As requested by `savagebinn - some basic signs of a cult.

There's quite a few characteristics of cults, and I was pretty interested in learning more about them while I was looking up more information for this stamp. Here are some more details though, for fun!

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The group is focused on a leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment. The leader typically stands alone, is charismatic, and whatever they say is unquestionably viewed as the truth.

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members. This is usually done using deception -- A cult might hide the truth from you until they think you are "ready" to accept it. For example, Scientology has different "Operating Thetan Levels" which you can progress through as you spend more time within the church. As you spend more time in the cult, you gain more information about the church's beliefs, including the more peculiar things like Xenu, the dictator of the Galactic Confederacy.

The group is preoccupied with making money. They may require you to make payments to advance to further levels in the organization. For example, Scientology requires money in exchange for books and courses, ceremonies, pew rentals, auditing, etc.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished. For example: Proverbs 3:5-8 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." To doubt the Lord in the Christian Bible is to turn towards evil. It is to be discouraged. "Have faith."

Mind-altering techniques are used to suppress those doubts about the group and its leaders. Things like meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines, confessions/auditing - these things are done to keep the member busy, to keep them from questioning the group and its leader's motives.

The leadership dictates sometimes in great detail how members should think, act, and feel. For example, members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs, get married; leaders may prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth. Mormons cannot drink coffee, tea, or alcohol. Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to celebrate birthdays, have beards, get blood transfusion, or communicate with former members who are shunned/disfellowshipped. Scientologists view drugs as physically, mentally and spiritually damaging.

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and members. For example, the leader could be considered the Messiah or an avatar; the group and/or the leader could have a special mission to save humanity. Things like, "Only WE will get into heaven because we are the TRUE believers" comes to mind for me.

The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society. The Westboro Baptist Church is a prime example of this. They view the outside world as THEM, and constantly fight to keep THEM separate from US, while denouncing THEM because they are not as special as US. If that makes sense.

The group's leader is not accountable to any authorities. Unlike military commanders, ministers, priests, monks and rabbis of mainstream denominations, a cult leader IS the authority.

The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have considered unethical before joining the group. This could be another example of the Westboro Baptist Church - picketing funerals with hate-filled signs saying things like "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Fags doom nations" could have been viewed as unethical prior to someone joining. But because the WBC teaches its members that they are the true believers, they are entitled to do these things because they are doing God's work and living by God's laws.

The leadership induces feelings of guilt, fear, and intimidation in members in order to control them. Things like sin, threats of hell, using fear of the dangers/evils of the outside world, guilt for not living up to unattainable standards. Those are just a few examples.

Member's subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family and friends, and to give up personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group. We've all heard the stories of families broken up over cult memberships. There are several documentaries with many different stories. This is a common theme.

Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group. And if they do not, they are guilted about it a lot of the time.

Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members. Again, we see this in Scientology.

There are so many other characteristics of a religious cult. I wish I could cover them all. They're all very interesting. I'll leave a couple of links here if you wish to do some further reading.

What are the Characteristics of a Religious Cult?

Cult Watch: How Cults Work

Have anything to add or share? Leave it in the comments below!

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