Cult roughly refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. Many cults are destructive or suicidal though others, whilst being controversial, do not commit extreme acts. This is a list of the top ten cults. In no particular order:
1. Church of Bible Understanding
Stewart Traill
The Church of Bible Understanding (formerly known as the Forever Family) is a destructive cult started in 1971 by former atheist and vacuum repairman Stewart Traill in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The cult targeted teens as young as 13 by drawing on their weaknesses. Throughout the 1970s, the cult expanded to many other parts of the United States.
Traill, born in Quebec in 1936 is the son of a Presbyterian minister, who teaches that he is the reincarnation of Elijah, and that he knows the date of the return of Christ. Members of the cult live in a commune and donate 90% of their income to the cult. Traill amassed a fortune and owns four planes and a half million dollar mansion. According to former members, Traill controls every aspect of members’ lives through harsh criticism, shame, and public humiliation.
Ron Burkes, a staff member at a residential treatment center for former cult members says this:
“[Traill] has one of most effective means of shutting down critical thinking I’ve ever seen. Of the hundreds of people I’ve treated, COBU is definitely in the top five in terms of harm and psychological damage.”
The cult also runs a mission in Haiti, where some former members claim Haitian children are indoctrinated in exchange for food and clothing. According to an article originally appearing in the Manassas Journal Messenger, COBU receives government funds for its Haiti Mission as part of President Bush’s Faith Based Initiative.
Play / Download audio of Stewart Traill
2. Manson Family
The Manson Family was a cult started by Charles Manson. Manson was born to Kathleen Maddox, an unwed sixteen year old girl, in 1934. It is said that his mother, an alcoholic, sold him to buy beer. When he was returned to her she had him sent to a boarding school. After a number of years living with his religious aunt and uncle, he returned to his mother who rejected him. After a number of robberies, he was put in jail for the first time. One month before his parole hearing in 1952, he raped a boy in jail by holding a razor to his throat. Two years later he was paroled. Manson began to pimp a young woman he met and eventually took her, and a second woman to New Mexico to work for him as prostitutes. He was caught and tried under the Mann Act (a 1910 act that prohibited white slavery and trafficking for immoral means).
In 1967 he was released (having spent more than half of his life in institutions). Upon release, he requested permission to move to San Francisco which was granted. When he arrived he became part of the Hippie movement centered around the Haight-Ashbury region and he set himself up as a guru. He moved in with 23 year old student Mary Brunner and convinced her to allow other women to join them. Eventually eighteen other women were living with them – this was the beginning of the family.
By 1968, Manson had established a home for the “family” at a ranch owned by George Spahn. Manson convinced one of the family members, Lynette Fromme, to sleep with Spahn in order to get free rent. Manson began teaching his followers that social uprisings were coming – using the assassination of Martin Luther King as evidence. He also told them that the social turmoil he had been predicting had also been predicted by The Beatles. The White Album songs, he declared, told it all, although in code; in fact, he maintained, the album was directed at the Family itself, an elect group that was being instructed to preserve the worthy from the impending disaster.
In 1969, on August 8, Manson told Family members at Spahn Ranch, “now is the time for Helter Skelter.” That evening the family, under the direction of Manson, would commit the famous murder of Sharon Tate, leading to other murders over the two day period.
3. Aum Shinrikyo
Aum Shinrikyo, is a Japanese religious group founded by Shoko Asahara. The group gained international notoriety in 1995, when it carried out a Sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subways. In 2000 the organization changed its name to “Aleph” (the first letter of the Hebrew and Arabic alphabet), changing its logo as well. In 1995 the group had 9,000 members in Japan, and as many as 40,000 worldwide. As of 2004 Aum Shinrikyo/Aleph membership was estimated at 1,500 to 2,000 people.
The movement was founded by Shoko Asahara in his one-bedroom apartment in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward in 1984, starting off as a Yoga and meditation class known as Aum-no-kai and steadily grew in the following years. It gained the official status as a religious organization in 1989. It attracted such a considerable number of young graduates from Japan’s elite universities that it was dubbed a “religion for the elite”. Aum’s PR activities included publishing. In Japan, where comics and animated cartoons enjoy unprecedented popularity among all ages, Aum attempted to tie religious ideas to popular anime and manga themes – space missions, extremely powerful weapons, world conspiracies and conquest for ultimate truth.
Aum Shinrikyo had started as a quiet group of people interested in yogic meditation, but later transformed into a very different organization. According to Asahara, he needed “to demonstrate charisma” to attract the modern audience. Following his decision, Aum underwent a radical image change. The rebranded Aum looked less like an elite meditation boutique and more like an organization attractive to a broader, larger population group. Public interviews, bold controversial statements, and vicious opposition to critique were incorporated into the religion’s PR style. The cult started attracting controversy in the late 1980s with accusations of deception of recruits, and of holding cult members against their will and forcing members to donate money. A murder of a cult member who tried to leave is now known to have taken place in February 1989.
At the end of 1993 the cult started secretly manufacturing the nerve agent sarin and later VX gas. They also attempted to manufacture 1000 automatic rifles but only managed to make one. Aum tested their sarin on sheep at a remote ranch in Western Australia, killing 29 sheep. Both sarin and VX were then used in several assassinations (and attempts) over 1994-1995. Most notably on the night of 27th June 1994, the cult carried out the world’s first use of chemical weapons in a terrorist attack against civilians when they released sarin in the central Japanese city of Matsumoto. This Matsumoto incident killed seven and harmed 200 more. However, police investigations focused only on an innocent local resident and failed to implicate the cult. 11 cult members have been sentenced to death, although none of the sentences have been carried out, nor the time and date for the executions to take effect has been publicly established.
4. Restoration of the 10 Commandments
The full name of this cult is the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God. The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God was a breakaway group from the Roman Catholic Church that formed in Uganda in the late 1980s. As the name implies the group strongly emphasized the Ten Commandments. This emphasis meant they even discouraged talking: out of fear of breaking the commandment about giving false witness. They also believed that their strict adherence to the Ten Commandments would be advantageous after the apocalypse.
This proved significant as the group had a strong emphasis on the apocalypse, highlighted by their booklet A Timely Message from Heaven: The End of the Present Time. New members were required to study it and be trained in it, reading it as many as six times. They also taught that Mother Mary had a special role in the apocalypse, and communicated to the leadership. They saw themselves as like Noah’s Ark, a ship of righteousness in a sea of depravity.
The group tended to be secretive and as mentioned above, was literally silent. Therefore it was relatively unknown to the outside world until 2000, although in 1998 the school they ran was sanctioned by the government due to unsanitary conditions and violation of child labor statutes.
In March of 2000, around 300 followers died in a fire in what is considered a cult suicide. Investigations conducted after the fire discovered mass graves, raising the death toll to over 1,000. This may mean it was larger than the Jonestown murder/suicide in 1978, but some speculate the death toll was around 800. There are also allegations that the event was more of a mass murder by the leadership.
5. Raëlism
Founder, Claude Vorilhon (right)
Raëlism or Raelian Church is a UFO religion founded by a purported contactee named Claude Vorilhon, who is known recently for supporting Clonaid’s claim that an American woman underwent a standard cloning procedure, which led to the birth of her new daughter Eve in December 26, 2002. National authorities, mainstream media, and young adults have increasingly investigated the church’s activities as a result of controversial statements by Clonaid’s head Brigitte Boisselier the day after.
