Religious Cults In Ancient Egyptian Mythology

Religious Cults In Ancient Egyptian Mythology
Egyptians believed in Egyptian Gods for more than 3,000 years. It started being believed in, in 2800
B.C.E. Egyptian mythology was believed in across Egypt. Religious Cults played a big role in
Egyptian Mythology. The Creation of Earth created the Gods so they can have features in the Earth.
The "End of the World" ended the belief in Gods nearly 100 years later. Egyptian Mythology clearly
helped develop Egyptian Culture. Religious Cults played a central role in the life of Ancient
Egyptians and the belief of Ancient Egyptian Gods. Religious Cults are groups who worship specific
Gods. They were very important in all aspects of believing in Ancient Egyptian Society. The King,
or Pharaoh, was the most important figure in these Religious Cults, as well as in the state. It is
important to have Religious Cults because without them there ... Show more content on
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Before creation there was a state of being that contained the potential for all of life. This inchoate
state was imagined as a dark, watery domain of unlimited depth and extent. Elements and qualities
of this chaos could be personified as gods and goddesses. The Creation of Earth was crucial because
without it there wouldn't be anything except for chaos, and there wouldn't be anyone to believe in
Ancient Egyptian Mythology. The Creation of Earth played a super big role in Ancient Egyptian
Gods.
The Gods and Goddesses all represented different features of the Earth that were all important in
separate ways. The most important features were the Sun, the Sky, the Ground, the Water, and the
Underworld. The Ancient Egyptians named each God/Goddess and gave them their feature. They
gave Ra (the Sun God) the job of King of the Gods and Goddesses. Without the Gods and
Goddesses having features of the Earth they wouldn't have any purpose here. Features of the Gods
and Goddesses play a central role in Ancient Egyptian
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Why people join cults Essay
CULTS
I. Introduction
Thesis: The forces that draw individuals into cults can be explained by psychological doctrine.
II. What is a cult
A. Brief description
B. Types of cults
1. religious
2. psychotherapy or personal growth
3. political
4. popular or faddist
III. Popular cult groups
A. People's Temple
B. David Koresh ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
10). One category that cults fall into is known as a destructive cult. "A
destructive cult is a rigidly structured absolutist group usually under an authoritarian, charismatic
leader which isolates itself from established societal traditions, values, and norms, recruits members
deceptively without informed consent, and retains them by continually reinforced direct and indirect
manipulative techniques which cause personality and behavior change, deny freedom of choice, and
interrupt and obstruct optimal personality development" (MacHovec, 1989, p.10).
Such groups are usually thought of in terms of religion, although other types of cults can and do
exist. "Cults can be described by their major focus or function: religious, psychotherapy or
personal growth, political, or popular or faddist" (MacHovec, 1989, p.10). Cults require strict
adherence to a set of beliefs and, in turn, provide a sense of meaning and purpose to their followers.
Many well–known groups

Prevention Of Cult Research Paper
All of history has been proof that danger always lies in an unquestioning faith in a single person. For
decades, cults have been rising up from the minds of a few, people that seem to think of themselves
as a greater being. The question remains, is there anything that can, or should, be done to prevent the
growth of cults? It is difficult to condemn all cults as being inherently evil, when doing so would be
prejudice against someone's religious beliefs. The Church of Scientology, one of the world's largest
cults, has officially been declared a religion by Britain's Supreme Court (Bingham). Not only do
people have the right to their beliefs, but the right to actively practice their religion. The line that
needs to be drawn is between harmlessness ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Familial importance is usually emphasized, and in more recent years some religions have become
accepting of things that they historically did not believe in. Religious followers are allowed to have
relationships outside of their belief system, and may leave to pursue other beliefs without any major
repercussions. These mark some of the most dramatic differences between cults and other religions.
Once someone joins a cult following, such as the Church of Scientology, they are often required to
adhere to rules that the rest of society does not consider appropriate. These rules serve as a warning
to outsiders, although that is not their intent. Occasionally, people are forced to abandon their
families in order to dedicate themselves (Shoemaker). Should they decide to leave the cult,
damnation may be an insinuated

Cults: The Four Factors Of Mind Control
A cult is relatively a small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others
as strange or sinister. The elements of a cult focus on four major factors of mind control such as
Behavior Control, Information Control, Thought Control, and Emotional Control. According to the
video uploaded by aperi mentis and written by Steven Hassan stated that: Behavior Control constant
reminding of the authority of the leader, obedience is the most important teaching just believing but
don't question; Information Control deception is basic feature of recruitment it keeps potential
members unaware of unusual group beliefs that would be distasteful at an earlier stage of
indoctrination, important information which is available to the general ... Show more content on
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The cult Sun Myung Moon was something like a virus which attacked her brain and the other cult
members, the cult infected their brain causing the most damage to them all because they had an
almost compromised immune system. The reason why Benscoter was under the spell of Sun Myung
Moon was because she was young and naïve which made me think about the cult episode in Monk.
Amanda and the other cult members in Siblings of the Sun must have joined the cult when they were
young believing that "Father" was their saver, they must had believed that "Father" was somewhat
similar to a god which was the reason why they were so drawn to him. Even if "Father" told them to
hand over all their life saving and told them to never listen to anyone but him none of them disobey
his order. Benscoter just like many other cult followers never thought about disobeying their leader
because they saw him as a God on

Cult Is A Cult Or Cult?
When you think of a Religion most would never think of it as a Cult but, I ask the question "Could a
religion actually be considered a cult?" A few religions that we have studied in class have actually
been considered a cult at one point in history, either many years ago, or very recent. What intrigues
me about this is: the definition and characteristics of a cult or religion, what groups/religions have
been considered to be a cult, and why do we think that a cult is not considered a religious group.
Some characteristics of a cult can be: that the leader becomes the person worshiped instead of a god.
It has thought reform like characteristics that are systematic in principle with a great focus on
confession, criticism, and self–criticism, in a systematic way. The last characteristic has to do with
heavy exploitation from the leader and other high ranking people and exploitation can be
economical and sexual. This was given from a documentary given on the history channel that I had
watched many years ago. The definition of a cult given by Wikipedia is: a cult is a religious or other
social group with socially deviant and novel beliefs and practices. The Merriam–Webster's definition
is also similar: a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that
has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. A different definition that I had found
for a cult and I think is a better explanation is: By its primary dictionary

