Cults
By
Brent Hardy
December 6, 1999
Mr
Rizzo's
10th
Grade English
Fourth
Block
Cults
Religion: the reason behind all the great aspirations,
as well as the great faults, of mankind.
It has been the driving force behind the creation of the pyramids of Egypt, the Haiga Sophia, the Sistine Chapel,
the Statue of Zeus in Olympia, and even the Forbidden City in China.
Even though religion has inspired these wonders, history has proven that
it can be a destructive force as well.
Thousands of wars have been fought on the pretense of fulfilling God's
will. Native peoples
("pagans") have been enslaved, empires toppled,
and innocent people slain. In the past
25 years, with the coming of the new millennium, religious fanaticism has
reached its peak. Thousands are
preparing for the end of the world, the Apocalypse, and the return of Jesus. As theological tensions run high, this
provides an ideal breeding ground for manipulators and psychopaths who would
take control of the minds of the population - an ideal breeding ground for
cults.
To understand the danger these
religious institutions impose on the masses, we need to look into the psyche of
those who lead them. The common
definition of "cult" is a form of abnormal worship that could cause
harm to its members or those around them.
They usually worship a living leader, whom they think is divine. They came into world view with the actions of
Jim Jones and the mass suicide/murder at Jonestown, Guyana (Wrldbk). Some leaders are frauds and just want to take
the money from their followers. Though
many think all cult leaders are only after their earthly possessions, some are
not. Some are really interested in your
eternal soul, and will do anything to gain control over it. These messianic cult leaders think that they
are the personification of God, or a god, and that by gathering a large following
they may return triumphantly into Heaven.
A major type of cult is the UFO cult.
This type is based on the belief that extraterrestrial life is "out
there" and is watching us. Some
believe that we are an experiment of alien life and, if we evolve to a certain
state of consciousness, we will be welcomed into their society. Others think that the being known as God is
an alien that crashed on Earth and formed it with advanced technology. Still others think that aliens are watching
us, waiting to destroy our world, and will take away the pure beings to live in
happiness and peace. There are many
ideologies behind this type of cult, but all of them have to do with
extra-planetary life. (Appl)
One major cultic group, the Solar Temple, was founded by Luc Jouret in 1977. Jouret convinced his followers that he was a
reincarnated member of the Order of the
Knights Templar, a 14th Century
Christian
order of warrior monks set to guard Jerusalem from Muslim invasion. The Knights Templar were disbanded by Pope
Innocent II on twelve different charges, the major ones being (1) desecration
of the crucifix, (2) worship of the image of Baphomet, and (3) abnormal sexual
practices (Mltn).
Jouret also convinced his followers that his daughter was "the
cosmic child" who would lead the people of God to live in a planet
orbiting the star Sirius. However, the
only way that people could go to this haven was to be purified by death by
fire. The cult absorbed the Foundation Golden Way, led by Joseph Di Mambro. For a while the cult stockpiled weapons,
which got them into trouble with the governments of several countries. They felt that they were being persecuted, as
foretold in most prophecies of the end of the world about "true
believers." For several months
there were strange occurrences linked to the cult. Rumors of financial instability circulated
within the order. A three-month-old
infant was staked through the heart at the Canadian site because it was claimed
to be the infant Antichrist. After that, Di
Mambro held a traditional Last Supper with his
followers. Finally, in October 1994, it
all climaxed at the compounds in Switzerland and near Montreal, Canada.
Fifteen inner-circle members committed suicide by use of poison, thirty
by bullets or smothering, and eight others (called the "traitors")
were also killed.
Then,
in December 1995, sixteen members disappeared from their homes in France or Switzerland.
Later, thirteen adults and three children were found dead with notes
expressing a desire to "see another world."
In
March 1997, eight others attempted to commit suicide, but failed. Three of these were children, who convinced
their parents that they wanted to live.
The remaining adults burned their house down later, remaining inside as
it was consumed. There was a total body
count of 74. All of these deaths
occurred near a solstice or equinox. The
governments of Canada, France, and Switzerland agree that there is a potential for
further danger, but Canada cannot investigate religious groups due
to their Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. (religtol web)
The People's Temple was a Christian messianic cult founded
by James Warren Jones. He was born on May 13, 1931, in Lynn, Indiana.
As a young child, Jim Jones always envisioned himself as a pastor. He married Marceline Baldwin in 1949, and
started attending a Methodist church.
The Methodists believed in racial equality, a theory which intrigued
Jones, who grew up with racist parents.
However, he soon broke with the Methodists because blacks were often treated
differently than whites despite their beliefs.
In 1956, he started the People's Temple Full Gospel Church.
