Launched 11/18/04
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Cult Warning Signs
About the Press

The "C" word is CULT. Merriam Webster (http://www.m-w.com/) defines it as: 

Etymology: French & Latin; French culte, from Latin cultus care, adoration, from colere to cultivate 
1: formal religious veneration: WORSHIP
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also: its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator, e.g., "health cults"
5a: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially: such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad 
 b: a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion
Defining a cult, from a universal (non-Christian) POV (from http://www.ex-cult.org/General/identifying-a-cult) we get this: 
CULT - Any group which has a pyramid type authoritarian leadership structure with all teaching and guidance coming from the person/persons at the top. The group will claim to be the only way to God; Nirvana; Paradise; Ultimate Reality; Full Potential, Way to Happiness etc, and will use thought reform or mind control techniques to gain control and keep their members. 
There are a number of organizations (most of them have websites) that rail against what they perceive to be "cults." In many cases, these so-called cults are simply non-Christian religions, which seem to them to be sufficient criterion. There are also a few individuals who are making a living at defining and speaking about cults. From all these sources have emerged many versions of what to look for in a cult. You may want to visit: 
http://www.factnet.org/headlines/destructive_cult_warning_signs.html?FACTNet
http://www.religioustolerance.org/cultsign.htm
http://www.freeminds.org/psych/lifton.htm
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/ds/q1101/page5.html
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages/rlister/cults/ident.htm
http://www.gospelcom.net/watkins/cults.htm
http://www.freeminds.org/psych/cultptrn.htm
http://www.carm.org/cults/cultic.htm
http://home.datawest.net/esn-recovery/artcls/extrmsm.htm
http://members.aol.com/vtpa/pvtpa004.html
http://www.ex-cult.org/bite.html
http://www.myownmind.com/warningsigns.cfm
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
Is SGI a cult? For the purposes of this website, we will be addressing and responding to the eight "Warning Signs of a Destructive Cult."
 
This website is owned and maintained by Kathy Ruby. No one else is responsible for its content. Any resemblance to any other website is purely accidental and/or satirical. Any abusive email will be read and chuckled over. Any articles documenting my personal experience are just that -- my personal experience. Your mileage may vary. Isn't that so true in life? Pages are subject to change at any time based on my whim.