I’ve been watching several shows lately and they interview former cult members.
This “investigative journalism” (aka tabloid television) show interviews the people, has pictures of the goings-on from the inception of said cult until current happenings.
Watching this stuff is one of my many vices. I know it’s sensationalized somewhat, but it is interesting to me.
In watching these shows I find that there is a common theme. A checklist if you will, which I will outline below. To keep things in the correct tense which is driving me crazy, the word “you” will be used for the leader.
THE CHECKLIST
- Come up with the idea of having a group with similarly common goals.
- Get a leader, generally a man. It helps if he/she is charismatic, but they don’t have to be.
- Get scriptural based doctrine.
- Go out an recruit.
- Once you have a good number of people following, decide you need to move to one centralized location.
- Have everyone give up everything and cut ties to everyone they know that is not involved with your group.
- These scriptural based doctrines are okay, but God tells you to expound on them.
- You write new scripture and record it on paper, visually and on audio.
- Distribute to your group and suggest they also out in the world and give it out.
- Now the leader has a sense of power, this is when the bad stuff really starts happening……
- Set impossible goals and rules.
- When these goals/rules are broken, dole out punishment, Generally beatings, but being locked up is also a good choice.
- Gain all control of food, clothing, money, and any ties to the outside. No newpapers, no telephone lines in or out, no cell phones, no televisions, no internet. The leader can have this stuff, but no one else.
- Begin doing drugs. As a leader this helps if you do the drugs and then come up with the new scriptural doctrine.
- Do not let anyone leave the compound, period. Not for coffee and definately not for Thanksgiving.
- If someone decides to leave the group, they can have no contact with anyone within the group. Also encourage family members to move with the kids to another part of the country or world so the ex-member can’t find them.
- Tell the followers that any person/group not with your community (group) is evil. Your group is the only one that cares about you. The police, government, non-members, etc. are just trying to break up your group and they don’t have your best interests in mind.
- Threaten everyone ahead of time that if an outsider comes in (police, government, non-member etc.) that they’d better say everything is great or else.
- Be sure that everyone goes along with what you say. No dissentors. If you find a dissentor, bring them in front of the group, humiliate them and then give them punishment.
- Decide the outside is being too nosy. Move. Maybe move to another country.
- Repeat the list above as necessary.
WE ALL BELIEVE
Even though I write the above in jest, the things that I list are true. I think that cults are a horrible thing. If you are in it, you don’t see the things happening and I’m sure it is easy to get sucked in.
We all want to believe:
- We can change the world for the better
- In a leader that has our best interests at heart
- A group exists of people that have the same interests and love one another
We need that connection and family.
I think that generally, a leader starts off with good intentions. There are a few that know what they are doing from day one and are out for the power from the beginning.
The power and control always win over the leader. Whatever intentions they may have had, go out the window once they get the taste of power.
WHAT CAN WE DO??
What can we do as a society? Be aware. Read a lot. Pray for those who are lost.
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