Jim Jones, Wako, Heavens Gate, the mooneys. Am I right in thinking cults seem to flourish more in America than in the rest of the world?
2007-08-10 23:09:44 · 12 answers · asked by purplepeace59 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I've no gripes with the USofA but I have noticed the egos of many Americans seems in direct proportion to the size of their cars, their houses, their wages and their country. Big egos flourish in a big place where Democracy is BIG. This allows people to rise up, full of illusions of grandeur, create an adoring following and use all of that as a lever for personal power trips (which is how egos manifest). America has spawned more than its fair share of false religions (most of them purporting to be Christian). Democracy has to allow for personal opinions and freedom of worship, the price for that being millions of damaged people who have been unable to distinguish between people professing to speak for God, and God speaking Himself (invariably with His still, small voice - the exact opposite of false leaders). It wouldn't be so bad if these false shepherds stayed in the USofA, but they're out to rule the world. Thankfully we can still voice our reasonable objections to them on forums like Yahoo! but for how much longer?
2007-08-10 23:34:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Partly because this melting pot was the power and is the end station in time for the same. Much of the what is seen here started elsewhere.
Religious bents and influences always follow money, power and technology. What you see is no flourish; but an ending concentration because of the draw of money, trade, war. Now one can add rapid expansion of human knowledge; which comes at a high price on the human psyche.
The world scene over time shows that power supports centrist religions and mythology. Religions and cults grow out of that chain of power; be it held by individuals, states or nations. Consider that there were more than 2,000 fraternal and social orders (secret and religious in the west alone) that are not associated in "modern" minds as separate from the main stream. No longer cults.
Daily, both in the U.S. and around the world another dingbat springs to life on the religious scene. Bottom line: They wind up here and pile up on the west coast! So your view is correct. Why is more complicated.
One portion of your answer, in addition to power factor, is geography! If it were not for the Pacific Ocean; this mess would spread much faster! Disenfranchised people make up a great portion of the cult followers. People forgotten in the American rat race. Oh, don't forget the cults of Islam, band cults, educational and political ideologies, etc.
2007-08-11 07:53:07 · answer #2 · answered by Tommy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
mathaowny has no idea what she's talking about so don't listen to her. There is nothing more "free" in the US compared to other countries. Amercians who think their land is the land of freedom in a sea of dictatorships are people who have obviously never been anywhere.
Anyway, cults exist in lots of places---where EDUCATION is lacking. So, what does that say about the US?
2007-08-11 06:22:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think there is just more media concentration in the US. How do we know how many cults are all over Africa, or South America, or Mongolia, or S Asia?
2007-08-11 06:19:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
because the other countries outlaw them , we give people a chance to do what they believe
and then if the people in charge don't like it or are looking for a distraction from their thievery and incompetence they send the tanks in to burn the compound down even with children in the buildings
2007-08-11 06:14:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the US is where all the cults go and are protected by the Government. Freedom of religion and all. Creepy, though...
2007-08-11 06:14:04 · answer #6 · answered by mathaowny 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
When someone way back when said "Hey, lets get all those idiots on a boat then push them out into the Atlantic Ocean!", he wasn't kidding around. LOL! Just kidding...
2007-08-11 06:15:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think we know that much about other countries. I do understand that we're more religious and have a tad more freedom of thought, but thinking is not on any curriculum that I know of.
2007-08-11 07:40:06 · answer #8 · answered by hb12 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because in the usa most are half brainwashed anyway by the christian cult so it is not hard to fall for the other ones
2007-08-11 13:33:34 · answer #9 · answered by andrew w 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We don't, obviously. We're 80% Christians, after all.
2007-08-11 06:12:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