Cult-like activity is well-defined. Here are some of the most common hallmarks of cult-like activity.
- You are limited in what you can read and believe in.
- Censorship is key and is part of limiting the material a person can read.
- People who read outside of proscribed material are shamed, attacked or punished.
- Fear and murder is often used as a motivator. See the history communism and Nazis in “Black Book of Communism.” The Nazis were socialists, but are included in the book as they show the same dictatorial behavior as communism.
- You are not allowed to look at both sides of an issue.
- Propaganda is repeated over and over to aid in brainwashing.
- Distortion of a commonly accepted belief is often involved, like the distortion of long-accepted science.
- An opposition to critical thinking.
Now guess which religions are cults. Guess which belief systems are cults. Science means looking at both sides of an issue to make an informed decision. Science is not compatible with a cult.
Definitions of a cult
- a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult
- A cult is most often referred to as an organized group or solitary person whose purpose is to dominate other cult members through psychological manipulation and pressure strategies. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cult-5078234
- a cult is more narrowly defined, and the word refers to an unorthodox sect whose members distort the original doctrines of the religion. https://www.gotquestions.org/cult-definition.html
- More signs you are in a cult: Opposing critical thinking. Isolating members and penalizing them for leaving. Emphasizing special doctrines outside (the accepted norm). Seeking inappropriate loyalty to their leaders. Dishonoring the family unit. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/06/the-seven-signs-youre-in-a-cult/361400/
