How Cults Work

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Jim Kelley
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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Jim Kelley »

May I present two dictionary definitions and then some personal observations?

In my 1953 large edition (takes two large books) dictionary the definition for cult is; “Extravagant devotion to a person, cause, or thing.” Wouldn’t that fit a religion that whole heartily worships Jesus Christ?

Now my 2000 college edition dictionary. Third definition; “A religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist.” Notice anything added here?

Just a side note: I looked up gay in the 1953 dictionary and the definition is; “Merry, sportive, brilliant, showy, loving pleasure, happy, cheerful.” Any changes since 1953?

Here are my observations:

Starting way back there were movies (and I suppose books too) depicting “satanic cults.” This depiction was done quite well to paint the term “cult” as anything but righteous but only had to do with Satan and evil.

One of the later movies I am aware of depicting satanic cults for public consumption is the 1975 movie, Race With The Devil. Here is a link to a promo. I don’t think You Tube has this movie for free but for rent. Any way you can get the idea what this movie was about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqv6PIH_ymY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It would seem Satan did his homework well in brainwashing the public to be conditioned to think any religion that can be labeled as a cult is satanic.

Look at what is being said right on this thread. We are discussing all the anti-Mormon definitions for cult as if they really meant something when we should be exposing the anti-Mormon folly that changed the definition for the word cult to fit their anti-Mormon purposes. Obviously the anti-Mormons have succeeded judging from the newer dictionary definitions and many of today's conversations even on this thread.

It seems Satan wants to corrupt languages to fit his purposes. That is exactly why the words gay and queer have been destroyed today. Those were two perfectly good words that used to be used in everyday conversation. I personally think gay has been corrupted and adopted by the homosexual community to give the suggestion homosexuality is a merry way of life. I personally use the term homosexual instead of gay and queer.

Even the Nephite’s language was corrupted after a time (Moroni 10:32-33) so the end result was the BofM was harder to write and translate. But the Lord God knows all things and He provided a way for the BofM to be translated correctly for our day in English.

Satan isn’t doing anything on this earth that hasn’t already been done on other worlds before (Temple Endowment) so the corruptions of the word cult is only a part of Satan’s tried and proven plan to attack The True Church and should not be considered any more than that.

Bro. Jim

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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Thinker »

Jim,
I agree that evil influences can be subtle - as slowly increasing the temperature of water until boiled to (spiritual) death.

When I think about cult mentality (religious, atheist, political, cultural...) I get a little nervous for myself and others - as if watching my kid try riding a bike for the first time.
To maintain a balance - you gotta keep going - but ideally avoiding crashing into thorny rose bushes. :D

Doubt is necessary for humble reliance on God and for progressing and realizing we don't know it all. Faith is also important - we literally walk and do everything by faith - belief we can do it with God's help. To lean too much on skeptical doubt - or blind faith - we're likely to lose balance and/or "crash" - miss the mark.

Each cult mentality may offer truth mixed with deceptive philosophies of men. So, it's important to maintain constant vigilence in studying, pondering and praying to discern what is good and true and to do God's will - to the best of our ability.

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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Benjamin_LK »

Jim Kelley wrote:May I present two dictionary definitions and then some personal observations?

In my 1953 large edition (takes two large books) dictionary the definition for cult is; “Extravagant devotion to a person, cause, or thing.” Wouldn’t that fit a religion that whole heartily worships Jesus Christ?

Now my 2000 college edition dictionary. Third definition; “A religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist.” Notice anything added here?

Just a side note: I looked up gay in the 1953 dictionary and the definition is; “Merry, sportive, brilliant, showy, loving pleasure, happy, cheerful.” Any changes since 1953?

Here are my observations:

Starting way back there were movies (and I suppose books too) depicting “satanic cults.” This depiction was done quite well to paint the term “cult” as anything but righteous but only had to do with Satan and evil.

One of the later movies I am aware of depicting satanic cults for public consumption is the 1975 movie, Race With The Devil. Here is a link to a promo. I don’t think You Tube has this movie for free but for rent. Any way you can get the idea what this movie was about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqv6PIH_ymY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It would seem Satan did his homework well in brainwashing the public to be conditioned to think any religion that can be labeled as a cult is satanic.

Look at what is being said right on this thread. We are discussing all the anti-Mormon definitions for cult as if they really meant something when we should be exposing the anti-Mormon folly that changed the definition for the word cult to fit their anti-Mormon purposes. Obviously the anti-Mormons have succeeded judging from the newer dictionary definitions and many of today's conversations even on this thread.

It seems Satan wants to corrupt languages to fit his purposes. That is exactly why the words gay and queer have been destroyed today. Those were two perfectly good words that used to be used in everyday conversation. I personally think gay has been corrupted and adopted by the homosexual community to give the suggestion homosexuality is a merry way of life. I personally use the term homosexual instead of gay and queer.

Even the Nephite’s language was corrupted after a time (Moroni 10:32-33) so the end result was the BofM was harder to write and translate. But the Lord God knows all things and He provided a way for the BofM to be translated correctly for our day in English.

Satan isn’t doing anything on this earth that hasn’t already been done on other worlds before (Temple Endowment) so the corruptions of the word cult is only a part of Satan’s tried and proven plan to attack The True Church and should not be considered any more than that.

