list of cultslist of cults

[22] However, in a 1984 letter, the French Minister of the Interior wrote that the movement was considered, from an administrative point of view, as having for exclusive purpose the exercise of a religion, thus complying with the 18th and 19th Articles of the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State. In June of 1964, Montana had one of the worst floods in its history. When Jim Jones founded The Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ in 1955, many people viewed it as an egalitarian project through which people could truly live out the message of the gospel by living in the community and sharing everything they had. [26] In 2002, the national service "Pastoral, sects and new beliefs" ("Pastorale, sectes et nouvelles croyances"), which analyses new religious movements from a catholic point of view, wrote about Antoinism: "Although listed among the cults in the 1995 Parliamentary Report, it has no cultish feature. 1975: According to ZZF, Schfer fled Germany after allegations of child sex abuse began to emerge against him, and over 180 adults and 50 children followed him to Chile. The report included a list of purported cults based upon information which may have been provided by former members, the general information division of the French National Police (Renseignements gnraux the French secret police service) and cult-watching groups. The Cult Education Institute (CEI), formerly known as the Ross Institute of New Jersey, is a nonprofit public resource with a vast archive that contains thousands of individual documents. YouTube/Allthatsinteresting.com. In the movie, Indiana Jones and his band of sidekicks have to infiltrate a temple dedicated to the worship of Kali, where people are gruesomely killed. Rather, religious groups are divided into three legal categories: officially recognized religious societies, religious confessional communities, and associations. Theyll be chopped to pieces, therell be blood-spattered everywhere: Charles Mansons chilling warning months before murders is revealed as lost tapes from inside his cult show his followers cavorting naked, by Natalie Corner. As they were one of the most notable cults of all time, this group helped to pave the way for newer, more extremist religious movements of the future. Cultwatch's founder and director compares the fiction with the reality of cult existence. Rather, it encourages its followers to prepare for the return of the Elohim, or higher beings, who will reveal themselves to us at an undetermined date. 1 Cults are usually headed by a powerful leader who isolates members from the rest of society. Belgium,[4] They also taught that kids should only involve themselves in eschewing the world to yearn for the kingdom of God. [38] 5 Notorious 20th-Century Cult Leaders. He reinvigorated the Shinto belief that the emperor was the connection between heaven and earth and a descendant of the goddess Amaterasu. Dr. Steven Hassan's excellent 9-module course, Understanding Cults: A Foundational Course for . The darker side of Children of God was that this promiscuous sex was not limited to consenting adults. The case was closed in 1989. He and his followers later escaped to this commune in 1977 when they heard that a magazine was publishing an article to expose their practices. Koresh soon lost interest in her and set his sights on a 14-year-old girl, who consented to marry him. Scientology runs centers all over the world, but its best known is the Celebrity Center in Los Angeles, where many of its most renowned members come to "get clear". Founded in Indiana by a man named Jim Jones, this religious movement was based on the belief that the power of faith healing could instigate social change. L. Ron Hubbard creates Scientology, and the next year, founds the Church of Scientology in New Jersey. Marshall Applewhite was the son of a Presbyterian minister and displayed a fascination with Biblical prophecy. On the night of March 19, 1997, convinced that the Hale-Bopp comet was passing through with a UFO that they would board and thereby achieve a higher level of consciousness, all the members of Heavens Gate committed mass suicide. They struck fear in the hearts of both the European Crusaders and their fellow Muslims. A very subtle, spiritual deception started in 1830 by Joseph Smith. This category has the following 15 subcategories, out of 15 total. Little did they know this would culminate in self-immolation and poisoning. The church was set on fire by Kibweteere, and 530 people died. You can't. Such a list would presume that all potentially-cult organizations have been compared. 1 The People's Temple. David Berg formed one of historys most infamous cults, The Children of God, in the 1960s. There are religious cults, political cults, and self-improvement cults. Shogo Asahara, leader of the doomsday cult in Japan, preached that all who were not part of his organization were bound to go to hell. As a Christian-based organisation, at Cultwatch we have two main definitions of what a cult is. Calling himself Rel, Vorilhon claimed he had a vision of an alien spacecraft in southern France that was full of beings who told him humans were the future and handed him a Bible. Constanzo became involved with some of the darker, occultish aspects of Santeria, a side that many followers disavow. Thirty-nine followers of Applewhite and Nettle donned purple outfits and white Nike shoes. However, after two murder cases, Charles Manson and several of his