It has to include the mind set of ‘if your not with us, then your against us’. This delineates the difference between a religious, spiritual and corporate pursuit vs a dangerous cult.
The study of the strange and unusual or things we consider to be alien to us is called xenology.
Xenology as a term emerged during the 1960s while most of the USA and EU were under going major culture shifts.
In the aftermath of WWII the world had to rebuild. Fueled with the imagination of the science fiction’s golden age and enjoying the trimmings of technology advancement from the global conflict and increased means of mass communication, nevermind computers, the world idea of itself changed at a break neck speed.
Life was quickly becoming even more cultures with off-shoot sub-cultures and of course cults also had a massive explosion during this time in modern history.
A society will always find it’s own way. It’ll attract that which assists and reject that which detracts. A society tries to portray the behaviour of a well to do family within that society. A person tries portray behaviour becoming of a well to do family within their society. And societies and families are just as capable of as much nuttyness as any individual – and good.
The question of what one should consider a cult and what one should consider a sub-culture has been hotly debated. With many cults now using the banner of new religious movement. But when are groups – too nutty?
I think we could all pretty evenly agree David Kirsch’s group in Waco, Heavens Gate and the Charles Manson Family are all examples of the kind of groups we do not want to have a major threshold in our societies.
They are criminal gangs who break the law under the guise of religion. And the noose is tightening on such goings on. Religion and spiritual pursuits sit on one side of the aisle while cults and criminal gangs reside on the other.
Sometimes the ‘if your not with us, but against us’ gives rise to rule breaking/law bending/renegade behaviour under the guise of – doing the needs must to survive.
Scientology and Jehovah Witness’ are not so quite easily categorized but they are frequently under the cult spot light, in the public eye anyway.
Acedemically they seem to enjoy the more reputable status of New Religious Movements. Which does lend itself to being useful in thinking of such groups. After all almost every religion to be born has had to fight to survive… but while that is common in the inner makings of the group is the defining factor.
Ascendancy is not the best guide. Which religion does not want to be THE dominant religion the world over. Fighting to survive is a typical.
But this ‘if your not with us, your against’ is a mentality that is a cults breeding ground. It makes it extraordinary for people to leave. Many conditions are often attached.
Bear in mind many military, especially special forces personnel are in this situation.
There is only room in the world of cults for us and them. There is no notion of we when dealing with members outwith the group.
Islam is not a cult. ISIS has been referred to as the cult of death. The difference lies in the degree of the us vs them mentality.