The Destructive Effects of Cult Conversions Essay
A cult is a group of sadistic people that harm and take advantage of young, innocent people that are
ripped away from their families and into a cold, dangerous world. There are many questions as to
are cults really harmful. Cult leaders have many persuasive ways to trick you into believing their
beliefs and their twisted ways of life. One common way that cult groups usually do is they pick out
the most innocent and lonely victim. Then they make you feel comfortable and welcome and raise
you on a pedestal, but then they start judging on how you choose to live and usually use religious
ways to persuade you into their cult, tricking you into their society. Cult leaders frequently use
brainwash and many other techniques that are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Even behind prison, they carved swastika symbols, (a symbol characterized with Nazis) onto their
palm of their hands to praise their leader. The women who were convicted of the murders were
convinced that they were doing no harm. Still to this day Charles Manson has many followers that
continue to praise him and his beliefs. The Ku Klux Klan have brained washed many people into
believing that their race is superior to anybody else's. The Ku Klux Klan along with Hitler were
responsible for murdering millions of Jews. "The intent of such a group is to control and keep its
members for life or until the victims cease to be of value to the leader." (According to the Cult
information Centre) To the Ku Klux Klan, the more warriors they recruit, the more powerful they
become. The Ku Klux Klan does not dress up in sheets but they are still around trying to "fix" the
world. The Branch Davidians were in a class of their own. They believed that their leader, David
Koresh was the son of God. They believed that if they followed his scripture then they would go to
heaven or in a paradise of their own. The Branch Davidian's beliefs were so strong that they died
believing that they were going to go to heaven. Some of the survivors still to this day believed that
David Koresh was the son of God. In an article in Caltech Counseling Center followers believed
that, "We can rest assured that both spiritual forces and principles of our new

Complexity Of Cult
To understand the complexity of a cult a person must first understand the meaning of what that word
truly defines. In a dictionary, you would find the meaning of the word as the system of religious
worship or ritual. But if you take this definition literally then a Christian would be insulted. Just
because a person follows God or a "god" does not mean they are in a cult. Nevertheless, the word
"cult" has few different meanings. The structure of a cult has varied differences but the goal is the
same. AS a Christian, I disagree with the term in most dictionaries. Christians describe with the term
found in most dictionaries. Christians describe cults in a different perspective. In our judgment, a
cult is a religious group that falsifies the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The religion is an atheist UFO religion founded in the 1970s which focuses on the social ideas of
sexual self–determination, individualism, and humanitarianism in the spirit of sharing and
responsibility, which, they claim, will bring a new age of wealth and peace guided by those with
greater intelligence. They believe in humanoid extraterrestrial which is known as primitive ancestors
as Elohim "those who came from the sky". In other words, they believe in aliens. He believes in
human cloning and "mind transfer." He said he received a message explaining our origins and future
was dictated to him in December 1973, during personal meetings with a 25,000–year–old
extraterrestrial named Yahwell who came in a UFO. UFO stands for an unidentified flying object.
His belief is that God Created humans and all life on earth using DNA manipulation and genetic
engineering. One of these religious cults is Heavens Gate. Heavens' Gate was a secretive New Age
religion. Knowledge of their practices is limited. Upon joining the group, members often sold their
possessions in order to break their attachments with earthly existence. For many years, the group
lived in isolation in the western United States. Members often traveled in pairs and met with other
members for meeting o presentations they gave to recruit new

Managing Cultism in Tertiary Institutions
MANAGING CULTISM IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
BY
SULAIMAN ABDULLAHI KARWAI, Ph.D, fmca, mnim, mimc,
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA.
Abstract
Importunate secret cult activities have created a culture of fear and turned many tertiary institutions
into centres of violence, where Fear, anxiety and insecurity of lives and properties are the order of
the day. These scenarios have resulted in poor learning, poor performance and low academic
attainment. The objective of this study is how to eradicate cultism from our tertiary institutions so as
to enable them to produce the much needed high level manpower for overall national development.
The study is an expository work based on the survey of literature. It ... Show more content on
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Encyclopaedia Britannica (2009) cautions that cult worship is so universal in religion that some
historians of religion actually define religion as cult.
From the definitions given so far, we can deduce that cultism/cult, secret cult and secret society are
secret groups of people whose members are bound on an oath to keep the activities of each and
every member secret. It is also safe to say that cult fraternity may be violent or beneficial to the
society, depending on the objectives of the members. For example, some secret cults are formed to
provide benevolent services while others are formed due to political reasons to protect the interest of
the society. In light of these definitions, we shall use cultism, cult, secret cult and secret society
interchangeably.
2.2 The Evolution of Cultism
Secret adherence to a doctrine or leader based on a common dogma or beliefs has been in existence
for a very long time. All over the world, secret cults have been flourishing and causing positive
and/or negative impacts. On the positive side, religious experience are said to have received its
initial, practical expression in the forming of cult that provides an orderly framework for the

religious object. The Egyptian religion, the ancient Greek Adonis and the Roman Catholicism are
said to be cults (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009). While on

Religious Cult Research Paper
Media has often shown religious cults to be a form of devil worshipping or pagan rituals. The reality
is there are a multitude of religious cults ranging in varying numbers of followers. All of them are
potential dangerous, and can cause consequences for the followers of their cult. Following a
religious cult leads to a dependence towards its teachings, conducting a cult's practices, and
affecting society. The most potent impact a religious cult can have on an individual is a dependence
towards the cult and its teachings. When one becomes brainwashed by a cult's teachings and
becomes a member, they become intrinsically attached to their false teachings and ideas. Due to this,
the cult can manipulate its followers for their own agenda. As ... Show more content on
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This can include pagan sacrifices, self–inflicted harm, and other bogus practices to reach 'spiritual
enlightenment'. Also, cults may promote potentially dangerous alternative medicines and other
remedies. Furthermore, the cost for these remedies could reach to thousands – or even millions – of
dollars. Due to the influence of the cult, these possible adverse effects become obscured to the cult
followers. Perhaps the most concerning consequence is that large cults can shape our very societies.
The baseless dogmatic ideologies taught by the cults affect the decisions of all the followers of the
cult. For example, if a large cult can delude their followers that vaccines should be avoided, the
repercussions can lead to the deaths of millions. If such baseless ideas are rampant, it may even
cause legislation to be made in accordance to the bogus superstitions of the public. This extreme
scenario gives a glimpse of the dangerous outcome of religious cults. Although religion itself may
not be completely harmful, religious cults can potentially be destructive to individuals and society.
The infectious nature of religious cults can lead to unforeseen ramifications. While the cult's exterior
might appear to be promising, the interior content only serves a dubious intent. Thus, if you want to
avoid the baggage that comes with a religious cult, and other superstitious jargon, skepticism
towards the opaque world is

The Most Bizarre Cults In The World
The Most Bizarre Cults in the World
Cults basically refer to groups that happen to believe in cultures and beliefs even if people are
responding positively or negatively. There are numerous cults that are either public or private but
even so, they managed to be known by people and convince to be powerful enough to take down
anything. Here are the most bizarre cults in the world.
List of The Most Bizarre Cults in the World:
The Manson Family
The Manson Family cult originated with Charles Manson, an abandoned boy that was sold in
exchange for beer. In 1934, Kathleen Maddox was an alcoholic woman that sold her very son for
beer. Charles was eventually returned to Kathleen but was sent to boarding school and was later
given to his religious aunt and uncle. His mother kept rejecting him and so he started stealing that
gave him a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is a secret society that was started by men named Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret. It was
originally named "I'Ordre International Chevaleresque de Tradition Solaire" in 1984 but was later
changed to "Ordre du Temple Solaire". It is rumored that this cult is a secret that most of the
members are classified as unknown. In 1994, Emmanuel Dutoit, Tony Dutoit's son, died with
multiple stabs in his three months old body. It was rumored that Di Mambro killed Emmanuel
because of the discovery of the baby being Anti–Christ, and was meant to be born to stop Di
Mambro from having the success of his spiritual aim. In a few days, Di Mambros cult was
discovered and they were found in approximately 15 circles where members of the cult committed
suicide with poison. Their buildings were set on fire to prevent anyone from finding out what they
had planned and symbols that purify the group. there are almost a hundred members died but people
still believe that the group still exist with more than a hundred

