orthodox teachings, but the general definition is that, aRead MoreUtopian Cults Essays1111 Words   |  5 PagesFor many years, cults have been a subject of great controversy. A cult is a group of people that are bound together by an appreciation of the same thing, person, ideal, etc. Usually these groups keep close because of religious reasons, but their beliefs are almost always considered strange by outsiders. Cults are similar to clans or congregations, but are usually referred to as sects. There are many different categories that a cult could be sorted into. Apocalyptic, Utopian, Spiritualistic, SatanicRead MoreCult or Religion Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesTBA â€Å"A cult is just a religion I don’t like.† â€Å"All religions are cults.† â€Å"Religion is just the search for truth.† We may have heard someone use one of these three statements to explain cult and religion. Yet, are the statements accurate? Though cult and religion do share some characteristics, they are set apart by their leadership, the amount of authority over their members, and the rigidity of their boundaries. Many people use the term â€Å"zealot† synonymously with â€Å"cult leader.† Cult leadersRead MoreThe Cult Youre In1928 Words   |  8 Pagesday and you want it. During the length of this paper we will talk about two important writers, Kalle Lasn the writer of â€Å"The Cult You’re in† and Benoit Denizet-Lewis writer of â€Å" The Man Behind Abercrombie Fitch†. They both talk about similar topics that go hand and hand with each other, they talk about the consumers â€Å"Dream†, how companies recruit the consumers, who cult members really are, how people are forced to wear something they don’t want, and about slackers. What is The Dream we all haveRead More Cults Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The word cult is defined as an alternative religion. Most cults are started because someone doesn’t like the way the world is, and feels that his/her church isn’t doing anything to make it better, so they leave and create what they believe to be the perfect religion. Then this person strives to make others believe as they do so they will join (Miller, 1991, p. 15). There are somewhere around 3,000 to 5,000 of these cults throughout the United States, but only 75 toRead MoreCults And Its Effects On Society1688 Words   |  7 PagesCults have been around since the 1930’s and are becoming well known around the world. Although awareness has been spread out about the serious consequences joining a cult may have on a person’s life, individuals continue falling pray into cultic groups and remain an active part; the result of joining is decades being brainwashed into believing only the members hold the â€Å"truth†/enlighten by already brainwashed, devoted members and their â€Å"prophet†. The majorities of individuals in a cult live under