Deviation Behavior within Cults - Essay Example

of Institute] Deviation Behavior within Cults Definition Derived from the Latin word cultus (worship) from cultum (to till), the term 'Cult' is defined as a system of religious belief and worship in which the rituals and ceremonies employed help differentiate a creed or a sect from other denominations. (Concise English Dictionary, Oxford, old ed. p171) Introduction The new religious group under a religious leader and devoted to the practice of teachings given by the latter forms a cult. Such groups whether small or large work under the directions by a chain of command from their so-called spiritual leader. It is because of this mechanism that some historians call the newly forming groups as 'new religious movements' instead of cults. According to an estimate some three thousand (3,000) of such cults have been reported to exist all over the world with a total population of at least three million people attached to them as their followers. Some of the new groups forming cults under the organized churches include: The Quakers a) The Mormons b) The Swedenborgians c) The Christian Scientists d) The Methodists e) The Jehovah's Witnesses, and f) The Seventh-day Adventists Note: The only cult that has not changed over the years i.e. since 1500s is known as the Amish Cult. (Juergensmeyer,.Mark.n.p.n.d) The secret religious ceremonies in Greek were technically called the Mysteries. The history of Mysteries is traced back to the days of ancient Greece in the year 600 B.C. when in a Greek city Eleusis, the people practiced a cult of Eleusinian Mysteries. Those Greek who practiced this cult, which involved the worship of Demeter, the goddess of fertility, were promised blessings in the life hereafter. In ancient Rome the group, comprising mostly of soldiers, and belonging to the 'Mithraism Cult' also practiced Mysteries. The members of this cult worshipped the god of fire and light called Mithra. (Raitt, Jill., n.p.n.d.) Procedure Involving Induction into Cults It was not easy to become a member of a cult in ancient times. Before their admittance into a particular cult, people had to undergo rigorous tests of their patience and staunch adherence. Some of the steps and mechanism involving induction of new members into the cult included: The steps taken for induction into a cult mechanism include: 1. The first step is to achieve membership on ones own sweet will. This is achieved when a newcomer passes a particular ritual test 2. The new entrants then take an oath and pledge for their adherence to the cult so as to become permanent member. The members develop a sense of belonging to that particular cult whose membership they attain. The followers of the cult then begin to imbibe within them the characteristics of cult, their mentality converting into strong allegiance to the group as denoted by the phrase "Us vs Them" 3. Belief of the members: Members gradually are made to develop a belief that it is only they or their group which is on the path of truth. And the other forms of truth as described in other various divinely religions become meaningless to them. The process of operative exclusivists comes into play allowing awareness of several unrevealed dogmas and special information only to those who are interested and proved their loyalty within the group. 4. The natural outcome of this belief is the segregation of such a group from the existing society. The feelings of hostility for other members of society who are not members of such a cult are emanated from the process of indoctrination from cult's beliefs. 5. Self-negation: Cults demand sacrifice of personal wishes, desires or wishes from its members. It is through the practice of this principle of self-negation that members exhibit willingness to sacrifice their self-comfort, getting along without money, and crushing their ambitious dreams for fulfilling cults motives and the so-called salvation The Modern Cults As the time passed, the meaning of cult underwent a change especially after 1960s. The new definition described cult as the practice of those people who, under their religious leader, profess unorthodox dogmas in everyday life and prefer to live in isolated communities called 'communes'. Of the late 1900s, one of the most famous cults of the present day times was the one that existed under a protestant clergyman Jim Jones in America. This cult came to be called as the People's Temple. The followers of this cult moved into Jonestown commune in Guyana, South America. People devoted to this cult remained subjugated and intimidated under the absolute rule of Jones. It was in compliance to Jones' orders, that some of cult-leaders killed 3 journalists and a U.S. congressman in the year 1978. When an enquiry committee was established to inquire about the assassinations, Jones ordered the culprits to commit suicide. Many more cults from other countries also joined People's Temple during 1970s, and all of them moved to areas in the north of Guyana and which after the name of Jim Jones came to be called as Jonestown. Once again Jones ordered his followers to commit suicide, and then more than nine hundred (900) including Jim Jones died, many of them taking poison and the rest murdering each other. Soon after this tragedy, which opened the eyes of the government, the officials took strong preventive measures to stop the happening of such an incident in the future. (Dungy, Kathryn. R. n.p.n.d) The