Some thoughts on cults

The word "cult" conjures up images of people with shaved heads, weird tattoos, robes and sandals panhandling in the airport. But there can be cults and cult-like factions even within the boundaries of more mainstream groups. It can be easy to be taken off guard if we are not looking for the warning signs.

Two big warning signs of a possible cult or cult-like group are isolation and apocalyptic paranoia. Isolation can be easy to spot if it is "traditional" physical isolation. More insidious is the psychological isolation that is common with the advent of the internet. A person could possibly have a job, get out of the house each day and still be bombarded with cultic e-mails that they are expected to read. These diatribes are often circular and illogical with black and white thinking that the reader is expected to believe without question.

Another form of isolation can be hyper group activity. After an initial "love bombing" in which the perspective group member is surrounded by unprecedented expressions of love and friendship, he or she is pressured to do things with the group almost every day, to the exclusion of family and friends who are not members. Any attempt to deviate from this required schedule is seen as proof that the person is spiritually "doomed". Continued lack of attendance will often result in a sort of extreme "shunning." "Friendship" is based on group membership only.

Apocalyptic paranoia is another means that cult like groups use to control their members. Certain prescribed activities pending the near end of the world take up increasing amounts of the group members' time. Again, any deviation from this is highly frowned upon. The implication is that those who don't prepare, will not only be sorry when these horrible things come to pass, but that if the person in question doubts the authenticity of these dire predictions, they are not in the "special" inner circle that the group represents. This inner circle is seen as having unique information (often from God) that no one else can have.

These dire predictions often turn out to be either so muddy as to be impossible to prove, or conversely, always possible to be able to believe. When the predictions are specific (often a date is given) and nothing happens, the group must backpedal and come up with an alternative prediction.

The sad thing is that very often, these groups exist within, or on the fringes of, a mainstream spirituality. Sometimes groups that are not religious at all in nature can have cult like behaviors. It is even possible for an individual to have a cult-like hold on another person in an abusive relationship.

Many of us today are searching for a spirituality that will take us to a higher power. It is prudent to keep your eyes open when searching. There should always be some legitimate way to get your questions or concerns answered.