Cults 101: Checklist of Cult Characteristics

[1337m4n]

http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm



*The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

‪*Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

*Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

*The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

*The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

‪*The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

*The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

*The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

*The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

*Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

*The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

*The group is preoccupied with making money.

*Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

*Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

*The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

[skepticalcriticalguy]

This is about cults. It shouldn't be in this thread.

If the point is that 9/11 Truthers have these characteristics, I think you have a strange view of MOST people who don't buy the official government story of 9/11. (Sure, there are some whackos).

BTW, I see a lot of these traits in the average JREFer.

[portlandatheist]

If the point is that 9/11 Truthers have these characteristics
Folks, we have a winner!

[1337m4n]

This is about cults. It shouldn't be in this thread.

If you know me, nobody is more obsessive-compulsive about which threads belong in which forums. I would not have put this thread where I did if I did not intend to draw a reference to the Truth Movement.

(Hint: read the tags!)

If the point is that 9/11 Truthers have these characteristics, I think you have a strange view of MOST people who don't buy the official government story of 9/11. (Sure, there are some whackos).

I think not. Let me go ahead and provide an example of each right now.

*The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

Alex Jones

*Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

C.I.T., and pretty much any 9/11 Truth forum that has moderators.

*Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

Okay, okay, I guess this one doesn't apply, unless you count pervasive marijuana use.

*The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

Alex Jones, in a way

*The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

...Yeah.

*The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

Sheesh, name a Truther who DOESN'T.

*The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

Not really applicable. Though there was Kevin Ryan's incessant whining after he was fired...

*The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

It seems I can't go two days anymore without reading some Truther advocate outright murder.

*The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

I believe the Truth Movement's use of the "victims families" card qualifies.

*Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

Someone refresh my memory: who was that one Truther who was more or less GLAD that his wife died?

*The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

Richard Gage includes names on his list that have nothing to do with building architecture or engineering, just to pad his numbers. Also, what is the deal with YOUTH for 9/11 Truth? (http://www.zoomcities.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5352)

*The group is preoccupied with making money.

Getcher new "Investigate 9/11" coffee mugs today!

*Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

*Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

*The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

These are fortunately to a much lesser extent, but I still see them every now and then over at the PrisonPlanet and Loose Change forums.



If the point is that 9/11 Truthers have these characteristics, I think you have a strange view of MOST people who don't buy the official government story of 9/11. (Sure, there are some whackos).

If only! My experience is that Sizzlers and RedIbises are the exception, not the rule. The vast majority of the time, you get SPrestons, Craig Rankes, and Alex Joneses.

[MarkyX]

I hate to sound like an ass, but when I started with the Screw Loose Change site, I even wrote a small piece using this list to point out how 9/11 deniers are similar to cults. That was two years ago.

Isn't it sad that today, we can still bring this list up and show legitimate comparisons?

[Cl1mh4224rd]

Someone refresh my memory: who was that one Truther who was more or less GLAD that his wife died?


That would be "jackchit". I can't remember his real name, though.

Also, Alex Libman has apparently given up friends and family for his pursuit of 9/11 Truth™...

[Jonnyclueless]

The 9/11 truth movement IS a cult, not LIKE a cult.

[PhantomWolf]

*Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
Okay, okay, I guess this one doesn't apply, unless you count pervasive marijuana use.

You mean mindlessly repeating "9-11 was an in-side job" can't be considered chanting?

[Brainster]

http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm

*The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

Not true for the 9-11 Troofers; they have not found a leader yet despite DRG's probable lead i the sweepstakes.

‪*Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

Very much true for the 9-11 Troofers.

*Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

Pot smoking?

*The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

Erm, here's where we start to break down on the analogy.

*The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

Arguable as far as the elitism, and mission to save humanity. But no central leader.

‪*The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

Si.

*The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

Again, a point where the Troofers actually don't come out looking like a cult.

*The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

Minimal evidence of ends justify the means, honestly. I have not seen evidence that Truthers are participating in behaviors or activities they would not have normally.

*The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

I'm not in a position to judge this but it does not fit my impression of the way the Truther boards are run.

*Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

Some anecdotal evidence but mostly on the side of not being required but a likely result of joining the Troof Movement.

*The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

*The group is preoccupied with making money.

*Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

*Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

*The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

Again none of these really fit except arguably the part about members being expected to devote inordinate amounts of time.

I do think the 9-11 Truthers resemble a cult in some ways but they are something different in others. They have never been quite able to find a leader that everybody could agree on, which is a significant difference.

And so I'd put them at an association or society level; a group that has some goals in common but are still at odds with each other in the marketplace. That they are nutty is interesting but does not quite make them a cult.

