Cults: Resources and Facts About Cults in America

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Cult movements in the US have always been a major threat to the social and cultural stability of the nation. A cult is defined as a religious or secular group that employs unethical and extreme measures of manipulation to recruit, control and retain its members. Most of the cults in the US are religious groups that have ties with Christianity, but they have deviated from the basics of what the bible try to teach and established new belief systems of their own based on the extremes of basic religious doctrine. The major cult groups in the country are mostly formed by charismatic leaders who have a special ability to apply coercive persuasion to recruit members. Many of these leaders consider themselves as divine beings who deserve unquestioning devotion of their followers.

Resources about Cults

Article about Cults and zealous self-help movements: a psychiatric perspective.
PDF about cults religion and violence.
a comparison between cults and gangs.
Cults on Campus: Awareness Is Key by Blunt, DeRosette H. This article offers information and suggestions to administrators on dealing with cults on college campuses. Reasons why students are vulnerable to cults as well as cult recruitment techniques and ways to help students make informed choices are considered. Print, organizational, and videotape resources are identified.

A list of some of the most influential cults in the US

1) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormonism: This cult was established in the 1820s by Joseph Smith Jr., who said that he was led by an angel to a place where he found a book of golden plates. He believed that the book was written by ancient prophets, and he made a translation of it. The Book of Mormon was published in 1830, and it became the foundation for the doctrines of Mormonism. The Mormons believe that their church is the true church, and all other churches are following the wrong gospel.

2) The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, or Jehovah’s Witness: The Jehovah’s Witness was founded by Charles Taze Russell in the 1870s. This cult opposes many of the doctrines that are adopted by mainstream Christianity, which is, Salvation comes through Faith in Jesus Christ and not of works. The leaders of the cult are regarded as mediators of God and Man, and they claim that bible will not be understood without their assistance.

3) The Church of Scientology: The founder of the Church of Scientology was L. Ron Hubbard, who established a self-help system for salvation called the Dianetics. The members of the church have to earn their salvation by attending training courses and participating in auditing sessions. This cult believes that human beings are spiritually immortal, but they have lost touch with their true nature.

4) The Holy Spirit Association of the Unification of the World, or Unification Church: The Unification Church was founded by Sun Myung Moon in 1954. It believes that Jesus failed to save mankind on the cross, and Moon has been tasked to be the mediator of God and Man.

5) The Twelve Tribes: This cult was started by Elbert Eugene Spriggs in the 1970s. The members of the Twelve Tribes are required to surrender all their possessions and live in the church to gain salvation. The leaders have the right to make personal decisions for the members.

Worst Cults In America

In the last 30 years or so, several horrifying cult tragedies had taken place. One of the most unforgettable cult tragedies was the mass suicide of members of the People’s Temple, which took place in Guyana in 1978. Jim Jones, the charismatic leader of the cult, ordered all his followers to commit suicide by drinking a cyanide-laced drink, and then shot himself with a gun. A total of 918 members died. In 1993, 74 members of the Branch Davidian cult were killed in a fire caused by an FBI raid in Waco, Texas. In 1997, the leader of the Heaven’s Gate cult, Marshall Applewhite, instructed his followers to commit suicide by consuming drugs and vodka.

Cult movements have been around in the US since a long time ago, but it was only in the 1960s that the term cult was used to describe deviant religious groups. The cultural reform, the Vietnam War, the Watergate Affair, and other social and political events that took place during the 1960s caused the young people to question the values of the society. With so many young people joining cult groups, the cult movements became more audacious. From that time onwards, many new cults have been formed, and cult tragedies continued to happen.

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My name is Kim, I am a volunteer at a local Zoo in Chicago, IL. I have been a volunteer for about 5 years now and love it. My full time job is at a vet just outside of the city. I am intrigued by the nature of animals and how they interact with one another.

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