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Social control and cults in psychology
Social control and cults in psychology
The effect of a cult on society
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A cult may be defined as a group of people centred about one person’s religious, social or political ideology (Martin, 2003). It is a movement that venerates a specific person, and uses manipulative techniques to recruit members and raise funds. Cults demand complete obedience from the members and use them to work, provide money and provide sexual favours for the benefit of the leaders. Most cults engage in criminal activities such as child marriages, sexual abuse, kidnapping, assault, arson and even murder (Snow, 2003). Over the years, there has been a brisk rise in the number of people starting up cults and those joining them. Individuals are in a bid to discover their significance through passionate and spiritual experiences, which are provided by cults. Reasons why people turn to cults include loneliness, lack of personal identity and alienation (Martin, 2003). There have been many cults in the course of American history. One of the most infamous cults is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). This paper will give a brief history of the cult, its methods of action, the toxic effects of its beliefs and the methods of treatment used for survivors. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints cult was founded in the early twentieth century after its founders separated from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The split occurred after the parent church outlawed polygamy and threatened to excommunicate any members who continued its practice (Jacobson, 2011). The FLDS cult also disagreed with the parent church’s decision in 1978, to allow all male members to hold the priesthood, regardless of their race. This is because the FLDS cult is intrinsically racis... ... middle of paper ... ...ion for women. Cult survivors often have to undergo intensive counselling sessions to deal with symptoms such as anxiety and depression. They also have to be guided to develop life skills such as assertiveness and stress management to enable them cope with the demands of life outside the cult. Works Cited Beall, L. (2005). The Impact of Modern-Day Polygamy on Women and Children. Journal of International Cultic Studies, 2 (1), 2-8. Bromley, D. & Melton, G. (2002). Cults, Religion and Violence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Jacobson, C. (2011). Mormon Polygamy in the United States: Historical, Cultural, and Legal Issues. New York: Oxford University Press. Martin, W. (2003). The Kingdom of the Cults. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers. Snow, R. (2003). Deadly Cults: The Crimes of True Believers. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
This event changed the role of American religion during the early nineteenth century. Non-traditional religions such as Mormonism resulted from this religious revival movement as well. The religious revivals that emphasized individual choice of humans over predestination of God continuously shook New England Calvinism. The “cult of Matthias” was unlike any other religious groups during the time period.
Before the founding and organizing of the LDS church and introduction of polygamy, Joseph Smith received bitter persecution. He was tarred and feathered by a mob, but this was nothing compared to the treatment the saints received when their practice of polygamy became well known (Arrington JS 26-7). In order to escape the torture, Joseph Smith led one hundred and fifty or more saints from New York to Kirtland, Ohio in 1831 (Arrington JS 21). After living in harmony with the native Gentiles for several years, the town of Kirtland be...
The FLDS is a breakaway sect from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was established after a group of Mormons refused to renounce polygamy, which in their eyes, was the only way to reach salvation. According to the FLDS mindset, the only way a man could reach heaven and have status in the community is through having multiple wives. The FLDS community functions as a hierarchy, at which the prophet stands atop of the pyramid as the crowning jewel of God’s favored people. For the past few decades, Rulon and Warren Jeffs have ruled over the church as the prophets, taking unprecedented power over...
Scott, Donald. "Mormonism and the American Mainstream." Teacher Serve. National Humanities Center, Aug. 2004. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. .
Walsh, Y., Russell, R. J. H., & Wells, P. A. (1995). THE PERSONALITY OF EX-CULT MEMBERS. Pergamon, 19(3), 339–344.
Cults consist mostly of middleclass Caucasian male youths, who are usually Christian or Jewish (Nelson 2006). Most are insecure people trying to find a sense of identity and security through the d...
"Growth of the Church - LDS Newsroom." LDS News | Mormon News - Official Newsroom of the Church. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. .
Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster’s dictionary as a “system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc.” Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused “ tens of thousands to abandon their families, friends, education’s, and careers to follow the teaching of a leader they will never meet”(Beck 78).
“History of Fundamentalist Mormons.” Wheat & Tares. Wheat and Tares, 2011. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. .
Koenig states that the impact religions have on mental pathologies such as depression and anxiety are making the person more suppress, moderate, deter and prevent the effects from stress which leads to depression (Koenig, 1998). Mormons may get caught up in practicing what they think is right about God and will step away from all other options. However, Koenig states that Mormons are wealthy and would sometimes rather counselors over their own religion. There is a lot of controversies over whether or not Mormons seek help in God or in other ways such as counseling or health professionals. The Mormons that do want professional help also are sometimes discouraged from fellow neighbors because of the inability past social workers had in knowing different cultures and religions beliefs, morals, and behaviors. The author also mentions that Mormons are built upon truth and when a mental or emotional illness occurs it is sometimes known as a manifestation of sin. Mormons who are diagnosed with a mental illness usually have had a difficult time self-reflecting until they are brought upon an illness that stops them living the way they used
Terry Tempest Williams is fully aware that she is contradicting the church when she writes “women have no outward authority,” yet she still chooses to take part in a ritual of healing that can only be performed by the men. Williams, however, does so in privacy and in the “secrecy of the sisterhood.” The word secrecy hints at the idea of doing something which is not accepted and against certain beliefs of today’s church. She was born and raised in a home of devout Mormons who follow the traditional beliefs of their faith. She acknowledges that the Mormon Church places great importance on obedience. In college she began to question her faith and today would not consider herself an “orthodox Mormon,” although Mormonism still has an impact in her life and work. In her writing, Williams continually contradicts the values of the Mormons.
Singular, Stephen. When Men Become Gods: Mormon Polygamist Warren Jeffs, His cult of Fear, and the Women Who Fought Back. Macmillan, 2009.
Society strives to feel a sense of belonging. We want to be a part of something that shares the same beliefs as us. We spend our time trying to place ourselves in a group to satisfy these needs, whether it is in a hobby club, a group of friends, or religion. Some people go to more extreme measures and find this in what we call a cult. According to Henslin, a cult is a new or different religion whose teachings and practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion. (2013:405) Cults are often identified with the ideas of mass murder, deviant behaviors, unusual beliefs, and extremely devoted members. Cults are also highly known for their leaders. The leaders of cults usually are the ones that portray the image for the entire group. Successful cults take a strong-minded and, according to Max Weber, charismatic leader.
“Polygamy is defined as a marriage in which a spouse of either gender has more than one mate at the same time. Polygamy is considered a valid form of marriage in many countries and communities around the globe” (Al-Krenawi). However, polygamy is illegal in the United States. Those who practice polygamy in America can only be “legally” married to one spouse; therefore, the subsequent spouses in a polygamist relationship hold a “singl...
The boys’ pose appear as competition, “...while boys are seen by older men as competition for the girls”(Vere). As part of the polygamy beliefs, the young boys’ develop the idea that, they themselves are “Satan’s temptations”(Jessop). Many cases, young boys’ are abandoned and rejected from the compound. The FLDS serve as a community called The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a well known polygamous compound. This polygamous community is well known in North America, “Although the practice is widespread across cultures, we know it best in North America as characterized by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS)”(Mack). The FLDS in many cases, will find rather ridiculous offenses to banish the boys’. Clearly, the main goal here is to simply eliminate the competition, “FLDS leader Warren Jeffs 's insistence that parents expel their young male children from the community to eliminate competition for wives”(Billie 127). These youthful boys’ are forced into a society they are unaware of and with no family to guide them, a challenge young boys may