XQ,
Well, that's precisely my point. Imeant the CC as it is now and the CIA as it is now. Jws have still a long way to go before they become as mainstream as the CC. 500 years you said :)? Well, things change more rapidly in modern information societies, so I'd give them 50 years. As it is now, they're still cultish. Hypocritical, illogical, preposterous, helpless, and seemingly mainstream in many respects? Yes, but they have a few nasty areas, such as shunning, blood, etc.
What makes a cult a "cult"?
by XQsThaiPoes 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Pole
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Jahna
I did some quick reading yesterday regarding cults, on the internet. I looked at several website from different types of sources. Like anything, where the source is coming from will often bend the subject matter towards one end or another, so getting a variety of information sources tends to help you find the midline.
Like XQ I find that a midline of definitions can and do apply to a variety of groups, religions and sects at one time or another. Cult is actually a relative term. Certainly every mainstream religion at one point in time or another fits even the extreme definition of cult. For example the Spanish Inquisition period of history and the Catholic Church.
I think it is only part of human nature (because it is so abundant) to use what ever means is available to control people. The Church again was infamous for keeping Joe Public errr Serf Public in ignorance so that they are more impressionable and controllable. The Church thrived on power, and oppressed all those that stood against it. So for those that needed to control the people, our lovely rulers to be, what better way to gain control over people then to keep them in ignorance, push a great party line, and scare the living pants off of them by threatening all sorts of nasty things while at the same time, promise them the world everlasting for total and absolute obedience. This has played out thousands of time over and over again over the course of human history. In each and every case I believe a good argument could be presented to insist that XY or Z was a cult.
So are terrorists, Kamikaze Pilots, Zealots, Left wing, right wing, ect ect cults? I don?t honestly know, I do know that there are aspects that do say yes, and some logical thinking that says no. Any group, be it the PTA or Extreme Cults R Us can be dangerous or become dangerous. Not by themselves, but rather, the people behind who and what they are, and certainly the motivations behind them.
We use cult now because it shocks you, you have an immediate picture of Jim Jones come to mind and your not only horrified by the picture but it disgusts you. So if you want to shock someone, use that one four letter word it speaks volumes. Accuracy will vary.
Jahna