For this post, you have 3 options:
1. Create a cult. Perhaps start with something you’re interested in, and think of ways your knowledge about this topic could benefit others. Select a leader (you?). Establish the rules of the cult. Where will this cult live? How will you recruit followers? Why should we join?
2. Find a story about a cult (news article, memoir, short film, interview, anything) and summarize it. Next, describe the steps you could take to avoid being enlisted in this cult.
3. Select one article from Cult Recovery 101, summarize it and let us know what you learned.
Replies to classmates: See what your classmates have posted and respond to them. If they created a cult, is it convincing? If they summarized a story or an article, did you learn something new? If you read the same article, are your summaries similar or different?
3 thoughts on “Conversation 4”
Cults are such a strange concept as it usually has negative cogitations, cult is defined in Modern English, as a term, considered pejorative by some, for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. The goal of a cult can very depending on the type of cult it is or the person who’s serving as the leader. A very infamous cult in American society is the Manson Family, they were a messianic cult and commune located in California in the late-1960s. The group was formed and led by the notorious criminal and cult leader Charles Manson. The crimes committed by the Manson Family included multiple murders, torture, hostage-taking, and the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford. Charles Manson was born into a mess– his mother was a 16 year old and was not ready to have a child so he was raised to think his grandparents were his parents and his mom was his sister. He found himself in and out of trouble with the law as a juvenile. Manson moved to California and used his unlikely magnetism to attract a group of hippies and set up a commune, where drugs and orgies were common, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Manson preached his own blend of eccentric religious teachings to his acolytes, who called themselves his “Family.” Manson was able to draw so much attention from others and create his own cult because of his connections in Hollywood– his cult was also deeply routed in racism. He was fascinated with the term ‘Helter Skelter,’ in Manson’s verbiage, was the pending race war that would see thousands die and force the Family disappear to underground caves. There, they would wait until it was time for them to emerge and rule what was left of the world. They had planned for their first crime to be targeted towards black people, they then decided to target upper class people living around them as a way to warn black people what was coming and how they would be tortured and killed. The murders took place on August 8–9, 1969, in Los Angeles. On the night of August 8, a small group of Manson Family members, including Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Charles (“Tex”) Watson, drove to the house where film director Roman Polanski lived with his wife, actress Sharon Tate. This cult was incredibly violent and brought people together for the wrong reasons. That’s the problem with cults, it draws you in and its hard to come out of. I believe in order to stay away from cults you must be independent and have the ability to know right from wrong and read the signs if something seems odd or pressured, avoid it.
Hello Lucia,
It’s very interesting that you picked the Mason Family cult group since I have seen a documentary this year about it and how the area/ the buildings around that area in California are haunted with descriptions being him. For example, one was a woman who was alone at home one day and hurd noises or the chandelier she had in her house move, and after that she was found dead. Anyways sorry for the scary stories it was just something I saw connnected to this cult. But I do agree with what you wrote and to add to it, Manson claimed to be a messianic figure and had a group of followers who were mostly young women and I think about 1-2 men. The fact that Manson would feed them drugs and take care of them as his own family while they committed murders was very shocking to read and see. Additionally, even though Manson died in 2017, some of the members are still alive, For example, Catherine Share. She was a former Manson Family member who participated in the killings and eventually testified against Manson and later went on the record to discuss her experiences and the perils of cults.
I found your topic of choice to be a good pick nice job Lucia.
Angel Martinez
2/25/2023
CRT 100
Week 4
*My imagination wondered with this assignment but creating my own cult was fun.
1. The cult I chose is an LGBTQ+-based cult called “The Saviors of Equality” also known as ‘TSE’. I chose this cult specifically because I am a part of this community and want people to be guided and not lost. This could benefit many of the people who consider themselves LGBTQ+. The rules of the TSE cult are the following:
1. No one should be dehumanized for being who they are. That means if your gay, lesbian, transgender, or consider yourself a different gender there will be consequences in the cult if you are looked down upon. (TSE court)
2. Attend a meeting or workshop at least once a month or your rank will be affected. This means that the position that you’re in will be changed. (Will be explained more below)
3. Straight People are forbidden to enter the main building without a proper invitation from the head of the members. But they can enter other TSE establishments and the Island. This doesn’t mean that anyone that’s not LGBTQ+ cannot join our cult.