name of another notorious cult was Branch Dravidians. A false and self-proclaimed prophet David Koresh headed this cult. But this cult could not survive for long as it was soon extirpated after a long fight of fifty-one days between the federal forces and the cult members at a place called Waco in Texas. The confrontation ceased and the fight ended after the cult members' en mass suicide, the death toll rising to eighty people including Koresh. Some times later one more movement called Synanon took place in California, USA for re-establishing the addicts of alcohol and drugs. Strong efforts were made to convert this movement nto a religion. The two largest cults, which originated in Asia later moved to the United States. The new name given in US was The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, previously called the Hare Krishna movement in India. The cult leader, Swami Bhaktivedanta, established several branches in the United States during the period from 1960 to 1970. Almost all members of this cult (Hare Krishna) wore orange robes as is customary for the holy men to wear in India. Like Buddhists all men of Hare Karishna cult shaved their heads, and observed the practice of serious meditation in groups called communes. (Juergensmeyer,.Mark.n.p.n.d) The Deviant Behavior Within Cults The term 'religious deviance', on the face of it appears contradictory because adopting a particular belief or Religion remains a matter of ones choice and convictions. Therefore any ruling on the deviant behavior in a belief or faith seems to be a reflection on attachment, which means labeling a person of deviant behavior any person to his or her religious beliefs. However, the term 'religious pluralism' is lately gaining importance in many countries, the dichotomies being in between the conservatives and the deviant religious beliefs. This factor seems to create collateral division between the main world religions and the cults as such. The pertinent question therefore arises that if the membership of a cult speaks for an earnest commitment for those enrolling into cult, then what does it mean to brand such a group of people as deviant A cult computation becomes much more complex in nature when it rises to pose challenge to the already existing economic and social order, abounding with instances of cults pioneering and winning the hopes and expectations of the poor and needy. In examples as these, cults take the responsibility of famed movements that look for compensation for the injustices done to the people. Religiously driven by poverty and repression, several cults adopt the path of revolt and violence. But the question again haunts our minds that if these cults are the only solution for the desperately needy and impoverished people, then what is the criteria to judged a cult as deviant The Research On Cult Affiliation The research made previously on the reasons why people join cults and religious sects has shown contrasting divisions. Various world-renowned therapists and psychiatrists have made deep research on the emergence of diverse religious movements, basing their arguments on a singular fact i.e. people join cults only when they have been brainwashed. While the sociologists explain the induction to various sects and cults through their own perspective relating to the sociological aspects of sects as is depicted within the role theory and organizational theory. The research on cults by the psychologists also focuses on the brainwashing aspect. According to them the brainwashing methods employed may include features as: a) Sensory Deprivation b) Physical Threats c) Unbalanced Diet, d) Repetitive Chanting, and e) Childish games (Beckford 1985: 95). Theory of Deviant Behavior Deviant Behavior Defined The deviant behavior in cults have been defined as the behavior in faiths and beliefs, as viewed by relatively strong and influential segments of society and considered breachment of various important norms. The examples provided by such a segment include heroin addicts; communism, atheism; and patients of cancer. Note: Deviance is relative term, which has intimate relation as to how serious a violation occurred is many a times related to social values. Deviance is a Relative term The deviance pertains to judgments of the individuals. The deviance undergoes a change through time and culture variations. Who controls the definition of deviance, is an important aspect. The myriad theories presented to define deviant behavior in cults include: i. William Chambliss - ii. Saints & Roughnecks Freud iii. Quinney & deviance definition iv. William Sheldon (1898-1977) Social learning theory a) Deviant behavior that is positively reinforced may be repeated or imitated b) Deviant behavior is learned in-group context c) Sociological Explanations Strain theory (Robert Merton 1910-2003 & Walter Miller: Focal Concerns Approach 1958) i. Lower-class focal value theory ii. Differential association theory iii. Control theory Differential Association Theory: Edwin Sutherland (1885-1950 iv. Social Control Theory (Travis Hirschi) v. Societal Reaction Theory vi. Labeling theory The Anomie Theory The confusion arising from the conflicting social values or even in the state of their non-existence has been referred to by Anomie in his research. Merton, R. used the term deviance in 1960 in order to explain the dissimilarities between the goals of social values and the available