Bro. Jim
Good points. But being called something awful is what has always been the case. Opposition to the Israelites, Abraham, the Jews, Jesus, and then his disciples, something evil along the same lines as people describe the church today. The actual persecution is not the same, although the character assassination technique is always about the same. And I will note, calling the Mormons a threat to civilization was more of the same. But understanding the use of cult to selectively place outrage out there is completely understandable.

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Jim Kelley
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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Jim Kelley »

Thinker wrote:Jim,
I agree that evil influences can be subtle - as slowly increasing the temperature of water until boiled to (spiritual) death.

When I think about cult mentality (religious, atheist, political, cultural...) I get a little nervous for myself and others - as if watching my kid try riding a bike for the first time.
To maintain a balance - you gotta keep going - but ideally avoiding crashing into thorny rose bushes. :D

Doubt is necessary for humble reliance on God and for progressing and realizing we don't know it all. Faith is also important - we literally walk and do everything by faith - belief we can do it with God's help. To lean too much on skeptical doubt - or blind faith - we're likely to lose balance and/or "crash" - miss the mark.

Each cult mentality may offer truth mixed with deceptive philosophies of men. So, it's important to maintain constant vigilence in studying, pondering and praying to discern what is good and true and to do God's will - to the best of our ability.
I am responding to your post because of your illustration about riding a bike into the rosebushes.

When I was a boy, in about 1955, a neighbor boy was riding my bicycle which was really to big for either one of us. David was riding my bike, pumping side to side, lost control and went into the rosebushes. Your illustration put a smile on my face and brought back a funny childhood memory.

Thanks,

Bro. Jim

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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Thinker »

Ouch! But I'm glad that brought back a fun memory.
One of my kids did that too.
I always thought the saying "life is roses" is accurate as long as you take them in their natural state - thorns and all. :)

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gtoda
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Re: How Cults Work

Post by gtoda »

Thinker wrote:A respected friend told me I was in a cult and at first I was defensive, but then I began looking into it and sure enough, our church fits many characteristics.

Still, I see cult qualities in any group - and often those who come to hate the Mormon "cult" just move to another cult, adopting even more dysfunctional ideologies, like killing children as birth control, calling those who don't support legal "rights" based on sexual substitutes, "homophobes" or "bigots" (cult-like shunning), or making fun of "climate deniers" who object to spending billion$ on "climate change" bs.

You can take a person out of a cult, but it's tough to take the cult out of the person.
Very good points.

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Re: How Cults Work

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Speaking of cults. Image

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gruden2.0
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Re: How Cults Work

Post by gruden2.0 »

ajax wrote:http://www.howcultswork.com/

• Instant friends.
This reminds me how in the last ward we were in, shortly after we arrived the bishop there assigned a woman to be my wife's friend, thus an 'instant friend'. I never figured that one out. Strange times.

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Sirocco
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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Sirocco »

gruden2.0 wrote:
ajax wrote:http://www.howcultswork.com/

• Instant friends.
This reminds me how in the last ward we were in, shortly after we arrived the bishop there assigned a woman to be my wife's friend, thus an 'instant friend'. I never figured that one out. Strange times.
no assigned friend would last long with me...
besides I have friends, friends as odd as I who enjoy and share my love of collecting rocks and lovecraftian horror and steven universe.

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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Fiannan »

Sirocco wrote:
gruden2.0 wrote:
ajax wrote:http://www.howcultswork.com/

• Instant friends.
This reminds me how in the last ward we were in, shortly after we arrived the bishop there assigned a woman to be my wife's friend, thus an 'instant friend'. I never figured that one out. Strange times.
no assigned friend would last long with me...
besides I have friends, friends as odd as I who enjoy and share my love of collecting rocks and lovecraftian horror and steven universe.
That's not odd. :)

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Sirocco
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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Sirocco »

Well I am very picky about who I spend my time with, I can't imagine some random "assigned" person would gel well with me.

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BrotherOfMahonri
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Re: How Cults Work

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something to consider watching, i do not agree with entirely but appreciate the efforts made...

https://www.youtube.com/user/askreality/videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Joel
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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Joel »

BrotherOfMahonri wrote:something to consider watching, i do not agree with entirely but appreciate the efforts made...

https://www.youtube.com/user/askreality/videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Image

BrotherOfMahonri
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Re: How Cults Work

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Joel wrote:
BrotherOfMahonri wrote:something to consider watching, i do not agree with entirely but appreciate the efforts made...

https://www.youtube.com/user/askreality/videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Image
Where did you get that graphic? =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =))

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Obrien
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Re: How Cults Work

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Joel has a Urim and Thummim, thus allowing him to find all kinds of digital hilarity.

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Re: How Cults Work

Post by Joel »

Obrien wrote:Joel has a Urim and Thummim, thus allowing him to find all kinds of digital hilarity.
BrotherOfMahonri wrote:Where did you get that graphic? =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =))
:D Imgur!

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Joel
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Re: How Cults Work

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Cult Leader, Sun Myung Moon: Emperor of the Universe

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Sirocco
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Re: How Cults Work

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Screw him, I'm the Emperor of the Universe!

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