He became interested in "faith healing" or healing by prayer
as an act of God. In order to practice
this, he ordered followers to investigate church members by knocking on their
door, pretending to be motorists in need of help. They'd ask to use the restroom and snoop
around the house. Garbage cans and
medicine cabinets were checked, as they often held medicine or other items that
could be used to reveal medical problems.
Jones would then "miraculously" announce the ailment and
pray. By using manipulative phrases and
gestures, he could often make people think he had actually healed them. This gave him an emotional high as people
started depending on him. He began
preaching against Bible teachings and claiming to be a "living
God." As he convinced himself of
his divinity, he became afraid of a potential nuclear attack. He moved several times to countries that were
reported to be safe from bombings. As
he drew a larger following, he began requesting money for the church. He used this money to begin a community that
later became known as Jonestown,
Guyana, in South America.
He sent some of his most devoted followers there to begin building a
town. As his congregation reached its
peak, a series of articles forced him to flee the country. His arrival in Jonestown was marked with an
increase of corporal punishment and beatings.
He forbade his people to call or write home, and kept all their
passports locked away. Due to the lack
of communication from relatives in Jonestown, several families petitioned
Senator Leo Ryan to investigate the matter.
He visited Jonestown and, despite Jones's cover-ups, he saw the real
situation. While helping several
settlers escape, he and three cameramen were shot by fanatical followers of Jim
Jones. That night Jones forced his
people to drink a mixture he claimed was poison. They had completed this exercise several
times before in order to prove their faith in Jones, and it had never truly
been poison. This time, however, it
contained cyanide. When some realized
what it was and refused to drink it, they were shot or forced to partake of
it. When the authorities arrived, they
found 913 people dead, including Jones, who suffered a bullet wound to the
head. Nobody knows if he committed
suicide or was murdered by a vengeful follower who had escaped to the woods, as
a few did. (Hmltn)
Heaven's Gate was a cult that
recently made the news with its mass suicide, the largest in U.S. history.
This cult even had it's recruitment program on
the Internet. This, along with the
well-created mythos of the organization, served to increase participation. Heaven's Gate was founded by Marshall Herff
Applewhite and Bonnie "Ti" Lu Trusdale
Nettles. It was the third in a trio of
religions formed by "The Two," as followers called them. They were also known as "Do" and
"Ti" respectively.
Bonnie
died in 1985, however she has been referred to as a
heavenly being who guided the cult. The
cult teachings showed that 2000 years ago, Do, receiving instructions from Ti,
the "heavenly father," left his body and was reincarnated in a human
shell. The name of this shell was
"Jesus," and the embodiment of
Do
into the host was recorded in the Biblical story about the baptism of Jesus.
The actual event occurred when the dove landed on his shoulder and a voice from
the heavens proclaimed "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased."(Mttw 3:17) The followers of Jesus,
especially the disciples, were said to be fellow crew members who understood
that the only way back into the "upper level" of civilization was to
follow his teachings. After Jesus's
ascension, Do and Ti were to come again to Earth when civilization had reached
a certain purity level. This time came
in 1993, when the organization was formed.
Do acquired a following, which he was convinced
were his fellow crew members from the previous voyage to Earth. They committed themselves to celibate lives
devoted to purifying themselves. The
time came on March 23, 1997.
With the arrival of the Hale-Bopp comet, the Spring Equinox, and Easter,
they believed that a spaceship was returning for them. It was hidden in the light of the comet, and
they believed if they left their "temporary containers of the soul"
now, they would appear on the decks of their ship. They dressed in identical clothes, which
included flowing black shirts, black pants, and new Nike shoes. They all took a poison, aiding the killing
agent by placing plastic bags over their heads.
This took place over three days, with the people that remained placing
purple cloths over the bodies. When
investigators arrived, the bodies were all in various stages of decomposition,
and the smell almost made several officers sick. However, despite the smell, it was a very
orderly suicide. All had identification
papers handy, with suitcases packed nearby for their journey into space. Today, there are still tapes of their
teachings being produced and circulated by a surviving member. There is no charge for the tapes other than
shipping fees. This is a group that
killed eighteen men and twenty-one women, who just wanted something to believe
in. (Nwswk)
The Branch Davidians were a sect
which split away from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Led by the charismatic David Koresh, they moved to a ranch in Waco, Texas to practice their religion and await the
breaking of the Seals foretold in the Biblical book of Revelation. They believed that Koresh was Jesus returned
in a sinful form to learn the temptations of the world and indulge himself so as to be a better judge at the end of times. This was his excuse to cover up alcohol and
drug abuse and sexual abnormalities. He
took the wives and daughters of the cult men and put them in his own special
harem. He then used them for whatever
sexual fantasies he wanted to act out.
He was even reported to molest eleven-year-old children during his
reign. Koresh also stockpiled weapons,
which attracted the FBI's attention.
