I. Introduction: a. Attention Getter: I bet you’ve heard of cults before, and you could maybe name at least one, but I bet you don’t know much about their practices and how truly horrible they can be. b. Credibility Statement: In a 2023 article by Amy Morin from Verywell Mind, she describes a cult as “an organized group whose purpose is to dominate cult members through psychological manipulation and pressure strategies. Cults are ordinarily headed by a powerful leader who isolates members from the rest of society.” c. Significance Statement: After this speech, I want you to think about why you absolutely should not join a cult. d. Identification Statement: I say that because cult activities are deceptive, toxic, and can be dangerous. e. …show more content…
What is the difference between a. and a. According to J. Gordon Melton’s 2024 Britannica article titled Heaven’s Gate, The Heaven’s Gate religious group was founded for the belief in unidentified flying objects in the United States. The founders Marshall H. Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles were convinced that they were the two end- time witnesses mentioned in the New Testament, Revelation 11. They began gaining followers in 1975 after holding several gatherings and preparing their new followers for the transition to a new life on a spaceship. When this transition failed to occur, they moved to Texas to practice disciplines that they believed would prepare them for their next higher level of existence. They rid themselves of most of their possessions and began a pilgrimage to San Diego, California, where they would meet their eventual demise. To be indoctrinated into this cult, the process included sleep deprivation, isolation, repetition of teachings, and harsh criticism for not complying with their new guidelines. Unlike other cults where sex and procreation are prominent, Applewhite enforced the practice of celibacy. He did not physically abuse his followers, but following the importance of their celibacy, Applewhite introduced the hesitant males to the idea of castration, and claimed it led to a higher level of existence, in which a few members chose to do so. In 1997, when the Hale-Bopp Comet’s arrival was discovered, the cult prepared for it by taking poison over three …show more content…
What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'? To no surprise, the Ant Hill Kids was yet another cult based on the premise that the world was due to end. Robin Roos’ 2020 Cult Nation article said Roch Thériault’s mission was to save himself and his followers from this supposed apocalypse. He lived by the Seventh-day Adventist Church rules of no tobacco, no unhealthy foods, and no alcohol or drugs. He convinced a group of people from this church to quit their jobs and help him form his religious group, naming them the Ant Hill Kids because of their ant-like hard work. Thériault had strict rules for his followers, they were not allowed to contact their families, and he even forbade them from talking among themselves unless he was present. He believed that the world would end in 1979, and when it evidently didn’t, he claimed that our world and God’s world ran in a different time frame. Thériault spied on his followers, and those he deemed not devoted enough were punished, particularly in ways such as beating them with belts or hammers, suspension from the ceiling, and even defecating on them. His followers still romanticized and praised him as their leader, along with his female concubines who bore him 26 children, many who were abused and taken away. Gabrielle Lavallée was the only one to escape Thériault. She reported him to the authorities, and was given a life sentence for his crimes. Thériault’s followers endured the worst imaginable torture simply because their
Porterfield, Kay Marie. Straight Talk About Cults. New York, New York: Facts on File Inc., 1995.
A cult is defined as a small group of people that do not adhere to the larger widely accepted belief system, instead they are often regarded to have extreme or dangerous beliefs (Cult). Cult leaders engage in many different methods and actions to gain their followers. Some cults last for a long period, others end shortly after creation. Cults nevertheless hold a stigma that brings terror and confusion to many outsiders looking in. The public questions why people could become so consumed in someone else that they could bring themselves to take their own lives. Not all cults are the evils the public makes them out to be; they are not necessarily spotless institutions however. When one thinks of a cult, they imagine death, brainwashing, and simple human robots following the reincarnation of the devil. Not all cults end in mass suicide, violence, or terror; many religions once started as cults and have thrived since. However, some cults end in the expected display of death, confusion, and regret. Heaven’s Gate, led by Marshall Applegate, is one such example. Marshall Applegate invoked various methods of persuasion to gain followers, who in the end would commit suicide in attempts to reach their idea of heaven.
According to dictionaries a cult is 1) a system of religious worship or ritual. 2) A religion or sect considered extremist of false. 3) Obsessive devotion to a person or principle. It is believed that every cult ties into some kind of religion, and religions all have a common basis of “a leap of faith”. Whether this so-called leap of faith is going to heaven or being reincarnated, or moving on to some other planet, depends on the beliefs of the cult itself.
“Join us people or you all will go to hell!” a religious man is shouting, standing in front of the administrator’s office, carrying a cardboard sign, and thus fierce looking eyes are targeted at people ready to manipulate them. He looks young, twenty six, strong, and muscular with facial hair. I assume he is a Christian for the word he portrays of Jesus. He is smart for the space he picked to persuade students on the existence of God. It seems to me that everyone already knows him (Brother Dean) for his actions and activities he created on campus. A strong Christian influence and a manipulator have brought adversity topics among other religions, creating an unsafe environmental space to people’s beliefs on campus.
