Why People Join Cults
Introduction
A cult refers to a scheme of religious reverence and dedication towards a certain object or figure. It entails a comparatively small group of persons holding sinister and strange practices. According to Sheppard (2009), people brainwashed and maladjusted by cult leaders join these groups. Conversion to a cult is normally a gradual procedure where the converts build up new links with other cult members. With respect to social drift theory, people move to cult gradually when they experience personal strains or become disenchanted with past affiliations. Changing blueprints of association, as opposed to minding control instigates conversion to cults (Andersen & Taylor, 2007).
After experiencing, critical problems and suffering from emotional instability, Smith, joined the Heaven’s Gate cult to seek relief from his problems. After joining the cult, Smith sloughed off his social and familial obligations, abandoned his home besides forsaking his truths to take up arms in contemplative expectation of the end of the world. Given his critical problems, Smith experienced the demand for instant, strong and deep religious experience for fulfillment purpose.
The Heaven’s Gates cult believes that to end suffering, believers must rise above another world prior to destruction and recycling of the world (Smale, 2010). This cult is against traditional perspective of suicide, but they use this viewpoint as a technique to turn against the subsequent level of life. The cult members believe that their bodies are vehicles. The Hale-Bop comet appearance is the sign represents a break out of the world in a suicide agreement in order to excel to the next level (Smale, 2010).
The members of this cult believe that the earth is going to face destruction .this is because for the reason that its inhabitants reject evolution into the next world. The founder of the church based the foundation of this cult to a life experience after he suffered a severe heart attack that almost took his life (Smale, 2010). The cult requires its members to live a simple life, a life outside world burdens. The cult forbids seeing friends and family while male associates castrate themselves (Smale, 2010). Members are not required to express any form of sexuality and should commit suicide after the appearance of Hale-Bop comet to excel to the next level.
These beliefs are impractical and do not hold any basis. Although the cult is harmful only after the appearance of Hale-Bop comment because members must kill themselves to transcend into the next life, Smith should leave the cult. Apparently, people join cults because they are weak, hungry and gullible mendicants who long for a sense of authority, discipline, power, revenge, purity, purpose, wisdom and salvation (Andersen & Taylor, 2007). Such people experiences confusion and are vulnerable to deceit. Other reasons why people join cults include persistence of evil, illogical worldview, peer pressure and love bombing. Inordinate individualism, which refers to total loneliness, cult naiveté where a person knows little about practices and doctrine of a cult, and church indifference characterized by reduced evangelism and discipleship lure people to joining cults. More significantly, people join cults because of biblical illiteracy and life transitions (Andersen & Taylor, 2007).
Given that life transitions that instigated Smith mental instability is the main reason why he joined the cult, I would urge him to leave the cult. The cult is not the only solution that can help Smith deal with his problems. He can undergo some psychotherapy that would help him handle his problems rather than sticking into the misleading and harmful cult.
Conclusion
A cult is a connected group of persons that link their practices and beliefs with concepts outer of the conventional societal practices and beliefs. People join cults because of confusion and vulnerability. Some join cults because of life changes, biblical illiteracy, peer pressure to mention but a few. Given that Smith reasons for joining the Heaven’s Gate cult is mental instability and life changes, Smith should leave the cult. This is because there are psychotherapy can help him muddle through his life problems.
References
Andersen, M., & Taylor, H. (2007). Sociology: Understanding a diverse society. New York. Cengage Learning.
Shepard, J. (2009).Sociology: London: Cengage Learning.
Smale, S.J. (2010). Behind heaven’s gate. New York: Xlibris Corporation.