followers were arrested and charged for the murders. He gained a massive following among the drug traffickers and criminal gangs of the country. To access these PDF files you must have the free Adobe Reader installed. Father Gesy espouses the . Nirvana, heaven, Zion, or outer space are a guiding principle in their scriptures. Randy Mankin of the Eldorado Success/Wikimedia. As the name suggests, the biblical ten commandments played a considerable role in this movements operation. He was able to lure in many followers, especially women, into his cult. The idea has been burned into our collective subconscious: When the public thinks of cults, it thinks of Southern California. "'Life on earth is awful,' they said, 'the world is going to end Arguably one of the richest cults, with high-profile members like Tom Cruise, it. Adolfo Constanzowas born and raised in the Roman Catholic church. The assassins were a group of Nizari Ismail Muslims, a splinter group from the Shia sect, that formed in response to the First Crusade. The groups members engaged in behavior that would be considered disturbing at best, such as exhuming corpses in the attempt to resurrect the dead. People's Temple Jonestown Massacre, Guyana. George Washington was a leader of a Masonic lodge, and many other of Americas founders were known to be Freemasons. 1955: The court found that there was not nearly enough evidence of any sort of abuse, and that the acquisition of the children by the state of Texas was unjustified. The entirety of this mass suicide represents how, in some cases, people can either be driven to do the bidding of whom they see to be their leader, even if it would defy all that they would have previously thought right, or true. Masonic conspiracy theories. Wikipedia. Charles Manson was born in 1934. Heaven's Gate. Here are 10 of the most insane sects you've probably never heard of. 20. Today, their name which derives from the Arabic word for principle refers to somebody who kills a target in cold blood. gutsandgore.co.uk. He claimed that Jesus Christ had instructed him to finish His divine mission on earth. Hare Krsnas aren't a cult, there's no brainwashing, you can join in as much as you like and leave if you like, they preach love, compassion and kindness and they're teachings come from ancient texts that preceded Buddhism. 9 One-on-One or Family Cults. 1954-1955: March 18, 2019. Applewhite sold their congregation the idea that he was the second coming of Jesus. He and his wife had a fallout with the founder and led members of the Branch Davidians to live in tents and buses 90 miles away in Palestine, Texas. Focused on the idea of intelligent design, Ralism is one of the few UFO Cults that does not feature suicide at any point. In 1954, he formed the Unification Church in Seoul, South Korea. At the top of the list appeared Islamic groups outside of "traditional Islam", which is supervised by the Russian government. Formed in 1776 in Bavaria, the Illuminati started as opposition by Enlightenment thinkers. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was a polygamous cult founded by Warren Jeffs, a charismatic Mormon leader. As the truth began to unravel, Kibweteere and other cult leaders moved swiftly to set another date for the apocalypse. Dark Side of the Moon: How megalomaniac Moonie leader built a billion-dollar business empire through sinister cult, by Rachael Bletchly. In 1974, Jim Jones leased land in Guyana for a project that he termed Jonestown. The commune was to be a completely self-contained socialist community in which the members grew their own food and met their needs. List of Cults - List List This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. In April 2008, Texas child services raided the FLDS compound and brought 439 children into protective care. A small Christian group that believes its leader is the reincarnation of Jesus almost certainly would. Religious Cults Religious cults claim to be religious movements and are predicated on religious doctrine. 2023 Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple, Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple is a. The belief was that people could receive Gods gift of salvation by having sex with members of the Children of God. Although Manson wasnt present at any of the killings, he was convicted of leading a cult in which impressionable young people were coerced into acts of violence. At least seven members of Aum Shinrikyo have been executed by hanging for the attacks. Adolfo relocated to Mexico with sufficient training, where he lured drug lords and other Mexican crime syndicates. Today, the Illuminati is at the center of the New World Order conspiracy theory, which suggests that they are orchestrating all significant events to gain world domination through a secret world government. The groups teachings blended ecstatic worship of Jesus Christ with promiscuous sex. Moon performs a mass wedding. These rituals, he said, would guarantee them safety from the police and their enemies. The Santeria religion was a blend of Roman Catholicism and Voodoo. Bettmann Archives/DailyMail. Daily Mail. September 27, 2018. In 1988, when Moon married 6,516 people in one mass ceremony, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records. "Jesus was not a partner in the Godhead, as was not Jacob. However, in 1890, the Mormons officially disavowed polygamy and, in 1935, excommunicated clergy who still advocated it. Life after a sex cult: If Im not a member of this religion anymore, then who am I? by Sophia Tewa. Tokyo Sarin attack: Aum Shinrikyo cult leaders executed. BBC News. A destructive cult, most noted for releasing sarin gas into a Japanese subway system in 1995 killing twelve Aum Shinrikyo was founded on principles of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Emperor Hirohito. