Are you in a Religious Cult? Take the test

by sturza • 4 years ago

28 90 4 years ago

Hot(ish) take is to note how many of these apply to corporate work situations and also to various flavours of nationalism.

robertlagrant5• 4 years ago

And wokeism.

hughrr• 4 years ago

Every time I read that word I die a bit inside. One word purposed to discourage and disempower positive social change.

avs7336• 4 years ago

Lord…three comments. Three comments in before “don’t be a jerk to people different than you” is called a cult.

skinkestek7• 4 years ago

3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and to a certain degree 9 reminds me more about certain about some anti religious groups (or even just twitter mobs) than any of the religious groups I know.

(I admit I might be lucky here.)

freen8• 4 years ago

/r/theDonald refer to him as “god-emperor”

geraneum• 4 years ago

Please allow me to reword this faithfully:

What about Wokeism?

goodpoint3• 4 years ago

Spot on!

People usually think "we are not cultish because this is not a religion".

Such denial is the most cultish aspect around coporate workship and nationalism.

stpe• 4 years ago

Is your leader the ultimate authority of your group?

Yes. Selected by, and sole connection to the mythical group "board".

Does your leader have impressive, made-up names or titles?

Yes. "Chief Executive Officer".

As far as your group is concerned, would they say that there is no legitimate reason to leave them?

Yes... if ever trying to leave, you are technically bribed with something that you cannot use in stores or pay rent. They call it "equity".

Is your group suspicious about the outside world?

Yes. Always this talk about how the outside world is "the competition". Sometimes "the users.

Does your group believe that they are the ‘right’ religion/church/group/ones, or only ones, who have ‘right’ teaching/doctrine?

Yes. "The competition" is wrong.

Are there any of the above such rules/laws in your group?

Yes. Rules are in "the handbook".

...

wedn3sday2• 4 years ago

The leader determines the rules/laws and expects to be obeyed or else there are consequences. Rules/laws can include what you can’t wear.

Dont question the mandatory dress code

Ekaros• 4 years ago

Do the rules include that you can not not wear anything?

steeleduncan• 4 years ago

/S

Really? Cults are extreme, and socially undesirable, entities. Companies are less extreme, and arguably socially beneficial, entities. However, both entities are use essentially the same psychological tools of manipulation.

I don't think this comment should be seen as facetious so much as an insight on how company structures control employees.

hericium• 4 years ago

Whenever I see (ex) Google employees' comments (easy to spot, work there is usually mentioned in the very first sentence) with phrases like "Googlers", I do have a strong cult vibe.

Another example of corporate cultism are HR people exercising techniques[1] similar to cults and other dysfunctional relationships.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_bombing

timbit42• 4 years ago

Corporations and cults are both also undemocratic and do not fit in democratic countries.

iJohnDoe• 4 years ago

and arguably socially beneficial

That’s a huge stretch or assumption.

loudtieblahblah3• 4 years ago

You laugh but corporations and the woke are just as cultish as some niche "religions"

guerrilla6• 4 years ago

I agree, but also include groups which make heavy use of the phrase "the woke." Tribalism in general can easily spiral into cultism.

smitty1e2• 4 years ago

Won't name the firm, but there was some brainwashing going on.

dr_dshiv• 4 years ago

Not nearly enough cult activity in the modern era. Waiting for something chill, ideally psychedelic, not too weird, good parties. Initiations are must.

williamtwild• 4 years ago

Taco tuesday

wedn3sday2• 4 years ago

Sign me up. I just want to live in the forest, eat mushrooms, and occasionally dance naked around a fire under the light of the full moon. Is that to much to ask for?

thenoblesunfish• 4 years ago

Maybe it’s just the golden logo, but this quiz feels like the first step towards joining a cult.

123pie123• 4 years ago

I think a few political parties fit the bill of being a cult

threatofrain• 4 years ago

How many political parties can even be represented by a single personality guru?

timeon3• 4 years ago

Depends on country. As example Slovakian parliament: 6 of 11 parties are based around the single personality. With various degrees.

guerrilla6• 4 years ago

Many around the world. I think your comment speaks more to your lack of knowledge than the state of the world.

damiencarol• 4 years ago

Many questions are subjective. This kind of invalidate the whole test.. :>

- Does your leader have impressive, made-up names or titles?

