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HannahMelton
Mr.Conrad
ERWC,Period3
14October,2015
Cults:BrainwashorReligion
Thedifferencebetweenadedicationtofaithandbeingbrainwashedisaveryfineline.For
thisreason,cultscausemuchcontroversy.Acult,bydefinitionisasystemofreligiousveneration
anddevotiondirectedtowardaparticularfigureorobject.Thesecondmostaccuratedefinitionis
arelativelysmallgroupofpeoplehavingreligiousbeliefsorpracticesregardedbyothersas
strangeorsinister.Ultimately,bothofthesedefinitionsincludereligionsocultsarerecognizedas
religionsthemselves.Ontheotherhand,cultshaveareputationofbeingabusive,demonic,and
enactingmasssuicide.Inlightoftheseelements,cultsshouldbethoroughlyinvestigatedandpass
manyqualificationsinordertoqualifyasareligion.

Cultsoftentimesbrainwashtheirmembersinordertoestablishtheirdominance.For

example,theauthorMichaelHaggwrites,[t]heideathatpeoplecanbemadeintorobots,such
thattheywillperformthemosthorrendousactsorbehaveinwayscompletelyatvariancewith
theirpriorbeliefsandvalues(Hagg).Aperfectexampleofthisbrainwashingisthetragedyof
Jonestown,whenover900cultmembersdrinkedcyanidelacedKoolAidtocommitsuicide.In
otherinstances,cultleaderswillmanipulatetheirfollowerstorape,harm,orevenkillothers.This
ideaisconfirmedbyMargaretSinger,psychologistwhointerviewedmanycult
members...believedthatcultssuccessfullyemployedbrainwashingtoovercometheindividual's
abilitytoexercisefreewill(Hagg).Whencultsinstalltheirbrainwashingtactics,individualswill

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feelliketheyhavetodotheactortheywillbepunished.Inthemostextremecases,followers
wanttodothesehorriblethingstopleasetheirleaders.Ifthereismuchevidencethatcults
manipulatetheirmembersintodoingthingstheywouldnotnormallydo,weshouldnotrecognize
themasareligion.
Anotherthingthatshouldbetakenintoconsiderationisthatcultsandreligionsaretwo
separatethings.Unlikeinmostreligions,whenaoutofthisworldbeingisworshiped,ina
cult,[t]heleaderassumesagodlikeauthorityoveritsmembers(Shoemaker).Acultleaderwill
actasiftheyareGodoagodandthegoalistopleasethem.Thatisntthegoalofreligion,say
christianity,youshouldntdevoteyourlifetopleasingGodbuttokeeparelationshipwithhim,to
beabletolookuptoohimandhavefaith.Cultmentality,Itpreysuponpeoplewithheavyguilt
andshameandoffersafalsesolution:totalcommitmenttothecult(Shoemaker).Almostlikea
dictatorship,cultspreyupontheweakandmanipulatethemintothinkingthecultistheonlyway
toescapeguiltorfitin.Cultshavemanysystemsthattraditionalreligionsdonotparticipateinor
condone.
Cultsarealsoveryabusive.Theyaresaidto,usecoercivepower,fear,intimidation,and
manipulationtokeeppeopleinline.Ifonedisagreeswithleadership,s/heisofthedevil
(Shoemaker).Atsomepointscultmembersarebeingforcedtostayinthecult.Theyarescaredto
trytoleavebecausetheydontknowwhatwillhappentothem.Theyabusedmembersarethen
deniedthecultsacceptanceofthesecruelacts,Theycallusliarsandtheymaywellclaimtheyno
longerpracticethebrutalphysicalpunishmentoradultchildsex,buthowdoesthisrectifythe
crimesthatwerecommittedagainstusandsosomanyotherinnocentchildren(Jones).They
convincemembersthatwhatishappeningisokayandtheyshouldagreewithit.Adultchildsexis

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neverokayandiftheculthasahistoryofis,itneedstoberecognized.Cultshavesomany
abusivetendencies,theyshouldnotbeconsideredreligions.
Somemaysaycultsandreligionsarebothguiltyofbrainwashingtheirmembers.Some
newagethinkersargue,Theologicalconservativeswanttoarguethattheirfaithistruebecause
Godreallysaidwhatwebelievebutnotthatotherstuff(Hirschfield).Thequoteaboveissaying
thatchristiansfalselyjustifytheirfaithwhileputtingotherideasdown.Thoughbrainwashing
couldhappenamongChristianextremists,itisalesspopularpracticethanitisincults.Cultshave
adifferentauthorityoverfollowers.AhumanbeingactsasiftheyareGodandmustbeanswered
to,thatisnotright.

Cults,especiallynewagecults,havemanyquestionablepractices.Thisraisesthequestion

ofwhetherornottheyshouldbeconsideredreligions.Thisissueisrelevantintodayssociety
becauseweneedtoprotectourpeoplefrommanipulativeleadersandgroups,maybewithnot
allowingcultstobecomeestablishedreligions,wecoulddecreasethepopularity.Thebadapples
shouldnotbeabletodeterminethegoodapplesfuture.Thisiswhyaninvestigationofeachcult
applyingtoberecognizedasareligion,shouldbeinactionandratherextensive.Ifthecultis
foundguiltyofbrainwashorabuse,theyshouldnotbegivenreligiouslegitimacyandthe
membersofthecultshouldberemovedandprotectedimmediately.Itisourdutyasacountryto
protectourcitizensfromabuseandmanipulation,thereforeprotectthemfromdangerouspeople
andorganization.

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WorksCited
Haag,Michael."CultsBrainwashTheirMembers."
Cults
.Ed.RomanEspejo.Detroit:
GreenhavenPress,2013.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from"DoesBrainwashingExist?"
JonestownReport
.Vol.10.2009.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.27Oct.2015.
Shoemaker,H.Stephen."CultsandReligionsHaveImportantDifferences."
Cults
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RomanEspejo.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2013.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from"TenMarksof
aReligiousCult."
staging.nambtest.net
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OpposingViewpointsinContext
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Jones,Celeste,JulianaBuhring,andKristinaJones."SomeCultsAreSexuallyAbusive."
NotWithoutMySister
.Ed.CelesteJonesandKristinaJones.2007.Rpt.in
Cults
.Ed.Roman
Espejo.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2013.OpposingViewpoints.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.
Web.27Oct.2015.
Hirschfield,Brad."CultsandReligionsHaveSimilarities."
Cults
.Ed.RomanEspejo.
Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2013.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from"TheThinLineBetween
ReligionsandCults."
WashingtonPost
1Apr.2009.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.27
Oct.2015.