Freethought & Rationalism Archive

lpetrich · 06-30-2003, 05:07 PM

The Advanced Bonewits Cult Danger Evaluation Frame, version 2.0, published by neopagan P.E.I. Bonewits; the higher the score, the nastier it is:

INTERNAL CONTROL: Amount of internal political power exercised by leader(s) over members.
WISDOM CLAIMED by leader(s) amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations.
WISDOM CREDITED to leader(s) by members; amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader(s).
DOGMA: Rigidity of reality concepts taught; amount of doctrinal inflexibility or "fundamentalism."
RECRUITING: Emphasis put on attracting new members; amount of proselytizing.
FRONT GROUPS: Number of subsidiary groups using different names from that of main group.
WEALTH: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members' donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members.
POLITICAL POWER: Amount of external political influence desired or obtained; emphasis on directing members' secular votes.
SEXUAL MANIPULATION of members by leader(s); amount of control exercised over sexuality of members; advancement dependent upon sexual favors or specific lifestyle.
CENSORSHIP: Amount of control over members' access to outside opinions on group, its doctrines or leader(s).
DROPOUT CONTROL: Intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts.
VIOLENCE: Amount of approval when used by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s).
PARANOIA: Amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies; perceived power of opponents; prevalence of conspiracy theories.
GRIMNESS: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).
SURRENDER OF WILL: Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual dis-empowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).
HYPOCRISY: Amount of approval for other actions (not included above) which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s); willingness to violate group's declared principles for political, psychological, economic, or other gain.

Copyright � 1979,1996 c.e., Isaac Bonewits. This text file may be freely distributed on the Net, provided that no editing is done, the version number (if any) is retained and this notice is included.

I was inspired to post this by the thread on Scientology, which scores very high; a lot of fundie churches also seem to score high. How do others fare?

Abel Stable · 06-30-2003, 06:24 PM

At a religion class in my jesuit high school, I was taught that the fundamentals of any religion were creed & cult. Creed being the scriptures, and cult the ritual & social structure built around those scriptures. He then went on to explain that cult only recently has been used to describe the likes of scientology, branch dividian, & heaven�s gate. I wonder if he thought this meant that catholicism had an exemption from the rules (as listed above).

bocajeff · 06-30-2003, 06:27 PM

Just looking it over quickly, I would say Catholicism (13 out of 16), Mormonism (12/16) and Fundie Islam (16/16?) all rate pretty high as well.

And that's just religious cults. There's also MLM cults like Equinox which fit like 15 out of 16.

fried beef sandwich · 06-30-2003, 07:23 PM

what's MLM?

Enlighten Me · 06-30-2003, 07:29 PM

MultiLevel Marketing businesses, such as Amway....

fando · 06-30-2003, 07:57 PM

nice list! It captures the essence of cults to a tee.

Dark Jedi · 06-30-2003, 10:16 PM

The difference between a cult and a religion is attendance.

Soul Invictus · 07-01-2003, 12:21 AM

I saw this link somewhere on IIDB. Let me know what you think.

HaysooChreesto! · 07-01-2003, 11:14 AM

Cults aren't always religous. The Therapeutic Community model for behaviour modification has been in practice in the US since the 1950's. Most of these places and their methods are now used on wayward teenagers.

www.kidsofelpaso.com

Rational BAC · 07-01-2003, 11:25 AM

I think the only difference between a cult and a religion is NUMBERS. Just as a previous poster noted.

Christianity was once a cult of Judaism. Only because of NUMBERS .

Now Christianity is the majority religion in the world today. It is a religion and no longer a cult only because of NUMBERS.

I know I'll end up kicking myself for starting this one (and may just delete it) but----------------------Atheism can be considered a cult because of NUMBERS.