Members of the Raëlian Church consist of people who have been baptized by Raëlian clergy in quarterly ceremonies, and among the converts are members of Raëlian-founded free love groups such as the Order of Angels and Raël’s Girls. The organization—which preaches a sensual philosophy and a physicalist explanation of the origin of life—could have as many as sixty-five thousand members.
Raëlians emphasize secular and hedonistic ideas, rather than worshiping a supreme metaphysical deity.[30] The Raëlian Church members follow a UFO religion that favors a strong version of physicalism – the belief that everything consists only of physical properties. Raëlians deny the existence of the ethereal soul and a supernatural god, and believe that the mind is a function of matter alone. This ties into their belief that mind transfer is possible and that it will be possible to create an identical human clone in terms of mind and personality—as long as the clone and the original are not alive at the same time.
Play / Download Vorilhon Singing
6. Scientology
The Church of Scientology is a cult created by L Ron Hubbard (Elron) in 1952 as an outgrowth of his earlier self-help system called Dianetics. Scientology and the organizations that promote it have remained highly controversial since their inception. Journalists, courts and the governing bodies of several countries have stated that the Church of Scientology is an unscrupulous commercial enterprise that harasses its critics and abuses the trust of its members. Journalists, governments, religious groups and other critics worldwide have often referred to the organization as a cult.
Reports and allegations have been made, by journalists, courts, and governmental bodies of several countries, that the Church of Scientology is an unscrupulous commercial enterprise that harasses its critics and brutally exploits its members. In some cases of US litigation against the Church, former Scientologists were paid as expert witnesses and have since stated that they submitted false and inflammatory declarations, intended to be carried in the media to incite prejudice against Scientology, and deliberately harassed key Scientology executives, by knowingly advancing unfounded opinions, either to get a case dropped or to obtain a large settlement.
Although Scientologists are usually free to practice their beliefs, the organized church has often encountered opposition due to their strong-arm tactics, directed against critics and members wishing to leave the organization.
7. Order of the Solar Temple
Joseph Di Mambro
The Order of the Solar Temple also known as Ordre du Temple Solaire (OTS) in French, and the International Chivalric Organization of the Solar Tradition or simply as The Solar Temple was a secret society based upon the new age myth of the continuing existence of the Knights Templar. OTS was started by Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret in 1984 in Geneva as l’Ordre International Chevaleresque de Tradition Solaire (OICTS) and renamed Ordre du Temple Solaire. It is believed that other members were also involved who have remained unknown to the public.
In October 1994 Tony Dutoit’s infant son (Emmanuel Dutoit), aged three months, was killed at the group’s centre in Morin Heights, Quebec. The baby had been stabbed repeatedly with a wooden stake. It is believed that Di Mambro ordered the murder, because he identified the baby as the Anti-Christ described in the Bible. He believed that the Anti-Christ was born into the order to prevent Di Mambro from succeeding in his spiritual aim.
A few days later, Di Mambro and twelve followers performed a ritual Last Supper. A few days after that, apparent mass suicides and murders were conducted at two villages in Switzerland, and at Morin Heights — 15 inner circle members committed suicide with poison, 30 were killed by bullets or smothering, and 8 others were killed by other causes. Many of the bodies when found were drugged, possibly to prevent the members from objecting. The buildings were then set on fire by timer devices, purportedly as one last symbol of the group’s purification.
In western Switzerland, 48 members of a sect died in another apparent mass murder-suicide. Many of the victims were found in a secret underground chapel lined with mirrors and other items of Templar symbolism. The bodies were dressed in the order’s ceremonial robes and were in a circle, feet together, heads outward, most with plastic bags tied over their heads; they had each been shot in the head. It is believed that the plastic bags were a symbol of the ecological disaster that would befall the human race after the OTS members moved on to Sirius.
A mayor, a journalist, a civil servant and a sales manager were found among the dead in Switzerland. Records seized by the Quebec police showed that some members had personally donated over $1 million to the cult’s leader Joseph Di Mambro. There was also another attempted mass suicide of the remaining members which was thwarted in the late 1990s. It is believed that The Solar Temple group continues to exist, with thirty surviving members in Quebec at the St-Anne-de-la-Pérade center, with from 140 to 500 members remaining worldwide.
8. Heaven’s Gate
Heaven’s Gate is a destructive, doomsday cult centered in California. 21 women and 18 men voluntarily committed suicide in three groups on three successive days starting on March 23, 1997. Most were in their 40′s; the rest covered an age range of 26 to 72. Two months later, two additional members, Charles Humphrey and Wayne Cooke attempted suicide in a hotel room a few miles from the Rancho Santa Fe mansion; Cooke succeeded. Humphrey tried again in the Arizona desert during Feb 1998 and was successful.
They followed a syncretistic religion, combining elements of Christianity with unusual beliefs about the nature of UFOs. They interpreted passages from the four gospels and the book Revelation as referring to UFO visitation. In particular, they emphasized a story in Revelation which described two witnesses who are killed, remained dead for 3 1/2 days, were revived and taken up into the clouds. They look upon earth as being in the control of evil forces, and perceived themselves as being among the elite who would attain heaven. They held a profoundly dualistic belief of the soul as being a superior entity which is only housed temporarily in a body. Applewhite said that bodies were only “the temporary containers of the soul…The final act of metamorphosis or separation from the human kingdom is the ‘disconnect’ or separation from the human physical container or body in order to be released from the human environment.”
Members called themselves brother and sister; they looked upon themselves as monks and nuns; they lived communally in a large, rented San Diego County (CA) home which they called their monastery. Most members had little contact with their families of origin or with their neighbors. Many followed successful professional careers before entering the group. Some abandoned their children before joining. They were free to leave at any time. They dressed in unisex garments: shapeless black shirts with Mandarin collars, and black pants. They were required commit themselves to a celibate life. Eight of the male members, including Do, submitted to voluntary castration. This seems to have been a form of preparation for their next level of existence: in a life that would be free of gender, sexual identity and sexual activity.
Thirty-eight group members, plus Applewhite, the group’s leader, were found dead in a rented mansion in the upscale San Diego community of Rancho Santa Fe, California, on March 26, 1997. The mass death of the Heaven’s Gate group is said to be one of the most widely-known examples of cult suicide. In preparing to kill themselves, members of the group drank citrus juices to ritually cleanse their bodies of impurities. The suicide was accomplished by ingestion of phenobarbital mixed with vodka, along with plastic bags secured around their heads to induce asphyxiation. They were found lying neatly in their own bunk beds, with their faces and torsos covered by a square, purple cloth. Each member carried five dollar bills and a few quarters in their wallets. All 39 were dressed in identical black shirts and sweat pants, brand new black-and-white Nike tennis shoes, and armband patches reading “Heaven’s Gate Away Team”. The suicides were conducted in shifts, and the remaining members of the group cleaned up after each prior group’s death.
9. Branch Davidians
The Branch Davidians are a religious sect who originated from a schism in 1955 from the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, themselves former members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who were disfellowshipped during the 1930s. From its inception in the 1930s, the splinter movement inherited Adventism’s apocalypticism, in that they believed themselves to be living in a time when Christian prophecies of a final divine judgment were coming to pass. They are best known for the 1993 siege of their Center near Waco, Texas, by the ATF and the FBI, which resulted in the deaths of eighty-two of the church’s members, including head figure David Koresh. However, by the time of the siege, Koresh had encouraged his followers to think of themselves as “students of the Seven Seals” rather than as “Branch Davidians,” and other Branch Davidian factions never accepted his leadership.