Heaven's Gate: A Colossal Failure Essay
Throughout history, there have been many instances of cults, many of which share the common
characteristic of having corrupt leaders. For instance, Charles Manson led his cult in a homicidal
spree, and David Koresh and Jim Jones convinced their followers to commit mass suicide. It is
apparent that in cult history, leaders are the main cause of the tragedies that ensue. Heaven's Gate, a
religious cult, was founded on a mixture of Christian beliefs and a belief in UFOs. They stayed out
of the public eye for many years until March 27, 1997. On this day, thirty–nine members of the cult
committed suicide so that their souls could board a coming spaceship. This spaceship trip, however,
was only for their souls, so they needed to be rid ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
. . par 4). The two original founders of the cult, Marshall H. Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Trousdale
Nettles, met in 1972 when Applewhite was a patient in the hospital where Nettles worked (Stewart
par 1) After they discovered that they shared many of the same beliefs, they began to hold meetings
to attract followers. Applewhite and Nettles believed themselves to be "the two 'endtime' witnesses
mentioned in Revelation 11" ("Heaven's Gate" Britannica par 2). These witnesses are two nonhuman
beings who will appear on earth to prepare the way for the coming Lord. Applewhite called himself
the reincarnation of Jesus, and Nettles was the "Heavenly Father" (Stewart par 2). These ideas
stemmed from the duo's belief that they were from the "Next Level" (Stewart par 2) and that only
they had the ability to understand the Next Level. Because of this ability, their followers had no
choice but to be completely reliant upon and trust "The Two" ("Heaven's Gate" Britannica par 2), as
they were referred to. (This nickname goes back to the two witnesses described earlier from
Revelations 11 in the Bible.) The members of Heaven's Gate followed their leaders blindly. When
they joined this cult, according to Stewart in paragraph 3, they were told that the only way to truly
reach the Kingdom of Heaven was by giving up everything they had. As well as giving up

Religious Cults Being Manipulative, Abusive And...
Religious Cults being manipulative, abusive and exploitative exploitive
Cults are developing and flourishing, as they cause a profound suffering to
many individuals. Many individuals close–mindedly follow religious Cults,
thus Religious cults tend to hinder their true reality in terms of their aberrant philosophy.
Religious cults are the parasites among religious institutions feeding on the insecurity of
their members by being; manipulative, abusive and exploitative.
Religious cults lean towards mental indoctrinating the cult members. To begin, a
religious cult in Guyana, People's temple is infamous for the mass murder suicide in
1978, where 918 of the members had lost their lives. The so–called ... Show more content on
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Many members say that they were not told about the
mass murder when preparing for the end of the world. As doctor Speciosa Wandira
Kazibwe says, " this well orchestrated mass murder was perpetuated by malicious
criminals that were disguised as religious people" ( Atlanta). Many members of the
group sold their belongings and gave up their money to the cult leaders, as they were
demanded to do so. As on of the former cult member says, "Credonia was obsessed with
the desire to obtain the property of her followers," (Snow 77). The cult leaders claim that
they have supernatural power and abilities as well as exclusive access to come form of
universal truth. This idea acts an alluring method for people to join the cult. Many

religious cults are manipulating people in terms of forbidding sleep, talking, medical
care, and talking away children from their parents. The Cult the movement for the
restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, compelled the cult members to slaughter
and eat bulls and drink 70 cases of Coca–Cola" (Snow 88). Religious cults mentally
manipulate members in conducting peculiar philosophical concepts, thus also leading to
abusiveness. The act of abusiveness is intensely prevalent in religious cults. Charles Manson,
was a religious cult leader in California during the year 1969. Him and his followers
viciously murdered eight innocent people. This cult consisted of a mix of LSD and
delusions. Suicide

How Do Cults Affect Religion
During The Second Great Awakening, the Christian message became perverted by cults that sought
to influence through religious dogma, psychology, and the suppression of women.
In the 19th century, American's cultural lives were centered around religion, which paved the way
for cults to promote people into engrossing their way life to increasingly doctrinaire religion. To
begin with, Matthias manipulated Christianity's teachings to craft his own sinister and self–
promoting agenda, an example of this can be found on page 82 of the text, "...Poring over scripture,
reflecting on everything that had happened since his childhood, mixing class resentment with a
new–found hatred of preachy Christian women (Page 82)." This passage demonstrates that religion
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Unlike Biblical prophets, Matthias was irrational and self–promoting. Indubitably, he was mentally
unbalanced. Throughout the book, Robert Matthews constantly exhibits erratic behavior, on page
111 Matthias continually suppresses his followers "...Matthias washed his food down with water
from his engraved silver chalice; the others drank from ordinary glass tumblers (Page 111)." From
this example, readers get a glimpse of the daily psychological techniques that were utilized to craft
and quell their mindset. By drinking from an ornate glass, Matthias visually implements hierarchy.
However, this overt display of superiority contradicts the origins of Matthias cult, the Bible states
that all men are equal. Certainly, the Biblical prophets would never demean their followers. Clearly,
Matthias constructed a utopia to serve his own vanities. Another example of psychosocial
manipulation can be found on page 122, "God, they said, had revealed that Matthias and Ann were
matched spirits, and that she was to present the Prophet with a holy son (Page 122)." This example
demonstrates the process in which Robert Matthews molded cult religion to serve his desires.
Utilizing his veiled infallible qualities, Matthias manages to seize Ann and promote his own male
vanities. Psychological tactics were a vital method of manipulating and subverting power to

Essay on Why People Join Cults
CULTS
I. Introduction Thesis: The forces that draw individuals into cults can be explained by psychological
doctrine.
II. What is a cult
B. Types of cults
1. religious
2. psychotherapy or personal growth
3. political
4. popular or faddist
III. Popular cult groups
A. People's Temple
B. David Koresh
C. Heaven's Gate
D. The Family
IV. Charismatic group
A. Brief desciption
B. Characterization
V. Sigmund Freud's beliefs
A. Belonging to a group
B. Super–ego
VI. Thought Reform
B. How thought reform works
VII. Effects of a cult
A. Stress
B. Isolation
C. New lifestyle

D. Dissociative
E. Anxiety
F. Personality disorders
VIII. Conclusion
IX. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Manson was referred to both as "God" and "Satan" by his followers. As the family's guru, he
claimed to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. The police and DA argue that Manson found sections
within the Beatles' song Helter Skelter and within the last book in the Christian Bible, Revelation
which he felt referred to a devastating future race war between blacks and whites. Although Manson
is not believed to have killed anyone directly, he ordered his followers to commit the famous Tate,
LaBianca and other murders.
Because cultic behavior underlies more than extremist religious sects, many psychologists refer to
these groups as charismatic groups. "A charismatic group consists of a dozen or more members,
even hundreds or thousands. It is characterized by the following psychological elements: members
(1) have a shared belief system, (2) sustain a high level of social cohesiveness, (3) are strongly
influenced by the group's behavioral norms, and (4) impute charismatic
(or sometimes divine) power to the group or its leadership" (Galanter, 1989, p. 5). Most
psychologists would probably acknowledge that there exists a deep human need to belong to a
group. Often, this need leads people to form what might be viewed as unhealthy allegiances to a
person or group who, ultimately, does not truly have the person's interest at heart. Sigmund Freud
also believed wanting to belong to a group is a

