Cults

[Church]

Alright, well I'm starting this thread to see what people think about cults, Admin/mod feel free to move if this is the wrong place.

Usually a cult is lead by a leader that recruits troubled youth into there beliefs,

The exact definition is: "A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader." Source for that http://www.answers.com/topic/cult

Some cults lead people to mass suicides or attack on people that don't believe them. Some examples

"1994. More than 60 members of Europe's Solar Temple cult were induced to mass suicide in France and Switzerland."

"1995. Japan's Aum Shin Rikyo cult released sarin nerve gas in Tokyo subway killing ten and injuring thousands."

"1997. Teenage members of a Vampire cult murdered the parents of one of its members. Self-proclaimed lead vampire received the death sentence."

All of these pulled from http://www.factnet.org/cult_danger_growing.html

So, in your opinion, what is the best way to stop dangerous cult activities? Why do you think people follow them?

[Perseus]

You cant really stop cults because they can do that as logn as it isn't dangerous to other people and I tihnk people just want to be accepted.
And, me personal opinion on them is, they're just goofy.

[Uhh.Huhh RAN_DOM]

Cults are so strange ,but yet diverse i think its mostly because teenagers want to do it to be like someone or just be forced into it. kinda like gangs

[INFERNO]

The difficulty with getting rid of them is finding the source of them. If you find a believer, that's fine but generally there is immense loyalty and firm beliefs so finding the source or leader is difficult. Also, the leader tends to be good at manipulation or getting people to believe in their beliefs. Sometimes they become dangerous, sometimes they don't.

I think that it may offer an outlet to some people and be something that they feel they can safely follow and believe in. Since they're accepting and the leader is accepting, the bonds get strengthened and the beliefs get drilled into the heads.

The problem with stoppign the dangerous activity is finding it, which usually means that it's already happened. The large cults would have quite a few people (let's say 100) and of these 100, only 1 is the source, and each of the 100 won't give details. Then how do you find the leader? Sometimes you cant. They also tend to keep their activities hush-hush, so you'd have to go out of your way in the first place. When it becomes public is when it's too late. It's really a game of catch-up or sneak a mole in then end it that way, which would be hard and probably risky.

[Atonement]

In American, assuming the reader is American, the First Amendment states that people are free to practice whatever religion they so choose as long as it isn't endangering someone else's life or breaking laws of some sort.

Also, that "definition" is very misleading. Thats a BAD definition and because it causes a bias and is not true. It can be true for some, but it is not true for all.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult

Because Merriam-Webster is a well established and respected source, I will now cite them,

"1: formal religious veneration : worship
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual ; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious ; also : its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults>
5 a: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book) ; especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b: the object of such devotion c: a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion"

5b, has the best definition in my opinion. But a cult in my own words is, "A cult is a devotion of a faith characterized by unclassical actions and different ways despite what society feels is 'normal'"

By such, I thinkthat cults are made out to be terrible because of a couple whack jobs that screwed over some vulnerable people. Take the Texas Cults (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YFZ_Ranch) for instance, I've studed this closely, and as far as I can see, if rapes have occurred, it was prosecuted and taken into account. Though, I saw a great documentary of the young ladies 14-18 saying something to the effect of, "We can choose who we are to marry. We do not date, but we can refuse to marry a man if we choose so. We are happy."

Key words, "We are happy." What right does the federal government have to instill their belief system on someone? If its illegal, which its not, then they need to be left alone.