The Changing Face of Cults
Some of the new religions in America
Cult: adoration; a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator; great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 10th edition
I have watched an interesting, and somewhat disheartening process in America. Beginning in the 1980’s I noticed some strange agendas being ever so gently pushed on an un-discerning public. Things like “Happy Holidays” began replacing Merry Christmas, even to the point of outright banning people from saying Merry Christmas because it might offend “someone.” “Health” started becoming something that was only done by so-called “doctors”, and “vaccinations” became “miraculous” “cures” for everything that ails people. Sexual activity between same sex couples started becoming something we must celebrate. Junk food became the new diet for a huge portion of the populace, and the promise of a quick meal on the go because of our “busy” lives made people believe they couldn’t take the time to prepare something at home. Gyms began popping up in strip malls and on street corners because, suddenly (as if they somehow knew that a new customer base would be forming because of the fast-food push) it was vogue to be fit. Finally, the mother of all trends was the “left” vs “right” (we hadn’t been assigned team colors yet) political division that was started by the former “mainstream” media. In my opinion, all of these are examples of new religions in America.
America used to be predominantly Christian or Catholic. Children were taught from a very young age that there is a God of some kind and “good” people went to heaven, while “bad” people went to hell (we could argue about whether it’s good to teach this to children, but that’s not what this post is about). Television evangelists were constantly promoted, and names like Jimmy Swaggert and Jim and Tammy Bakker were known by almost everyone. Unfortunately, most of these “televangelists” were found to be “lacking” (to say the least) any kind of real morality. These organizations began folding like a house of cards when each was found to be either filled with perverts, money grubbers, or a combination of both. As these spiritual icons in America began falling we ended up with a population that was begging for a new religion.
Fast forward a few decades and we have what we have now. The majority of Americans still believe there is some kind of a God out there, but most could care less. The only reason they even say they believe in God is because of a grandparent that believed. Only a very tiny minority of the populace truly practice their Christianity or Catholicism. No, the bedrock of our nation has been replaced with cults. Cults that are almost too numerous to mention in this post. The type of cult a person belongs to depends a lot on their geographical location. The big cities have their cults and the rural areas have their own as well.
The bad thing about cults is they are typically not fulfilling. The beliefs that the cult members have are fickle and change with whatever new dogma they are told they must believe in. The cult’s bylaws are not written down and haven’t stood the test of time, so provide little (if any) stability to the cult member’s state of mind. The cult member no longer knows how to think for themselves and is always looking to their cult leader for their next order. The leader of the cult can be one person, a propaganda arm of government or media, or even something that seems benign like TV advertising! The one thing that can’t be challenged is the cult member’s dedication to the cult’s beliefs no matter what. Skepticism is not allowed. A real cult does not allow dissenting views. A hardcore cult does not allow its members to question the approved narrative. If the cult member dares to be skeptical or question anything, they are quickly labeled as outcasts. This threat of being kicked out of the herd insures a deep and lasting devotion to the beliefs of the cult and ends up cementing the cult’s mindset so thoroughly that escape becomes almost impossible.
So, what cults have I noticed forming over my lifetime? Oh goodness… where do I start?
One cult that is prominent in my area is the Sports Fan cult. These cult members are so thoroughly entrenched that extracting them from the cult is almost impossible. The sports fan cult member is typically completely dedicated to their “team” and happy to make excuses for that team if they lose. “The coach didn’t call the right play!” is a famous excuse these cult members will use when things don’t go their way. These cult members often put their children in sports even if the children don’t want to participate. The parents get their dopamine and adreniline hits by watching their children “battle it out”, and when the children don’t win they are often shamed and berated *by their parents*. The Sports Fan Cult is a powerful one, often causing people to skip work, leave church early on Sundays, and call in sick for the “Superbowl.” Most of the time, many of these members don’t have a clue as to what is going on in the real world because their entire personality and mindset is wrapped up in their “team”, and whatever sport is “in season” at the time.
Another cult I’ve noticed is the devilish cult of partisan politics (PP for short). These cult members are even more brainwashed than the sports cult members. Most of the time, members of the PP cult refuse to listen to anyone who possibly has a different viewpoint than the approved views on issues facing the public. The PP cult believes their way is the only way. Their “guy or gal” is the only one who can save them. The PP cult member is one of the laziest because they are so wrapped up in their favorite politician’s rhetoric and promises they believe their “civic duty” ends as soon as they leave the voting booth. They put all their hope and trust in a few people. The PP cult member truly believes that as long as their favorite R or D is installed, they can rest easy and no longer have to do anything to hold their cult leader accountable. A fascinating characteristic of a PP cult member is how they easily forgive and *literally* forget anything bad their cult leader has done. They will make excuses for their cult leader no matter what. The PP cult is one of the most dangerous cults in America because it promotes certain cult leaders to the level of godhood and only serves to divide the people. People shouldn’t be divided. Politicians *should* be divided.
