[ POLL ] Have You Ever Been Trapped In A Cult?

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Are you now, or have you ever been trapped in a cult?

Please select one option in the poll. Selections may be changed at any time. Characteristics of a cult, religious, political or otherwise are listed below. This is not an all-or-nothing list, but the more descriptions that fit, the more likely you are or were in a cult.

1) Abusive treatment of members by leadership.

2) Totalitarian or authoritarian rule, non-democratic, removes free choice.

3) Leadership uses fear, ignorance, intimidation and emotional manipulation to control the membership.

4) Leadership meets in secret, with little or no direct input from the members.

5) Leadership demands members make a complete break from current and past family and friends.

6) Anything the members need to know will be given by the leadership.

7) Anything outside the organization is deemed a bad influence.

8) Usually demands exclusivity in membership contributions of money.

9) Its founding leaders are self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic and not accountable to anyone else (including legal authorities).

10) Extreme pragmatism: "The end justifies the means" in order to solicit funds, recruit people and retain members.

11) Its accumulated wealth does not benefit its members or society.

12) Its accumulated wealth benefits only the leadership and those whom it favors.


NOTE: This is not a scientific poll.

Nope. I've been an agnostic atheist for as long as I can remember myself consciously.

I was a member of Nichiren Shoshu of America for two years in the 80's before the breakdown between the priesthood and lay organization (Soka Gakkai). This cult is not as nefarious as Scientology although I believe it's a fair comparison. I wasn't "trapped" as in held against my will but trapped in a mindset. Don't say why say hai! (yes)

Sounds rather like being part of the EU.

I served in the military, where options 1 through 7 and option 10 were in play. The working environment was very cult-like in many respects. Other than that, I wasn't in any cults.

If you look at Fnord's description of cult, nothing in that actually excludes agnostic atheism, except possibly the messianic leadership (and that's entirely depending on how you interpret the word messianic, which can just mean "fervent or passionate").

I've never been in a cult myself. People have told me that I am hostile toward authority figures Not being drawn into cults is one upside to that, I guess.

I don't know any agnostic atheists who proselytize about their agnostic atheism.

I would never join anything organization which extols "agnostic atheism" as the "be-all, end all," takes my money and my time, and tries to rule my life.

I've never been part of any cult.

The description says, "Characteristics of a cult, religious, political or otherwise..."

It doesn't have to be a religious cult.

Nope....I'm independent politically. I've never been a part of any political party, nor worked for any political party.

I once went to a meeting of a "Trotskyite" organization when I was about 17 years old. I sensed the "cult-like" features of this group pretty quickly, though I couldn't articulate it then. I left that meeting after a few minutes.

I've never been involved in any organization which fits any of the 12 criteria Fnord presented to us.

Atheiests try to convert religious people to atheism all the time. There's lots of them with YouTube channels, Facebook and Twitter accounts. There's lots of people like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins etc trying to convince people to become atheists.
On top of that they had atheism recognized as a religion.

no, but SO has some tendency to drag in newagebies, idk it seems they are quite the thing in gaslighting enforcement troops

i'm the mean debunker, the paria, untouchable

I didn’t say pure atheism. I said agnostic atheism. They are not usually fanatical about the “no god” thing.

As an agnostic, this is one of the strangest things I've ever heard

No, but two of my closest friends grew up in (and later escaped) similar conditions - one in a dictatorship, the other in an isolated place with rather extreme religious views. It's a real tragedy for the kids, whether the group manages to indoctrinate them or not, they live with the consequences for the rest of their lives.

You were pointing out a difference and I didn't see it.

I did not take the poll only because I did not know what option would fit.

My mom attended a Mormon church from the time I was 9 until...I guess my mid-teens. She was going mostly for hand outs, but was attending regularly and participating actively. She was a smart woman, so I’m not sure how obvious it was to them that she was not religious. I am not sure she is capable of having faith.

The church did seem to fit most of the items on Fnords list.

However, it wasn’t negative for the most part. The worst part about it was that they discouraged questions. I feel like you should have a smart, knowledgeable person doing the Sunday school stuff. Perhaps a person might want to know about some portions that make no sense at all, and if a smart person is there they could find a way to answer the questions, instead of making it seem like curiosity was bad. We can’t all be dullards.

But mostly they had good activities, a positive attitude, steered people away from things that really aren’t good for anyone, such as drinking, drugs, banging everyone (if you’ll pardon the crudity), violence. They were good at making wholesome things fun. Crafts, sports, plays, you know, stuff that most people like but maybe you forget that you like.

I really didn’t mind it, because they were nice people and it gave me something to do. But the longer I had to go the more alone I felt there. I did not believe in their god stuff and because of my personal moral code I could not lie and pretend to. It would not have been respectful to myself or them. So they are kind of a cult because of their inclusiveness and discouragement of critical thinking, secrets at the top, and little mingling with the outside world, but kind of not because most of them are pretty understanding if you have a difference and will let you go with no hard feelings.