- Is your group suspicious about the outside world?

- If you were to leave your religious group, would remaining members, even family members separate themselves from you whereby there would be any emotional detachment?

- If you were to leave your religious group, would remaining members separate themselves from you and cease to have normal family life as in any of the above examples?

throwaway960• 4 years ago

I'll be shot down for this, but Musk and his followers seem to fit the bill here. A supreme leader with otherwordly powers, who can't be criticized (as when people cheered him on after the Unsworth trial), who can cause harm to people with impunity because he can do no wrong, and so on.

It's all about him, and he is the only path to breakthrough technology. The Muskovites seem significantly cult-like in this way.

guerrilla6• 4 years ago

Knowing one of these people, this is the first thing I thought of.

thinkingemote4• 4 years ago

Cults are generally classified by those outside the organisation. (_points_ "That is a cult!"). But this very classification helps to reinforce any us/them ingroup/outgroup behaviours which we see actual cults doing ("Don't trust those outside, only trust the ingroup"). Real cults isolate and the isolation increases with attack from outside. A cultish group that is not attacked may not actually radicalise.

This is also a way to determine whether a group of people that has been labelled a cult isn't actually one: Look at how the group defines itself with regards to those outside. How does the group see itself in the world.

We see today many groups labelled as cults which in reality are not so. The label has become a kind of strategy for attack based on an intolerant difference ("they are different") rather than an accurate descriptive label ("they isolate themselves from us"). Tolerance in a society is tolerance towards difference.

eloisius• 4 years ago

They may not radicalize into a Waco Siege situation, but they will likely continue to rob numerous naive members of their money, livelihood, and their children’s opportunities.

thinkingemote4• 4 years ago

Yes. Maybe radicalise was the wrong word. Too many "terrorism" connotations.

goodpoint3• 4 years ago

The second half of the questions looks accurate, especially around emotional manipulation, but the first half is dubious.

A lot of benign organizations would score some points, from firefighters (wearing an uniform) to a bunch of friends playing D&D, to taking beginner painting class (the teacher is not there to be questioned on their painting sytle).

tragomaskhalos• 4 years ago

I believe that Steven Hassan's BITE model is the gold-standard diagnostic here. The guy is an ex-moonie and has authored books that have helped people escape cults. Survivor communities like /r/exjw on Reddit speak highly of his stuff: https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/

iqanq2• 4 years ago

I read all of this and it reminds me of the response to COVID.

Ultimate authorities, no critical thinking, only believe approved sources, those who don't believe the authority are "deceived, backslidden, demonic, bitter, evil", the end of the world is near if you don't do as we say, they are always right even when they are wrong, family separation...

usea• 4 years ago

I genuinely don't understand this quiz. The very first question starts out by saying that cults have leaders, and then asking "Is your leader the ultimate authority of your group?"

What leader? What group? How do I answer "Not applicable" or anything other than confirming that I'm in a cult already. Isn't this just begging the question?

All the questions are like this. How am I supposed to know if I'm in a cult if all the questions presuppose that I'm already in one?

chki• 4 years ago

I don't think there's a presupposition that you're in a cult, instead the assumption is that you are a member of a religious group.

Bancakes• 4 years ago

Crazy how quickly the COVID comment got deleted.

kitd• 4 years ago

I have just been reading "Days of Rain" by Rebecca Stott, about her upbringing, and that of her father, in the Exclusive Brethren. This author covers all the same points and, yes, he has a book about his experience in, and leaving, the Brethren. For her, and I assume for him, in was tragically painful.

The thing that really got me angry about the Brethren is the sheer hypocrisy. For all the talk of morality and being right with God, they are not above having $millions stashed away in bank accounts for the benefit of their leaders, evade taxes everywhere, and carry on regardless of the psychological suffering they cause, even up to the point of suicide.

Look out for them influencing your politicians too. Here in the UK, they'll provide large numbers of volunteers to do the door-to-door canvassing for (normally Conservative) candidates who'll advocate for their shady practices.

Edit: for clarity, I should say that the Open Brethren are a separate arm and are a far more bona fide Christian denomination.

smitty1e2• 4 years ago

6: Is your group suspicious about the outside world?

Why, yes; yes, we are. Whiff of nihilism in the air, and all.

Are you in a Religious Cult? Take the test

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