Essay/Term paper: Cults

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Humanities Essays

Cults

Types of cults

Two main kinds of cults exist today:

Messianic Cults

This is a cult that has a leader. Whatever the leader orders his
members to do must be done, whether it would be sacrifice or murder, it must be
done. In return the leader of the cult would "save" his followers.

Mellenarian Cults

This is a type of cult that refers to the 1,000 year reign of Christ.
These groups believe that dramatic events, such as the end of the world or
judgment day, will occur at the turn of the century.

Traits of cults

A feeling and a certainty of belief.
A single strong and powerful leader.
A tendency to control communication.
A totalistic outlook; a view that spiritual life in the group must be
present 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This would not
allow a member to do any hobbies, work or interests outside
of the cult.

People who join cults

There are four different types of people who participate in cults. The
first type of people are normal people who come from intact families and turn to
cults at a moment of difficulty in there life. These people haven't had any
other problems previously. The second group of people are people who had
problems in there past in development and emotion. The third and smallest group
of cult members are psychotic individuals. The fourth group of people feel as
if they don't fit into society.

Different cults

Charles Manson was never close to his parents, for he never met his
father and his mother was an alcoholic. This lead Manson through a confusing
age. He was always getting in trouble with the law. After he got out of prison
he began to experiment with the psychedelic drug LSD. In San Francisco he
learned how to talk like a hippie and sounded very wise, to lost and confused
young men and woman. He always looked for sad or disordered young women. As he
found them he talked to them, and they quickly trusted him deeply. In a short
time he had gathered up enough young women to be his slaves and do whatever he
asked. This is were Charles Manson began his cult leadership. Manson told four
of his followers to break into a wealthy home in Los Angeles and kill everyone
in it. The followers armed with knives and guns obeyed there master and
murdered five innocent people. The next night Manson lead six of his followers
to the LaBianca house a rich couple lived together in. Manson tied the
LaBianca's
up and ordered three cult members to execute them. Now the Manson family fled
to a remote part of Death Valley in Southern California. There the family
stole cars and continued to take drugs. Eventually the Highway Patrol spotted
the stolen cars outside and linked them to the murders.