Cults can be anywhere, especially where you least expect them to be: from inside one of the first great American novels to the small town of Wells, Texas. According to The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Puritan society is essentially a cult.
The Heaven’s Gate Cult was founded in the early 1970’s by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. Applewhite was recovering, under the care of his nurse Ms. Nettles, when he claimed to have has a near death experience. Applewhite claimed that he and Nettles were the two witnesses spoken of in the Book of Revelation. And they were to prepare the worlds inhabitants for recycling.
Society strives to feel a sense of belonging. We want to be a part of something that shares the same beliefs as us. We spend our time trying to place ourselves in a group to satisfy these needs, whether it is in a hobby club, a group of friends, or religion. Some people go to more extreme measures and find this in what we call a cult. According to Henslin, a cult is a new or different religion whose teachings and practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion. (2013:405) Cults are often identified with the ideas of mass murder, deviant behaviors, unusual beliefs, and extremely devoted members. Cults are also highly known for their leaders. The leaders of cults usually are the ones that portray the image for the entire group. Successful cults take a strong-minded and, according to Max Weber, charismatic leader.
“A cult is a religious or semi-religious sect whose members are controlled almost entirely by a single individual or by an organization.” (“What”). Families are forced to leave their homes and life behind by a dream that the cult will take them to bigger and better places. Some of these cults also cost these members their lives. There is always that question of why they do it because it is far from believable. These leaders are manipulators dragging in their pray in like flies. Heaven’s Gate is a cult. People don’t just have their mind set and say “I’m going to go join a cult,” they are looking for a safe haven. They have different beliefs and rituals. A religious cult isn’t just a group of people left to their beliefs, but yet it is a threat to our nation and the people in it. “The mind of the fanatic” wants but more so “needs something to worship, even to the point of annihilation.”(Katherine Ramsland).
Bainbridge, William Sims. Stark, Rodney. “Scientology: To Be Perfectly Clear.” Sociological Analysis. 41. 2. 1980: 128-135. JSTOR. Web. 10 Nov. 2013
Cults can be dangerous as manipulative strategies are used to control large groups of people into behaviour they may not usually be comfortable with. A cult is a counterculture that is an extremist group usually lead by religion and a charismatic leader (Winner 2011:417). Counterculture is the rejection of popular norms and values and replaces them with extreme views on violence, family and loyalty (Winner 2011:417). Cult leaders often preach about religious history as they take it very seriously. Usually, these religious views guide the bizarre behaviour and conformity within the cult. Anthropologists see cults as a way for people to find self-identity and belonging within a group which they are not receiving from outside of the group.
The first step is to pick a subject that someone might consider devoting their life to. The subject should be a positive activity, concept, or idea that may potentially change lives for the better. An example idea would be forming a cult around pizza. If the subject is believed in, then that ideal has the potential to be a good thing in the world.
The argument has subsided, however, with the passage of time. I, for one, find the supposed link between the Internet and cult activities rather absurd. Extreme gullibility and brainwashing, I believe, are the only ways a recruit would ever accept such an outlandish set of beliefs.
What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'? Race The exploration of race, especially Black identity, in pre-1865 American literature was extremely important as it revealed the challenges encountered by African Americans in early America. Frederick Douglass’s “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” provides a compelling argument through which race is analyzed through the lens of one who experienced the tensions surrounding race. Being a Black man born into slavery, Frederick Douglass provides an exploration into the challenges of race in early America and gives a testament to the endurance to fight against racial oppression. Through his autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” Douglass challenges readers to confront the injustices associated with race and to remain diligent in the face of adversity.
Cult leaders have persuasive skills and this makes it easy for them to psychologically manipulate their current and potential members. Some of the major reasons why some people become vulnerable to cults include susceptibility to trance states, dependency, low tolerance for ambiguity, tendency to use religious frameworks to conceptualize problems, dissatisfaction with daily life and cultural disillusionment (Henry, 2013). According to clinical observations, most people are vulnerable to joining cults when are stressed or in a period of transition. Research studies show that people are open to cultic ideas when going through stressful situations and are looking for solutions. When compared to the other two articles, this article focuses more on recruitment aspects of cultism.
What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'? Social Progress: America has made significant strides in promoting social progress and equality, which are essential components of the American Dream. The Civil Rights Movement, for example, fought against racial discrimination and paved the way for equal opportunities for all Americans. The progress made in areas such as gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and disability rights further demonstrates America's commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity