Cult Test

[savagewind]

I have no idea what has gotten you all up in arms.
What is it you think I am saying/implying?

It sounds like you are saying a cult is anything the person who is thinking cult isn't. I am not up in arms at you. I am up in arms about cult inclination speading. It is spread from parent to child. The effects of cult mentality are spread within families. I suspect the harmful aspects of thought control spread within communities. I am against the spread of it. Aren't you? The only ones who will not be against the spread of cults are those loving their own cult. They don't want to threatened their own group by proposing any law against cults.

 

[savagewind]

It is not my imagination that Jehovah's Witnesses wish to spread their cult over the whole Earth. Is it? They believe it is what God wants. Is it something I should not be up in arms about? Why not read the lists again? I do not know why people must wait for it to actually happen to form a defense. Isn't is disadventageous to let it happen and THEN fight it?

 

[McBell]

It sounds like you are saying a cult is anything the person who is thinking cult isn't. I am not up in arms at you. I am up in arms about cult inclination speading. It is spread from parent to child. The effects of cult mentality are spread within families. I suspect the harmful aspects of thought control spread within communities. I am against the spread of it. Aren't you? The only ones who will not be against the spread of cults are those loving their own cult. They don't want to threatened their own group by proposing any law against cults.

What I am saying is the a lot of times when someone uses the word cult, they mean nothing more than a group of people they dislike.
it is used more to poison the well than it is anything else.

Some definitions of cult would include every religious group in the world and even most organizations.
Some definitions of the word would mean only the groups that practice "hate".
Given all the subjectivity of the not only the word "cult" but most of the words used in the various definitions of the word "cult, I fail to see how the word is useful other than to find other individuals who share your particular bias and prejudice.

 

[savagewind]

What I am saying is the a lot of times when someone uses the word cult, they mean nothing more than a group of people they dislike.
it is used more to poison the well than it is anything else.

Some definitions of cult would include every religious group in the world and even most organizations.
Some definitions of the word would mean only the groups that practice "hate".
Given all the subjectivity of the not only the word "cult" but most of the words used in the various definitions of the word "cult, I fail to see how the word is useful other than to find other individuals who share your particular bias and prejudice.

I understand. What word should be used for groups of people who adhere to and comply with the list of defining traits of cults?

 

[McBell]

I understand. What word should be used for groups of people who adhere to and comply with the list of defining traits of cults?

That is the problem...
There is no "the" list.

There are loads of lists and each person seems to either use the list that best fits their bias and prejudice or makes up their own list to support their bias and prejudiced.

Seems to me that instead of a word they just simply say that according to their list {insert group here} is a cult.
then they should be flat out asked what their list is.

 

[savagewind]

Are the conditions listed that define what a cult is innoculous or are they undesirable in connection to World Peace? Or just leave them alone and they'll go home.......

 

[savagewind]

That is the problem...
There is no "the" list.

There are loads of lists and each person seems to either use the list that best fits their bias and prejudice or makes up their own list to support their bias and prejudiced.

I do not doubt it. The people who do it are their own cult. Yes or no?

The point is all the things on anyone's list are counterproductive for the getting along in cooperation. If you can't see that then I thank you for your participating. Good day.

 

[savagewind]

The Earth gets split every time a number of people get together and define what is right for the whole Earth. Every cult member believes his or her way IS THE ONLY WAY.

 

[Akivah]

Savagewind, I think most people are against "Destructive" cults. Those are the groups that use mind control to isolate and abuse its members, such as the Heaven's gate cult which resulted in a mass suicide. But just being against a cult as defined in the dictionary is too generic. Just about any group can be labeled a cult. For example, the army and the boy scouts can be defined this way. So can you be more specific about which group or groups you think we should take action against?

 

[savagewind]

It's not that one thing on anyone's list is bad or that believing it makes a group a cult. Believing in a highr power is not bad. I believe in The Highest Power God but I don't think I am a cult. If I got some people together to believe it just like I do and we went about making others believe it too for the good of our group, and believed and taught it was neccessary to think like us or die, our little group would be a cult. But I don't have a group.

 

[McBell]

The Earth gets split every time a number of people get together and define what is right for the whole Earth. Every cult member believes his or her way IS THE ONLY WAY.

And yet another definition of "cult" is presented...

 

[McBell]

The point is all the things on anyone's list are counterproductive for the getting along in cooperation.

ONLY if you disagree with the group...
However, it is the exact opposite with in the group.

 

[savagewind]

Savagewind, I think most people are against "Destructive" cults. Those are the groups that use mind control to isolate and abuse its members, such as the Heaven's gate cult which resulted in a mass suicide. But just being against a cult as defined in the dictionary is too generic. Just about any group can be labeled a cult. For example, the army and the boy scouts can be defined this way. So can you be more specific about which group or groups that you think we should take action against?

We? Um. It's the tendency that a cult has to spill over into lives that are not for the cult that action should be taken.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that "bad associations spoil useful habits" (1 Corinthians 15:33) means that anyone who is not for them is against their efforts to do as God has commanded. They are told that if they associate with even loved ones who are vocal against them, they will lose their good standing before Jehovah. So their cultish choice is to seperate themself from parents, grandparents, children and sometimes even spouses who prevent the cult member's participation in cult activity.

The army is not a cult because it doesn't teach thought control. The Boy Scouts is not a cult because it is by choice to enroll with them.

 

[savagewind]

ONLY if you disagree with the group...
However, it is the exact opposite with in the group.

Yes. But are you saying their cooperation within the group leads to anything?

 

[McBell]

Yes. But are you saying their cooperation within the group leads to anything?

At the very least it lead to them being called a cult by someone...

Seems to me that the AA leads to people not abusing alcohol.

 

[Akivah]

OK, so Jehovah Witnesses is the destructive cult that you had in mind.... I don't know anything about them. Are they getting more prolific? Geographically, where are they strongest? Do they target a certain age group, such as college students? Are they violent?

 

[savagewind]

At the very least it lead to them being called a cult by someone...

Seems to me that the AA leads to people not abusing alcohol.

I was surprised to hear about AA. I do not call it a cult. Someone else does. I can call the Jehovah's Witnesses cultish because I know they are. They cannot be reasoned with. It is actually impossible it seems to me for them to hear anything but what comes from the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

I have been to an Al-Anon meeting. I did not like it, because of the atmosphere. I understand why someone might call it cultish.

 

[savagewind]

OK, so Jehovah Witnesses is the destructive cult that you had in mind.... I don't know anything about them. Are they getting more prolific? Geographically, where are they strongest? Do they target a certain age group, such as college students? Are they violent?

They are not violent. They are in every country. They are not getting more prolific but they will disagree, I suspect. There are recorded to be eight million Jehovah's Witnesses. I do not know if geographically they are strongest anywhere except at their places around the world called Bethel. They do not target any group. They are searching for everyone that God will save.

 

[McBell]

I was surprised to hear about AA. I do not call it a cult. Someone else does. I can call the Jehovah's Witnesses cultish because I know they are. They cannot be reasoned with. It is actually impossible it seems to me for them to hear anything but what comes from the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

I have been to an Al-Anon meeting. I did not like it, because of the atmosphere. I understand why someone might call it cultish.

Is a person who calls AA a cult wrong?

 

[savagewind]

Is a person who calls AA a cult wrong?

I do not know. Is he?