Every week, boxes and packages would arrive
carrying grenades, automatic weapons, and even a few rocket launchers. They did this in order to protect themselves
from the persecution of the government that is foretold in the Bible. This was seen as a serious threat to national
security by the FBI, who decided to have it stopped. Authorities arrived at the ranch with a
warrant, but were sent away, prompting the decision to investigate by using
force. Despite the target being
forewarned of the impending raid, the FBI, on orders by Janet Reno, surrounded
the compound. Tanks, siege devices, and
armed troops were seen in plain view, yet negotiators claimed that they only
wanted to look around. There were to be
no threats in order to keep Koresh from taking hostages. However, fires broke out. As the flames broke through the compound,
munitions storerooms exploded, and soon the ranch was destroyed. After investigations, the FBI denied starting
the fire, claiming that it was a mass suicide.
But recently, a new report has been issued stating that the FBI did
indeed use pyrotechnic devices in order to penetrate the Waco stronghold. Still questions remain. Did the fires just get out of hand, or did
the cultists contribute to them? Or yet
still, was Reno just trying to destroy the
cultists? Only time will tell. (Time)
While these groups give cause to
fear the religious institutes known as cults, none are as dangerous as Satanic cults. Over
the last few decades Satanism has risen sharply; with the literature of Alistair
Crowley and Anton LaVey bringing hundreds of readers into self-indulgence, the
leading precept of any Satanic cult, and often even
leading them into the practicing of "magick," or manipulation of the
supernatural world. The main tenets of
their religion are based on the worship of the Devil (from the Greek diablos meaning accuser or slanderer) or
of Lucifer (from the Latin lux
meaning light and fer meaning
bringer. This comes from the belief that
God made Satan at the moment the first light touched the Earth.). Instead of the traditional practice of
believing that Jesus will triumph at the end of time, they believe that Satan
will have gained enough power and corrupted enough souls that he will destroy
the God that made him. They often occupy
themselves with attempts at divination (also called scrying), or looking into
the unknown world with tools such as crystal balls, tarot cards, or rune
stones, conjuring and controlling spirits, such as the dead or demons, casting
or removing curses or blessings, and psychic feats, such as clairvoyance (or
the reading of minds), telekinesis (the moving of objects with the mind), or
pyrokinesis (the act of mentally controlling and starting fires). Satanic practices usually require an altar
consecrated to the devil, but the body of a young female virgin can also be
successfully used. This is the cause of
most deaths by this type of cult. It is
clearly a perverted version of Catholicism, in that a priest is often used, and
there is even a Black Mass that is often practiced to prepare a site for
worship. Another popular theme of
Satanism is the pentagram. This
upside-down, five-pointed star inside a perfect circle is a popular symbol of the
devil, as the two upper points represent his horns, the middle ones pointing
down at an angle are the ears, and the bottom one the goatee. This is a warped form of the pentacle, which
is formerly used in all types of non-Satanic magic, such as Wicca (Webster). The pentagram is another form of the Sigil of
Baphomet, as discussed in the section on the Solar Temple, and their connection to the Knights
Templar. These cults can be very
destructive in that they might possibly even be able to call on the
supernatural powers of magic. It is still
debatable today whether magic is real or a hoax. (Mthr,
Nchls)
Cults have had an impact on
people of all religions throughout time, but never more so than now, since the
Information Age has arrived. With
television, the 'Net, and telephones, along with written works, different groups
are transmitting their beliefs to people across the globe. Who knows, one of these cults might even be
the "True Religion" that people have sought to find for
millennia. However, as the chance of
that is slim, it is likely that the deaths of all the people involved in cult
suicides were in vain. The only way we
can protect our friends and family from this destructive force is to watch for
the signs of antisocial and neurotic behavior (Mthr, Nchls). We can look
for charismatic leaders who have the ability to make people love them, and then
use that ability to incite behavior we might consider unwise. And then, there is always prayer, but that is
what got some people into trouble in the first place.
Bibliography
Appel,
Willa 291
App
Cults in America
Henry Holt and Company, New
York 1985
The Bible
Matthew 3:16
Destructive, Doomsday Religious Cults
http://www.religioustolerance.org/destruct.htm
Bruce A Robinson
Hamilton, Sue L. 291
Ham
The Death of a Cult Family: Jim Jones
Abdo and Daughters,
Bloomington,
Minnesota
1989
Mather,
George A.; Nichols,
Larry A. Ref 200 Mat
Dictionsry
of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult
Zondervan
Publishing House, Grand Rapids,
Michigan
1993
Tragedy in Waco
Time Cover Story
May
3, 1993
Web of Death
Newsweek Cover Story
April
7, 1997
Webster's New
World Dictionary
Victoria Neufeldt,
Editor in Chief
Warner Books, Cleveland, Ohio1990
Worldbook
Encyclopedia
"C" Volume
1995 Edititon