Maryam Wasef – Week 4

Summary

This article discusses how churches can be twisted into cults by power-hungry leaders that, although sincerely concerned about their members/constituents, may act tyrannical when they are tempted by power. The article reminds us that we are also susceptible to being tempted by power, whether we are teachers, parents, or spouses. Despite the fact that we may have sincere concerns and righteous motivations for how we deal with our children or spouses, we are not free from the risk of exerting control over their lives in a way that is elitist and adversarial, rather than conciliatory and restorative. Many churches, and I would venture to say other religious institutions likely might share the same issue, disavow and cast aside those who ask the hard questions about their religion, and talk about their struggles at home and how they struggle to maintain their spiritual health. In these cases, leaders should act lovingly and pragmatically to help people through these issues, and not coercing the sort of conduct that they think that person should undertake.

This article gives us a perspective on cults that I think is imperative that people realize and fully appreciate the dangers of what I think are the vast majority of cults. Cults like the KKK, for example, are not guided by sincere and righteous motivations and principles, and their actions are, more often than not, not very subtle. They are often violent and lawless, and are therefore prosecuted by force of law and rendered inert. But cults led by leaders that are guided by righteous principles and initiatives are like a slow burn, or like an acid that slowly eats away at the metal pipe until there is no more pipe at all and the water no longer flows through it. The behaviors of these cults are often not outright violent, but rather, subtly antisocial. Their leaders seek to achieve their righteous initiatives through indoctrination and subjugation of the human will. And these are the cults that are the most pervasive and harmful to society because of how difficult they are to identify and remedy.