Are Cults On The Rise? How Do We Identify & Avoid Cultish Beliefs?

There is no doubt that people have the right to believe what they choose to believe in politics, religion, and personal choices. Beliefs shape a person’s day to day actions. As long as the actions are within the scope of the law, we all have a right to manage, maintain, or change our beliefs.

No one can really force us to believe something. Even if a person is tortured, they may comply, or even make false admissions, but they still have their own beliefs about what happened, and what is happening. Oppressive regimes try to control people’s thoughts, but are not successful in doing so. At least they are not able to control all of the people’s thoughts, for a sustained period of time. History has many examples of the uprisings that occur after periods of enduring oppressive and regressive regimes. Out of the contrary thoughts, there is a spark that often ignites a greater awareness, or a change in beliefs.

The laws have been structured to cover and protect a wide range of personalities, cultures, religions, lifestyles, traditions, and activities, without prejudice. Therefore, people practice cultural traditions, expressions of faith, and certain rituals based on their own personal, often historical beliefs.

Beliefs can surround things other than religion, and become just as obsessive. Some beliefs are fear based. Others are faith based. They can be knowledge based, or based on prior indoctrination. They can be based on identity, as we have all learned by now.

Our beliefs are shaped by our parents, ancestors, family, friends, education, knowledge, values, desires or will, emotions, choices, circumstances, memories, sometimes deceptions and betrayals, and spiritual searching. To some extent, there is also a neurobiological component, such as with trauma, addictions, diet, gut biome, genetic markers, intrinsic stability etc.

All of these things provide feedback for the central nervous system, and neurobiological loops within our systems. Dopamine affects our mind and mood. Serotonin also affects our mood. Melatonin affects our sleep. Stress affects our system through corticosteroids, surges of adrenalin and so on. All of these things contribute to our ability to learn and evaluate the world around us.

There are certain triggers based on past experiences that cause stress and anxiety. Then if we see similar patterns that trigger those associations, we resort to our earlier and ingrained patterns of response to the threat. If we continue allowing the same responses, our beliefs and reactions will be based on fear and vulnerabilities, instead of being based on strength and confidence.

We have to be firmly planted, so no one can pull us out by the roots. The only way we can manage, is by tending to our nutrients, and paying attention to what we put into our minds and bodies – spiritually, psychologically, and physically. The nutrients, along with some armour and protective forces, will help us to thrive. Sometimes the enemy is more subtle, and tries to make us wither, give up and die. Being fully alive requires a constant renewal of energy and hope.

We get a surge of adrenalin, along with the neurobiological response, before we even formulate a thought. Therefore past experiences do contribute to shaping our beliefs, and reaction to external stressors. To overcome it, we have to be aware of the neurochemistry flowing through us. It has to be recognized, evaluated, and diffused, in order to help us get more clarity. We can find ways to adjust our responses, after we adjust our beliefs to a more confident and stable position.

Some people prefer to skim the surface, while others are inclined to plumb the depths of our existence. A large percentage of people believe what they are “expected” to believe. They may be hemmed in, and trapped without even realizing it.

Typically we think of cults, or at least I thought of cults as being religious in origin. We can read about the belief systems of hundreds of different cults. They often have different origins, and some uniquely different practices, but some of the things I have noticed about cults, is that they all have an origin based on the specific writings or interpretations of the Bible by a powerful and egotistical leader.

In many cases the powerful leader is charismatic, and can write and speak about their interpretations of the Bible very fluently and convincingly. An extremist cult that rises out of these religious systems, has more focus on the leader than they do on God or the Bible. The followers are told what to believe, based on what the leader believes. Once the leader has established himself as the voice of God, the sky is the limit. At least it is for awhile.

As time goes on, and people buy into the deception, the belief systems become increasingly delusional, and often very controlling and abusive. One of the key methods of evaluation regarding a church, a leader, or teacher of pseudo-Christian doctrines, is to look at the founder. Is he making other claims based on brazen lies? What kind of character does the person have in other areas of his/her life? Are they projecting themselves as being the voice of some kind of divine deity? Is  the person a false teacher, and false authority?

By doing some research into the background of these leaders, you can find out the errors and origins of all of the known cults. You can read about John Darby altering the Bible, to create a completely different gospel, and denial of the original covenant theology. The changes Darby made to the Bible, are vast in their scope and meaning, and represent a significant deviation from the truth.

C.I. Scofield picked up on the Darby Bible, and created multiple versions, all with odd footnotes to push his skewed interpretations and beliefs. Scofield is another one, who had a very bad reputation and character.

In fact, you can learn a great deal about the development and rise of cults, based on the background of a specific leader or writer. Ellen White wrote thousands of pages of religious fantasies, and was also known to plagiarize a significant amount of what she presented. She is still revered by the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

What I have noticed, is that if you are open-minded and want to know the truth, you will see the deceptions, contradictions, and sometimes outright madness of the leader, as in the cases of Jim Jones, and David Koresh. But in many cases, people don’t see it until they are out of the cult, get some distance, and have had time to reflect on what led them to the beliefs.