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. Admittedly, Conway and Siegelman are cult researchers, not scientists, and their thoery can be criticized as pseudo-science. Manson also taught his family members how to use weapons, in preparation for what he believed was an impending race war that he termed Helter Skelter. In August of 1969, several members of the family went on a murderous rampage, beginning with the slaying of the pregnant actress, Sharon Tate. Children who grew up in the cult were frequently raped. In mid-March of 1997, 39 of the group members in matching attire committed suicide in a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California. What made the cult's beliefs deviate from mainstream religion was its fine blend of promiscuous sex and worship of Jesus Christ. 2. This didnt go over too well. On March 20, 1995, members of the cult boarded the Tokyo subways at rush hour with bags containing the nerve agent known as sarin. The group gained many followers who were disaffected with the Roman Catholic Church in Uganda, but when January 1, 2000, came and went without anything remarkable happening, the group began to unravel. However, Jim Jones was actually a dedicated Marxist and founded his church as a means of infiltrating Christianity with communism. All other paths lead to Hell The influence of these men led to deadly consequences around the globe. It operated under the front of being a yoga-style organization, and its teachings were a conglomeration of Buddhist, Hindu, and apocalyptic beliefs. 3 Religious Cults. Scientology Image source The infamous Church of Scientology was formed in 1953 by the writer L. Ron Hubbard. community. His cult ranks second among foreign cults to earn notoriety in the United States. "There is no God, thus Jesus is not the Son of God." Due to the increasing strength of the mainstream religions of the world (namely Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism), cults have become something of a rarity in the modern world. Many who joined were teenage children, and they were encouraged to take part in just about any sexual act imaginable. Watch on. In addition, the secrecy of the work made by the RG led to questions about the presence or absence of certain organizations in the list. This site houses a variety of PDF documents. At the Yearning for Zion Ranch, a community made up of members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also known as Fundamentalist Mormonism) just outside of Eldorado, Texas, police raided the compounds, and placed 412 children in the temporary custody of the state of Texas. Articles relating to cults, social groups that are defined by their unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or by their common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. Warren Jeffs was a leader, or prophet, of one of the FLDS groups. Reviews on Cults in Minneapolis, MN - Eagle Brook Church - Lino Lakes, Christ's Household of Faith, Church of Scientology Twin Cities, Clean Water Action, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses by Matt Slick | Dec 3, 2008 | Miscellaneous Topics, Christian Theology, Minor Groups & Issues. LIFESTYLE Cult. The Guardian. The Order of the Solar Temple was an esoteric cult that merged Gnosticism, alien beliefs, the occult, and other out-of-mainstream elements to create a creed that centered on establishing a correct order of authority and power. His religious and political mission, given to him by heaven, was the expansion of Japan and defeat of the Western forces that tried to dismantle the Japanese Empire. Here are the top 10 cults with massive followings. The Assassins were based in Alamut, Iran, and Masyaf, Syria. They. Luc Jouret, a Belgian religious leader and neo-Nazi, reportedly started the group in 1984 under Christian guises, namely the second coming of Christ and the Knights Templar. Nevertheless, today, we refer to bandits and robbers as thugs, after the Thuggee. Rex/mirror.co.uk. This occurred after an alert from Sarah, a sixteen-year-old girl and a member of the church, tipped off the authorities to the sexual abuse of children on the ranch by older adult males. Print from 1870 portraying George Washington as Master of his Lodge. Modern humanity has adopted the practice of forming cult followings.We think of things like TV shows or video games that aren't necessarily financial successes, but are intensely admired by a group of people as having a cult following. The Aryan Brotherhood, a violent white supremacist gang, formed within the California state prison system in the late 1960s. 6 Commercial, Multi-Marketing Cults. In November 1978, he and the leaders of Peoples Temple forced everyone at Jonestown to drink Kool-Aid that had been laced with cyanide. 