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Recommended: Social psychology of cults
“Wipe them out”! “We do not associate ourselves with your kind”. These are some of the basic quotes that were used to discriminate people and separate others from society back in certain time periods. Many people were associated with terrible, discriminating groups. These groups harassed certain people because of their race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs. These groups were classified by the name of cults. Cults use fear and terror tactics to install fear and pain within people. Cults have also been known to intimidate people into not doing or partaking in certain actions. People involved in cults believed that certain kinds of people did not fit in with society or caused disorganization within a community. There were very many notorious cults throughout history. Some of them include: The KKK, The Nazi Party, Heaven’s Gate, and the people of Jonestown. All the people who were in these cults looked to a leader for guidance, or even in some cases, people believed that this leader was a god or a savior. They followed after their leaders, and each leader was a very dominating and ruthless person. These people wanted their way and would do almost absolutely anything to get what they want. Today I am here to talk about one certain cult: The Nazi Party. I will also be discussing what a cult is and the history of cults. After learning about different cults and the qualities of cults in class, I am here to discuss the history of the Nazi party along with actions that they did and the consequences that they suffered when they were later charged with their crimes. These people participated in horrifying events and were under the rule of one man by the name of Adolf Hitler. At the end of this essay, I hope I will have better informed you abo...
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...cults provide more sanctuary and can provide reasons as to why all cults may not be bad. They provide hope to others, and can overshadow incidents that many people may not be proud of.
Works Cited
Henslin, J.M. (2013). Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (tenth edition). Allyn and Bacon. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
Jewish Virtual Library. (2013). Adolf Hitler. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/hitler.html
BBC. (2013). History Adolf Hitler.Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/adolf_hitler
The History Channel. (2013). Nazi Party. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.history.com/topics/nazi-party
A Teacher’s Guide To The Holocaust. (2013). The Rise of the Nazi Party. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/timeline/nazirise.htm
Cults are dangerous institutions that have existed for many years, corrupting and reforming the minds of innocent people into believing outrageous doctrines that eventually result in disaster. Horrifying cases involving men such as Charles Manson, Jim Jones and David Koresh have bewildered people and raise the question: how could individuals be easily susceptible to the teachings of these men, so influenced that masses go as far as to commit the unthinkable? Individuals who are in a vulnerable position in search for an identity are attracted to cults because they offer a sense of belonging. In addition, isolation from society contributes to the functioning of a cult for it creates an atmosphere where submissiveness and obedience runs high. These two factors seem to hold true for one of the most notorious cults currently established in the United States and Canada. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or, FLDS, is an international polygamist sect that incorporates belonging and isolation along with a dangerous mentality that have resulted in the abuse of women and children in the name of God.
Henslin, James M.. "The Sociological Perspective." Essentials of sociology: a down-to-earth approach. 8th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2008. . Print.
..., to note that there seems to be no adverse effects while a person is in a cult, as their levels of stress goes down and they seem happier. Overall, the cult mentality is one that continues to be an enigma to society today.
Norton, James. The Holocaust: Jews, Germany, and the National Socialists. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2009. Print.
Cults can be dangerous as manipulative strategies are used to control large groups of people into behaviour they may not usually be comfortable with. A cult is a counterculture that is an extremist group usually lead by religion and a charismatic leader (Winner 2011:417). Counterculture is the rejection of popular norms and values and replaces them with extreme views on violence, family and loyalty (Winner 2011:417). Cult leaders often preach about religious history as they take it very seriously. Usually, these religious views guide the bizarre behaviour and conformity within the cult. Anthropologists see cults as a way for people to find self-identity and belonging within a group which they are not receiving from outside of the group.
...psychological offenses, the people that belong to their cults are brainwashed into doing things they wouldn't normally do in their right state of mind. Cult leaders used various ways of molding a follower's mind and brainwashing them to do things for them. Some cult leaders used punishments as a way of breaking the follower's that were resistant to their demands. Others used and perfected the art of persuasion. Either way, the mind of their followers or 'family' are in total control of the leader.
Scott, Barbara Marlene, and Mary Ann Schwartz. 2000. Sociology: Making Sense of the Social World. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Opinions vary as to why people are drawn to cults. “Martin Marty, professor of religious history at the University of Chicago, attributes the growth of cults to the frustrations of seemingly rootless people”(U.S. News and World Report 23). Marty’s classification of a rootless person is a person who is overly frustrated by modern life and is at a loss for direction. Often the rootless individual will “short-circuit and try to hook their lives to any guiding spirit” (U.S. News and World Report 23).
South Florida, University of. “Holocaust Timeline: The Rise of the Nazi Party.” Holocaust Timeline: The Rise of the Nazi Party. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2005. Web. 18 May 2014.
Cult activity has been on the rise over the past few decades. With it there has been an increase in the fear surrounding it. From this fear, society has learned much about cults, how they get members and what to look out for as far as cult recruiters go. Society as a whole has also learned what can be done to deal with cults.
Fine lines proceed to subsequently blur the separation between a religion and a cult. Throughout history, the label cult has consistently succeeded in disparaging numerous religions including Christianity. To bring a standstill to the confusion amidst all personages, the narrow slash between these two matters need to be entirely divulged and established. Distinctions separating a religion and a cult are elucidated primarily by their treatment of individuals and relations. Variances can be seen through examples of behaviors, the “Moonies” cult, and the works of the Christian religion.
The members in a cult most usually follow the leader and not the ideas of the leader. They are there to make the leader happy and to make them happy they become a follower and practice the same beliefs as the leader. “Cults often originate with a charismatic leader, an individual who inspires people because he or she seems to have extraordinary gifts, qualities, or abilities.” (Henslin 2013:405) The leader of the group is usually seen as something more than human to the followers, such as a God or that they are connected to God in some way. The leader possesses the ability to give them salvation and save them from damnation. “People feel drawn to both the person and the message because they find something highly appealing about the individual-in some instances, almost a magnetic charm.” (Henslin 2013:405) Without the leader the members feel like there is no way they can be saved. They use conflict theory ...
Macionis. J, J. Plummer, K. (2005). Sociology. A global Introduction. Pearson Education Limited. Essex. (UK) Third Edition.
Murray, Jane Lothian, Linden, Rick and Kendall, Diane. (2011). SOCIOLOGY IN OUR TIMES, Fifth Canadian Edition by Nelson Education Limited, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, USA.
The word “cult” has a very negative connotation in modern society as a result of it being applied to several religious groups that have violated basic moral or societal rules. It is regularly applied by the media to groups that are considered to be “deviant, dangerous or corrupt” (1). “The Theological use of the word “cult” is most evident in Christian Evangelical literature.” (2) Here, a cult is described by Walter Ralston Martin as “a group, religious in nature which surrounds a leader or a group of teaching which either denies or misinterprets essential Biblical doctrine.”(2) Another definition by Charles Braden is “those religious groups that differ significantly from those religious groups that are regarded as the normative expression of religion in our total culture.” And “a group of people gathered about a specific person or person’s misinterpretation of the Bible.”(2). Two very vague definitions that could apply to just about any faith that doesn’t align with what the...