Cults

[33girl]

Has anyone ever had the experience of a family member or friend getting involved with a cult or cultlike group? Did they get out of it alright?

I know this is a very open ended and not too specific question...let's just say, I'm a little worried about someone close to me.

[carnation]

My sister-in-law was involved in what I term a "Christian cult"--they made all kinds of rules for member behavior. I've seen several of those in the South--they make you break all your CDs and are heavily into "discipling"--i.e., they boss you around and decide who you can date and marry.

Luckily, the couple who got her into it saw the light and got her out. Good thing,as we were tired of hearing about Brother whatsisface.

[bruinaphi]

Here is a useful website that talks about cults, how to help people who get involved, and support groups for families, etc.: www.factnet.org/.

I am kind of anti-right wing religious groups, but if you want to read the other perspective you should also check out www.religioustolerance.org. Their perspective is that unless a religious groups threatens someone's life it is not a cult and that our labeling of groups as cults is religious intolerance. I disagree, but that is a matter of politics.

Good luck, I hope that the person you care about is safe and that the whole situation resolves itself.

Laura

[bruinaphi]

We all know that anything in life can be constructed to fit within the definitition of a cult. I don't think it's appropriate or fair of you to trivialize what 33girl and her family or friends may be going through. We all know that there are cults that convince people to leave mainstream society, commit suicide, or commit violent acts. There are also cults that have killed their members.

Be a little sensitive.

[curiouss]

Originally posted by brooklineu
Everything in life is a cult.

School is a cult that brainwashes you into thinking all the education you're getting means you're going to get a job in that field in the future.

Work is a cult that brainwashes you into thinking money will pay off all your problems.

The internet is a cult bent on sequestering people in their homes and limiting human contact.

How about the U.S. gov't?
Cult-like to me.
Anything bearucratic (spelling?).

School is a cult because it isn't only about education it's also about socialization. It introduces us to the system and how to be obedient to it, and punishes for disobeying. Why do people think that school is required for pupils under 16?
Do people think the gov't gives a hoot about who gets their education? I think not. However, they care about the socialization. (I think I've been reading way too much )

Work is similar, just on a more cut-throat scale.

I have to disagree with the last one. With me being out of school until mid January, besides my family and church, the internet is a good source for human contact.

Just IMHO!

[dzrose93]

Originally posted by carnation
My sister-in-law was involved in what I term a "Christian cult"--they made all kinds of rules for member behavior. I've seen several of those in the South--they make you break all your CDs and are heavily into "discipling"--i.e., they boss you around and decide who you can date and marry.

Luckily, the couple who got her into it saw the light and got her out. Good thing,as we were tired of hearing about Brother whatsisface.

I have a similar story. Several of my sorority sisters got involved in a religious group on campus that had some really crazy ideas. It was an offshoot of the Baptist Student Union, but none of the BSU students recognized it as an official religious group.

Among the usual things like "it's a sin to drink, even if you're 21", the group members had my sisters convinced that it was wrong to date. Not just that it was wrong to have sex before marriage (which I could understand some religious groups saying) - but that it was wrong to date PERIOD. So, the sisters became convinced that attending mixers with fraternities was wrong and it caused some problems in our chapter. Luckily, the majority of them realized after a few months how asinine some of the group's beliefs were and got out. But, from what I hear, that group is still going on my campus and girls are still getting sucked in. It's pretty amazing how naive and easily-manipulated some people are.

[carnation]

DZrose--

Was the group at your school called Maranatha? There was a national group like that at one of the colleges here and it also had a chapter at Mississippi State. I promise you, it turned normal students into zombies. The leaders at both places had to give people permission to date and of course, the leader would always give the cutest girls permission to date himself.

I'm always wary of any student religious group that isn't part of a mainline denomination. They just tend to get too far out.

Curiouss, the reason that education to age 16 is required is so that the government doesn't have to support a ton of uneducated people who can't find jobs.

[MoxieGrrl]

I don't find it surprising at all that there was a cult-like group on a college campus. One of the best places to do cult recruiting is on a college campus b/c people are away from home, their churches, their friends for the first 18 years of their lives.... College students are looking for something to sink their teeth into with all of these changes going on. Someone that will parent them...i.e. the leader/members of a cult

The Hare Krishnas (anyone ever heard of them? bald heads with just a ponytail? wear peachy colored robes? Usually found at airports handing out those stupid paper flowers?)...well, they used to come to college campuses around here. A lot of kids used to join up, but more so in the 1960's and '70's....I don't know much about their beliefs, but they don't hurt anyone and they are listed as a cult on many websites about the subject.