Some former members of Koresh’s group alleged that he practiced polygamy with underage brides, physically abused children, and stockpiled illegal weapons, legal authorities investigated these charges. On February 28, 1993, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) conducted a raid on Mount Carmel, a property of the Davidians. The raid resulted in the deaths of six Davidians and four ATF agents after a firefight broke out. Following this confrontation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) laid siege to Mount Carmel for 51 days, during which time the FBI and ATF conducted around-the-clock operations including psychological warfare (psyops) on the occupants of the complex.
The government’s siege on the Branch Davidians ended on April 19 when federal agents released CS tear gas into the compound. During the assault, several fires broke out and spread quickly through the buildings, killing approximately 79 Branch Davidians, 21 of whom were children. Autopsies confirmed that many of the victims, including David Koresh, had died of single gunshot wounds to their heads.
The government put some of the survivors on trial. All were acquitted of conspiring to murder federal agents but some were convicted of aiding and abetting voluntary manslaughter.
10. Unification Church
The Unification Church (Mooneyism) is a new religious movement started by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in the 1940s. The beliefs of the church are explained in the book Divine Principle and draw from the Bible as well as Asian traditions and include belief in a universal God; in the creation of a literal Kingdom of Heaven on earth; in the universal salvation of all people, good and evil as well as living and dead; that Jesus did not come to die; and that the Lord of the Second Coming must be a man born in Korea early in the 20th century who must marry and have children.
In the United States in the 1970s, the media reported on the high-pressure recruitment methods of Unificationists and said that the church separated vulnerable college students from their families through the use of brainwashing or mind control. Moon dismissed these criticisms, stating in 1976 that he had received many thank-you letters from parents whose children became closer to them after joining the movement. Moon and his wife were banned from entry into Germany and the other 14 Schengen treaty countries, on the grounds that they are leaders of a sect that endangered the personal and social development of young people. The Netherlands and a few other Schengen states let Moon and his wife enter their countries in 2005. In 2006 the German Supreme Court overturned the ban.
In 1993, Chung Hwa Pak released the book Roku Maria no Higeki (Tragedy of the Six Marys) through the Koyu Publishing Co. of Japan. The book contained allegations that Moon conducted sex rituals amongst six married female disciples (“The Six Marys”) who were to have prepared the way for the virgin who would marry Moon and become the True Mother. Chung Hwa Pak had left the movement when the book was published and later withdrew the book from print when he rejoined the Unification Church. Before his death Chung Hwa Pak published a second book, The Apostate, and recanted all allegations made in Roku Maria no Higeki.
Bonus. Jonestown
On 18 November 1978, more than 900 people died in the largest mass murder/suicide in American history. Most of the deaths occurred in a jungle encampment in Guyana, South America, where members of a group called Peoples Temple lived in a utopian community and agricultural project known as Jonestown. Most died after drinking a fruit punch laced with cyanide and tranquilizers, although some may have been injected; two residents died of gunshot wounds. Earlier that day a few other residents of the group had assassinated a U.S. congressman along with three members of the media and a departing Jonestown resident. And in Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, yet another member of the group killed her three children and then herself after receiving word of the deaths in Jonestown. In all, 918 Americans lost their lives that day.
Since that time, Jonestown and its leader Jim Jones have entered American discourse as code for the dangers of cults and cult leaders. The expression “drinking the Kool-Aid”—which means both blindly jumping on the bandwagon, and being a team player—is one manifestation of this. The story of Jonestown, and of its parent organization Peoples Temple, however, is more complicated than sound-bites comparing strict parents to Jim Jones, or pundits relating religious violence (such as the suicide air strikes of 11 September 2001) to Jonestown. Instead, Jonestown serves as a lesson in how a combination of media, government, and citizens can create a climate of persecution and fear. It also provides an example of how uncritical acceptance of the status quo and social and geographic isolation can lead to violence and even death.
Notable Exclusions: The Children of God, Mormonism, Jevhovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists
Sources: Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Videos
All this talk about cults is only necessary to reveal the devils works. To put it plainly there only two religions, one is of God through Christ and the other of the devil. Believe me this truth will be revealed and soon. And then those who think they have the right to believe whatever they want will have to answer for the choice they made to the one true God. the truth speaks for itself: it is not foolishness that the bulk of humanity is christian or that other religion are strongly compelled to attack christianity and much less others. The difference is that with other religions it is pipo reaching out to God through strange practices whereas with christianity it is God reaching out to His people. Its sad many have rejected Him for outlandish doctrines. Having said that there are many who come in the name of God but contradict the bible in deed or doctrine. their classification? CULT or the devil’s bunch or whatever you want to call them. Do not be decieved there is only one way to God and that is christ.
Careful, a lot of "cults" believe in Christ. In fact, even Muslims highly venerate Christ and believe in one God, only they call him Allah (which is just another name for "God" which even Arab Christians use). Also, the Christian Bible is mostly made up of Hebraic texts. I think you are trying to say that Christianity is the only truth, which is fine and you are perfectly entitled to your beliefs – just be careful with how you support that view. You may undermine yourself.
Great list and info- But I have to correct “oldfart”
Learn the definition of a cult.
Read this please
http://www.carm.org/cults/cultic.htm
You may learn something about cults
Scientology should be at the top of this list. By sheer numbers, infiltration of governments, tax exemptions and celebrity backing; Scientology is the most dangerous cult in the world.
I agree. I was kinda flattered that we beat the Scientologists but in reality, we're nowhere near their numbers and we are nowhere near as imposing. We wish we were, haha, but we're really quite harmless. Don't hate the flower sellers!
Go me! yay!!
here are few biblical verses which prove that the bible is a load of BULL*****
2 Kings 8:26 says "Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign…" 2 Chronicles 22:2 says "Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign…"
2 Samuel 6:23 says "Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death" 2 Samuel 21:8 says "But the king took…the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul"
2 Samuel 8:3-4 says "David smote also Hadadezer…and took from him…seven hundred horsemen…" 1 Chronicles 18:3-4 says "David smote Hadarezer…and took from him…seven thousand horsemen…"
1 Kings 4:26 says "And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots…" 2 Chronicles 9:25 says "And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots…"
2 Kings 25:8 says "And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month…Nebuzaradan…came…unto Jerusalem" Jeremiah 52:12 says "…in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month…came Nebuzaradan…into Jerusalem"
Matt 1:16 says, "And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus…" Luke 3:23 says "And Jesus…the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli"
Careful. There are inacurracies, yes, but they are perfectly harmless and pretty usual for ancient texts IMO. Doesn't take away from their immense power…especially when you take into account all that went into preserving them….the bible is pretty epic. I've seen more inaccuracies between Star Trek cannon and the new Star Trek movie. I'd take confusion about how many stalls Solomon had over a conveniently altered timeline and stupid lenseflares any. day.
O, and don't even get me STARTED on Spock N' Uhura. Psssh. One word – KALIFEE !!!!
I have to say the geneology of Jesus is of masive great importance!
almost thought you forgot scientology, but you didn’t let me down =]
well done. nice, informative, and descriptive.
Looks like there is a bunch of smart alexs on this blog. I am a Lutheran, not a cult member. Besides what if you you are wrong about the Trinity? At least you know where you are going. I do too, and it’s not there. If it is not in the Bible, it’s not worth discussing. EOS
While I agree that the bible is a load of horse*****, one must also agree that people should be allowed their freedoms, whether we agree with them or not.