Word Cult Research Paper
The definition of the word cult has completely reversed from its original meaning. How did the term
become such a widely debated "slippery" term? It has been a long road from its original meaning to
its current polar opposite, but it has been greatly prodded along by society's treatment of the term.
The common stereotype of cults as secretive member in black cloaks has been long propagated by
various mediums, leading to the contrast between common view and traditional definition. One of
the main offenders in the warping of the word cult has been its use in the media. "most people get
the majority of their information about new or controversial religions through the media" (Cowan).
News has always tended to focus on the negative things in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Because different researchers use different definitions of the word cult, their conclusions can't be
compared to each other and can't be held as a standard to judge other groups by. Lalich says that
"cult scholars are as the blind men examining the elephant": each with their own frame of reference
and own conclusions. The term "cult" as an analytic category, as researchers have attempted to use
it, has just as unclear parameters as when it is used to delineate dangerous groups. Often what some
see as only aspects of cults are used by others as definitive characteristics. Without a knowledge of
specific qualities, the results of each researcher are independent and unhelpful, and only contribute
to the confusion of the meaning of the term

Religious Cults
Religious Cults – A Threat to Society? On November 18, 1978, in a cleared–out patch of the
Guyanese jungle, Reverend Jim Jones ordered the 911 members of his flock to kill themselves by
drinking a cyanide potion, and they did. It seems cultists were brainwashed by this megalomaniac
Jones, who had named their jungle village after himself and held them as virtual slaves, if not living
zombies. Jones himself was found dead. He'd shot himself in the head, or someone else had shot
him. Is it plausible that more than nine hundred people took their own lives willingly, simply
because he told them to?
This paper will examine aspects of certain religious groups around the world that have shocked us
with similar types of behavior. Most of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Groups with self–styled s like Charles Manson, David Koresh, and Marshall Applewhite have
flourished, teaching impending doom, using mixtures from Christianity, millennialism and even
science fiction.
Most of those who join these groups, do not join them with the intention of becoming a cultist, they
are usually seeking a new religious group, or a self–help group, looking for some improvement in
their lives. It is the group that they join that play on the individual's insecurities and giving them
some sense of order and a reason for their existence in the world.
There have been many religious groups that have caught the medias attention with their deviant
behavior such as the members of Jonestown. Here are some other examples that will illustrate the
complete dominance that the leaders were able to hold over the members of the cult.
David Koresh's Religious group, known as the Davidian is one of the more familiar cuts during the
past decade. On February 28, 1993, Storm Troopers of the ATF tried to enter the Branch Davidian
compound in the outskirts of Waco, Texas, where David Koresh and his followers had set up their
haven. The compound was stockpiled with weapons that were to be used for a holy war that the had
claimed would be coming soon. David and his followers vowed there would be no surrender. For 51
days there was a standoff between the cult, and the ATF. The

Similarities Between The Ku Klux Klan
SAC 2 – Comparison between Religion and Cults – Ku Klux Klan
A Cult is a new religious movement that has a limited number of followers and whose practices may
or may not be mysterious and possible unsavoury. The Ku Klux Klan commonly known as the KKK
is a cult that refers to three movements at various times in history in the United States of America.
The KKK fought for white supremacy, white nationalism, anti–immigration and anti–Catholicism.
Religion is a method of thought that is meant to give meaning to man's life by putting him in
communion with a higher power through stories, rituals, and beliefs. Christianity is a religion based
that is monotheistic which means it only believes in one God. The Christian faith tries to teach its
followers ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Religion can answer the worlds most asked questions. Religion shows how the world is made, how
mankind came to existence. It gives meaning to an individual's life. Cults are smaller in nature,
generally have less followers with more extreme beliefs.
A common thought of cults is that the members have crazy beliefs. This is not always true, cults can
vary from beliefs however the cult I am researching the kkk do in fact have crazy, unhuman beliefs.
The most well–known cults generally have mysterious and crazy beliefs. This is because they're
discussed in the media for the extreme beliefs they endure. This results in the general public
believing all cults are bad.
Similarities between the Christian religion and the Ku Klux Klan is they both believe in change. The
Ku Klux Klan believes it can change the world by making "white" people more powerful than
"black" people. They tried to persuade the people of Earth to believe that what they were doing was
the right thing to do. They persuaded people by using force and extreme violence. This means that
they killed people, mainly "black" people to get their point across. The Christian Religion believed it
could change the hearts of the individual person. However, they did not do this by using extreme
violence but instead by using Jesus' teachings and the Holy Bible. Both the Christian religion and
the Ku Klux Klan have hierarchies. The leader was called the Pope or for the KKK it was the Grand
Wizard. Then for the Catholics it is the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops whereas for the KKK it
is the Grand Dragons, Grand Titans and Grand

Why Do Cults Be Illegal
Cults are a small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange
or sinister. Cults are portrayed to the people as dangerous and strange because of what they often do.
For example, one cult that is well known is the Ku Klux Klan also knows as the KKK. They targeted
African Americans, the criminal acts they did were very violent. All cults should be illegal because
they choose violent methods to put out their message. Cults are dangerous to be apart in. The reason
they should all be illegal is because they are very dangerous. As well as their actions turn into
violent acts. They fulfill acts of racism and oppression. Another reason is because they brainwash
their members to make them stay in the cult. Once in a cult many members of such cults aren't
allowed ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Actions that are made by cults are always going to be negative, there will never be any positive
effects made by cults. In an article from The New York Times it talks about how brainwashing in a
cult scares their members to force them to stay, ''Most of the malign cults are frightening to people
when their tenets are revealed, as with the People's Temple after Jonestown". Brainwashing is one of
many ways cult leaders make their members do the activities they want them to do. Cult members
usually do not know they are in a cult. Once they figure out they are in one they want to leave but
cannot. The members that are able to leave the cult will be left with the physical and mental
damages the cult leaves them with. In an interview, Paul Martin talks about the damaged patients
who were in cults looking for a way to be happier, "seekers looking for a worthy cause or a way to
serve God, the lonely or depressed who find a caring community in the group, and those who are
caught up by the excitement of the movement or the charisma of its

The Religious Cult Of Cults
Most of our thoughts about cults today are often a misconception of ideas that derive from our
imagination. Practices that resemble a strange ritual or ceremony would certainly be fitting. Most of
our culture could potentially spot a religious cult if the anomalies, or strange behaviors were
evident. This simply is not a good way to identify cults today though. These groups are no longer
apparent to the naked eye. Their systems of religious veneration and highly devoted groups blend in
with our everyday living. These members live in communities. Some shop at the same designer
stores we shop in, and rally for the same home sports team. These members are relatable. They are
intelligent. They have great careers and enjoy some of the same hobbies as you and I. They teach
our children in public schools, sit on the board for our local and National governments, prescribe us
medications when we are ill. They blend right in. We need to guard our hearts and minds from these
groups and gracefully proclaim the solid foundations of God's word. The only way to do this is to
understand how these cults work and how to defend God's word effectively. To understand these
groups one must understand the specific characteristics that they possess. If we simply describe a
cult as a religious group, then all religious groups would fit the classifications of a cult. However,
there are no grey areas when determining the characteristics of a cult. These cults dismiss a proper
relationship to the

