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Purported cults)
What is a cult?
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines cult as:
- "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents" [1] (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?cult)
Lloyd Eby calls this definition problematic, because:
- "...then we must ask: regarded as spurious or unorthodox by whom? Who has or was given this authority to decide what beliefs or practices are orthodox or genuine, and what are unorthodox or spurious? In the realm of religion and belief, one person's or group's norm is another's anathema, and what is regarded as false or counterfeit by one person or group is regarded as genuine and authentic by another." (emphasis added) [2] (http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/cultsect/mdtaskforce/eby_testimony.htm)
This definition is entirely subjective: it means that if you think a religion is unorthodox, then you will call it a cult. Apart from religious cults, there are other cults posing various degrees of danger, some are almost harmless, some were associated with sufferings and deaths. These are music cults, political cults, environmental cults, cults of personality and others.
See also list of controversial new religious movements.
Branch Davidians
Branch Davidians
Raelism
Raelism
Heaven's Gate
Heaven's gate
Jews for Jesus
Some Jewish critics have called Jews for Jesus a cult or claim it uses cultlike tactics to seek converts. They claim that it often deceives people in saying who they are and exploits people's religious insecurities. Many of the critics sharply disagree with the organization's claim that it is possible to become a Christian yet remain Jewish.
The organization says in a letter to a member on its Web site that those concerned about Jews for Jesus being a cult have "been influenced by propaganda promulgated by those who would detract from the credibility of your witness and ours. Some Jewish community leaders spread this kind of misinformation in order to counteract Jewish evangelism, which they erroneously consider a threat to Jewish survival. ... If your friend finds Jesus as her Savior, she will measure our doctrine and our conduct in the light of the Scriptures. Then she will know that Jews for Jesus is not a cult."
References
Japanese Emperor Cult
In Japan, adoration towards the emperor achieves a disproportionate level, not found anywhere in democratic world. Despite the very formal status the Emperor has under the Constitution adopted after the defeat in World War II, it is still being worshipped in shrines all over Japan. Recently, Japan's prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visited one of such shrines, the Yasukuni Shrine to attend a ceremony commemorating Japanese soldiers that died during the WWII. The move was highly criticised by China and South Korea, contries that suffered the most during Japanese occupation.
Manson Family
Manson Family
Order of the Solar Temple
Order of the Solar Temple
Primerica
Primerica is a large financial services company, which is a member of Citigroup, and is considered a cult by some of its opponents. According to the testimonies of victims, Primerica seeks converts by luring friends and relatives of its employees, some of which purchase insurance and some join full-time as recruiters deriving profits from new converts, thus employing a MLM scheme. Some accuse Primerica of employing mind-control.
Primerica attracted criticism due to what some describe as dubious practices, unscrupulousness and agressiveness in client relationships and usage of religious practices to prevent employees from quitting Primerica and disclosing the truth about it. During the regular meetings, recruiters shout "yes" and "amen" and demonstrate other distinctive qualities of a cult.
The company combats negative public image by funding advertizing and PR campaigns.
References:
People's Temple
The People's Temple was the most notorious example of a cult. Scholars and the public almost unanimously agree that if there is one group that deserves the negative connotations associated with the word cult then it was this one.
Sahaja Yoga
Sahaja Yoga is a new religious movement also known as Vishwa Nirmala Dharma. Critics call Sahaja Yoga a cult of personality. Sahaja Yoga is led by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, who claims to be the adishakti, or God. Members claim Sahaja Yoga is a unique form of meditation. Critics say Sahaja Yogis withhold crucial information about Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi until new recruits are thoroughly indoctrinated.
Members of Sahaja Yoga claim to give "self realization" or Kundalini awakening for free. Former members of Sahaja Yoga say that recruits are eventually regularly required to make substantial monetary contributions towards "projects in India," "puja dakshinat," and "gifts" for Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi was once a disciple of Osho.
- [3] (http://www.sahaja-yoga.org/) Facts and Warnings about Sahaja Yoga, including the history of.
- [4] (http://sahajacult.com/) Description of life inside the cult, definitions of the word cult, descriptions of the guru, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.
Herbalife
This group utilizes an MLM network to sell nutrition and cosmetics products. Attributes similar to those used by cults erned Herbalife reputation of being cult, cleverly disguised as legitimate business. To advance in ranks and increase returns from activity, Herbalife adepts need not only to sell the goods, but to recruit friends and relatives, who in turn will recruit the next distributors, thus building a "distribution network". Internal structure and control of Herbalife that is similar to a paramilitary organization aids its critics. Herbalife, however attributes the negative publicity to increased business competition and its own commercial success.
