So, just what is a cult, anyway?

[TheDoorbellRang]

From Wikipedia:

Cult typically refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. In common or populist usage, "cult" has a positive connotation for groups of art, music, writing, fiction, and fashion devotees,<1> but a negative connotation for new religious, extreme political, questionable therapeutic, and pyramidal business groups.<2> For this reason, most, if not all, non-fan groups that are called cults reject this label.

A group's populist cult status begins as rumors of its novel belief system, its great devotions, its idiosyncratic practices, its perceived harmful or beneficial effects on members, or its perceived opposition to the interests of mainstream cultures and governments. Cult rumors most often refer to artistic and fashion movements of passing interest, but persistent rumors may escalate popular concern about relatively small and recently founded religious movements, or non-religious groups, perceived to engage in excessive member control or exploitation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult

From the Dictionary of Theology:
Cult: The word cult is a derogatory term used to express disapproval or those who hold beliefs other than one's own. More generally, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and new religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream.

http://www.godweb.org/dictionary/dic_c-d.htm

Interesting that re-instilling hope in Americans with a renewal of the old fashioned American "can-do" attitude is now considered so outside of the mainstream it is deemed "cultish." No wonder Rovian types are so busy promoting this.

[katty]

1. try cultnews.com-extensive explanations, etal

[sam sarrha]

4. i have a VERY old and slow computer, i have to leave this site and go to google then come back, but

i can click on a link here.. and return

it loads really sslllooooowwwwwww..

links are nice, thanks

[Jed Dilligan]

2. I used to teach my students that the difference between

a cult and a religion is degrees of separation. Scientology, for instance, is spread by a relatively small cadre of people who know each other and meet on a regular basis, and they are all directly linked to Hubbard across a single generation.

Contrast that with Islam. An Indonesian and a Nigerian with no lineal connection for hundreds of generations or more can kneel and say the same prayers at the drop of a rug, and the prayers will mean the same things to them.

The funny thing is, all religions start out as cults at some time.

Obama's support has no similarity to either structure.

[lligrd]

3. Far Outside The Mainstream

That alone should end this debate. If Obama supporters were so far outside the mainstream, nobody would be worried about them.

[TheDoorbellRang]

6. Exactly

The only mainstream they're far outside of is the mainstream media.

[sam sarrha]

10. i consider them mainstream. i use th American Heritage definition, 'obsessive devotion or veneration

for a person, principal or ideal'.

i was just noticing the love bombing and bragging about how much money they donated, where is the beef, tell us what the program is.. how he/she will save us.. i hear about the devotion, and the cosmic bliss of devotion.. but, why.... it starts sounding like Evangelicals knocking on my door sat morning...

i am a bit over medicated after my surgery.. but, why... neither side has shown me the plan... to save us from the eminent destruction of civilization.

obsession isn't a bad thing, i know it well, please give me a handle to hold on to... bouncing with bliss and free incense wont get my vote.

i really hope this isn't all about us undecideds being discriminating or just unhappy being forced to have to make a decision.

i don't have a dog in this fight.. i can criticize whom ever i want

[lligrd]

12. Plan ...to save us from the eminent destruction

I'd like to see that one myself. I can't help but wonder who would want the seemingly impossible job of trying to dig us out of the mess created in the last 7 years.

[sam sarrha]

16. well we have 2 saying they will... i want to know how, still waiting, at least say they will pass

out shovels so we can help

[TheDoorbellRang]

18. If you go to both of their websites

both candidates do a good job with specifics. We really can't depend on the media to help us out on this. That would be too logical.

[Prefer]

5. Technically it is only defined from an outside perspective

[no name no slogan]

7. The Cult is a shitty rock band who started out trying to be the Doors,

and then tried to be AC/DC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cult

However, they did produce one very good album called "Love"

[TheDoorbellRang]

8. Hmmm. Sounds like they were less than electrifying

:spray:

[no name no slogan]

14. can I get a rimshot?

[TheDoorbellRang]

19. I'd give you some cowbell if I knew how

Good to inject some levity. Thanks! :D

[ThatPoetGuy]

9. From the bolding, it looks like you're saying cults are good?

Cults have a "perceived opposition to the interests of mainstream cultures and governments." A cult is "a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and new religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream." So it looks like the latest Obama Newspeak is:

<koolaid>Cults are good.

Clintons are bad.

Universal health care is bad.

Unions are bad.

Trial lawyers are bad.

We must strike back against al Qaeda in Iraq.

</koolaid>

[TheDoorbellRang]

15. No, I'm saying applying this particular label to Obama supporters is stupid

Please read my OP last paragraph if you require clarification.