Kingdom Of Matthias Themes
In The Kingdom of Matthias by Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, the story follows the life of a
man named Robert Matthews, who later bestows the name of Matthias ("The Prophet") to himself.
This book demonstrates important themes (and events) that are prevalent in the 19th century United
States, including the War of 1812, the Market Revolution, the Second Great Awakening, and more.
More specifically, this story communicates and reflects an exaggerated view of those subjects and
how it affected Robert Matthews and Elijah Pierson. The American society during this time was
going through many advancements, including having a market–driven culture and the movement of
women's independence. In The Kingdom of Matthias, these ideas are obvious through the actions of
Matthias and how he despised the changes in society and culture. His actions including treating
women poorly, attempting to start his own religious cult, and his fits of rage and insanity (which I
believe are due mental illnesses and stress). These changes in society caused a negative shift in
many people's lives, including Robert Matthews/Matthias and Elijah Pierson; who also plays a key
role in the story of the cult, the "Kingdom." Once more, in The Kingdom of Matthias, it
demonstrates many important U.S. themes of the 19th century in an exaggerated manner.
Robert Matthews was born in 1788 to a Scots immigrant family, which lived in New York in a
farming neighborhood called the Coila. The family was part of a

The Kingdom Of Matthias By Historians Paul E. Johnson And...
"The Kingdom of Matthias" by historians Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz examines one of the
first scandals in American history. The book takes place in a time when a majority of people sought
after a passionate religion. The authors wonderfully organized the book, splitting it into 4 large
sections. The first and second sections were written purely to introduce the reader to Elijah Pierson
and Robert Matthews, the men who started the Kingdom (or cult); the third and fourth concern the
Kingdom (how it functioned, and it 's members) and how it failed. In these chapters, the reader
slowly becomes involved with the characters as the authors illustrate a story which many had forgot.
Throughout the first two sections, you discover the main motivation of Elijah and Matthias '
decisions began when they were young. They both held a belief that women and men were not
equal, and men were superior in every way. They were being taught through superior roles among
the church that women had no place of power among God. This was shown in ceremonies, and
church gatherings. There were also social classes among the church, which was decided by the men
(head of the household). The families would merely adopt the class that their husband placed into.
The story begins by introducing Elijah Pierson, who was best known in New York as a religious
reformer. Elijah quickly became successful by becoming involved with the market revolution among
America. Elijah met his wife Sarah, and soon after

Essay about Cults and Their Leaders
Cults and Their Leaders
For many years, cult leaders always had a psychological hold on their followers' minds. Whether it
was to kill other people or to kill themselves, they did it without question. Some cult leaders used
fear, violence and guilt as a means of a weapon to control the minds of their followers. Other cult
leaders used persuasive and spiritual speeches that made their followers believe they were doing
good and fulfilling God's plan. Because cult leaders are powerful through psychological offenses,
the people that belong to their cults are brainwashed into doing things they wouldn't normally do in
their right state of mind.
For years, there have been problems surrounding the definition of the term 'cult'. ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Merriam–Webster online dictionary defines cult as: "a religion regarded as unorthodox or
spurious; also: its body of adherents." Indeed, any religion involving unconditional worship and
unquestioning obedience to God could be labeled as a cult (using the derogatory suggestion of the
word), since such a religion would have that high level of dependency, obedience, and unwavering
compliance ascribed to cults by definition. Many mainstream religions still require their members to
believe in God unquestioningly, to have faith that he is good and that what he does is good, to
consider one's own wants and needs as unimportant while accepting the will of God as paramount.
All of these are certainly characteristics commonly attributed to cults, but while it would not be
unreasonable to apply this definition of a cult to any dogmatic religion that requires strict
compliance with God's word and will as a condition of membership, the notion of applying the word
"cult" to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or any other major world religion today is considered absurd.
There are those who make this very claim: that those who worship God fit the classic depiction of
cult members in their dogmatism, unswerving

The Role Of Religion And Sociological Perspective
The Role of Religion in Sociological Perspective Religion is a system of beliefs that many of us
may not understand in detail. However, the intention of this paper is to describe the role of religion
in my personal life, and to briefly explain the functionalist perspective, the symbolic interactionism
perspective, types of religious groups, and religion in the United States with the sole purpose to
understand religion concepts in a sociological perspective and my personal point of view. The role
of religion in my life does not exist, as I am not a religious person. I believe that it is not necessary
to follow a particular religion/denomination to practice morality and ethics during our life on earth. I
do apply, however (with my own interpretations) the wisdom of the Bible to my life, especially the
Ten Commandments. I do believe in one God and I do believe that human's purpose in life is to take
care of God's creation, to follow God's words, and to love and accept others no matter what
background, religion, status, race, or culture. I find the world and everything in it to work to
perfection for me to believe that we were created by mere coincidence and evolution (concepts that
Atheist's faith may be based on). Therefore, if I have to relate my worldview to a certain
denomination, I would accept that my views are closely related to Theism, which is the belief in the
existence of one perfect, divine being. In order to understand the concepts

Cults Essay
Cults
Many people feel that cults are nothing more than a nontraditional religion, because of beliefs,
organization, and interest. Cults are much more than just little religions. They are a dangerous, and
in the United States there is little we can do about it. The term cult has many different meanings.
According to Jan Groenveld, a cult researcher and author, Christians define a cult as anything that
differs from traditional orthodox teachings, but the general definition is that, a cult is defined as a
pyramid structured group with a single, often charismatic leader. If the cult is religious in nature
then often the group will claim to be the one true religion (Groenveld).
In order for cults to continue to exist they ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is believed by experts that this is done out of fear. Cult leaders fear that they seeking treatment
will be "brainwashed" away from the group. Refusing medical treatment can allow a little illness to
become a major one. If left untreated the illness may affect other members of the cult, thus allowing
disease to run rampant within the cult (Groenveld). In some cults, members are made to sign that
they will be members of the cult until death. Any attempt to leave the cult will mean physical harm
(Singer).
In some cases when the cult leader feels that their power is threatened they might order a mass
suicide of the cult's members. Jim Jones, the founder of the Jonestown cult, did this. According to
Mary McCormick Maaga, who's Ph.D. dissertation was on the Jim Jones' Cult, when Jim Jones got
scared that more people would begin to leave Jonestown and that his power would be less, he
ordered the mass suicide of more than 900 people. This mass suicide allowed Jim Jones, at least in
his eyes, to keep the power he had.
Cults sometimes are able to escape the normal rules of law because they claim to be a religion. The
first amendment to the Constitution of the United States says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; "or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of

