Cults! - Fear of the 'dark sides' of religion

[Ming]

It might be weird, but I'm scared of cults. The 'dark' sides of religion. I'm scared of many of these things..

I confess, I am VERY interested in cults; just how they operate and control and seem to... infiltrate society? Most of them is alright, but when the leader abuses his power and starts raping children abuse, violence, 'mass murder', it just freaks me out.

But what's scarier is that people COMMIT to these WILLINGLY? I mean.. isn't that just a bit over it? I mean actually killing yourself for the 'love of god'. Are you crazy? God made you here to give you an opportunity, and you just abandon it and kill yourself? W.T.F!

I don't mind religion, though I really think that most of it is really BS. I mean seriously Jesus made everything? Who made Jesus then? God? Then who made God? It's all a viscous cycle of faith and belief. And the bible is true? EVERYTHING?

It's a BOOK for gods sakes. Are you sure god would just make a book, trying to make himself look good? It's just weird.. I mean he just made the bible so saying that he is the 'creator'.

Well if I made a book, I don't think anyone will follow it (I kinda want them to, it'd be nice).

In cults they're killing people and themselves; we see it as unbelievable, but they see it as noble... I mean the cult leader is using religion and God to succeed his fantasy of domination, sex and greed. I'm REALLY think this is f*cked up.

I'm scared of cults and domination, etc. I don't think I would ever be able to bend down and let that person spray their words all over me, and COMMAND me. I don't have that weak of a will. I mean to a person I love, I would try my best for them, but I came onto this Earth alone, I just slipped out of my mom. It's just that when you get to the point where you are a SLAVE just seems daunting to me.

Your views? Imagine yourself under complete control of some d*ckhead who rapes you? Tells you to abuse people? Abuses you?

I thought God was about love and care? What's the kindness in a cult?

 

[Skyward]

I don't think polygamy = rape, either. It doesn't sound fun either. MORE IN-LAWS.

Everyone is looking for something to belong in or believe in. Cult leaders exploit this. It just takes a charismatic leader to get crowds to do things that, as an individual, each one of them wouldn't do.

Just look at Scientology!

It's all a viscous cycle of faith and belief

Faith is believing in something that you can't see. Things I have felt during prayer cannot be described as some kind of placebo effect where I have so much faith that I trick my own mind into believing something. For me, God is real. When people complain about religion they are almost always talking about orthodox institutions like Catholicism or Lutheranism or something similar. Most people are, sadly, not even aware of Pentecostalism which is one of the least biased forms of Christian belief.

In the end it all boils down to receiving the Holy Spirit by giving your life over to God, and then he guides you through life; I just find that its hard to explain it to people with your kind of mindset. Faith just isn't your thing. At least I'm not Jehova's Witness

 

[Ming]

I don't think polygamy = rape, either. It doesn't sound fun either. MORE IN-LAWS.

Everyone is looking for something to belong in or believe in. Cult leaders exploit this. It just takes a charismatic leader to get crowds to do things that, as an individual, each one of them wouldn't do.

Just look at Scientology!



Faith is believing in something that you can't see. Things I have felt during prayer cannot be described as some kind of placebo effect where I have so much faith that I trick my own mind into believing something. For me, God is real. When people complain about religion they are almost always talking about orthodox institutions like Catholicism or Lutheranism or something similar. Most people are, sadly, not even aware of Pentecostalism which is one of the least biased forms of Christian belief.

In the end it all boils down to receiving the Holy Spirit by giving your life over to God, and then he guides you through life; I just find that its hard to explain it to people with your kind of mindset. Faith just isn't your thing. At least I'm not Jehova's Witness

Oh no, I'm not saying that! I have faith and belief, it's just that I have a paranoia towards the leaders who abuse this power... I'm just scared of joining one in my life, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't, so I hope that it doesn't happen..

 

[cafe]

I don't think polygamy = rape, either. It doesn't sound fun either. MORE IN-LAWS.

Everyone is looking for something to belong in or believe in. Cult leaders exploit this. It just takes a charismatic leader to get crowds to do things that, as an individual, each one of them wouldn't do.

Just look at Scientology!



Faith is believing in something that you can't see. Things I have felt during prayer cannot be described as some kind of placebo effect where I have so much faith that I trick my own mind into believing something. For me, God is real. When people complain about religion they are almost always talking about orthodox institutions like Catholicism or Lutheranism or something similar. Most people are, sadly, not even aware of Pentecostalism which is one of the least biased forms of Christian belief.

In the end it all boils down to receiving the Holy Spirit by giving your life over to God, and then he guides you through life; I just find that its hard to explain it to people with your kind of mindset. Faith just isn't your thing. At least I'm not Jehova's Witness

Pentacostalism must be a lot different where you are than it is where I am. In the US there are plenty of complaints about evangelicals. FWIW, the notorious Jim Jones was a former pastor in the Assemblies of God, one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the US (the world?).

I know this because I'm Pentecostal.

 

[Skyward]

Pentacostalism must be a lot different where you are than it is where I am. In the US there are plenty of complaints about evangelicals. FWIW, the notorious Jim Jones was a former pastor in the Assemblies of God, one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the US (the world?).

I know this because I'm Pentecostal.

That's a distasteful revelation

I'm from the midwest and part of the UPC church (The words escape me). I still think small churches are better than big ones because I'm paranoid about the Mob Mentality or Sheeple Syndrome that can happen when the people in the church stop being individuals and start being The Crowd. It just plain makes me uncomfortable and I figure that if I read the bible, pray, and keep myself around good people I can fulfil what God's plan is for my life (that is... unless He decides differently).

Oh no, I'm not saying that! I have faith and belief, it's just that I have a paranoia towards the leaders who abuse this power... I'm just scared of joining one in my life, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't, so I hope that it doesn't happen..

Ah, so you're bringing up just the nasty side of belief and the rulers who abuse it? Keep that! It's a good mindset, especially around wierd clique-type social conventions.

 

[LEGERdeMAIN]

I don't see the problem with cults. I've been involved with a couple of religious groups that may be classified as cults, but there was nothing scary about them. The weirdest part is the unleavened bread cakes with...um....."special" ingredients, but that wasn't scary and it wasn't any weirder than those "sick video" sites where girls eat cupcakes with male, uh, "specimens" on top. I kind of enjoy watching those because I always think about "Honey, I shrank the kids" and sometimes I yell at the girl, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, YOU'RE GOING TO EAT THE KIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDSSSSS. hahha, ohhhhhh..yes.

 

[countrygirl]

a good site about cults