Cults

Teens are a particularly vulnerable age group in terms of religious persuasion. They are often confused about what to believe in - God creating the world or the Big Bang Theory? When they hear someone speaking about the positive parts of their religion, they can be easily drawn into it themselves.

Cults most commonly form during times of crisis and change - the times augment stress levels and allow cults to prosper, and the cults augment the stress levels themselves. Cults are small minority religious groups that people see as “bad” or “negative”. Cult is said to mean “False Faith” by many people. The cults are commonly Christian in some respect but are not necessarily so. Tom Wolfe says a cult is “a religion with no political power."

When people think of Cults, they usually think of mass deaths or other extreme movements by the entire congregation. Sure, certain cults have done this before, but by no means have they all. Most cults are quiet and low key and no more harmful than an everyday church or major religious group.

There is usually a person in absolute control of a cult. This person is seen as an equivalent Jesus or Savior to his followers. Often these leaders are corrupt people wanting money, fame, or both. The leader likes to have complete control over all of his followers. Their entire lives are given over to him and the people will change to suit the demands of the cult.

If there is anything good about cults it is that they provide excitement and interest for the followers. As long as these followers do not become fanatics, there is no harm done. Another attraction to cults is the fact that followers frequently claim to have religious moments, where they see a religious symbol or figure or where one suddenly appears before them. When others, especially teens, hear of these sightings, they want to see it for themselves and join the cults.

Cults can be very dangerous for teens who take them too seriously. If a teen does not become fanatical, however, they should not be stopped from participating in the cult. Everyone of us needs to examine our own spiritual beliefs and decide what we want to believe alone. The teen years are a time for us to experiment with a variety of religions and decide which one we want to devote ourselves to.

Go To Page: 1