Do you think I should join a cult
I know I will be unsatisfied, but at least I won't be UNHAPPY because I will view it as "one of many obscure options" as opposed to dominant religion. So i will just take the best ideas out of it for inspiration of my own thought, and through away everything else as garbage. THis is harder to do when cult getts too popular, like mainstream christianity.
Although Christianity is pretty much the same in that way. -Exactly- the same in that way, M.A.F.
Wait a minute, no they don't.
Yes, but it still counts as a cult because it's 'taken to an extreme' and 'no one knows what's going on anymore'.
What you described isn't the Cult Syndrome, it's the Simony Syndrome.
Well, even by those infuriatingly vague definitions of "taken to an extreme" and "nobody knows what's going on anymore" I could say my church still isn't a cult. dictionary.com defines the word as:
n.
1.
1. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
2. The followers of such a religion or sect.
2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
1. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
2. The object of such devotion.
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.
5 and 6 are obviously irrelevant, but according to 2 and 3, all religions are technically cults. Only the first definition is the connotation that we tend to most often assosciate with the word, and that is one I presume we're talking about here. Following definition 1, Christianity is not, for the most part, a cult.
_________________
"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And beauty stayed his hand. And from that day on, he was as one dead."
n.
1.
1. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
2. The followers of such a religion or sect.
2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
1. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
2. The object of such devotion.
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.
5 and 6 are obviously irrelevant, but according to 2 and 3, all religions are technically cults. Only the first definition is the connotation that we tend to most often assosciate with the word, and that is one I presume we're talking about here. Following definition 1, Christianity is not, for the most part, a cult.
Following definition two, however, it is. Following definition one, only sort of.
What dictionary are you using by the way? And do you have any biographical information on the authors?
I don't think you should join this church or cult.
Speaking from sad experience:
It will set you back in independence, as these groups do NOT encourage personal independence, and area in which we're already weak (at least I am).
It will also set you back in social skills
They set you adrift in a sea of self doubt and constant self recrimination and guilt, an area which, in my experience, is easy for me to get obsessive about anyway. Due to this, my self esteem plummeted even lower (and it was never that great in the first place) than it has been to start with.
It can be very, VERY hard, if you change your mind, to actually follow through and leave or change and do somethign else with your life, because you lose ALL your social contacts and support system.
These things are all problematic for any normal person who joins such a group, for us, it can be downright disastrous! My beliefs were once very similar to yours, so I do know what I'm talking about. Almost all of the people I once worshipped with and who were my closest friends will now hardly even say hello to me (in fact, a few of them won't). The rejection is very, very hard to take, and for me, it has been extremely hard to grow new roots and a new social life outside my work environment (which is more or less the extent of it).
Please, think very long, and very hard, before you do this, and consider whether this is how you want to spend the rest of your life, because if you meet a girl in this group, it will be almost impossible to leave even if it's driving you out of your mind....
I know I'm in the minority, but I've said this before and I'll say it again- if you agree with the cult's beliefs and approve of the way they conduct their rituals and the way they treat their members, then just join. It won't do you any harm if you approve. Cults only hurt people who simply -aren't sure- about what they believe or approve of.
Just remembered the cult of the dead cow was pretty good. Don't know if they're still going though, national security might have caused them a few problems.
Yip, still there
http://www.cultdeadcow.com/
enter at your peril.
But you see, the thing is that I don't have any social contacts or support system on the first place. I don't know anyone's names at all. So I have nothing to lose. Thats why may be joining a cult is the only way for me to get that support system or whatever.
I guess the same applies to all the other points of your. It seems like I already was hurt in any and every way you would ever be hurt in a cult.
But you see, the thing is that I don't have any social contacts or support system on the first place. I don't know anyone's names at all. So I have nothing to lose. Thats why may be joining a cult is the only way for me to get that support system or whatever.
I guess the same applies to all the other points of your. It seems like I already was hurt in any and every way you would ever be hurt in a cult.
You know, that is almost exactly what went through my mind when I read that post.
I still don't think its a good idea to join a cult though. Better that you learn to develop a sense of self-reliance within yourself. With a cult (and with other people in general really) it can be very hard to tell when they are trying to lend you a hand and/or when they are stringing you along so that they can exploit you later. Remember that you're a very tempting target for that sort of behavior.
But you see, the thing is that I don't have any social contacts or support system on the first place. I don't know anyone's names at all. So I have nothing to lose. Thats why may be joining a cult is the only way for me to get that support system or whatever.
I guess the same applies to all the other points of your. It seems like I already was hurt in any and every way you would ever be hurt in a cult.
You know, that is almost exactly what went through my mind when I read that post.
I still don't think its a good idea to join a cult though. Better that you learn to develop a sense of self-reliance within yourself. With a cult (and with other people in general really) it can be very hard to tell when they are trying to lend you a hand and/or when they are stringing you along so that they can exploit you later. Remember that you're a very tempting target for that sort of behavior.
I know that I am a tempting target. However, I can easilly tell a difference. Actually my college counsellor last spring told me that I am TOO SUSPICIOUS sometimes when I was discussing the situation of the sort "did Anne REALLY mean she wanted to see me or did she just tell me what I wanted to hear". To me it was quite clear from the signals that she was just trying to tell me what I wanted to hear; however, the psychologist said that my "reasons" aren't very good and I should simply learn to trust ppl for what they say, and not read into it so much. In fact the psych went as far as telling me that lack of trust was the main reason things didn't work out. But then again, I think part of the issue is that psych wasn't there, so she only heard what I said and I am not that good a communicator. So I feel that yes, there were a lot of white lies that caused me suspect the motives of ppl I suspected.
But either way, the point is that I do have a concept of other ppl not telling the truth, right or wrong. I guess you can still tell me, that if I feel like ppl on the real world were misrepresenting their motives, what makes me so trustfull of ppl in a cult. Well the answer is that when it comes to the cult, I don't have to take it personally. It is their agenda to manipulate ppl, and thats what they do with everyone, so I don't have to feel bad about it. But on a good note, is that the type of a lie I am SICK of is when a person says they are too busy when they really mean they don't want to ever see me again. This type of lie I am SURE won't happen in a cult; it would be the opposite, they will make all kinds of excuses why they have to see me MORE. And I don't care if they just want to see me more for advancing their agenda. At least I will be around enough for the GIRLS in a cult to see how wonderful I am; there is no way I will STRIKE OUT after making a STUPID mistake with a woman, since the cultist will force both myself and a woman to stay in the room X, so she will be there long enough to see the light.
Roman
I have been apart of many religious organizations myself, you may think you will understand what is truly going on, but in the end you will not.
Just think about it would you.
Send me a pm.
Let talk if you want to.
_________________
Come on My children lets All get Along Okay.