Sects Vs Cults
There are different types of groups that you can branch off of your religion, there are sects and cults.
A sect is a group of people with some different religious beliefs from the group larger to where they
actually belong, like a Church. A Cult is usually a small group of people who have religious beliefs
and practices observed by others as bizarre. A cult is founded by a powerful leader also known as a
charismatic. Sects have a high degree of pressure with the surrounding society unlike churches.
Sect determines from the Latin word "secta" which is characterized as "school of thought". It too
comes from the English dialect from the Old French "secte" which is alluded to as a particular
framework of convictions. While a cult is a completely different interpretation. Cult comes from a
Latin word "cultus" which implies "labor, adore, veneration, or culture". It too entered the English
dialect through the French word "culte" which is characterized as "specific form of worship". At that
point later on in the English dialect it came to mean "devotion to an individual or thing". ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One difference that has stood out is that a sect is a small group that follow a different doctrine than
the larger group they separated from. While a Cult is small wannabe religious group that has very
untraditional beliefs, rituals, and practices. This shows that a sect just derived from a larger group
and they branched off by themselves to practice a different doctrine, some of the sects I found are
from Islam they have Sunni and Shia sects, Judaism has the Karaites, and Hinduism has Shiyaism
and Shaktism sects. While cults are looked at weird and unusual because of how they practice their
own type of religion. Cults have leaders and their leaders make their people follow them and be

Critically examine sociological explanations for the...
The widely accepted definition of a sect is a religious group with characteristics, which
distinguishes it from either a Church or a denomination. Many groups which fit this definition now
prefer the less contentious title of "new religious movements", because over the last fifty years, sects
have become linked with brainwashing, mass suicide, and even a murder. One of the examples is the
suicide of 900 members of the People's temple.
Sects are not a new phenomenon and they have always attracted controversy. Throughout History,
humanity has formed secret societies and secular groups to try to make sense of the world. Most of
the time, their strong beliefs have sprung from dissatisfaction with mainstream religions, although
the influence ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
All members are allowed to have free dealings with the wider society, although they maybe asked to
behave in a religious manner when dealing with other people. However members are not asked to
cut off all their relations with the outer world or to devote their whole lives to religion. They can
play a full part in social life and are not expected to withdraw from society.
Unlike churches, sects are not organised through a hierarchy of paid officials. The only central
authority which exists in the sect is a single charismatic leader, whose personality and perceived
special qualities persuade the followers to adhere to his or her teachings.
Religious sects are rapidly growing since 1950s and church growth is declining. People join sects
for a variety of reasons. The popularity of so–called 'accepted' religions is declining, and the interest
in mysticism, new age teachings and supernatural is certainly growing. Particularly in the west,
where spirituality has been blocked by the joys of wealth and gratification, more and more people
seem to be looking for a spiritual aspect to their lives. If mainstream religion fails to supply this,
then there are numerous sects around which appear to promise either guaranteed salvation or at least
a close knit community of like minded friends.
The industrialisation and the growth of scientific knowledge have led the world to secularisation. It
is

Social Identity: Cults In The 19th Century
In the search to fulfill our need for a social identity, we form groups with other like–minded
individuals and build a sense of community. However, like any relationship, the bonds that we create
within our community can be either healthy or unhealthy. Though what we now define as a cult has
become much more common in recent years, "cults" have existed as far back as the pre–Christian
Jewish sects, one of which actually went on to become Christianity (Clark, 1993). Cults then
appeared steadily throughout the Middle Ages in the form or "heretical" groups that diverged from
patriarchal teachings and the founding members of the American Mormon Church were persecuted
in the 19th century (Clark, 1993). The 1960's brought the arrival of a hippie ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
This new religious group was founded by Jim Jones who combined both Christianity and the
Socialist groups. This religious group maneuvered frequently until they established their "home" in
another state which was called Guyana (Byrne, 2017). This was a huge tragic event caused by one
person, he was known to brain wash and manipulate his followers. He was known as an evil leader
that was considered as a Marxist. Jim Jones led a murder–suicide on Nov. 18, 1978, in which 900
people including infants, babies, and children to death by drinking a death potion and injecting a
lethal drug (Byrne, 2017). Many people followed him without hesitation and many people tried to
fight for their lives. Jim Jones knew he was going to get caught by the FBI that were sent down
there to investigate Jones Town, so he decided to lead his people to mass suicide so they won't find
out what a monster he really

Bacchic Cults: Digambara Religious Practices
Over the centuries, there have been a number of religious practices that were not received as well as
others. For instance, Bacchic cults appeared in the fifth century B.C.E. in Greece, as Euripides wrote
Bacchae in 405 B.C.E. While this religion held a prominent position in Greece, it was perceived
negatively in Rome in 186 B.C.E. through the writings of Livy. Digambara also generates mixed
reactions about its practices today, as it began in the fourth century B.C.E. according to a written
account in the tenth century C.E. In this paper, I am going to discuss the general practices of the
Bacchic cult in Greece and Rome, and compare it to the sect of Jainism called Digambara. I am also
going to examine how each religion is received by its ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Euripides' Bacchae was part of a long tradition of performing dramas at the Temple of Dionysus.
Specifically, these plays were performed during the winter annually, so a large number of people
could attend the plays. This highlights the cult's popular appeal, as people went to watch plays to
honor Dionysus. Roman officials, on the other hand, described Bacchic cults as an evil similar to a
plague. As the Bacchic cults were growing, the religion "added the pleasures of wine and feasting, to
entice more people in. When wine had inflamed them, at night with males mingled with females,
young with old, and when all sense of modesty was extinguished, all types of indecency began to
occur." Livy's account of the Bacchic cult is filled with negative language, as it describes the types
of vices performed. This is in direct contrast to the acceptance of mystery cults in Greece. Later,
Livy states that the senate decreed that "no one aged over twenty should be initiated; people of this
age were sought as being inclined to both erroneous ways and sexual indulgence" This decree not
only limits the amount of people who could participate in the Bacchic rites in Rome, but it also
showcases how these indulgences were common and acceptable among younger individuals of the
population. Also, in response to the emergence of the Bacchic cults in Rome, individuals also had to
get permission from a praetor and receive a

Argument Essay : ' Heaven 's Gate '
Emiliano Diaz
CW– 5th hour
Argument Essay
By definition religions can be considered cults. "Great devotion to a person, idea, object or work"
(Merriam–Webster). But regardless of definitions, the media has made the word "cult" become
surrounded by a negative connotation. A few famous examples of cults that have made headlines in
America, especially in the 1980's and 90's include The Manson Family, Heaven's Gate, and
Scientology. Only Scientology is still active today and they have 25,000 followers in the US
(Metzger). The former was made famous for the killing of Sharon Tate and four other people in
1969. It sparked instant media attention due to Tate's popularity as an actress. Present day, Charles
Manson is in jail serving life and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
An argument can be made that cults are seen as a religious construct, but cults are dangerous and
need to be contained. Cults are distinct from the major and minor religions people follow and
worship. These groups cause horrible harm to their members, and they get away with it with the
excuse of religious freedom. But they shouldn't be protected under the amendment. Not all harm by
cults is physical, mental and emotional abuse is just as harming to a person. Being slapped or
punched leaves a mark on your body for a day or two, but an insult can become tattooed on your
mind.
In the documentary Join Us from award winning director, Ondi Timoner, some of the members from
the cult Mountain Rock Church broke off and sought counseling. At The Wellspring Resort– the
only rehab center for ex–cult members in the US– they opened up about their experiences and desire
to recover from the abuse they endured (Join Us). Some of the members were there for about ten to
fifteen years and didn't know how to function without someone telling them exactly what to do (Join
Us). Deborah Melz, the first one to speak up on her desire to leave, details times when The
Reverend would corner the kids and beat them just for being loud. Watching her kids become
terrified and depressed she sought help for her family (Join Us). Although her husband, who'd been
with