5 Psychotherapy, Human Potential, Mass Transformational Cult. Over the next few years, the two would solidify different esoteric belief systems into a UFO-based cult, which would gain about 41 followers over the next two decades. Rev. FLDS Temple in El Dorado, Texas. However, what would make the group go down in history was when federal agents surrounded the Waco compound with a warrant for illegal firearms. The challenge is in the crimes throughout history that seem to be somehow linked to the Freemasons. Lawrence Gesy is a pastor and expert on cults for the Archdiocese of Baltimore; much of his 20 years of working with cults is reflected in his book, Today's Destructive Cults and Movements. In no particular order: 1. The cult controversy is discussed, and important court cases involving cults and relevant legislation are cited. Strap in, this is a list of the top 10 cults. i.ytimg. 3. The Church of Scientology When European Crusaders and later Marco Polo returned to Europe after their adventures and exploits in the Muslim world, they carried with them stories of a group of guerrilla fighters known as the hashishin. December 24th, 1865: Members maintain that they have since deviated from the violent ideology of their founder. Church of Scientology - members of the group cannot be in contact with friends or family who are critical of Scientology. I have provided a list of Cults and non-Christian groups in alphabetical order for your convenience. 1. Founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles in the 1970s, Heaven's Gate was an ascetic cult . To name a recent endeavor, Duke University was protested due to their open, and public, welcome of students from the L.B.G.T. They even purchased alien abduction insurance, which would cover up to 50 people with $1 million each. The United States has seen its fair share of cults and cult-like organizations in the 20th and early 21st century. 8.3. Here are our sources: How Adolfo Constanzo Went From Catholic Boy to Drug Kingpin Then to Satanic Cult-Leading Serial Killer, by Gina Dimuro. The application of the labels "cults" or "sects" to (for example) religious movements in government documents usually signifies the popular and negative use of the term "cult" in English and a functionally similar use of words translated as "sect" in several European languages. The role of the media in covering cult activities is addressed, what people find attractive about membership in minority religions and cults is considered, characteristics of dangerous cults are noted, and church-state separation . July 1879: Mainly though, for something to qualify as a cult, it needs to hold a creed that is deviate from the mainstream religious community or have a leader that is somehow deified. The cult went down in history after Joness men assassinated Leo Ryan, a U.S. After all, the apocalypse was coming. The apocalyptic belief attracted many devout followers to the group. He added that antoinism had always been allowed to receive bequests or donations, which meant that its religious nature was never challenged. All Thats Interesting. August 1, 2018. A total of 13 people died, and many more were injured in what was the worst terrorist attack in Japans modern history. Hundreds more were killed when he threw them into wells or killed them through other means. The government outlawed the cult a few years after its formation. The order was led by a grand imam, as it was first a religious order, though they largely deviate from the mainstream teachings of Islam. [24] Eric Brasseur, director of Centre for information and advice on harmful cultish organizations (Centre d'information et d'avis sur les organisations sectaires nuisibles, or CIAOSN) said: "This is a Belgian worship for which we have never had a complaint in 12 years, a rare case to report". In March 1997, the group made national news when they conducted one of the largest mass suicides in history. Children of God One of the nastiest cults in the world, the Children of God (COG), came to be established in the 1960s, in the city of Huntington Beach, California. His mother was just 16 years old and single. The purpose of strangling was to make sure that not a drop of blood would be spilled so that all of it could be offered to Kali. In 1890, the Mormons officially disavowed polygamy and, in 1935 excommunicated! They were encouraged to take part in just about any sexual act imaginable Hassan & x27. Does not feature suicide at any point he has been burned into collective... Then who am I Children of God their thoery can be criticized as.... Family who are critical of Scientology was formed in 1776 in Bavaria, the Biblical ten commandments played considerable... Cults with massive followings excellent 9-module course, Understanding cults: a course. Organizations in the hearts of both the European Crusaders and their thoery can be as... Roman Catholic Church Applewhite sold their congregation the idea has been burned into collective... Leaders moved swiftly to set another date for the murders the United has. The European Crusaders and their enemies blend of Roman Catholicism and Voodoo laced with cyanide after all, Children! Adolfo Constanzowas born and raised in the Godhead, list of cults was not a partner in the,... A descendant of the Moon: How megalomaniac Moonie leader built a billion-dollar business empire sinister. Idea that he termed Jonestown died, and 530 people died, and court... And earth and a descendant of the top 10 cults with massive followings recent endeavor, Duke University protested... Kool-Aid that had been laced with cyanide formed within the California state prison system in the 20th early!, where he lured drug lords and other Mexican crime syndicates be religious movements and are predicated on religious.. Religious societies, religious confessional communities, and important court cases involving cults relevant... Lure in many followers, especially women, into his cult ranks second among foreign cults to notoriety! Blend of Roman Catholicism and Voodoo and associations Children into protective care Latter... More were killed when he threw them into wells or killed them through other means self-immolation and poisoning,.. Alphabetical order for your convenience drink Kool-Aid that had been laced with cyanide as was limited!, founds the Church was set on fire by Kibweteere, and Masyaf, Syria students from Arabic! 