The next cult I’ve noticed (especially over the last 5 years) is the “Public Health” cult (PH). This group of cult members is also extremely dangerous because their beliefs maim and kill people. The PH cult believes there is only one way to be healthy, and that’s the way they’ve been told by their masters/gods in “science” and the “health care” industry. If the doctor says they must have a pill, a shot, a surgery, or a treatment” the PH cult member gets it. No questions asked. What makes this cult so dangerous is the pressure they put on others who may not believe in their cult’s doctrine, people who may be harmed if they participate in this cult’s activities. The PH cult member uses shaming and other despicable methods to make uninitiated people feel they’ve done something wrong by not participating in the sacraments of the cult. The PH cult members typically tow the “scientific” line and repeat mantras like, “your ‘vaccine’ protects me”, “I had to get the treatment, so you have to as well”, “I’m doing the right thing, why aren’t you?”, “it’s just a mask!”, “we are all the same!”, “we’re all mammals!”, and other religious verbiage that gets the weak in society to join their cult out of fear of being left out.
A relative newcomer to the cult lineup is the sex cult. Oh sure, in the 1960s we had, for a time, a “free love” movement that encouraged people to have sex with people without feeling any shame about it. But that has been ramped up to include sex with children, animals, same sex, etc. Most people in society don’t want to join this cult. In fact, most could care less what people do in the privacy of their own homes (as long as children aren’t involved). Unfortunately, this new sex cult isn’t happy with just being able to diddle whomever they want. This cult not only celebrates their sexual “liberation,” but insists everyone else should be doing it as well! If a non-cult member resists they are called out in public, turned in to authorities, or shamed. (I got turned in at a job I had for a short time because I asked one of these cult members to please stop talking on the phone about the anal sex they were having with their same sex lover when they were on break. I was sitting right next to them and didn’t really need to hear the intricate details). The only thing the sex cult cares about is being able to “express themselves” sexually in public no matter what. Unfortunately, this cult has incredible power because their members scream loud and sometimes cross over into the PP cult. Many are members of both cults.
The Climate Change Cult (CCC) is the last cult I’m going to mention (though there are many others, feel free to post your cult experiences in the comments). The CCC cult has taken worshipping the creation instead of the Creator to a whole new level. This cult is powerful as well because it’s based on fear. Their members have convinced themselves they are all going to die from catastrophic weather changes that have happened for eons. Many of these cult members live in cities and have never seen a prairie or a mountain in person. The CCC cult is extremely dangerous because its members believe that human beings are the reason for weather events and they want to kill all of us (except themselves, of course). When these cult members are confronted with the option to off themselves for the planet, they often make excuses why it’s everyone else’s fault and not theirs. These cult members truly believe that animals, plants and humans are harming the Earth! They believe so thoroughly that the sky is falling they will go to great lengths to lobby the PP cult to join with them to stop other human’s from doing anything that threatens their belief system. Many of these cult members have taken a “vow of conservation” for everyone but themselves. The CCC cult is good at pointing fingers at everything and everyone as the cause of “weather” but refuse to look at any historical data. Many of them have rejected the very “science” they claim to laud and don’t believe the Sun, Moon, or Oceans have anything to do with weather. The CCC cult is another one to watch… and stay away from.
So, what can we do about these cults? Typically, a person in a cult doesn’t even know they are in one. Pointing out to someone that they have crossed over into “false god” territory doesn’t work. Nothing seems to be able to break through the cloud that surrounds the cult member’s thinking. Many cult members consider themselves to be “enlightened” and “open minded,” yet their actions prove they are completely entrenched in a mindset and way of thinking that is unhealthy and will never fulfill them.
I believe *some* of these cult members can be reached, but I’ve witnessed over my lifetime that most of the time, they never change. Even when the belief system their cult is built upon completely collapses, they just make another excuse to stay in the cult.
How about the next time someone challenges us, questions us about a belief, or rebuts us about a way of thinking, we just ask ourselves, “Am I in a cult?” “Is my thinking becoming cult-like?” If we do our best to stay aware of the dangers of being lured into one of the new cults, I believe we can overcome. As for me, I plan to continue to base my belief system on traditional beliefs that have *stood the test of time* and not place my trust, hope and faith in the new religions we have been inundated by.
Amen! Sometimes I think that there is a certain generation of people that still have morals, and were raised to abide by them. The generation that got their rear ends whipped. We are the last. I do not worry about myself with all these "cults", but I sure do worry about my grandchildren whom, most now, are not raised with God, or morals, right from wrong, etc. etc. They are being raised in a "robotic" world, not knowing how to count money or read a standard clock. They won't know the difference between fact or fiction. Their expectation is that everything is automated and it is their job to be lazy and served. Everything around them is the "truth", so they will be in lots of these "cults", because it will be all they know. I see now how children, "rule the roost", and what they say goes. It is up to us to educate as many children as we can, and just pray that they go on and make the right decisions. All I can say is Thank God I was born in the 60's.
Don't forget the nostalgia cults.
They're always thinking of the past as great glory times, ignoring the horrors of those times.
Nostalgia is strong among many that question the current societal mess and these idiots think as if the past had honest journalism, economics, politics, science etc.
Nope, fools.