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Is It About Discipline or Control?
I try generally to avoid the term “cult” because it’s almost always pejorative, and that puts me in the position of adjudicating matters that people hold dear. Besides, I’ve yet to encounter anyone in my travels throughout North America who said, “Yes, I’m a member of a cult!”
Having said that, however, I reserve for myself the option of referring to groups that tightly regulate their members’ behavior as “cults.” I’m not speaking here simply of groups that encourage – or even demand – spiritual discipline of one sort or another: regular reading of scriptures, prayer, and the like. Nor would I include monasteries (Christian, Buddhist, et al.) in that category.
I’m referring instead to those groups that demand a regular, strict accounting of their members’ activities, especially how they spend their time. The Shepherding Movement, popular among some evangelicals in the 1970s, would be one example. Here at Columbia a few years back, to take another example, there was a (Christian) group active among the students that required its members to give a weekly accounting of how they spent their time: how many hours sleeping, studying, reading the Bible, evangelizing, etc.
I consider that cultish behavior because the individual is so deeply submerged within the group’s identity and mores as to have abdicated completely her own individuality and sense of self.
By
Randall Balmer
|
September 19, 2007; 7:21 AM ET
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Posted by: Louann Meyer | December 20, 2007 9:19 AM
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Posted by: Michale Short | December 20, 2007 9:19 AM
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Andrea,
that, of course, can be said of cults AND religions!
Posted by: Anonymous | September 23, 2007 4:58 AM
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Great distinction! I would add that the purpose of a cult seems to be to serve itself or its leadership, rather than serving the individual member.
Blessings,
Andrea
http://www.EmpoweredSoul.com/blog
Posted by: Andrea Hess | Empowered Soul Blog | September 21, 2007 10:37 AM
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Prof Balmer should know that he doesn't need to invent his own definition of cults. There are pretty standard, academically accepted lists of characteristics.
All you need to do is google "cult characteristics" and you will get 3-4 similar and vetted lists.
One can then compare a group such as the Mormons to the list, compared to, say, Unitarians,
and see that Mormons are much more "cult=like"than Unitarians.
Whether one then dares use the word Cult to describe the Mormons in public is a political question.
In the same way that I fit most of the characteristics attributed to the class "homosexuals", but whether you dare call me one in public is a political question. Meet you in the Twin Cities Mens Room and we'll discuss the ramifications.
Posted by: Henry James | September 20, 2007 10:48 PM
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By your definition, didn't the first century christians tightly regulate their members? Didn't the Apostle Paul advocate not even eating with a "brother" who was a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner?
Seems pretty controlling to me. Your friends couldn't be ones that sleep around, have money, watch football every weekend or drink a lot. That's 90%+ of the people in the US.
I find it fascinating that in a forum deemed as religious, there are precious few comments related to the "Holy Scriptures" of whatever religion is being represented. Pretty telling regarding what people know about their religion.
My simple view is, most people in the West have as their religion what makes them feel good. It has little to do with anything written in the bible, koran, talmud, etc. etc. etc.
Posted by: Brock | September 20, 2007 12:55 AM
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A cult is a religion with no political power.
- Tom Wolfe
Posted by: Norrie Hoyt | September 19, 2007 11:27 AM
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I would include in that definition of a cult another point. When one is restricted to people they can associate with or even speak to outside of absolute necessity is another sign of being in a cult IMHO.
Posted by: Lady Jane | September 19, 2007 10:18 AM
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