You will also notice that many cults started out with a more dominant religion, and then branched into more selective extremism. David Koresh and the Branch Davidians started out as a sect or branch of the Seventh Day Adventist church. A similar thing has happened within the Baptist churches, Mennonites, Catholics, Anglicans, and Pentecostal churches to name a few. Jim Jones originally started a Pentecostal church, and then became increasingly extremist and insane.

Even if religious beliefs follow a different Bible, or the interpretations of a certain leader, it does not mean they are a destructive cult. A high percentage of people who attend churches of various denominations are sincere in their beliefs, and do not harm others as a result of their beliefs.

The elements of a destructive cult revolve around one or more of the following: financial exploitation, lies, slander, false accusations, sexual molestation of children, attacking the mind, will, and emotions of a person, targeting certain individuals, infiltrating families, and then ripping those families apart.

They will stalk their victim, and attack physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. All of the victim’s relationships are targeted as well, and adversely affected by the cult. Their aim is to isolate, and turn the victim into a complete outcast, if they dare to defy or defect. They often try to break the spirit of their victim, and drive them to addiction or suicide.

They will use threats, violence, coercion, force, manipulations, slander, mobbing, and profound shaming. They will make false claims to have family relationships with their victims, thus restricting, oppressing, and entrapping them in a falsehood, and cognitive dissonance they cannot escape. They will exhibit an adamant refusal to let a person end the relationship with the cult.

They stubbornly persist in maintaining the control tactics over their victims. They continue the pursuit, in spite of attempts to reason with them, and regardless of the many protests and pleas of the victim. They are very thick skinned, in that they will persist in forcing an unwanted relationship, even after you go to the authorities. They do not expect to get arrested, and unfortunately they seldom do get arrested. This is one of the reasons they are so damaging, as the victim seldom gets justice, or even validation, in spite of the massive amount of harm that has been done to their lives.

Those are the issues and identifiers to help define destructive cults, regardless of the umbrella they are operating under.

We seem to be in a phase of history where not only do we need to filter all the deceptions in religion, but also in politics, medicine, and education. We are presented with a wide range of propaganda, untruths, and half truths in all areas of our existence. The wolves might be wearing sheep’s clothing – but they could be dressed up as just about anything.

The other day I actually wondered if CBC is becoming a cult. They openly admit to abandoning journalistic objectivity. They often have a very specific agenda and bias on what they report, and how they report it. They will not permit open and respectful discourse on the topics they write about. They moderate all dissenting opinions out of the equation. They will not tell the other side of the story, only the one that fits their agenda. I don’t think anyone would call it news. So what is it?

We have entered the era of truth versus deception, erosion of values, limitations on common sense, and divisive accusations – for going against the flow. Even just for questioning it. Oh no, you can’t be doing that!

We can only be responsible for our own beliefs. If others have different beliefs, but are not acting in a way that infringes on the rights of others, then so be it.  Or so we used to think. Because rights themselves have become a central battlefield, all over the world.

Our minds are the minefield. Therefore our beliefs are very important. I believe we should stand firm, tread softly, and live by faith.

Ultimately, what we believe is our destiny. Deception is our enemy. Discernment is a gift. We either embrace truth, or we become hardened by deception, and strong delusion.

We all make mistakes, and struggle sometimes like we have a crocodile clamped onto our leg in deep water. But even the desire to be truthful, and to find truth, in order to help with decision making – will help prevent that croc from dragging us into the depths.

Knowledge is power. There is no barrier to knowledge for those who seek truth with a sincere heart. Truth does not trick, trap, lie, bully, or harm us in the long run. We might be persecuted, but it will not last forever. Knowledge is continually growing, and we can grow with it, especially if we can differentiate truth from deception.

It is like it goes right back to the Garden of Eden, and the tree of the forbidden fruit, where Adam and Eve condemned all of us, by eating from the tree of knowledge from good and evil. Prior to that, they were not exposed to evil. But after they ate the fruit, all humans had to learn to navigate life with a knowledge of both good and evil. The clincher is to be able to distinguish one from the other.

In my opinion, this fallen element of human nature, means all humankind must find a way to differentiate the intense complexities, and battles between good and evil. At the heart of it, just as the Adam and Eve story tells us, is how the serpent beguiled Eve, and how Eve then convinced Adam to eat the fruit.

After that, typical of human nature, each one blamed the other. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.

But it was all about deception to begin with. And deception is something we end with – before there can be a new beginning. We are at the peak period of deception.

The question is – do we slide into the abyss on a rock face of sheer ice, before we reach the summit? Or do we embrace the fact we must seek the knowledge, and truth of what is good? As opposed to following what is based on deception, and results in evil? In our mind, we can gaze at that tree in the Garden of Eden for a very long time, wondering how it contained the knowledge of both good and evil.

This is also the conundrum, the cross, and the crux – where we finally meet up with our free will, and our destiny. Truth is the path to redemption. The truth does set us free. Thank God!

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.