Cults that have made Headlines

"Consider the cult near San Diego that committed mass suicide. They were convinced there was a space ship coming to pick up true believers and ferry them off to a better place. So one night they all took sleeping pills, packed their heads in plastic bags and drifted off to sleep. They never woke up. Only because this resulted in 37 bodies did the larger group take notice of the smaller group and label it a cult. By comparison, there were only 13 bodies in the wake of Tokyo's subway sarin incident, but because they were innocent bystanders, the Aum Shinrikyo Doomsday cult was seen as being far worse than Heaven's Gate. But what is generally missed in such good/bad body counts is that one never knows where a nonsensical belief will lead. Illogical beliefs beget illogical behaviors. To say Christianity and singing Kumbaya around the campfire is just fine completely ignores the Thirty Years War and such affiliated fracases as the Crusades. "

-Mason, Steve

Jonestown Massacre:
























Manson Family Murders:

The Waco Massacre:

Heaven's Gate Suicides:

Second Step: Begin a Home Ministry or Bible Study

When starting a home ministry it is best to begin by inviting people from the church you attend. It is best to approach people with moderate to high levels of faith in whatever your popular religion is based on your location. If the person has little faith they will not likely believe what you decide is your truth. They will battle you in every way shape or form and you need people that you can convince easily. We want people that are easily manipulated, naïveté, and unquestioning. Your job as founder is to be unwavering in your faith. You must be divinely close to your version of God.  You must be able to heal or at least appear to heal your members. Your members will look up to you and and revere you as someone who is close to God and seek you out for wisdom and guidance. You will have to convince them that only you know the true path to God because he told you alone and they must follow you to truly walk with God. You must hold the keys to paradise.

First Step: Recruit Followers

Rule#1: Never call it a cult. When beginning a cult you must determine who is going to be the charismatic founder. This person would have an elevated status in the cult. To gain followers you must be as charismatic as possible and gain their trust through doing good deeds in the community. You have to be known as someone to be respected an admired. Superficiality is everything. Start relationships with the people in your neighborhood and develop bonds. To develop these bonds you must have cookouts, bonfires, and block parties so you become well established in their minds and hearts. You must be willing to join extra-curricular activities  and groups such as joining softball teams or coaching the little league team just to gain to exposure to more and more people to extend your cult as widely as possible. People that are happy are more likely to mindlessly follow commands because of the euphoria that you create by your presence. You have to keep up a good reputation in order to make these people want to follow your commands which we will discuss in later blogs.