Scientology somehow managed to reach cult “escape velocity” and survive the death of its leader.
Anon looks into cults
Submitted 3 weeks ago by Early_To_Risa@sh.itjust.works to greentext@sh.itjust.works
https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/3666f6d8-fd4b-48ca-bc5f-34fcbd4fcb5b.jpeg
Comments
hypeerror@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
mapleseedfall@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Interesting. I feel like this theory can be expanded to not just cult but also organizations in general like a start up or a hobby club. What are the defining characteristics of a group getting to escape velocity I wonder
Juice@midwest.social 2 weeks ago
Own a fuck load of property, don’t pay taxes, keep attracting new people to pay into the group, convince existing members to pay more
Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
The guy pictured, Marshall Applewhite, wanted to fuck dudes and was ashamed of it so he got castrated. Then, after his best friend and cult’s co-founder died, he convinced a bunch of people that the world was going to end and the only way they could survive was by committing suicide so that their souls could leave on an alien spaceship hidden behind Hailey’s comet as it passed by. Nobody can know what he was thinking but I’d wager he was just depressed and didn’t want to die alone.
FiskFisk33@startrek.website 2 weeks ago
Fun fact, their website is still up www.heavensgate.com
FATALRPG@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
They were intentionally left behind to continue the mission/maintain the website. Lots of people have talked to them, they’re pretty easy to find interviews with.
Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
Ah yes. Just seen it was the Hale-Bopp comet, not Hailey’s.
lightnsfw@reddthat.com 2 weeks ago
I’m more interested in wtf everyone else was thinking.
And009@lemmynsfw.com 2 weeks ago
Respect elders, follow till death.
wombledomble@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Iirc, a lot of them were forced to drink it.
nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
so internalized homophobia is what got them all killed
Flax_vert@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
[In November 1996, amateur astronomer Chuck Shramek of Houston, Texas, took a CCD image of the comet which showed a fuzzy, slightly elongated object nearby. His computer sky-viewing program did not identify the star, so Shramek called the Art Bell radio program Coast to Coast AM to announce that he had discovered a “Saturn-like object” following Hale–Bopp. UFO enthusiasts, such as remote viewing proponent and Emory University political science professor Courtney Brown, soon concluded that there was an alien spacecraft following the comet.
Several astronomers, including Alan Hale, stated that the object was simply the 8.5-magnitude star SAO141894. They noted that the star did not appear on Shramek’s computer program because the user preferences were set incorrectly. Art Bell claimed to have obtained an image of the object from an anonymous astrophysicist who was about to confirm its discovery. However, astronomers Olivier Hainaut and David Tholen of the University of Hawaii stated that the alleged photo was an altered copy of one of their own comet images.](en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale–Bopp)
They died over someone’s computer settings being misconfigured 💀
null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
I think an array of mental illness and drug abuse is more likely.
j4k3@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Humans are super susceptible to charisma, tribalism, and dogma
phuntis@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
it’s really just americans (and maybe places heavily influenced by america ideologically I dunno) they really aren’t a major problem elsewhere noone really joins cults in the uk
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
China had a serious problem with cults, while Japan and Korea are heavily influenced by America, I don’t see that reflected in their cults.
Its not like the UK is less influenced by America than places were the average person has seen like 1 American TV show or movie.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Japan has a cult that carried out the worst terrorist attack in their country… ever?
Mesophar@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
Isn’t/wasn’t the Jesus Army cult UK based? Like, the USA just has a LOT more people than the UK does, it makes sense for there to be more people that fall into fringe groups. But the UK certainly isn’t immune to it.
answersplease77@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
In India there is a new cult faith healer everyday, and Spoilers Alert they all want to fuck your daughter and wife in order for you to go to heaven. oh and give them all your gold and money on regular basis
Dasus@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Are you quite sure?
When the word cult is mentioned, some people may think not only of the tragedy in Waco, Texas but also of Jonestown and the murder/suicides there on l8 November l978, when 913 died following the order of Rev. Jim Jones to drink cyanide laced Kool-Aid.
Both of these cases instantly became the focus of the worlds attention. Since the two groups were U.S. based, there is a danger that many people in the U.K. may consider the cult issue to be a North American problem and one that does not affect people here in Britain. They do so at their peril.