Great list. Keeping clear of cults can be a full time job especially when attending Health and Wellness shows like I did this past weekend. Cults like Scientology like to use these venues as recruiting opportunities with their electronic gizmo’s which are designed to take advantage of your weaknesses whatever they might be by telling you your problems and then what you have to do to fix them which usually means buying their books, enrolling in their courses, attend their seminars. And then of course, if you want your life to have meaning, then you also have to become one of their auditors or recruiters. Sorry Tom. I like your movies but your cult is twisted and dangerous. (I think he dislikes Youtube as does the Headquarters for Scientology.)
you left out the jews man, protocols of zion .
I heard that the University of Bridgeport in CT is controlled by Rev. Moon. I think the current president, Neil Salonen, is a member of the church. I can’t believe an accredited American university is being influenced by a group many believe to be a cult.
Actually, it's true. We saved the university from going under and it's doing quite well now – has a pretty good engineering program. Not really "controlled" by Rev. Moon though…that's like saying the Pope "controls" any number of Jesuit-run universities. Perhaps true in some context, but kinda arbitrary.
It looks like the criteria for judging some of these groups, particularly non-mainstream religions like Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses as “cults” can be boiled down to more or less the following:
- Devotion to a leader or leaders whose orders must be followed exactly.
- Strong adhesion withing the group and exclusion of outsiders.
- Members are strongly discouraged from leaving the group, and are often ostracized for leaving.
- Members often follow certain dietary and health codes and wear special clothing.
- Membership often includes participation in rituals and acts that most “average” people don’t participate in.
- Cults often form bitter rivalries with other, comparable groups.
- New converts often must pass through unusual initiation procedures.
If this is the case, then I would say that the biggest and most pervasive cults in America today are high school sports and college fraternities.
haha me and my best friend went into the Church Of Scientology in Manchester last week.
We were told that we were both mentally ill and MUST read Dianetics in order to get better…
Will those of you who are saying satanism is a cult try actualy opening your ears and listen for once. There are two groups that are often bundled together satanism and luciferianism. Satanism is the act of self worship and belief aswell as respect in the greater arcana. While luciferians are your run of the mill baby raping, goat sacrificing, devil loving SOB’s you are thinking of.
Hey socca playa
How does it feel worshiping santa claus and waiting for his retard son to come and save you, because life is too hard? Maybe you need to get your own fork out of your ass, and stop judgeing me and judge yourself.
LOL…. that is great! You should of play with that and told them you were doctors and actually you would like to see him and the entire congragation in his office!!! LOL… That is a hugh egotistical religion!
God is basically in every religion, just with a different face or belief. Cults are lead by ***** craving child *****ing fags that say they are God because they decide that their life sucks and that maybe if they lead a group they might just possibly get laid for the first time in their horrible miserable life. For all you atheist out their, say what you want about God, but when the end of the world comes and your crying for help, watch what you say because you might say Oh My GOD!!! and guess what???he won’t help because ,obviously since your an atheist, he was never yours. I am a Baptist but I don’t have a problem with other religions because at least in some way we are all praying to the same God.
Do your parents know you're on their computer?
HEY alicard tepes!!!!!Do You like sitting on the end of the Devil’s pitchfork????I hear he doesn’t use lube????
It's sad that people are so manipulated by these cult leaders that they have no control over there lives anymore.They need to stand up and tell these sick and twisted cult leaders to take a hike!
The pope is technically a cult leader. Nuns and monks let the Catholic church have complete control over their lives – nuns even ritually marry Jesus, and priests marry the church (Roman Catholic). Does that make any of these players are sick or twisted? No. If the pope told everyone to ritually sacrifice their first-born children by tossing them into flaming pits -THAT would be sick and twisted. Do all cult-leaders say things like that? NO. Do not generalize.
The bible says do not worship idols, religion is an idol. I love God and Jesus but as for religion who knows who is false or not, some are convincing other down right wrong.
Have you even read salazar Le vay's bible? If you did you'd know that we do not condone the use of satanic rituals, but we also don't force our beliefs on others, unlike you fanatic bastards who refuse to accept others beliefs and think everyones else is condemed to pain and hellfire! And I say bring it! You think your so pure and you will reach salvation, but your the first people you and the catholics to rape little choir boys, you think if you god hates *****s that he won't just damn the lot of you?
Thou shalt not kill? HA! You butt *****s have killed thousands in your little crusades just because they deny your god? Your kind are pathetic little maggots not even worthy of climbing through my *****.
I would threaten to kill you because of our differences, but I'm not a christian.
I am a Le Vayin satanist and we don't allow our kind to hurt the mentaly retarded so why don't you go find a nice coloring book and leave this discussion to the adults.
So, you worship evil because it suits you or are you a grown adult still rebelling against your parents or the system. I do know most satanist regard themselves as Gods and worship themselves. Isn’t it just a power and control issue. I mean who created Satan? Who is your creator?
Are you *****ting pancakes because you ride the fork so much…..does it just burn ass when you take a *****!!!!Why don’t you read the bible for once so you can get God and Santa Clause straight….Ohhh yeah life is soooo hard….Im not the Satan follower that settles for the devil because God hasn’t helped me yet….HO HO HO MOTHA *****A!!!!!
And your Pagan Bastards fight in our little wars and kill right along with us so your wrong there buddy boy……How would you know if we accept others beliefs or not???have you ever been a baptist or catholic?Were you one of the little choir boys who was touched and raped by a priest? Im pretty sure an adult would come up with a better come back than “we don’t allow our kind to hurt the mentally retarded” so if you are an ADULT like you say you are then GROW UP DUMB ASS and find some happiness instead of staying home reading that bull***** book and playing with your self!!!!Im not forcing ***** on you but I am going to stand up against anyone who disses what I believe in….Im pretty sure your group isn’t so innocent either when it come *****ual crimes…..I’d threaten to beat you with a pitch fork but you might like that….Im not pure and I know you can’t say you are I’d watch what is said there too….I dont think the Baptist ever went on crusades so I guess your wrong there as well….Man….your *****ed up beliefs have screwed with thought process bad cause you don’t know your history very well.
141. Soccerplaya : “…your Pagan Bastards fight in our little wars and kill right along with us so your wrong there buddy boy…”
Yes, but unlike you, we don’t call it “wrong” to do this. Whereas by all Christian reference materials, killing is wrong – although even the Bible has some trouble following through with that so…
I can understand how you’d be a bit testy, but just back off. Alucard did *not* try to force his belief on anyone, and LaVeyan Satanism doesn’t “dis what you believe in”. Read about it before you assume the word Satanism means that he worships a fallen angel.
And stop telling him to grow up, your best call so far has been :
“…’d threaten to beat you with a pitch fork but you might like that…”
Wow, mature
You don’t call it wrong to kill in your little beliefs???OOO wait…I forgot thats all your devils and demons do….Im soory my bad…..Wow yall are awsome!!!!Lets also go and worship demons and other things that are said to harm others and cause trouble!!!Thats a great idea!!!Let’s all just run around saying how awsome the devil is and kill our neighbors and others we don’t like because it ok, right????The bible mentions that there is a time to fight…look it up or better yet have a priest point it out for you and then also no christian is perfect, we all sin just as much as the next….are yall really that perfect???
I guess you're a troll, I'm done with you. Good day.