(Just a little FYI on the Krishnas....they are a world-wide religion. And their "mecca" is in West Virginia!!??!! Figure that one out! I've been to their temple...it's called the Palace of Gold. It's absolutely gorgeous! Look it up on the Internet...it's actually pretty cool.)

[ZTAngel]

My parents have use to talk about the Hare Krishnas. They were all over the University of Florida back in the early 70's when my parents attended school there. My parents talked about how the group use to have these luncheons where they would give out free food so that they could get people to join their group. My parents would attend the luncheons for the free food and then leave when someone would start talking to them about their beliefs.

[carnation]

Oh boy, did we ever have the Hare Krishnas and the Moonies at colleges in the seventies. The Krishnas used to dance around the Honolulu dress shop I worked in and sing, "Krishna, Krishna!" until the manager kicked them off the property. The Moonies tried to sell flowers to the tourists--now these flowers were plumerias that had just dropped from the trees that the Moonies were standing under.

But the Christian cults are the scariest IMO because you can't tell they're not mainline right off until they've subtly begun to influence you.Also, you can spot a Krishna right off and get your guard up; not so with the Christian cults.

[shultzz]

Originally posted by brooklineu
Everything in life is a cult.

School is a cult that brainwashes you into thinking all the education you're getting means you're going to get a job in that field in the future.

Work is a cult that brainwashes you into thinking money will pay off all your problems.

The internet is a cult bent on sequestering people in their homes and limiting human contact.

I think the largest and most offensive cult in the world is the Catholic Church.
Did anyone hear about the priest in Boston who raped over 100 boys? The thing that offended me the most is the fact that the church officials were aware of this priests activities and they covered it up for 30 years. I think those officials are scum. Whats up with all these priests raping boys?

[dzrose93]

Originally posted by shultzz



I think the largest and most offensive cult in the world is the Catholic Church.
Did anyone hear about the priest in Boston who raped over 100 boys? The thing that offended me the most is the fact that the church officials were aware of this priests activities and they covered it up for 30 years. I think those officials are scum. Whats up with all these priests raping boys?

The number of priests who have been charged with rape is very small when compared to how many priests there are in the Catholic Church.

Shultzz, your statement about the Catholic Church puts you right up there with the close-minded people who label all fraternity men as rapists because of a few isolated incidents.

[carnation]

Of course, having sex with an altar boy is wrong but individual priests making it with altar boys has nothing to do with whether a denomination is a cult. Go do a study on what a cult is. Then go read the definition of the word "generalization".

[aopirose]

Unfortunately, pedophiles can be found in all walks of life and religions. There was a Protestant pastor here who fathered a child by his daughter. He also molested several other children of his congregation for over 20 years. It is a shame that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes were allowed to hide behind those who protected them. I feel confident if these people are not punished in this life; they will surely be dealt with in the next.

BTW - The Catholic Church is not a cult. Those who believe so are grossly misinformed.

Originally posted by shultzz
I think the largest and most offensive cult in the world is the Catholic Church.
Did anyone hear about the priest in Boston who raped over 100 boys? The thing that offended me the most is the fact that the church officials were aware of this priests activities and they covered it up for 30 years. I think those officials are scum. Whats up with all these priests raping boys?

[dzrose93]

Originally posted by shultzz




This is NOT an isolated incident. These incidents have been going on for years and the church has been covering it up and brainwashing its members to believing nothing is wrong. A month doesn't go by that I dont hear a story about another priest having sex with an alter boy. I think its amazing that you are more offended at my comments than you are offended by the priests that are doing the deed. They are the ones you should be pissed at.

I'm Catholic. I've been a member of SEVERAL churches in the past 26 years and never, ever has there been a single case of rape reported in any of them. Quite frankly, I think you shouldn't be talking about something that you obviously know little about.

The news media loves dirt. So, of course, they're going to report and re-report on any case where a priest has allegedly raped someone. It's sensationalism at its best. However, if you choose to paint an entire religion as evil simply because some of its members have taken advantage of their positions over the years, then it's you who has been brainwashed... not the Catholics.