Has anyone personally been affected by a Cult either themselves or a family member?

Answer 1

Thankfully no. I mean, of course I've had to deal with door-to-door faith salesmen (i.e. Mormons and J.W.'s) but it wasn't a life altering experience. My entire immediate family is Catholic and I'm sure some people consider the Catholic church to be a cult, so I leave that up to you to determine as you will.

If you want examples of how a cult has impacted the lives of members and disrupted the very government of the United States, here are just a few of MANY:

• Operation Snow White – Under this program, Scientology operatives committed infiltration, wiretapping, and theft of documents in government offices. This program constituted the single largest infiltration of the United States government in history. Among the 11 prominent Scientologists convicted of this conspiracy was Mary Sue Hubbard, the wife of Scientology’s “prophet”.
http://lisatrust.freewinds.cx/scientology/snow-white/index.html

• Operation Freakout - Their campaign of sabotage and violence against Paulette Cooper, the writer who published her research and findings on several cults, including Scientology. Scientology’s official plan: to frame Paulette, ruin her career and reputation and get her sent either to jail or psychiatric confinement.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Krasel/cooper/frk1.html

• Fair Game - the Scientology policy detailing how the organization may confront and handle critics and perceived enemies. Here is a direct quote: "Enemies may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
http://www.xenu.net/archive/disk/fairgame.htm

• Violent Kidnapping - Lisa McPherson was a Scientologist, was involved in a car accident and resultantly became mentally unstable, was kidnapped by agents of Scientology, held against her will, refused proper psychiatric treatment and was allowed to STARVE TO DEATH.
Video: http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/
Website: http://www.lisamcpherson.org/

• Jeremy Perkins - A CBS “48 Hours” special on the mentally disturbed son of Scientologist parents who refused to put him on the anti-psychotic drugs that would have stabilized him & prevented him from killing his own mother.
Video: http://www.scientomogy.com/jeremy_perkins.php
CBS article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/25/48hours/main2124568.shtml

Answer 2

I am constantly affected due to the fact that the existence of Cults seems to have made people rather suspicous and intolerant. I recently read someone's definition of cult on Y!A. The definition was any religion that does not believe in the same things he/she does is a cult. According to this person Hindus, Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and any religion other than his, which he did not mention, are cults. While there are cults in existence just because someone believes differently does not make them cultists.

Answer 3

No. I'm prepared. I've learned how to avoid getting involved in it, & so have most people I know.

The following articles show cults up for what they are, how to recognize them, & how to avoid becoming their prey ...

Secret Societies--How Great the Threat? :
- Why All the Secrecy?
- Secrecy in the Name of the Lord
http://watchtower.org/library/w/1997/6/1/article_01.htm

Should You Believe Everything You Hear? :
- Propaganda Can Be Deadly
- The Manipulation of Information
- Do Not Be a Victim of Propaganda!
- Is the Work of Jehovah's Witnesses Propagandistic?
(an examination of their actual teaching methods)
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/article_01.htm

Advanced Search
http://watchtower.org/search/search_e.htm
(can be used to find future-modified URLs)

Answer 4

It depends how you define cult. My grandmother is involved with the Elizabeth Clair Prophet "cult" in Montana. I thought one of the definitions of a cult was that you literally can't leave, and I know that's not the case there. She seems happy and still very intellectually sharp though.

Answer 5

I was effected by the Cult of Christianity as a child, I heard they eat human flesh and drink blood, but now I started my own cult.

Answer 6

Every time the JW's knock on my door.

I had surgery a few years ago, it was supposed to be a minor procedure and turned about being a major one, almost had permanent damage, had to spend overnight in hospital, etc etc. Well I was off work for a week and every single day the JW's came knocking at my door. I had to painfully pull myself out of bed and go to the door, tell them I was in pain please don't come back, but they did....

Aaron, I really don't think Islam qualifies as a "cult."

Answer 7

As Jehovah's Witnesses we are available sharing a best message with people of each race, faith, subculture...and historic past! we are universal international for this and are considered everywhere! i detect that to be the different of keeping apart ourselves! in reality, we boldly percentage our beliefs with everybody who needs to study what God's applications are. what number faiths can say they have this form of braveness? we do not attempt this on our personal potential both, yet extremely have the backing of God's sensible lively rigidity, his HOLY SPIRIT! How else ought to adult adult males, females, & even little ones be available sharing a existence-giving message, regardless of the ridicule we get carry of? And extremely than reason us to decelerate, our corporation is growing! It for sure has God's backing!

Answer 8

I suffer the gas gouging prices at the pumps form the Arab cult

Answer 9

Lots of people are infected by the cult of Islam.

Answer 10

the woman i loved left her family, her friends, and started having sexual relations with anyone and everyone. she abandoned her own morals, before she was a christian she decided to be a virgin till marriage, nothing changed when she became a christian, then she walked away from christ and started practicing witchcraft and her whole life fell apart.. she was once an amazing young woman, now she is just a piece of trash, and a loose woman.. i still pray for her, and miss her, even though she set me up t get killed. i still wish the best for her. she got involved in witchcraft, wicca..