Mark, I know you feel powerful because I see it in the way you are speaking but I have to tell you, you are not and I do not mean that to hurt your feeling or make you feel picked on, and I know you are thinking I cannot possibly anyway but, we are all human and if you are a satanist and are dealing with demons you are being fooled and tricked into feeling powerful. It is a snare! You are being used as a puppet by satan. He does not love you and you have no power. How much free will do you actually have? If you were to take an entire day and pray to God and decide you want him in your life you would see you would be under attack and that you are desposible. Try it for yourself. The truth is God is real he never leaves us we walk away from him. He is there for you, he loves you and much stronger and way more powerful than you, me or Satan. I wish love and light and not of the dark kind for you.
by the way I was mocking him when I said the thing about beating him with a pitch fork but I guess satanist don’t believe in sarcasm either
“Im done with you”…HAHA!!!nice man..Peace out Satan!!!!
hey joseph you like touching a fat man who thinks he is God???wow…what kind of sick ***** is that…your almost like alucard tepes #140 who sits on pitch forks and believes all religions are forcing themselves on him cause he thinks hes that important.
No I said I hate people who do force their religions on others like those missionaries. I have actualy tried to run away from them and they chased me down till I ran out of breath.
I agree with you there then because if I was in your place I would feel the same way….and by the way I am sorry for the little rant that I went on and for the teasing….i shouldn’t have dissed you like that because it is not my right to judge….and Mark I am sorry as well….I just wanted to put this out there for you to see….I don’t know what came over me…
isn’t ignorance a cult?
Not unless there is an object to that cult. Perhaps TMZ? Nevermind – that the cult of TMI.
In regards to Charles Manson and The Family a movie about it has been made called Helter Skelter. I am unsure whether all the events in the movie are accurate but from what I’ve seen on the real Charles Manson they seem like they could true.
people admire CONfident MEN because they with to become CONviNcED about their B.lief S.ystem.
Experiences are facts, B.lief S.ystems about them are usually B.S.
bahahha, love this site?
@dagroo (24): You sound like a copy machine. It might be wise to seek information from more places than the Watchtower. There are only about 400 hospitals worldwide that can perform bloodless surgery. Also, the average accident victim requires about 300 pints… do you think they can replace all their blood with a substitute? Basically the average Jehovah's Witness in an accident will either accept blood or die. Until the 80's organ transplants were not allowed either… but now they are. They predicted Armageddon 5 times in the past 100 years. Obviously they're not infallible. Would you bet your life or your families life on them being right when it comes to a life or death situation like a blood transfusion? Of course you would, because you're a complete tool.
Only a Jehovah's Witness would think it's not a cult. Read anything on cults and mind control. –Ex JW
If you read the scripture that the JW’s get that from you will see God is telling them do not drink blood in front of the Jew’s it is insulting to them. It is simular to if you are with a friend that is no longer drinking or an alchohlic you don’t sit with them and get plastered it is out of respect for your brother. It does not mean to die rather then insult your brother. JW’s are firmly taught to only do research in the JW’s publication. It is a cult I know for a fact. There is always truth in a lie and that is a dangerous fear based control cult.
#126: I am completely lost how that is evident that the Bible is false and “BS”. I looked up several of those verse references and the inconsistencies simply were not there. The reference would always match the original verse. So I’m sorry, but that nullifies your argument.
#26 – Unfortunately Mormonism IS a cult. A cult doesn’t have to be on the extreme end (mass suicides and the like) to be a cult. A definition of the word from Merriam-Webster is this: “a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious ; also : its body of adherents” Mormonism is unorthodox. Mormonism is not true Christianity. The Book of Mormon alone is sufficient support of that. God says in Revelations 22:19 that no one is to add to or take away from the Bible. The Book of Mormon is not a part of the Bible.
I have more to say but no time in which to say it.
Technically though, to avoid all the hate mail I could receive – many “Christians” and even conventional/orthodox “Christian Denominations” are not true Christians either – so don’t feel bad.
Christianity itself is unorthodox Judaism. Technically the Protestants took books out of the originally cannonized Bible, and even then at the time Revelations was written there was no "Bible" as we know it today – it took the Church some time before the final cannon was accepted. This is nothing against Christianity – I consider myself Christian – I am just attempting to offer a different vantage point.
Cult does not mean "not orthodox CHRISTIAN". That is extremely self-centered thinking (not meaning you are a selfish person, I am sure you are a very nice person, I am just saying it appears you are centering the definition on your own viewpoint). Be careful, logic is catholic. (see what I did there?)
Mormonism is cultish for sure. To clear up some of the FUD from previous comments: Just as with Catholics and other groups, Mormon Bishops and Stake Presidents have been in the news before for *****ual abuse crimes (@Sarah, Comment 104).
As a converted Mormon (plus eight years now), my opinion is that “the Church”–such is how it is called by its “members,” itself another common appellation among the LDS to refer to those on the rolls of the Church–is cultish at the least.
Note: Jan Shipps, one of the foremost non-LDS historians of the LDS Church, also refers to it in its origins as a “cult” (Shipps, Mormonism, pp. 47-51). Unfortunately, Shipps’ definition of “cult” is entirely academic, sociological, and external: She sees successful cults as those that develop and become dominant or mainstream traditions ("good" in the parlance of this thread), a fate she sees as shared by the LDS Church. Thus she refuses to judge her subject and proceeds with her narrative with archival pleasure.
However, living the faith is another matter: Being in a “part-member” family really brings the cultish character of the faith into relief. If children are involved, then one parent not being “active,” i.e., going to church regularly, can easily end a marriage and divide a family. (This seems more destructive to me than what one finds in mainstream Christianity.)
The whole emphasis on being “sealed for all time and eternity” to one’s spouse and children (creating “forever families”), and the heavy indoctrination of youth through all manner of expected activities outside of the three regular Sunday church hours, lends great force to the bind that the Church keeps “weak” members in: to split from the Church creates a serious threat to one’s family and great pain and confusion to one’s children for not having a parent of “integrity”–I’m quoting all the buzz words here.
Add to this the expected annual “tithing settlement” with the Bishop (he–always he–is like the head preacher of a given “ward” or church community–usually numbering from 300-400 people). One must go with one’s family to answer the Bishop’s question, “Do you pay a full tithe?” As invasive as this may sound to mainstream protestants, this “interview” setting is quite common in the Church, extending to regular “worthiness” or “Temple” interviews with youth and adults. Waywardness is watched for vigilantly, and to me this seems cultish. In fact, now the Church puts barcodes on “Temple recommends” and the Bishop of each ward gets a weekly report of who in the ward has been faithful in going to the Temple (another expected outside-regular-Sunday Church meeting activity from “active members”).
Connected to “Temple worthiness” (imagine being a member of a church where you are formally considered a less "worthy member" than someone else), there also are levels of acceptance and prestige in the Church as well: If one has a genealogy that goes back to the original members of the Church (1830s), that is quite special (and this is a mark of a cult–setting off some people for special consideration over the "converts").
If one has ancestors who were part of the 19th century “Pioneers” who traveled across the US to Utah, then one is certainly pedigreed. Being a relative of one of the Church leaders in Salt Lake is certainly a way into the Church aristocracy, and there are various other ways to ascend in this informal Church hierarchy, the principle one begin the attending of BYU or one of its satellite campuses in Idaho or Hawaii, and most certainly serving a full-time mission when between the ages of 18 and 25: a very large percentage of church leaders from the local level all the way to Salt Lake went to BYU and served missions, not all, but a large percentage.
The time outside of Sunday activities deserves special mention, including home teaching, visiting teaching, service projects, weekly activity night for the youth, various "assignments" one might be tapped to do…. I don’t have time presently to talk about the importance of “sacrifice” and “service” in the Church. Suffice to say that the emphasis on these can be quite overwhelming in terms of (voluntary) time commitments from the faithful. (If you refuse a calling or to serve, then that is a mark against you and you are considered "selfish" and as someone who is "not progressing.")
