Cults

[stalemate]

Organized churches generally bother me. From time to time, I go check one out and something always turns me off.

I was actually close to becoming an official member of one recently and I went through the 6 week orientation class that you have to do before becoming a member. The first few weeks were fine, it went through the basic beliefs of the church and helped make sure that it was really clear what the church taught about Jesus, etc. But, the last couple of weeks were an hour and a half each about how much we were expected to tithe. How it should be from our gross income before taxes and we should do 10% no matter what. They made me feel like I was doing something wrong and I wasn't even a member yet. It felt like an audit or something. I think that place was pretty cult-ish. Also, after one of those classes we went back to the main service where people were speaking in tongues and someone else was translating. No thanks. If God wants to speak to me, he knows what languages I understand.

 

[gromit]

Ah, a zealot is someone who holds a secret doubt. No matter how glazed over or brainwashed their face looks, you know there's a rational seed somewhere in there that could flourish.

Interesting... this seems to me a lot like what was being discussed in the righteous vs. self-righteous thread. UGH it is too hot and I cannot feel like finding it at the moment.

 

[Ivy]

I've got a friend/coworker who is a Mormon and a super nice, funny, friendly, open-hearted, and just all-around cool guy. I'll admit it, I was a little surprised, since I have some negative opinions about Mormonism. And actually, come to think of it, he wasn't the first super nice Mormon I've known. So it's one of those deals where I really have some serious problems with some elements of the faith, but the people seem to be very good-hearted for the most part. I don't think it's a cult, although I think there are cultish sects within it.

I also don't think non-denominational churches qualify by virtue of being small, based on the way the word "cult" is used and understood today. Some of them are culty, no doubt.

 

[Kasper]

There are nice people in any religion, doesn't mean their faith isn't controlling and cut off from the real world. What constitutes a cult isn't something that is agreed on, there are different definitions, and religions who are called cults generally disagree with that label. The religion I grew up in is called a cult by some and fervently argued against by members of that faith but they are cut off, they are sheeple, and as much as they may personally feel as though their lives are enriched because of their link to that faith it has a dangerous side to it.

The title of cult isn't limited to groups who practice mass suicide, they are just the extremists.

 

[Totenkindly]

When I saw that Victor had posted in this thread, I could have written the post for him without even looking at it. Apologies to the OP for this equally pointless reply.

No, it's my fault. If I had taken him out for breakfast, this would have never happened.

 

[Sniffles]

I think you're right about the misconception most people have about cults. Usually, the image associated with cult like behavior is more like "occult" behavior, involving secretive rituals and hidden knowledge. Imagine hooded druids chanting around stone hedge with glowing glyphs edged into the ground, and only those with the appropriate gesticulation are permitted in the circle.

That's certainly true, and the term "Esoteric" would apply here too, since it involves secret or hidden knowledge. This aspect dates back to the Mystery Cults of the Ancient world and were resurrected to an extent in the late 18th century with Masonic groups.

 

[Thalassa]

Hey marm... I have thought a lot about this post actually. As someone who was raised at least partially within the Mormon faith, I can agree with you that there are many intense people who take the religion waaaaay too seriously/literally, people who sincerely believe that they have the full truth, that it is their duty to help make everybody Mormon, etc. etc. There's a lot within the faith that bothers me, like the behavior of church leaders/members in relation to the gay rights movement, for example (not trying to derail the thread, just giving an example).

That said, I do not think it is a cult. There are many reasonable, intelligent, thoughtful people within the religion, and some of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know I met through my involvement in the LDS church. Even though I am unsure of my relationship to the religion at this point in my life and there's a lot that makes me frustrated with it, I cannot deny my own experiences with the kind, loving people I know from my late childhood. Unfortunately, nothing is very cut and dry like that. Most things contain elements of black AND white... I suspect that is what gives richness to life.

I won't go into describing the actuality of the practices you refer to as wearing 'sacred long johns' and praying 'for their dead and non-Mormon relatives to someday have a planet of their own' unless you're actually interested.

I'm glad you've met some really nice people through the Mormon church. My ex bf's brother was a really nice person, too. Of course there are going to be gray areas in any situation, and I certainly don't think that religious people are fundamentally "bad" or "crazy" ... I just find some of the practices of the Mormon church especially bizarre, and it's partly because I have a hard time with organized religion in the first place.

Thanks for explaining, that was very kind of you.

 

[Feops]

Mormons are the ones that pair off the men in business casual attire to eventually travel around, yes?

I see them around from time to time and they really stand out.. they put of a clean but creepy vibe at the same time.

My great-grandmother is a jehovah's witness. I'm not sure if they count. She seems content to dispensing advice and offering prayers at familiy gatherings, so it's fairly benign. My poor cousin got bullied into marriage though, heheh.

 

[Kasper]

Some stuff split. If you would like to talk about different topics to what is presented in the OP or flow of the thread you are most absa-posa-louty welcome to create a new thread! That is all

 

[Andy]

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFZ1jVO3-OE"]WEEE[/YOUTUBE]

ps- celestial sex

So jesus had a fetish for women who's names started with the letter M? What a strange set of beliefs.

Thankfully, I've almost entirely avoided contact with cults. About the closest I've ever come is the pushy women promoting scientolgy stress tests. Still, that's what the word "no" was invented for.