Figures quoted for the UK usually indicate 500+ cults in operation here. On a per capita basis the U.K. has a similar problem with the number of cults to that of the U.S.
halvar@lemy.lol 2 weeks ago
Oh no this can’t be true this would exclude major religions which are cults as well
rovingnothing29@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Excuse you, in a religion the person at the top is dead.
Taniwha420@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ehh … The definition of a cult includes things like isolating you from your friends and family, and having secret teachings that only the initiated have access to. I.e. the Freemasons: secret teachings, but does not try to isolate you from friends and family. Secret society, but not a cult. Religion is a cult in terms of the original sense of the word: organised worship, but not a cult as we think of them. Though some subsets definitely do get pretty culty. Don’t know about these days, but when I was at university the Campus Crusaders for Christ definitely had the love-bombing and isolating you from your friends and family going on.
halvar@lemy.lol 2 weeks ago
As a Catholic by baptism and family tradition I do sometimes find Christianity a bit outdated, but I still think it’s capable of renewing.
I don’t really have time to go to church nowadays but for example when I last got to go at Easter the priest was a Russophile of all things (this happened in Hungary) and he very much made that part of his speech. Something about the Russians doing The Good Lord’s job in Ukraine, just as they did back in WWII. I’m not even kidding.
Then again when I got to regularly go to the youth service a few years back it was basically just singing to the guitar band and looking at the Bible which was really fun, the priest was very educated and seemingly didn’t have any hateful opinions, which is sadly more than you can expect from most of the clergy nowadays.
So yes TL;DR Christianity can be very fun and inclusive without acting like a cult, but the people who make up the Christian community come in all shapes and forms and sadly most of them aren’t people you would want to spend much time with, and that includes some of the priests as well whose job it should be to make people more friendly in my opinion.
Well at least these are my experiences but I haven’t ever been an integral part of any Christian Club or something like that.
Skullgrid@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
euheueheuheuheueheuheuhe
wow, you’re so edgy. I bet this gets you mad bussy.
CXORA@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
Do you think they were trying to be “edgy” or are you just programmed to respond like this?
Etterra@discuss.online 2 weeks ago
I saw an analysis of cults that have turned into religions - that is, outlived their founder. There’s some very specific criteria that need to be met in order for it to endure, must critically it needs a charismatic reformer/organizer to take over when the founder dies.
Fleur_@aussie.zone 3 weeks ago
If you last longer you become a cultural heritage issue and are delegated away from cult status
ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
I would be a fool if I gave all my money to a charlatan, and I’m no fool. That proves that Jesus IV is the real deal.
Teppichbrand@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Of you haven’t watched Wild wild country and/or Raël yet you should now. It’s incredible.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Dude, Wild Wild Country is insane.
I watched it when it came out, knowing nothing about it besides from “cult documentary”. Holy shit lol
Teppichbrand@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Same here! I still thinking about it after years.
clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
The Realeans are a fascinating bunch.
breecher@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Lots of cults, probably most of them, exists far beyond the ten years range unfortunately.
IndiBrony@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yeah, some of the biggest ones have existed for about 2000 years now or a bit longer
omxxi@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
right, and they don’t fuck your wives, but your kids
blarghly@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The largest cults last a long time. Most cults consist of 2 people, a leader and a follower, and fizzle out when the acid wears off.
Tattorack@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Can we get to the part where the Musk cult and the Trump cult both commit ritual suicide? It’s long overdue.
Would be great, thank you.
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
When will the Trump cult suicides start?
jouhija@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
They need to be kickstarted from the outside
faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
That’s just going to be Trump dropping nukes on California
eletes@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
If some legitimate damning Epstein or Russia pee tape evidence came out I think that could put things in motion
LadyButterfly@reddthat.com 2 weeks ago
Cults work by coercive control to brainwash people. They subtly do it using tactics including lovebombing, isolation, limiting information, sleep deprivation and getting blackmail material to gain total control over the person’s mind and body. It’s the same process a domestic abuse perp uses, but they have more resources at their disposal, making it even harder to break free
Zirconium@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You don’t want to be the guy that didn’t let the Savior of mankind fuck his wife and the Savior wasn’t lying.
peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 2 weeks ago
I don’t know, sounds kind of fun.
The charisma thing though, that ain’t happening
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
There is one cult I would welcome the ritual suicide of.
They’re just about at 10 years now.
RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I had to think for a while.
Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
You had a thought? Congrats, you’re not in the cult
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
They did nearly have a Fringe of them do it a few years back