Get out they are coming inbetween your relationship with God! Any religion that places these stringant comands and requirement but then tells you it is voluntary and then you are punished for not volunteering is a cultic mindset. You will lose yourslef and God in the middle of it. And may become bitter toward God. It is not healthy. Put God first and everything will be added to you. Not put the church first and jump through hoops and bring in more followers. Are you feeling joyful and wanting to share what you know about God or is it an asignment you must proform to advance with God? JW’s are the same way there is much pressure for them to preach putting in hours and hours door to door and school and work. Anything that is consuming is not healthy. Pray about the situation from your heart and talk to God not in the pretrained voice but your own voice.
I’m just coming out here to say that the LDS Chuch (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is not a cult. I am a member and have been a member for the duration of my life so far. I was baptized at the ae of 8 by immersion, I was not forced to be baptized. It was my own choice to be baptized. There was no pressure.
Throughout my time as a member of the LDS faith there have been instances where I was upset with organized religion in general and wanted to quit attending weekly Sunday meetings. Whenever this came about, I remembered the lessons that I learned in Sunday School (As stated in the Epistle of James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; it shall be given him.”) Many times I read that scripture, and many times I fell to my knees and prayed to the Lord that he would give me the knowledge that this was His true church restored to the earth in th latter-days. Everytime I asked, I recieved an undeniable sense of knowing. Knowing that I was lucky enough to belong to the true church. I am not forced to do anything in the LDS faith. I have my own choice as to what to and not do. I would also like to let you all know that the Book of Morman is another testamant of Christ. If you read it with a contrite heart and pray about it. It will be made known unto you that it is the only true Church of God, our Heavenly Father. I can promise this to all of you.
First: RE: #132 (Zack): Right On! (ROFLMAO … very funny).
Second: As a practicing and believing Mormon, I will say that Mormonsim IS a cult. (GASP! I knew it! Straight from the mouth of a Mormon!!). Seriously though, this whole thread and all its comments are a good illustration of how meaningless and useless that term, “cult”, has become. A “cult” is “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object” (straight from my dictionary). My religion certainly fits that definition — is a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards Jesus Christ. OOOHHH SCARY CULT-LIKE BELIEFS!!!! So yeah, I’m a member of a cult. And so is the Pope. And the Dalai Lama. And Stephen Colbert. And every single person whose beliefs are different from yours. And don’t forget Jesus Christ himself — he’s definitely a cult member!
The word “cult” has become a convenient word to belittle the beliefs of anyone whose beliefs you don’t agree with.
Finally, a few words about Scientology: I don’t accept any of the tenets of Scientology, and there are a number of disturbing things about the way Scientology responds to critics and dissenters, and in general the way their business is handled. HOWEVER, I will NOT engage in criticism of anyone who is a Scientologist simply because of their affiliation, nor will I make criticisms of things I’m not well-educated about, unlike so many commenters here. It’s amazing to me how many of the “facts” about Mormonism in this thread are completely wrong, distorted to the point of being totally misleading, or based on gross generalizations. That is very typical of any “information” one finds about Mormonism on the internet. This is precisely the reason that I taken anything I hear about Scientology with a big grain of salt; most likely, the people who are spreading the “facts” are not very well inormed themselves. I respect the right of Scientology and Scientologists to consider themselves a religion, and I don’t think it belongs on the same list with tiny suicide-cults like Heavens Gate. There’s a fine line between religious bigotry and this kind of pseudo-scholarship.
I personally think that any church or organization that come up with their own way of worshipping GOD is a cult. The Bible is our guide and we should depend on it solely to get to heaven when we stick to the bibile we take the safe and in fallible course. Some ppl are going to churches that are cults and have not clue!!!
Careful…by your definition Christianity is a cult. The Bible was put together by committee. That committee may very well have been guided by God, I personally believe it and it does not take away from it's meaning and power, but it does undermine your logic quite a bit.
I think alot of people don’t really understand what a cult is. Sociologically speaking, a cult is just a new religion. When a religion is small, they often have something that makes them different from everyone else. as they get more members, they become more diverse and become an Ecclesia, then a church, and then a full-fledged religion. Christianity started as a cult, Mormonism is probably an ecclesia by now, and from what I understand, Scientology is still a cult.
At least that’s what I was taught in my sociology class.
For # 148 your pretty dumb huh, they did not chase you down, lol ha ha ha ha your the biggest liar ever!!
I see no mention of “the Truth”, or “Two by Twos” as they are sometimes called.
I was introduced to this cult in 1962 in Washington state,
when a couple of their preachers or “workers” set up a tent in a vacant lot down the street from where we were living at the time, to hold their gospel meetings.
My Grandmother had been a member of this so called religion for years and my Mother and Father soon “professed” and became members.
My Sister is still a member, and won’t speak to me anymore.
"My Sister is still a member, and won’t speak to me anymore"
This is not only because she has been in and out of "the Truth" over the coarse of her life and I have NEVER chosen that lifestyle, but also because our 9o year old Aunt who recently died left her sizable estate to me and my Wife, and nothing to my Sister.
My Aunt was also in the cult, but chose me, a non-believer over my Sister.
So, there is some animosity towards me on my Sister's part.
I understand were you are with “The Truth” I have family that are in that as well and I was as a child, my family went to great lengths trying to deceive me into this cult. Your sister like all of them are prob afraid to leave because they will be shut off from friends and family. My family knows it is a cult they broke it down in different conversation infront of me as a child it wasn’t until rescently I put it together. It sucks badly because you relize the Truth has been a lie all along. Some people cannot handle leaving they have been very supressed with fear and are inticed with being the only True religion. The sad thing is they do teach some truths and it is deceiving, their target people to bring into the Truth are single women, young people, people that are down and out. They have writen rules, unspoken rules, they bind people with their words, chastise, torchure with fear… for crying out load I was a young girl sitting in meetings with a step mother showing me photos of destruction and people being killed in their publications and was told, my mother and siblings would also be destroyed if they were not witnesses when the time comes. She would also point out scarey faces in the pictures in clouds and within the art work, then when I was outside playing enjoying nature tell me to come here and point to the sky and ask me if I can find any faces in them and laughing I was terrified. The abuse was unreal mentally and physically and it was not only me, this was a shock to hear storys years later that they had the same experiences. They lived their lives in public with other witnesses as if they were living in paradise and Gods chosen people and behind closed door it was a Nazi SS no exaggeration. There were hidden rapes and women and young children were told they did not have a witness so therefore it is not substantiated and they just need to pray. You tell me? How many rapes have witnesses? The people remind me of the movie the body snatchers it they see something or someone doing something the governing body deamed wrong they would go to the elders right away and tell on one another. The people walked around the hall, trained, filling one another out to see what they were up to. It was crazy! There is so much more! They teach the only way to God is through them, if you are not a witness you will not live in the Paradise on earth you will be destroy, there is the ressurection where those that have died and never learned will be awoken and they will have the oppurtunity to learn the truth and if they do not want it they will be put to death. They have a Jewish mentality of being Gods chosen people and honestly they seem to dislike the Jews on a certain silent level yet speak highly at meetings and when they are acting. Many of them pretend they are illuminati and the step monster brags they are part of the Rockefella family. It is a joke. Their minds are trained in these meetings thru marketing, targeting their souls and faith to belive this is the society of truth. They will go to great lengths to protect their soceity and feel it is ok to lie to someone if they are not witnesses, because something good might come from it. It can be dangerous and terrorfying. Even though the bible says Satan is the father of the lie. They are powerless sheep following an organization and are liers. If you are a JW I would love to hear your dispute, I’m aware you are trained how to respond, basically how in sales you are given objection as well are trained on behavior and speach patterns. Do not come at me and speak to me as if I’m a child I’m very aware of that one, they are taught in the minersty school on stage how to manipulate words instead of being straight forward and honest, they practice on one another roll playing constantly. Now that I think of it I went to business school as a child. LOL….
i guess this list is pretty interesting. cults scare me because a lot of them prey on people who just want to have a purpose in life. not many religions have positive values in them, and if they do then someone of that religion has contradicted the religion at least once in history. although buddhism hasn't(as far as ive known)but im not endorsing buddhism. (no one give me a negative response please, if you dont like it, just tell me what you have to say about it)
I am having a great deal of trouble following your logic – please explain what you mean by "not many religions have positive values in them, and if they do then someone of that religion has contradicted the religion at least once in history." Please use capitalization.
