25 Attributes of a cult:
by Anonymous
25 ATTRIBUTES OF A CULT:
This list is taken from a college course called "The Psychology of Fundamentalism" offered by the University of Texas
1. the leader is charismatic and often militaristically demanding
2. the leader is always right
3. elitism, the leaders treated as royalty or a sense of awe, hierarchical, authoritarian power structure
4. lower members get no respect, or get abused
5. leader is not held accountable for his actions or the actions of his authority structure
6. leader will not tolerate or receive criticism, but leader criticizes all others
7. there is no exit
8. if members exit they are considered rebellious, out of the will of a higher power or the leader
9. members do not have any association with members that have left the group
10. there are no graduates from the “program” or group, just deserters or evil people
11. there is cult speak (a language many others can not understand)
12. personal attacks on critics or those who are not in the group
13. solidarity within themselves, no outside allegiance or association
14. use of guilt to manipulate members
15. the leaders of group are self absorbed
16. instant community
17. members unable to tell the truth
18. money grubbing
19. newcomers don’t “think right” and need to be trained
20. system of punishment and reward
21. intrusiveness
22. sense of powerless, dependency, covert fear, guilt
23. members and leaders are imbalanced or mentally ill
24. thought stopping language, clichés, or slogans
25. demands of ultra loyalty or ultra trust in the groups process and others
Thumbs Up!
Did you Digg this post?
Was this post Del.icio.us?
Should others Stumble across this post?
Post this on Reddit.
Make this post Float!
14 Ratings
Keep up to date with the FBN Articles by subscribing to this feed.The Free Believers Newsletter
Sign up for our FREE newsletter!
Copyright © 2010 The Free Believers Network | All Rights Reserved
Sound eerily like a church i used to go to.
What do you do when the very people who need to read this list won't even look at it because they fear that doing so would be disloyal & reveal a lack of trust in what they consider to be the God-appointed leadership over them. Family I/we left behind in a cultic church are under the power of a "Don't talk, don't ask, don't discredit the church/leadership" mentality. VERY FRUSTRATING!!!
I was raised in a church, who has a female prophet,who says that I can never say I am saved. I grew up resenting that church, and I guess I can still feel that way. But my Father in heaven showed me that He is love, and that He will never leave me, or forsake me. The funny thing is that no one from that church ever asked me why I am no going to this church. Now I feel free from that bondage. I pray that others can see where they are, and beset free as well.
Where can I get the T shirt from so others can read this!! This is the best "short sermon" i have ever seen on "what is a cult". Now I'm getting real concerned the "Church" as we know it has become the very 'organisation' we dreaded because of the "lack of knowledge" we are perishing! May God help us all.
10. there are no graduates from the “program” or group, just deserters or evil people SOOOO True! NO ONE 'graduated' from the abusive group I was in- just "defected" or died. I agree with the previous poster- we need T-shirts w/these signs on them.
Sounds like the Obama administration.
Scary! Sums up my 'ex-church' perfectly!