[T.A.M.]

VS=Very Strong Component of
S = Strong Component of
M = Mild Component of
P = Possible Component of
N = Not a Component of


*The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

911T=S
911JREF=P


‪*Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.


911T=VS
911JREF=VS


*Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

911T=N
JREF=N


*The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

911T=S
911JREF=M


*The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).


911T=VS
911JREF=S


‪*The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

911T=VS
911JREF=VS


*The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

911T=S
911JREF=N


*The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

911T=VS
911JREF=P


*The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

911T=S
911JREF=M


*Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

911T=M
911JREF=N


*The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.


911T=S
911JREF=N


*The group is preoccupied with making money.


911T=M
911JREF=N


*Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.


911T=VS
911JREF=M to S (the expected component makes this a hard one)


*Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

911T=M
911JREF=N


*The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

911T=VS
911JREF=P


Just my thoughts

TAM:)

[cludgie]

You mean mindlessly repeating "9-11 was an in-side job" can't be considered chanting?

Don't forget 'WHERE ARE THE WINGS?' and 'NORTH OF CIT-GO' fit as chants rather well.

[Dave Rogers]

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.


911JREF=VS



I disagree.

Dave

[Cuddles]

I disagree.

Dave

Please report to the punishment room immediately.

[ElMondoHummus]

I disagree.

Dave

Please report to the punishment room immediately.

Now if you can just state a question and express doubt, you can be punished to the fullest extent of the moderators' whim forum peer pressure! :D

[Dave Rogers]

Now if you can just state a question and express doubt, you can be punished to the fullest extent of the moderators' whim forum peer pressure! :D

Can I really? I suspect you're wrong.

Dave

[T.A.M.]

I disagree.

Dave

I find a lot of the posters here oppose alternative views on the 9/11 issues. They bad mouth and name call those who push the "truther" side of things. It is not universal, and maybe saying that JREFers are VS with this point was bit too harsh, but it is there.

TAM:)

[RedIbis]

If only! My experience is that Sizzlers and RedIbises are the exception, not the rule. The vast majority of the time, you get SPrestons, Craig Rankes, and Alex Joneses.

I'm going to go ahead and take that as some sort of compliment.

[Tweeter]

I thought all truthers were anti authority. Having a leader would seem to quell that myth, hmmm?

[MarkyX]

I thought all truthers were anti authority. Having a leader would seem to quell that myth, hmmm?

You make it sound like 9/11 deniers don't have contradicting thoughts.

And yes, they are mostly anti-authority. Alex Jones talks about how cops are like Nazis and you can't become one if your IQ is over 80. Many We Are Change videos try their best to dehumanize political figures or security officers (e.g. The Wheelchair incident) so that it is okay to commit harm or assault them.

As for contradicting thoughts:

- There were explosions in the towers, but thermite was used
- We need to get rid of illegal immigrants, but we don't want a police state
- The majority of Americans believe 9/11 was an inside job, but Ron Paul can't bring up the issue because it will screw over his chances
- Everyone has the right to privacy, but we expect debunkers to give out their information before debating us and we will stalk political figures to their jobs/homes

[A W Smith]

I thought all truthers were anti authority. Having a leader would seem to quell that myth, hmmm?

I gotta say your "i like torduls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMNry4PE93Y)" avatar made me laugh

Jonathon Ware and his 17 seconds of fame (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/29/AR2007072901386.html)

[TheLoneBedouin]

*Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
C.I.T., and pretty much any 9/11 Truth forum that has moderators.
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk233/Janusaur/CIT.jpg

[Bobert]

This is about cults. It shouldn't be in this thread.

If the point is that 9/11 Truthers have these characteristics, I think you have a strange view of MOST people who don't buy the official government story of 9/11. (Sure, there are some whackos).

BTW, I see a lot of these traits in the average JREFer.
The truth of the OP hurts I see.

[Bobert]

*Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

Wouldnt this apply since the truth movement believes in Jedi Mind Tricks?

[Horatius]

*Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk233/Janusaur/CIT.jpg



Ah, yes the Open Debate Forum, where they said:


Aldo Marquis CIT, at his little forum (http://z3.invisionfree.com/CIT/index.php?showtopic=128&view=findpost&p=1575452):


There's nothing to debate.


What's so funny? It's posted in their "Open Debate" subforum! (http://z3.invisionfree.com/CIT/index.php?showforum=10)

[Drudgewire]

You mean mindlessly repeating "9-11 was an in-side job" can't be considered chanting?


"We're just asking questions" could apply as well. http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/eng101.gif