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THE IDEOLOGY OF ESCAPISM: Cults offer their members clear solution ...
American Chronicle, CA - 4 hours ago
... Since, 19th century there have been various Christian cults, such as Church of Jesus Christ (1830), Spiritualism in (1848) and Jehovah’s Witness (1872) the ...
Tanvir Orakzai
May 19, 2006
Louis Jolyon West defines “Cult is a group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea or thing
and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion”.
During the Roman Empire Christianity developed, however moving farther from its home and Jesus disciples leaving Galilee, it was natural to develop Jewish version of Christianity. The disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem still observed Jewish traditions, such as gathering at the temple, honoring of Sabbath and observing the Law of Mosses.
However, they firmly believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, who suffered, died and raisin and ascended to heavens and promised to return shortly and deliver his followers from doomsday. It was under such scenario that various Jewish writers have written extensively about doomsdays and apocalypse.
In 70 AD the Romans cracked down on Jews razing down their temples forcing Judaism and Christianity to become secret sects and movements. Away from the mainstream religion, the enclaved cults like Qumran were bound to appear whose message was of doomsday rather than hope. As a result the advent of Apocalypse and Messiah return became essential doctrine of Christianity for the coming centuries.
Today more or less, all Christian and Muslim sects affirm the return of Jesus to earth, while some view it a spiritual return rather than a real return.
Apocalypse is like the word utopia, often referred to a hidden event, which is believed to take place in future. The Apocalyptic sages such as Enoch, Moses, Daniel often narrated the scenes of destruction through dreams or visions. However the Apocalyptic literature flourished in the Hellenistic era, reflecting a deep pessimism about future and presence of evil and suffering in the near future associated with ultimate divine justice for the sins committed by the mankind.
The Apocalyptic revelations goes back to Babylonian and the times of prophets Zachariah, who emphasized divine intervention at the time of trouble and crisis predicting the arrival of Messiah. These writers demanded strict form of purity and developed their own theology to describe God’s power. Apocalyptic writers introduced a different vocabulary into their theology and turned to nature and all its wonders to illustrate God's power.
The Christ second coming became more demanding in the period of social unrest giving rise to many local prophets who claimed to harbingers of new age. Many local prophets have arisen in troubled times predicting a new age promising their followers utopian dreams, but in reality with their own semi-political goals. For example, the Camisards in the early 19th century in France or the self styles messiah of Monte Amite South East of Tuscany in late 1860s. The New Religious movements (cults and sects) today have become a worldwide phenomenon, especially after WWII in the West.
Majority of these sects manifest he characteristics of prevalent religions, but with complex theories and doctrines dilute the mainstream religion. In 1985 there were 417 sects and 501 cult movements in America alone, raising the figure to 7 million or 3 percent of America total population, while in 1989 the figure rose to 5 percent composing mainly of young people. Since, 19th century there have been various Christian cults, such as Church of Jesus Christ (1830), Spiritualism in (1848) and Jehovah’s Witness (1872) the Theosophical Society, Christian Science (1879).
CULT BELIEF AND PRATICES
A cult is a highly structured group and its members have unflinching loyalty to its dynamic leader, who governs all aspects of a cult’s life. The cult leaders normally take advantage of painful human conditions. Most of these members face such problems and yearn for comfort and security. These cults cut them off from outside world overtaking their property and financial resources, exploiting them emotionally and physically, constantly brainwashing them an escapist ideology.
Cults often portray some thing new and true. They mention that it is only they who have the truth, which supersedes the earlier truths. For example Sun Ming group teaches that the Christ mission was incomplete and now the time has come to complete the unfinished Christ mission. Similarly the Unification Church claims that they are the only people, who “truly understand anguish and hope of Jesus”. Majority of these cults interpret and preach their independent practices.
For them their own belief is enough to justify their assertion without any external verification. Some cults may not claim new truth, however they interpret Bible in their own way, which is often very different from the Orthodox Christianity. They believe that the interpretations of Scripture are based on a mis-understanding of Bible. For example the international and Worldwide Church of God believe in Bible authority, but they have their own interpretations. Some of these cults have their own scared text or books, which are supposedly revealed to their prophets and leaders.
The cult has a different concept of Jesus than the Orthodox Christianity. For example the Jehovah Witness believe that Jesus was Archangel before he was born. The Mormon Church believes Jesus was born from heavenly father and mother and is also a spirit brother of Lucifer. All of such claims are in contrast with the Orthodox Christianity.
Cults give predictions of the doomsday and end of the world. Often these prophecies are told again and again to the cult members convincing them that the world is no longer a place worth living. These prophecies bring news of eternity, peace, another existence or going to higher spiritual level, such as Solar Temple belief that a global castatroph is about to come. The leader Jouret declared that "The world would soon be engulfed in warfare and famine. Only Quebec would be spared…" . And then they commited their mass sucide as an escape to planet Sirius. Similarly, the branch Davidians was also apocalyptic in its teaching who believed to be living in a time of final judgment. The Davidians leader Koresh made many prophecies and supported his teaching with Biblical interpretations. All of them (75 in total) ended in the fire; while one of its remaining members blasted the World Trade Center in 1996.
Group confessions are used to disclose sins and temptations and become an open vulnerability to the group leader. The group leader has all the knowledge about the member’s secrets and confessions, which is used as a manipulative tool, if a member desires to leave the group. Intimidation and accusation are also common methods used to maintain discipline and suppressing rebellion. If a member raises some doubts, he is labeled as in liaison with Satan or told only God will reveal the truth. A member with consistent doubts and suspicions is labeled as proud and sinful, who will rot in eternal hellfire. The doubtful and serious questions about life are over simplified and made believable by the leader in simplistic terms.
The new members are constantly brainwashed and taught to identify themselves with the cult’s teaching, forcing them to break ties with family and friends. A systematic way of teaching is introduced which re-programs members way of thinking and beliefs. There are mandatory meetings replacing hobbies and friendships so that the new members have no time for thinking and sharing life with any one outside the group. The cult offers rewards for offering more money to the group, the more a member gives away his money; the greater is the reward from God.
Cults have consistent phobia of being chased by government. They feel endangered by external powers or agencies, which give rise to consistent mistrust. Cults have martyrdom complex and are willing to die for the cause as happened in the case of Davidians, Solar Temple and Heavens Gate. In some cases the aim is political such as the case of Japanese nerve gas attack, which aimed at changing the world order through violence.
Cults often flourish in the time of social instability offering their members clear solution to life intricate issues promising eternal salvation and false hopes of security to the naïve members. The 1960s political upheaval in US is one such reminder, when young people wanted to change their lifestyle through political upheaval and violence. Many joined destructive cults who forced these innocent members to do vicious things. In order to overcome such cults, it is essential that mainstream religions become more open to its followers and help them overcome the issues they are facing.
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