Use caps, come on now?
This list excludes the Hare Krishna movement best known as ISKCON which many people say is a cult.I personally think that these people just want to give ISKCON a bad rap.
I love Hare Krishnas…they're the only people besides tourists who will talk to you in NYC – and invite you to dinner! I wonder, though, they must get a lot of homeless people coming to their dinners. Any Hare Krishnas want to respond? I'm really curious and I'm sure you must have some hilarious stories!
wow great list thanks for posting, i just had to do a world religions project on cults and this site really came in handy, im doing it on aum shinrikyo, but i found myslef reading about all the others cults as well
great job
What is obvious in cults is dominacy of one man which prefers to present himself as a God. Where there are mind controle and fear,than we can consider some belief as a cult.Where one man wants to overtake role of God there is evil and destruction.This is satanism since their god is Satan who wants to separate men from God.
Jesus got a lot of flak in his day by saying he was the "Son of God". I'm just saying…
If SDA is not a cult why are there websites for EX-SDA members?
http://www.exadventist.com/
as far as the Waco incident:
Matthew 7:20 (King James Version)
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
The Branch Davidians were a branch from SDA or the “fruit” of SDA.
There are websites by ex-christians against christianity too. Just saying….
Heck, people who hate Miley Cyrus have websites too….does that mean that Miley Cyrus is Satan incarnate?
Wait a minute….
@joe smith (6): Well thats not entirely true. Jehovahs Witnesses are still regarded as christians. But they neither beleive jesus is/was god or died on a cross (rather a stake or upright pole GREEK: Stauros) at all according to the translation of the LXX version of the bible.
Most of these cults are in it for the business. Even religions are in it for the money. All of these so called gurus, pastors, ministers, representatives of God, etc. make millions of dollars out of the ignorance of people. They know what they want: money and control. They are in it for the profit. Read Osho Rajneesh’s books and you’ll see. It’s like a spiritual Mafia!
On Mormonism: I’ve only known one Mormon personally, that I know of. She was my high school debate teacher. One day she warned the whole class that AIDs was transmittable through the air and if we so much as entered a room where an AIDs infected person was we would catch it.
Also, I once answered the door when some Mormon boys came and extolled the virtues of Satan to them. That didn’t go over very well. >:D (P.S. I don’t worship Satan. I was bored, and opportunity literally came knocking!)
And that’s all I have to say about LDS.
On Jehovah’s Witnesses:
I went to school with a girl who was a JW. She was very nice and quiet. I always felt badly when I thought of how she never got birthday or Xmas presents.
I also know a guy who lives out of his car in the WM parking lot. He tried to convert me once while I was on a smoke break.
Another freaky cult to make fun of: The Word of Faith.
They’re a “church” based in my home county (Rutherford Co. in NC)who have many entertaining rituals, such as:
“Blasting”: Tying people (mostly children) to chairs and screaming the demons out of them.
Self induced vomiting, also to release demons. Most of the women sound like they have emphysema from so much purging.
Signing over all wealth and possessions to the “Church” upon joining.
Working only in authorized (the makeup counters in Belk’s), or “Church”-owned businesses, such as The Cafe at the Mall.
Conjugal visits. Married couples live separately in communal housing (“Church” owned). They have to obtain permission from their pastor to have relations.
Group shopping. (I learned this one while working at Hell-Mart.) Wordy women shop in groups and each individual woman usually shops for several other families, having 3 or more orders paid with different cards, checks, or cash. This one’s not that weird, just annoying.
Always lookin’ good. Wordy women always look like it’s Easter Sunday. I’m talking hair, makeup, nails, and fancy dresses or pants suits. They’re easy to spot in a county where the unemployment rate is 13% and rising.
Flocks of kids that are rarely seen in public. Apparently conjugal visits are not that hard to obtain. I met one Wordy Woman at a baby shower who had 8 kids. She brought her oldest (25 years) and youngest (5 years) daughters with her. Until informed otherwise, I thought #8 was #1′s child.
#8 was extremely well-mannered and adorable. She sang cult songs to my baby for 10 minutes, and was not allowed to run and play with the other little kids.
Their gift was a gorgeous cherry wood 4-in-1 crib, btw. During the mom-to-be’s first pregnancy, Wordy Woman gave her several large bags of fancy rich people baby clothes, most of which still had the tags on them. Those that had been worn were described as “play clothes”, even though normal people would classify them as “Sunday Best”.
There are probably plenty of other weird Wordy facts, but it’s 4:00 AM, and I wanna go to bed. For more info, just google ‘em.
I’m out of bed. Here’s an article: http://www.watchman.org/cults/spindale.htm
What about JZ Knight and Ramtha?
A new “cult” is http://www.GodSaveMyMarriage.com
It’s guise is to grab desperate couples (via the internet) in hurting marriages, and the hook line is “Outrageously Happy Marriage”
This ministry proves that you don’t have to live at a compound, to be a member of a cult. It’s members are all over the United States and they are joined together through weekly hosted national conference calls and the internet. Their leader they pledge allegiance to, lives in the state of Florida.
The founder Joel Davisson and his wife Kathy, have no accountability whatsoever. No board of directors, or anyone to answer to. His book is self-published and proper legal rights to referencing another ministry in Colorado is questionable. He is also the pastor of his own Independent church….with no affiliation ties or anyone to answer to. Their vision is for couples to move down to Palm Coast and help them with this ministry 24/7, but these couples have to attend their church too. Hum??
It is suppose to be a Christian ministry, which is what makes this so very scary for new couples. The founder is a genius in how he’s taken the age of “Information” to make it work for him. The spiritual abuse coming out of this place “in the name of God” is horrible.
Members find out quickly that if they disagree with the founder Joel Davisson and his wife Kathy, they will e-mail male members back with sarcasm, insults, and sometimes cussing at them and/or calling a hurting wife and telling her she has a “Jezebel Spirit.” If you don’t believe “THEIR” way is the only way, you are banned from their forum and you are excommunicated…and the posts that were left, will then be “re-edited” to read as the Founders wish. SCARY!!!! They rule with fear and control.
“When you have a healed marriage for 10 years like us, then YOU can talk” is a classic statement. They make no bones that this is “their” ministry and “their” forum and they can say and do as they wish. Nobody can argue back with that statement, as obviously, people would never stumble onto their ministry or website if they weren’t having marital difficulties.
They elevate people to “helper” status on their forum and groom them for leadership in their ministry, to host weekly national conference calls. (Never mind that these couples are not healed themselves.) Divorced females stay there long after a divorce and worship the leader.
