Almost no one joins a cult on purpose and almost no cults admit that they’re a cult. It’s up to each of us to watch out for the warning signs and let friends know if their behavior changes after they join an organization or group. With a little help, we can stamp out bad cult …
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an American, unaffiliated Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas that was founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. It is widely considered a hate group, and is known for its public protests against homosexual people and for its usage of the phrases “God hates fags” and “Thank God for …
Dionysus is one of the most complex and fascinating figures in Greek mythology. He was the god of wine, festivity, madness, and wild frenzy. He was also associated with the theater, the arts, and fertility. Dionysus was a controversial figure, and his worship was often met with resistance. However, he was also one of the …
Heaven’s Gate was an American UFO religion that gained notoriety in 1997 when 39 members of the group committed mass suicide. The group believed that a spaceship was following the Hale–Bopp comet and that if they committed suicide, their souls would be transported to another level of existence. The group was founded in 1974 by …
The Remnant Fellowship Cult The Remnant Fellowship is a religious organization that was founded in 1999 by Gwen Shamblin. Shamblin is a former weight loss counselor who developed a program called Weigh Down Workshop, which is based on the idea that people can lose weight by controlling their thoughts and emotions. The Remnant Fellowship is …
Cargo Cults: A Brief History and Overview Cargo cults are a type of religious movement that emerged in the South Pacific islands during the 20th century. These cults are characterized by their belief that certain rituals will bring about the arrival of material goods, such as food, clothing, and machinery. The term “cargo cult” was …
Whether a belief system is a cult or not is up for debate. This is even more true with the Seventh day Adventists. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination that observes Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian calendar, as the Sabbath, and is distinguished by its emphasis on …
A cult is a group of people who follow a particular person or set of beliefs. Cults can be religious, political, or philosophical. They are often led by a charismatic leader who promises to provide members with something they are lacking, such as love, acceptance, or meaning in life. Cults can be very dangerous. They …
Sharon Gans Horn started an “innocent” group in Manhattan to study the works of Russian philosopher George Gurdjelf. Her and her husband recruited among members of New York and Boston’s high society, intellectuals, and wealthy. What started as Odyssey Study Group became a cult around one single figure Sharon Gans. She demanded 100% loyalty, monthly …
Each week a group of friends (Thor, Gunnar, Nathan, and on occasion Don) get together and discuss cults. We talk about their history, belief system, practices, and leader. Then we decide what they got right, what they got wrong, and then choose something from the cult that we can incorporate into our own parody cult …