Others
- Group in Sedona, Arizona. Subject of a critical segment on Dateline NBC; the son of a member maintains a website [5] (http://www.citilink.com/~mjfitz/aquarian.htm) critical of the group.
- Critics—including a small percentage of former members of the LDS Church—charge that Mormonism or the LDS Church is a cult or cult-like. [6] (http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/christianorcult.htm) [7] (http://www.calvarychapel.com/library/davis-bob/text/mcoc.htm). Latter-day Saints (LDS) disagree with charges suggesting that Mormonism is un-Christian; contrary to these charges, Mormonism is founded on the supposition that mainstream Christianity was corrupted by the Great Apostasy. LDS consider the most extreme of such charges against Mormonism as anti-Mormonism; LDS reject such charges as misrepresentations of Mormonism usually based on unscholarly research. In contrast to other groups charged with cultism, generally non-Mormons familiar with LDS acknowledge the family-centered, Judeo-Christian values of LDS even if these non-Mormons are critical of the doctrines of Mormonism; except for perhaps the strict Mormon health code (the Word of Wisdom), LDS values are normative with those of western civilization with the practice of polygamy having been abandoned by the LDS Church between 1890 to 1910. In terms of size, Mormonism does not share the trait of having a small following sometimes attributed to a cult; the number of LDS has grown nearly equal to the number of Jews both in the United States and globally since its inception in 1830. Jan Shipps, a non-Mormon scholar of Mormonism, posits that just as Christianity became a new religious movement out of Judaism, Mormonism arose as a new religious movement out of Christianity.
- Cult of Kim Cen Ir. Kim Chen Ir, political and military leader of North Korea, a son of Kim Ir Sen, is being worshiped in North Korea with devotion similar to cults of Saint Mary. Praise and words of adoration do not leave the North Korean newspapers, radio channels and TV broadcasts. Gigantic portraits are seen everywhere in the country.
- Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a quasi-spiritual group that practices Qigong with some overtones of Taoism and especially Buddhism. The group became so popular in China (alleged to have at one point upwards of 100 million adherents) that it was repressed and eventually criminalized as a cult by the Chinese Communist Government of the People's Republic of China. It has remained relatively popular regardless, and has gained a sizable following internationally as well. Some see it as harmless exercise, yet the public statements and methods of Falun Gong's founder, Li Hongzhi (now living in the U.S.), seem controversial to many more traditional Qigong schools (schools not necessarily sympathetic to the communists) as well as the Chinese Government.
- Holiday Magic combined personal development with commercialism, subsuming both Mind Dynamics and Leadership Dynamics within its organisation. It allegedly treated participants with extreme physical rigor. Erhard Seminars Training may have partially evolved from Holiday Magic.
- A high-profile group in the 1930s led by Father Divine who claimed to be God. Since his death in 1965, followers of the movement have dwindled nearly to the point of extinction.
- International Meditation Institute (IMI) also known as Shyamspace
- A group led by charismatic meditation teacher Swami Shyam and loosely styled on Transcendental Meditation. Membership in Shyamspace, largely composed of Canadians with some Americans, British and other nationalities, has dropped in recent years after Shyam was implicated in a sex scandal.
- Satisfied participants characterize Landmark, a derivative of est, as "just a business". Others, less charitably inclined towards the company, suggest that brainwashing might account for devotees' fanatical devotion to unpaid recruitment for Landmark seminars. The sometimes controversial reputation of founding guru (formerly known as "The Source") Werner Erhard often muddies debate on the alleged merits of Landmark's innovative (or psycho-babble) "technology".
- The National Caucus of Labor Committees, World LaRouche Youth Movement, the Schiller Institute and various other front groups.
- The teachings, methods and results of Lifespring and its offshoots appear comparable to those of Landmark.
- The Exclusive branch of the Plymouth Brethren are considered as a cult by most other Christians, and non-religious observers as well.
- Some anti-cult movement activists like Anton Hein, Rick Ross and Steven Hassan consider Al Qaida a cult.
- Shiite Muslim Branch of Islam. Shiite Moslims are cultists by definition of the word "cult". Following militari actions involving uprisings in Iraq led by the young messianic Shiite cleric Muktada Sadr, observers accused Shiite Muslims in being cultists, though Sunni clerics not supportive to Resistance dismissed the accusation. Iranian clerics, however, supported the uprising against the democratically elected Iraqi government. Iran is a terrorist-supporting country, a member of Axe of Terror (as defined by US President George W. Bush). A large proportion of Moslems disagree with the role of personality Mohammed's relative Ali that is revered by Shiites. Enormous influence Moslim clerics have over the population worsened the reputation further. According to U.S. State Departent, a large proportion of Shiite clerics has ties with Al Quaeda, either direct or indirect.
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