“The term cult usually refers to a social group
defined by its religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or its common
interest in a particular personality, object or goal.”
Every day we’re amazed anew, “How can his followers support
this behavior? How can otherwise rational people believe these lies?”
Cult behavior is not uncommon; we’ve seen it throughout
human history. Sometimes it’s more rabid in its manifestation than others, but
the reliance on group think over individual is a common thread. Most religions
display cult behavior...believing in something in spite of facts that indicate
that the belief has little basis in logic. For many, it's easier to align with
a group of like-minded people, often following a leader who appears to be
strong and self-assured, unquestioning and unquestioned. It’s harder to stand
alone and base our lives on our own personal decisions, case by case. Falling
in with a group takes followers off the hook of personal responsibility. They
no longer have to think for themselves or wrestle with tough questions. Just
refer to the “answer book”. Simply going with the party line of “the bible says”
or “Trump says” or even “my friends and family say” is much easier than having
to decide for myself. Of course the real issue for each of us gets back to that,
what do I say?
At a young age, my father taught me the most valuable lesson
I’ve ever learned. While looking at something other than the comics in our home
town newspaper, I was surprised by an article that featured a report that didn’t
sound right to me. Dad was in the room and I asked him about it. He told me: “Just
because it is printed in the newspaper, doesn’t mean it’s true.” That floored
me. My father went on to suggest that it was important for me to “question
everything, including me”. That was a double whammy. Question my Dad? The
authority figure in my life? The man who had all the answers? Yes. Question
what he says, the preacher (I already had that one covered), the doctor,
teacher, lawyer (like Dad!), even the president of the United States!
Unbelievable! Yup, question everything you are told or taught to see if it
makes sense to you. Accept none of it blindly. Run it through your own personal
Truth-O-Meter. Then put on your big boy pants and decide for yourself.
Certainly it’s easier to relinquish personal responsibility,
to simply refer to the rule book of whatever you choose to align yourself with,
be it Branch Davidian, Baptist, Shinto, Moose, or Trump. There is a common
theme of cultism that runs through any group in which we embrace the core
tenants of that group a bit more than we may trust in our own case by case
judgement. Things are so much easier when we can box them up and tie them with
a little bow and think: “there, I’m done with that” No second guessing, one
size fits all.
“He may be a little rough around the edges, but at least he
tells it like it is, and I support him. He’s doing a great job!”
For us to be incredulous every day, amazed that anyone would
support this bullshit, is its own form of cultism.
Nothing is all black or all white. Life presents itself is a
full spectrum of colors that reach in opposite directions beyond our ability to
see them. The tough part is for us to think it through for ourselves rather
than automatically grab a torch and pitchfork and join the crowd in the street.
I’m not saying that isn’t what it takes sometimes, but I am suggesting that we
do the hard work first and foremost: question everything, including ourselves.
And perhaps we should all be less surprised every day that
when it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…well, you know the rest of the
story.
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