Religion on the Internet Essay
Religion on the Internet
Religion can be a very controversial topic. There are so many different types of religion and
different people who practice and believe in these religions. Some people don't believe in any, some
have their own, some have one, but don't practice it, and some people even have multiple religions.
Religion is not a topic you bring up while having a cup of coffee with some friends, unless you are
all of the same religion. Usually discussing different religions it causes nothing but problems and
arguments. There is even a country music song that is titled, "Politics, Religion, and Her." The
singer goes on in the song to say how he never likes to discuss any of these three topics with anyone
and how they only cause ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The cult "teaches" a person how to know with certainty, so those who ascribe to its world–view exist
in a completely different reality than the rest of society."(alt.religion.scientology) This is the starting
paragraph for the site titled, "Cult Think" which talks about how a cult brainwashes a person into
their beliefs. As it is stated above these people are living in a totally fake world in which their beliefs
totally conflict with the norms of society. Hopefully people will read this site before reading one of
the cult sites that try to suck in vulnerable viewers. People are so vulnerable and ready to believe
anything that they get pulled right into them.
For example, the University of Queensland had a site on some cult information. "No, none of my
family members have been in cults, but I started one. I pulled a two week long mystical experience,
started to tell others about it and within a month had about twenty people who were trying to tell me
that I was jesus's second coming, it took a long time to tell them that they were wrong. That was
without consciously attempting to set up any of the various methods that can be used to ensure
conformity (although some of them were being used).(www.com!duke.den!conv.lynx) As we can
see here, this gentleman, named Mr. Lawson had a short two week long mystical experience and
formed a cult.

Argumentative Essay On Cults
Cults have been around since the beginning of civilization and today there are thousands of cults
around the world. Cults vary in ideas and beliefs, whether it be political, scientific, or focused on
self– development. The majority of cults claim to have the answer to life's biggest, toughest
questions and, use this to their advantage. They target people with loneliness or, people who look to
fill a void in their life. Cults across time have consistently shown that the power of manipulation can
empower a group and lead them to commit even the craziest of acts like mass suicide and murder.
While we associate cults with violence, cults are formed on a religious type basis that maintains its
followers faith geographically. According to Webster's

The Shawshank Redemption And Exploring The Espoused Values...
After viewing the film The Shawshank Redemption and exploring the espoused values of the
religion inside the prison, and how the leaders proclaimed to stand for certain beliefs but their
actions counteracted that, then exposing a system of oppression. I was encouraged to think about
groups that display a false sense of kindness but are manipulative in their actions. Gloriavale is a
religious community in New Zealand that claims to stand for God and proclaim to be goodness and
light. However they in reality, the leaders of the group use their religion to oppress a community of
people. These ideas lead me to explore cults. I have always had the perception of cults as being
shady, underground groups of people chanting manically and performing ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This group fits the definition of a cult perfectly, they were a small select group of people with
beliefs that were to the rest of the world, outlandish and strange. They also became dangerous after
the leader, Marshall Applewhite, told them that suicide was the only way to ascend to the spaceship
awaiting them to take them to heaven. Not all cults are small groups for example the People 's
Temple more famously known as Jonestown, had just over 900 members. It was "a religious group
based in California which moved to Guyana in the late 1970s to establish a communalistic utopia.
This group became very dangerous as it caused the deaths of 918 people. Nine people died
attempting to escape Jonestown including U.S. senator Rep. Leo Ryan, the remaining 909 died in
Jonestown of either poisoning or were shot." I personally was very shocked at how many people
died and why it wasn't investigated properly, the government had information that things were not as
it seemed. Instead of investigating they sent senator Ryan, I believe that this was a huge mistake and
perhaps if the matter was taken more seriously so many lives wouldn't have been lost. It does also
make me question whether this kind of neglect towards potentially dangerous cults is still occurring.
There many methods that cults use to indoctrinate new members and to keep them devoted to the
cause and

Summary Of The Film Imperfekt Strangers
The film Imperfekt Strangers revolves around a pseudo–Christian cult the Faith Community that is
based in Bloomington, Indiana. In the film, there are two Indiana University students who are
roommates with two members of the cult. This movie reflects from actual events that happened in
the 1970s in Bloomington, Indiana. The pseudo–Christian cult the "Local Church" that was held in
Bloomington was led by Witness Lee who tried to gain members through college students and
others around in the city ("Are"). Throughout the film, the two roommates who are part of the cult
tries to convince the other two roommates, Steve and Tyler to join the cult. However, tension builds
up with the cult members and the students when they would not convert and Steve's best friend
Richie ends up joining the Christian cult. Furthermore, Steve and Tyler end up worried and
concerned around the other roommates because their practices of following Christianity are eerie;
they become uncomfortable with the other followers who would also come to the house to preach.
Likewise, Steve and Tyler then confront their roommate Matty that they do not want to partake in
the cult. At the end, the two roommates Harold and Matty leaves Tyler and Steve. Due to the film
being based on true events, Matt Walls' character Tyler is deemed to be the most believable
character in the film and convincing that all these events are "naturally occurring" on a day–to–day
basis.
At first, Tyler is accepting of his roommates Harold

The Rise of Cult Activity Essay
The Rise of Cult Activity
Cult activity has been on the rise over the past few decades. With it there has been an increase in the
fear surrounding it. From this fear, society has learned much about cults, how they get members and
what to look out for as far as cult recruiters go. Society as a whole has also learned what can be done
to deal with cults. Cult activity and the fear that surrounds it
Throughout the last couple of decades more and more stories of illegal cult activity or murders by
satanic cults appear on the news each night. This surge of reported cult activity has caused a spark in
public interest. There has been a large increase in the fear that surrounds cults over the past couple
of years. A cult is "a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It was in February of 1970 that the motive of these murders was discovered (Bugliosi, 1974, 283).
Through police investigation, it was discovered that the murders were cult related. Charles Manson
and members of his cult, known as "The Family," were to blame. Manson and family lived on a
ranch in California. Manson was an avid fan of The Beatles and believed that this rock band spoke
to him though their lyrics. He particularly liked The Beatles' White Album which included the song
"Helter Skelter." Manson interpreted this song's lyrics as a prophecy of a race war that would take
place between the blacks and the whites. In this war, he believed the black man would rise up and
slaughter all of the whites. So Manson's plan was to take his family out into the desert and hide in a
bottomless pit until the war was over. After the war, he believed the blacks would realize all they
ever knew was taught to them by the white man, and if they wanted to survive, they would need a
white person to tell them what to do. That is when Manson and his Family would surface from the
bottomless pit, and be the rulers of the world as the master race (Bugliosi, 1974, 284–290).
The only problem with Manson's prophecy was that Helter Skelter never came. So he sent Family
members out to kill Sharon Tate and friends and instructed them to make it appear as if the blacks

