Understanding Cults: Characteristics, Differences, and Tactics
What is a Cult?
Defining a cult is complex for several reasons:
- No new sect willingly adopts the name “cult.”
- There is no universally agreed-upon definition among experts.
- The term is often contentious.
- It can be unfairly applied to religious minorities, creating prejudice.
- Criticism should focus on a group’s practices, not its beliefs. It’s often mistakenly assumed that labeling a group a cult is an attack on its beliefs.
A useful definition is:
Cult: A group or movement exhibiting excessive devotion to a person, idea, or thing, and employing unethical techniques of persuasion and manipulation to control its followers. This control is designed to achieve the goals of the group leader, potentially harming its members, their relatives, or society in general (Langone, 1988).
Differences Between a Church and a Cult
| Church | Cult |
|---|---|
| A church seeks to connect with other churches and religions. | A cult promotes hatred against other churches and religions. |
| A church publicly displays its facilities and rituals. | A cult maintains secret facilities and practices. |
| Church leaders, while fallible, promote brotherhood, peace, and freedom for their members. | Cult leaders operate through fear and restrict the freedom of their followers. |
| Joining and leaving a church requires voluntary adherence. | Leaving a cult is difficult. Members are trapped through psychological, emotional, and economic manipulation. |
| A church seeks to serve society and encourages members to live their values within it. | A cult isolates members from society, instilling the belief that society is evil and should be avoided. |
How Cults Operate
Cults initially focus on attracting followers through proselytizing, investing heavily in financial and human resources. They may purchase media outlets like radio and television. They present a warm, welcoming environment, and members appear confident in their beliefs. This approach is particularly effective for individuals who are lonely, experiencing a crisis of faith, or have low self-esteem.
Once a person joins the cult, various control methods are implemented:
1) Control of Behavior
Members are told what they can and cannot do, who they can and cannot interact with, and where they can and cannot go. This control can be direct, or it can involve requiring members to report their activities or seek permission for certain actions.
2) Control of Information
Cults control the information members receive before joining and after. Doctrine is taught in a filtered and progressive manner, with certain information withheld until later. They also control information flowing outward, often establishing a “law of silence” for members, forbidding them from discussing internal activities or allowing outsiders to participate in meetings or ceremonies.
3) Control of Ideas
Discourse becomes fanatical, making it impossible for members to contradict any idea of the leader or group practice. Dissent is punished, sometimes physically. The leader’s words are unquestionable and override reason, leading to thought reform and brainwashing.