They slowly indoctrinate newcomers into their teachings until these brainwashed members can walk around like robots and no longer think for themselves. They want everyone to read their books, actively post on the forum and become a good member to the ministry, attend their Marriage Intensives, pay monthly fees for mentoring…and the same teachings and “catch” phrases are repeated OVER and OVER and OVER. They use repetition at it’s finest.
At the end of their Intensive they give homework and ironically, much of the homework cost money and then attendees get passed another piece of paper to sign up for automatic monthly drafts. They get $400.00 from each couple for the Intensive, and they desire to get $100.00 more a month (automatic draft) from each couple that attends for more mentoring.
It’s members are bitter to the very end. If you or anyone you know has their books or teachings, please get them out before it’s too late!!!
Did anyone mention Sathya Sai Baba. He’s the guy that materializes Ash and Rings, Watches etc.
He produces Eggs from his mouth.
Of course this is all Tricks. He has fooled Thousands of Gullible people. People want to Believe and he provides the Means by Trickery. He is also a know Pedofile and small town Hustler. He can separate your money from yourself.
There is a new cult.
The “Animal Protection Party” formerly known as SPEAK Political. They are an animal rights group who beleive that the pharmaceutical are run by aliens or the “unseen”. They advocate bombing and have been taking out rivals such as SHAC with violence, fit ups and informing.
They are using methods of isolating potential recruits and enemies [who are therefore recruits...] using violence, ridicule, public humiliation, *****ual violence etc.
Their supporters / members have infiltrated organised crime and have recruited drug dealers. In Camden, London UK, one of the groups / group members uses the name “Camden Sanity Brigade”.
One of their supporters poses next to a sign stating “BOMBERS”. Despite being a”political party” few of them use full or real names. They are behind the anti SHAC blog “SHACWATCH”.
These people are dangerous are being underestimated.
@Mystern (37):
Mormons not a cult? After living around Mormons for most of my life, I would say they are very weird. And as far as being a cult, I would say a resounding, yes. Ok, it’s right to do a baptismal for somebody that was not “Right” with the lord. Give me a break! Just look at how the Mormon (or is it morons) have stolen pieces from almost every religion.
Why do you think Joesph Smith was killed; it was because he revealed Masonic secrets. Which these were integrated into the Mormon religion! Now, look at The Book of Mormon: nearly 25,000 (yes, 25,000) words were plagiarized from the bible. You should also remember that some of Joesph Smith’s original writings were stolen. He told the people that he should rewrite these differently. More BS and lies.
Also, look at how the Mormons use shame as a way to control. This is a way that cults keep people in line. The other thing is how Mormons don’t believe in the “Cross”, as it symbolizes the suffering of Jesus Christ. I thought that was the point of Christianity! Remembering that Jesus payed for our sins is the key to being a Christian. To deny the “Cross” is not being a Christian.
I could go on for hours about Mormons, but I hope you get the point.
JB in Nevada
the Roman Catholic Church is NOT a cult! If you truly believe that it is, then WOW! There sure are a lot of them out there!!!! Oh, and I DO believe we have a sacrament called confession where God forgives his sinners….tell me, please, how is that bad? Just because some of you out there don't have any faith you automatically go and group all religions into being a cult. Then you call us hypocrites…well sorry, but everyone makes mistakes and yes some people take it extreme but it doesn't mean that ALL of us are like that! When you do that isn't that being hypocritical on your end by labeling us? THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! Know the FACTS and may be go to church before you label people!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult
Technically, all religions are cults. Being a cult is not a bad thing, it just means you are a believer in something – in your case Jesus Christ. No worries, I love Roman Catholics – went to Catholic school for 13 years and I partially blame my deep faith in God on the many loving mentors I had throughout those years.
Jesus tells you in your bible that no one goes to the father unless they go through me, not a man. I guess that really is a big deal to some people. You don’t have to get soooo angry….! And please don’t think that people do not know the facts. You may be intelligent but so are many on this Blog.
@Tiff (178):
In response to most of your comment, look up the definition of cult. That’ll be a real “WOW!” moment for you. Also, why is it a bad thing that God forgives confessors of their sins? Because a loving and merciful God should not have to hear “confessions” in order to not torture people for all eternity. WOW!
The words that came out of the mouth of your Creator.
Matthew 7:13-14
13″Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:21-27
21″Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
24″Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
This is what I know to be true. It seems most of the people that have commented on this site are lost. There is one way to be saved and it is by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Turn from sin and believe. The bible says all have sinned and fallen short of Gods standards.I know I have. God is perfect and holy. If you are not perfect than you have fallen short of his Glory. God cannot be with sin and thats what man kind is guilty of. God said the penalty for sin is death (physically and spiritually)You are dead spiritually and thats why you care nothing for God nor understand your sin against him. God is merciful though. Instead of casting us aside into eternal punishment he has given us a second chance. He became a man and lived a perfect sinnless life. Taught us his ways and the truth and laid down his life as a sacrifice for the sin of this world. This was Gods plan so that by this we would not look to our own effort for salvation but to Jesus Christ who is God and who loves us and died for us and rose again. He now sits at the right hand of God awaiting his second coming. Jesus Christ paid the price that was suppose to be placed on us. He was the son of the true God. The son has always existed with God and when he became sin in our place, God the Father poured out his wrath on him. We will never understand all that Jesus truly went through on that cross. It was more than a beating and some nails. Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin. If you reject this payment, there is no other way and if you die this way you will die with your sins unforgiven. Dont be foolish. Stop listening to all the stupid beliefs that make no sense. If you study the Bible you will find it to make total sense and there is history and records to back it all up. No other religion can do this nor do they have a savior. Its your choice though. We have a good God and he wants you to be saved but if you’re so stuck on yourself and your own wisdom that you wont even take the time to read the Bible so you will understand, well then there’s nothing to help you unless God intervenes in your life. Protestant churches are the only ones that have not gone to other beliefs outside the original Holy Bible. Some protestant churches are Baptist, methodist, non-denominational, presbyterian, and there are more. Catholics and Mormons have gone outside of the original bible by adding to it. Sorry if your catholic or Mormon but its true and jesus warned about doing this. Jesus also said that his next coming would be unmistakable and everyone would know. He said that if anyone says here is the Christ or that he has come dont believe them (Matthew 24:23) and Mormons say that he apearded to Joseph Smith. This would contradict the original bible. Joseph was deceived by a fallen angel. The bible says that Satan can apear as an angel of light to decieve (2Corinthians 11:14) So believe in the Original Bible and stop living in the ways of the world. Even if you dont believe just get a bible and check it out. Cry out to Jesus and ask him to help you so you will know the truth. I know how that sounds to someone who doesnt believe but its what I did and God transformed my life. But you have to understand and admit to God that you need his forgivness for your sins and that you accept his Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. there are very few real Christians in the U.S. Many say they are but they are not. when God changes you you really change and you desire to follow jesus Christ. It doesnt mean you are perfect but you will desire to turn from all sin. If you claim to be a Christian and you still habitually live in open sin with no brokeness or fear of God because of it, then you have not been born again spiritually, and its because you havent truly made Jesus your Lord. You still want the worlds sinful pleasures instead of following God. At the end of this life nothing you lived for will be worth it if you dont have Christ. Nothing in this world that you loved will be there to save you when you slip into eternity except Jesus. Put your faith in him and follow him…Im done.
Be careful when you say "original bible". Technically, if you are reading a translation then you are not reading the original bible. Even then, the bible is a collection of many different works that were created at different times. That does not make the teachings of the Bible any less powerful or true, I'm just saying that your logic is coming off a little fuzzy.
Also, Jesus himself said that he had more to reveal several times in the New Testament scriptures.