An evangelical pastor and 60 worshippers
sparked fears of a mass suicide pact by holing themselves up in a Havana
church. The group have spent more than three weeks locked in the 'Fountain of
Life' Pentecostal Church, prompting conspiracy theories about their aims. But
now the pastor's son has insisted they are conducting a regular spiritual
retreat and aim to 'liberate Cuba from sins'.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk, September 15, 2011
MAJOR MASS CULT SUICIDES
- Peoples Temple: On November 18, 1978, 918
Americans died in Peoples Temple-related
incidents, including 909 members of the Temple, led by Jim Jones, in Jonestown, Guyana. The
dead included 303 children. A tape of the Temple's final meeting in a Jonestown
pavilion contains repeated discussions of the group committing
"revolutionary suicide," including reference to people taking the
poison and the vats to be used.
- Solar Temple: From 1994 to 1997, the Order of the Solar Temple's members
began a series of mass suicides, which led to roughly 74 deaths. Farewell
letters were left by members, stating that they believed their deaths would be
an escape from the "hypocrisies and oppression of this world." Added
to this they felt they were moving on to Sirius. (Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky). Records seized by the Quebec police showed that some members had
personally donated over $1 million to the cult's leader, Joseph Di Mambro.
- Heaven's Gate: An American UFO
religion based in San Diego, California, founded
and led by Marshall
Applewhite, caused the death en masse of 39 of its followers on March 26, 1997, in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
These people believed, according to the teachings of their cult, that through
their suicides they were "exiting their human vessels" so that their
souls could go on a journey aboard a spaceship they believed to be following comet Hale-Bopp.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Priest of unreason, and charlatan King!
"Hail to the saviour!" believers sing…
Behind
every cult there is a charismatic leader who demands total faith and obedience.
He commands a faithful following, believing in a future heavenly reward and
often an impending, earthly doom. The most dangerous cults abuse the faith of
their followers to such an extreme that it endangers all of their lives. The
leaders of these groups take advantage of group psychology to generate a
fantasised sense of 'us' versus a very hostile 'them' outside. Four basic behaviours found in extreme form in destructive cults: compliance with the group, dependence on a leader, devaluing the outsider, and avoiding dissent.
Cult members can
come from widely disparate socio-economic backgrounds and include rich as well
as poor who are willing to make enormous personal sacrifices for reaching a
faith based goal promised by the charismatic leader. The cult influence is like addiction to a drug . Typical behaviour for both includes draining bank accounts, neglecting children, destroying relations with family and losing interest in anything except the drug or cult.
Today, there is an alarming rise in young people attracted
to cults. The psychological effects on members, particularly adolescents, lead them to develop opinions and modes
of behaviour diametrically different from their families of origin, causing
familial tensions. Often, psychiatrists need to be consulted with the view to
understand, treat and correct what is seen as behavioural aberration by the
families.
Most democratic governments defend religious
freedom. However, there has to be some regulatory mechanism to monitor cults,
considering their effects on young people and their families, and some of the
reactions they have caused in society.
© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.
Very funny, great cliché, but a very sad take on life. Because it is funny, it is not only easy to remember, but easy to implement as well, which is exactly why something is not quite right.