sources to meet such targets. For example Merton added and emphasized that the acquirement of wealth is the chief motive and aim of Americans, but at the same time all Americans essentially belonging to minority and dispossessed groups may not have the possible sources to achieve these ends. According to him all those who find the path to riches very difficult owing to insurmountable impediments and stumbling blocks on their way, experience anomie. When the social goal is jeopardized, then these people tend to turn to deviant behavior for the achievements of their goals. Then they tend to become violent and rebut the society. The fundamental characteristic and contribution of the anomie theory is that it comments on the diverse forms of deviance. The Anomie theory also lays much stress the social factors largely responsible for deviance. But quite contrarily the anomie theory on account of its generality has been subjected to vast criticism. According to the critics, the theory despite the inside motivators for deviance lacks the satiating learning material on deviance There are two categories of deviant behavior according to Merton. The two categories of behaviors include: a. Non-conformist behavior b. Aberrant Behavior The nonconformist behavior legalizes ones indifference in the deviant behavior in terms of sublime values and openly criticizes values and practices that one may consider morally absurd. While aberrant deviant behavior is derived from logical inference the and for the timely satisfaction towards personal ends, and without the involvement of a social change. Conclusion While discussing cults in the above paragraphs quite thoroughly, we are left with no doubt in our minds as to the nature and reality of cult and how it differs from the major religions of the world. It is highly essential as part of our learning that we have clear understanding of the cult in the technical sense of the term so that we may be able to see a very vivid and clear line of demarcation between the various man-structured cults and the divine religions that God Almighty gave to humanity through His chosen messengers. The major divine religions of the world to which majority of the world population is a part include: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The Holy Scriptures and the heavenly books attached to these world religions, which were revealed upon the prophets or apostles from time to time, had invariably descended in the language of the prophets and their people like the Hebrew or Arabic. Each of the above divine religions gave humanity a code of conduct to be followed in order to get salvation. The respective codes very explicitly commented on the way the human beings should lead their lives. There was supposedly no cult as such given separately or detached from the main teachings of the scripture, which was to be followed singularly. No single aspect of human affairs was left untouched in these divine books, thereby, leaving no scope for the man-created rituals or cults. If this were the case, then the important question here arises that how could human beings create such a vast variety of cults on their own discretion The answer is very simple. Keeping universal values and the divine teachings brought by various prophets into consideration, several communities of people living far and wide in other parts of the world and which were not under the direct influence of the prophets, invented various creeds, rituals and cults to suit their regional and geo-political settings. Some of the cults these societies created were in some manner inline with the divine teachings of the prophets while others showed a sharp deviation as they were utterly antagonistic to the prophetic teachings. So the conclusion made in this paper is based upon the inferences brought forth from the cross study of cults. Thus the inference deduced is that those cults, which are inline with the teachings of divine principles and dictates of the holy scriptures i.e. the Bible, the Qura'an or the Taurah may be considered as harmless but the cults which are arrogantly and violently antagonistic to the divine teachings of heavenly books are considered a blasphemy as they are satanic in nature and aught to be condemned. Works Cited Juergensmeyer,.Mark. Cult. Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Articleid=ar143370&st=cult Raitt, Jill. "Mysteries Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/articleid=ar380000 Dungy, Kathryn R. Guyana Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/articleid=ar240930 Schwartz, Gary E. Transcendental meditation. Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/articleid=ar564250 Types of Deviance. Retrieved on December 1, 2007; from: http://www.sociology.org.uk/wsdo2.htm Deviant Behavior. Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/uhh/faculty/marilyn/documents/week12deviance10004.doc Fredric L.Rice. Cults, sects and deviant movements: overview and historical backdrop. Retrieved on December 1, 2007; from: Chris Bader Alfred Demaris. A test of the Stark-Bainbridge theory of affiliation with cults and sects. Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/joining.htm HowardB.Kaplan. Springer Link. Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: http://www.springerlink.com/content/k676mjr703g14806/ Definition of Cult. Retrieved on December 1, 2007;from: Oxford Concise English Dictionary (old ed., p171) Read More