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. I think the "cult" label is in response to the Obama followers who have no clue what the man stands

for. They just follow because he's popular. Kinda like the Calvin Klein Jeans when I was in High School. They were the "in" thing, so everyone had to have a pair (I never did..:)) and Obama is the "in" thing, so people have jumped on the "Can Do/Hope/Come together and sing Kumbaya" train. Can do what? No one knows. Come together? With repukes who have no intentions of "coming together?" Naive.


Hare Krishna



Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

One more time!

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare…


http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2007/11/the_top10_san_francisco_cults.php


The Peoples Temple





Yes, it’s the granddaddy of all San Francisco cults and the institution that introduced the term “Drink the Kool-Aid” into our society. The Reverend Jim Jones actually started his “Peoples Temple Christian Church” in Indianapolis, but, soured by that city’s inherent racism in the 1960s, later moved to Northern California (where he prophesized that his followers would be safe from nuclear Armageddon). By 1972 Jones operated a thriving temple in San Francisco’s largely black Fillmore District, offering social services for the poor and elderly.

Tax questions led Jones to open a massive agricultural community in Guyana in the mid-'70s. When Congressman Leo J. Ryan visited on a fact-finding mission in 1978 –- and several families passed him notes asking help to get them out -– things went badly. Ryan’s party was attacked and the congressman was killed along with three journalists and a defecting temple member. Jones and his henchmen then forced more than 900 followers of all ages to drink cyanide-laced purple Flav-R-Aid (that’s British Kool-Aid).

While the memory of Jones has largely faded, his gift to the American lexicon lives on via –- oh yeah! -– Kool-Aid.

[TheDoorbellRang]

21. Do you think that most voters could delineate their candidate's positions with any depth?

We both know that most voters don't do in-depth research on their candidates. So someone got the brainstorm of asking some Obama supporters where he stood on the issues and they couldn't expound? Not a surprise. I saw a thread here the other day where a DUer was trying to enlighten a clueless co-worker about the electoral process. All she knew was that she "wanted to vote for the woman." Should we paint all Hillary supporters with that brush? I don't think so.

[in_cog_ni_to]

24. I worked on the Wes Clark campaign. I made damn sure I knew his policies..inside out before I ever

phone banked for him. I didn't want to embarrass him or myself by not being able to answer any question posed to me. If Obama supporters don't want to be accused of being part of a cult, perhaps they should study his policies and issues? Know what the hell they're supporting? And WHY? I find it frightening as hell that people are supporting a candidate just because they're talking "hope", "come together with repukes" or "yes we can!" Hillary's stump speeches at least include specifics on her policies. Obama's? Not so much.

[TheDoorbellRang]

26. Of course you educated yourself. That's not surprising at all

I would say most of us political junkies do so. I would hope most of us have gone to the candidates' websites to see what their plans are and where they stand on the issues. But what do you think you'd get for reasons if you went up to Mr. or Mrs. Average Voter on the street. I doubt if most voters have very clear ideas on specifics on their candidate of choice. I don't think ignorance is limited to Obama supporters. I cringe just as much when the interviewee says "I'm voting for Obama cuz I want change" as I would for "I'm voting for Hillary cuz women should be in charge" or "I'm voting for McCain cuz...just becuz."

[RoadRage]

13. Scientologists. They are a cult! NT

[sam sarrha]

17. i have several really really scary stories about them.. be afraid.. be very afraid

:hide:

[Maddy McCall]

20. Now look up "Cult of Personality."

[TheDoorbellRang]

22. OK, from wikipedia again

A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a larger-than-life public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships but can be found in some democracies as well.

A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship except that it is specifically built around political leaders. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of non-political leaders.

You could certainly argue that Obama's appeal to many amounts to a cult of personality, I'll grant you that. But to extrapolate a cult following from that would be just as illogical as implying that those with unbounded admiration for the likes of JFK and MLK are cult followers. The connotations of "cult" and "cult of personality" are not necessarily congruent.

[Maddy McCall]

23. Huey P. Long? Teddy Bilbo? Those ring a bell?

[TheDoorbellRang]

25. Huey Long yes. Teddy Bilbo no. I had to look them up.

We could pull names up all day of people who swayed others via force of personality. What I'm trying to say is that perhaps all cults are started by someone with charisma, but not all folks with charisma start cults.

Good grief, in 2004 Kerry was eviscerated for being too dull and pedantic. Not we're eviscerating another candidate for being too exciting. Meanwhile we eviscerate our chances in the fall.

I'm not trying to sway anyone's candidate of choice here. But I think we need to praise each candidate's strengths, not try to redefine them as some sort of fatal flaw.