Thursday, September 5, 2013

From cult to cult-ure

Here's the thing that i have with cults and the term "cult". Cult in my mind is short for cult-ure. Culture is defined as behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. These patterns, traits, and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population. 

I've taken the "poison" out of the term. So arguing and dividing ourselves into one cult or another is therefore pointless to me. Christians have there "cult-". Blacks have theirs. Muslims have theirs. New-agers and KKK have theirs. Do you follow? Everybody is one cult-ure or another, whether they see it or call it that. So i can belong to one cult or another at anytime simply by association. To say something is "wrong" with this "cult" or another is saying your 'culture' is better than another. I don't subscribe to that! It's people preconceived notions, stupidity and fears that brand being a "cult" a bad thing. I've been involved with so many organization and churches that if you asked me if i was in a cult i'd say sure - i was in the culture of what that organizations was about. As long as there wasn't any self-sacrificing or murderous activities taking place then I felt "safe" to be there. It was all a learning experience anyway.
I use to laugh to myself because the Baptist religion I grew up in was always discussing the issue of cults. One day i sat back and observed all the hoopla, dancing and casting out spirits and demons that was going on. People praying and passing out everywhere in front of me. They were said to be filled with the 'holy spirit'. All i saw was cult-ish activities. I then said to myself that if someone from the outside, who didn't grow up seeing these activities, saw this they would swear Baptist-ism was cult-ish behavior.