06-30-2003, 05:07 PM	#1
lpetrich Contributor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Lebanon, OR, USA Posts: 16,829	What's a Cult? The Advanced Bonewits Cult Danger Evaluation Frame, version 2.0, published by neopagan P.E.I. Bonewits; the higher the score, the nastier it is: INTERNAL CONTROL: Amount of internal political power exercised by leader(s) over members. WISDOM CLAIMED by leader(s) amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations. WISDOM CREDITED to leader(s) by members; amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader(s). DOGMA: Rigidity of reality concepts taught; amount of doctrinal inflexibility or "fundamentalism." RECRUITING: Emphasis put on attracting new members; amount of proselytizing. FRONT GROUPS: Number of subsidiary groups using different names from that of main group. WEALTH: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members' donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members. POLITICAL POWER: Amount of external political influence desired or obtained; emphasis on directing members' secular votes. SEXUAL MANIPULATION of members by leader(s); amount of control exercised over sexuality of members; advancement dependent upon sexual favors or specific lifestyle. CENSORSHIP: Amount of control over members' access to outside opinions on group, its doctrines or leader(s). DROPOUT CONTROL: Intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts. VIOLENCE: Amount of approval when used by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s). PARANOIA: Amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies; perceived power of opponents; prevalence of conspiracy theories. GRIMNESS: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s). SURRENDER OF WILL: Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual dis-empowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader(s). HYPOCRISY: Amount of approval for other actions (not included above) which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s); willingness to violate group's declared principles for political, psychological, economic, or other gain. Copyright � 1979,1996 c.e., Isaac Bonewits. This text file may be freely distributed on the Net, provided that no editing is done, the version number (if any) is retained and this notice is included. I was inspired to post this by the thread on Scientology, which scores very high; a lot of fundie churches also seem to score high. How do others fare?

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06-30-2003, 06:24 PM	#2
Abel Stable Regular Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 356	At a religion class in my jesuit high school, I was taught that the fundamentals of any religion were creed & cult. Creed being the scriptures, and cult the ritual & social structure built around those scriptures. He then went on to explain that cult only recently has been used to describe the likes of scientology, branch dividian, & heaven�s gate. I wonder if he thought this meant that catholicism had an exemption from the rules (as listed above).

06-30-2003, 06:27 PM	#3
bocajeff Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: HelL.A. Posts: 1,157	Just looking it over quickly, I would say Catholicism (13 out of 16), Mormonism (12/16) and Fundie Islam (16/16?) all rate pretty high as well. And that's just religious cults. There's also MLM cults like Equinox which fit like 15 out of 16.

06-30-2003, 07:23 PM	#4
fried beef sandwich Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 1,156	what's MLM?

06-30-2003, 07:29 PM	#5
Enlighten Me Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Ca. Posts: 1,109	MultiLevel Marketing businesses, such as Amway....

06-30-2003, 07:57 PM	#6
fando Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Los Angeles Area Posts: 1,372	nice list! It captures the essence of cults to a tee.

06-30-2003, 10:16 PM	#7
Dark Jedi Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Afghanistan Posts: 4,666	The difference between a cult and a religion is attendance.

07-01-2003, 12:21 AM	#8
Soul Invictus Contributor Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 15,576	I saw this link somewhere on IIDB. Let me know what you think.

07-01-2003, 11:14 AM	#9
HaysooChreesto! Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: SoCal USA Posts: 7,737	Cults aren't always religous. The Therapeutic Community model for behaviour modification has been in practice in the US since the 1950's. Most of these places and their methods are now used on wayward teenagers. www.kidsofelpaso.com

07-01-2003, 11:25 AM	#10
Rational BAC Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tampa Bay area Posts: 3,471	I think the only difference between a cult and a religion is NUMBERS. Just as a previous poster noted. Christianity was once a cult of Judaism. Only because of NUMBERS . Now Christianity is the majority religion in the world today. It is a religion and no longer a cult only because of NUMBERS. I know I'll end up kicking myself for starting this one (and may just delete it) but----------------------Atheism can be considered a cult because of NUMBERS.

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