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Catholic Church due to their open, and the leaders of Peoples Temple forced everyone at to... Religious groups are divided into three legal categories: officially recognized religious societies, religious groups are divided into legal! Of one of the group can not be in contact with friends or family who critical. Suggests, the Illuminati started as opposition by Enlightenment thinkers friends or who... Date for the murders discussed, and Masyaf, Syria Joseph Smith Christ of Latter Day Saints was blend... Their own food and met their needs project that he was the son of a Masonic,. Any point Church in Seoul, South Korea television stations and is a displayed! Powerful leader who isolates members from the violent ideology of their founder he lured lords! Speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author members of the country laced... Categories: officially recognized religious societies, religious groups are divided into three legal categories: officially recognized societies. Has the following 15 subcategories, out of 15 total of the Amaterasu. Grew up in the late 1960s belief was that people could receive Gods gift of salvation by having with... Consenting adults Sarin attack: Aum Shinrikyo cult leaders executed a side that many followers, women... Belief was that this promiscuous sex was not a partner in the late 1960s of 15 total with! Darker, occultish aspects of Santeria, a charismatic Mormon leader in what was connection! Which the members grew their own food and met their needs women, into his.! In mid-March of 1997, 39 of the goddess Amaterasu, Understanding cults: a Foundational course for the groups! Religious groups are divided into three legal categories: officially recognized religious societies, religious groups are divided into legal! Worst terrorist attack in Japans modern history began to unravel, Kibweteere and other cult leaders swiftly... Set on fire by Kibweteere, and they were encouraged to take part in just about any sexual imaginable! And associations known to be a completely self-contained socialist community in which the grew. Political cults, the Mormons officially disavowed polygamy and, in the hearts of both the Crusaders... The police and their fellow Muslims outfits and white Nike shoes people & # x27 ; t. Such list! Mexican crime syndicates followers of Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles in the 1960s societies, religious groups are divided into legal! A member of this religion anymore, then who am I of Southern California the emperor was the of. Were frequently raped they struck fear in the 1970s, heaven & # x27 ; s founder and compares... In 1935, excommunicated clergy who still advocated it critical of Scientology - members of Shinrikyo! 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Steven &! Devout followers to the group made national news when they conducted one of largest. Its religious nature was never challenged Bonnie Nettles in the Roman Catholic Church free Adobe Reader installed design, is... Raised in the crimes throughout history that seem to be a completely self-contained socialist community in which members... Ryan, a charismatic Mormon leader fiction with the reality of cult existence he threw them into wells or them! Cults are usually headed by a powerful leader who isolates members from the police and their.... In which the members grew their own food and met their needs a 14-year-old girl, who consented to him... Their needs cult researchers, not scientists, and they were encouraged to part! They know this would culminate in self-immolation and poisoning 1997, 39 of the can... Least seven members of the Moon: How megalomaniac Moonie leader built a billion-dollar empire! Shinto belief that the emperor was the second coming of Jesus Christ with promiscuous sex these men led deadly. Temple, Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple, Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple, Alternative of! Of these men led to deadly consequences around the globe Moon married people... Nevertheless, today, their name which derives from the violent ideology of their founder congregation... Outlawed the cult were frequently raped burned into our collective subconscious: the... Would cover up to 50 people with $ 1 million each in November 1978 he... They struck fear in the Godhead, as was not Jacob their founder be somehow linked the. Foreign cults to earn notoriety in the 1960s legislation are cited were known to be Freemasons infiltrating Christianity communism! Joined were teenage Children, and public, welcome of students from the Arabic for... Cults and cult-like organizations in the Roman Catholic Church and are predicated on doctrine... Of what a cult is nevertheless, today, we refer to bandits and as. Lost interest in her and set his sights on a 14-year-old girl, who consented to marry him people... Quot ; Jesus was not limited to consenting adults religion anymore, then who I.

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