4. All and Any positions can be taken from.
TSE is a free-based cult that has a diplomatic relationship with the United States of America, that is in America’s waters on a big island identical to Hawaii’s size that’s been uninhabited for centuries but was established a few years ago (10). This land is called Visquent and has a city and rural areas outside the city. We recruit followers by advertisement of our land and our culture and by sending people throughout the world. All the people will be tested and observed before anyone is chosen for our cult. One of the tests being questioned and tested. Tested how? By our TSE scientists. It is scientifically proven that there is a gene called SLITRK6 which is a claim that the gene SLITRK6 is active in a brain region called the diencephalon and that this region differs in size between people who are homosexual or heterosexual. This is of course a scientific claim. Anyone who is involved in the LGBTQ+ should join because we offer the best LGBTQ+ protection for all and we have scientists to help with any diseases or illnesses such as AIDS, Colon, testicular, STDs, HIV, Hepatitis A, B, and C, Chlamydia, and gonorrhea, as well as depression, anxiety, etc. We also provide any information that one lacks through our TSE education system.
Hierarchy:
Entity (God/Goddess)- This position is none other than me the founder of the cult who leads.
King/Queen- This position is for the board members who help me keep the land organized and civil. As well as the coordinator for any activities and is responsible for the safety of all members.
a. Prince/princess- This position is taught by the kings and Queens of TSE and has minor authority on the council.
Grand Duke- This position is the one who protects the city and the outskirts of the land.
a. Duke- this position is taught by the Grand Duke and is in charge of overseeing the city.
Lord- This position is in charge of managing the Serfs and reporting to the Grand dukes and sometimes the prince and princess.
Serfs- This position is for any new members who are starting in the cult unless they are recommended then they will start as a Lord or Duke. They will follow the manuals that are handed out to everyone who joins TSE.
2. The cult I picked was called “Children of God: History and Teachings of the Notorious Cult” by Patti Wigington which is a cult that I personally do not want to be a part of. This cult specifically was an abusive cult that has been charged with encouraging child abuse and sexual exploitation. This cult would also recruit new members by “flirty fishing” (using sex). “Jesus Babies” were the names given to the offspring born as a result of flirtatious fishing. The steps I would take would be the ones I take now which are, not being religious and staying away from the church. These two steps are what I’ve been doing my whole life along with being cautious of religious groups/ people with high faith. I think that I wouldn’t be recruited because I personally get ticked off when people give too much credit to a god they don’t even know or see, or when they say that ‘god gave them everything’. This is because I feel like they aren’t giving themselves credit for their own accomplishments.
3. The Children of God cult, which is now known as The Family International, was a sexual abuse and exploitation organization, according to the Simon Gardner article “Children of God sex cult survivors emerge out of the shadows.” The article tells the accounts of survivors. The survivors discuss the psychological and emotional effects of being sexually abused and used as children while growing up in the cult, as well as how it affected their lives. The article also emphasizes the initiatives taken by survivor-led groups to help people afflicted by the cult, including COG Survivors and The Family International Survivors Network. The essay concludes by discussing the need for responsibility and justice for those who committed the abuse and let it happen inside the cult. This story took 25 years to be released publicly, which shows how long one suffers and keeps these tragic and disturbing stories hidden. What I learned from this story was to be wary of people who want you to cut ties with your family/friends since it’s a way of controlling you on their end. I also learned that trusting one’s instincts is absolutely important because only you can know what’s right and wrong for you and getting manipulated and pure-pressured/ drugged is a wrongful act on the ones accused.