Essay Jonestown
Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster's
dictionary as a "system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc."
Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused " tens of thousands to abandon their
families, friends, education's, and careers to follow the teaching of a leader they will never meet"
(Beck 78).
Opinions vary as to why people are drawn to cults. "Martin Marty, professor of religious history at
the University of Chicago, attributes the growth of cults to the frustrations of seemingly rootless
people"(U.S. News and World Report 23). Marty's classification of a rootless person is a person who
is overly frustrated by modern ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Jim still being a youngster was left in the care of a neighbor. Even though Jim and his mother were
separated frequently they still kept close ties with each other.
Jim was brought up as a Methodist. He became quickly fascinated with the pulpit oratory. Vera
Price, a childhood playmate remembers, "He'd always be the preacher, standing up making sermons"
(Axthelm 54). Even at the young age of seven Vera, recalls Jim's speeches encouraging strict
discipline. She remembers occasions when Jim was playing with other children and "he'd hit them
with a stick and make them cry. He had a power that most boys don't have"(Axthelm 54). As Jim
matured into a young adult this internal power he possessed was not fully matured. In high school
Jim was in the popular crowd, but never the leader of the pack. "Only in retrospect does anyone
claim to have spotted seeds of the horror to come.' I had a hunch something bad was going to
happen to him,' says a middle–aged man in Lynn. He was smart as a whip. But he had some strange
ideas. He never fit in with the town. He was different"(Axthelm 54).
Jones graduated from Richmond High School just outside of Lynn, It took him ten years of off and
on schooling to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree from Butler University. After graduation he
worked for a short time as an orderly at a local hospital where he met

Wizard Of Oz Research Paper
A group of people standing around a fire, while sacrificing another person. This is the image that
comes to mind when I think of a cult. Why is that that I think of this image? Is it because of popular
cultures negative connotation on cults? There are many different non violent cults that exist. Yet, our
culture tends to focus and even emphasize the violent ones. This week I chose to watch The Wizard
of Oz, directed by Victor Fleming in 1939. In this essay I'm going to be looking at the negative
connotation given to cults, witches and witchcraft, and the effects of brainwashing and
deprogramming. Many cult movies seem to be portrayed in the same light. A problematic situation
occurs, and a resolution is needed. So, they turn to someone who is willing to solve the dilemma.
Often times the cult leader will be someone magnetic, and charismatic in order to lead
impressionable people (Thomas, 219). The leader will get followers to complete tasks that they don't
want to do themselves. Often using concepts of manipulation. Many situations result in some form
of evil, whether its death, or physical harm. Yet, is this always so? Do cults always base themselves
off manipulations and brainwashing? No, this is not the case. Our popular ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Yet, rather then brainwashing, often it's the power of influence in which people are controlled. In the
Wizard of Oz, we see the presence of a cult led by the Wizard himself. The people believe in the
powers of the 'Wizard,' and are willing to do anything he asks of them. "Manipulative masters of
psychological persuasions popularly understood as "brainwashing" (Thomas, 216)." It seems that
the Wizard has 'brainwashed' the people of Oz, as well as Dorothy and friends. They too believe that
Oz has the power to grant them the gifts they so badly desire. I consider almost all of the characters
to be highly influenced, or 'brainwashed' in this movie. This all occurs

Cults Essay
Cults have become a phenomenon in our world today. Each year "hundreds of Canadians join
some of the 3,000 unorthodox religions of one type or another" (Fernell, Branswell, 189) all
across North America. Like every organization, club or even in the common work place there is
usually a person who is a figure of authority or other wise know as a "leader" and with
every leader there are always rules and objectives that each and every member has to do and follow.
The common psychological profile and objective of a cult leader is usually based upon power,
control, domination and subjugation. Many cult leaders use forms of mind control such as thought–
reform, brainwashing and hypnosis. The effects of these mind controlling ... Show more content on
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. . they can offer wealth or the perfect relationship" (Fennel, 186). Once a cult leader and its
members have targeted a person or group of people the targets are disempowered such that they
often become dependent on the leader to allow them to get through each "day without their life
being made hell" (Hassen, 02). Once someone has been recruited into a cult the leader often begins
to deteriorate the way the person thinks and acts. Leaders often end up controlling the way the
members think and control their emotions and feelings. The leaders achieve this by "manipulating
and narrowing the range of a persons feelings . . . by the use of excessive guilt, social guilt, and
excessive use of fear . . ." (Hassen, 02). After this kind of treatment is embedded into someone's
mind the person whom is under mind control can not visualize a positive fulfilled future without
being in the group or cult. Members become sensitive to the tactic that illegitimate leader use by
turning their questions and comments around and use them to blame members into obedience. Some
cult leaders become so obsessed with their ideas and thoughts that they can end up controlling things
like what members should eat, wear for clothing and whom members can and can not associate with.
When leaders are called to account for the way they have chosen to behave the cult leader
instinctively denies everything and anything that may have brought up the question in the first place.
Quickly follows the denial

Responsuational And Social Psychology Of Jim Jones
In the middle of the jungle in Guyana, South America, nearly 1,000 people drank lethal cyanide
punch or were shot to death, following the orders of their leader, Jim Jones. Mothers and fathers
gave the deadly drink to their children and then drank it themselves. People screamed. Bodies
trembled. And within a few minutes on Nov. 18, 1978, 912 people were dead.
Jones' followers originally came to the Guyanese community, known as Jonestown, seeking paradise
and an escape from racism and persecution in the United States. Instead, they found something that
resembled a concentration camp in which they worked long hours with little food and much abuse,
those who escaped Jonestown have reported.
Twenty–five years later, social psychologists continue to examine how Jones came to command
such enormous influence over his followers' thoughts and actions. Jonestown, they say, offers
important lessons for psychology, such as the power of situational and social influences and the
consequences of a leader using such influences to destructively manipulate others' behavior.
Most disturbingly, perhaps, leaders such as Jones appear to have derived some of their techniques
from social psychologists' research, raising questions about research ethics and the future direction
of cult research, says Philip G. Zimbardo, PhD, APA's past–president and a psychology professor at
Stanford University.
In as–yet unpublished research, Zimbardo has found that Jones quite possibly learned his ability to
persuade from a famous social thinker: George Orwell.
Through 25 years of research and interviews with Jonestown survivors, Zimbardo has found
parallels between the mind control techniques used by Jones at Jonestown––namely sophisticated
types of compliance, conformity and obedience training––and those described in Orwell's fictional
book "1984." In the book, Orwell provides a model for resistance as his main character, Winston
Smith, stands up against an omnipotent party system.
Though "1984" is fiction, Orwell possessed a deep understanding of influence processes from social
psychology, and his depictions of mind control have been used systematically and effectively by cult
leaders, Zimbardo says.
Others agree with Zimbardo that such findings

Religious Cults In Ancient Egyptian Mythology

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