The Most Bizarre Cults In The World

These are the men that were responsible for bombing The 16th street Baptist church in 1963. They finally got arrested in 2002.

On November 18, 1978, with the help of grape flavored Flavor-Aid, over 900 members of “The people’s temple” were killed in a mass suicide directed by leader Jim Jones. In the beginning Jones movement was one that helped the poor and needy but with a growing number of members, unflattering reports surfaced. With former members telling stories of having all belongings, homes, and even children being taken from them Jones was forced to move his congregation to Guyana where he promised to build a socialist utopia. However, Jones created a socialist government far from utopia. Members worked long hours, had phone calls or any communication censored, and harsh punishment was given to anyone who questioned Jones. After hearing about these living circumstances,

This was a non- religious cult but had some beliefs within scientology and satanism. Charles Manson believed that there was to be a race war in America in the near future and that the African Americans would win, but then look to the Whites for guidance.This then lead Manson and his one hundred plus followers, mostly young women, to attempt to instigate this war so that they could be prepared and hide away until the African Americans won, and then the “family” would be the ones the African Americans would turn to for leadership (The 10 Most Famous Cults, 2017).

Cultic activity has taken place since the practice of religion was established thousands of years ago. Since then, literally thousands of denominations have been inoculated throughout the world, especially in the United States. A cult, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is a system of religious beliefs and rituals. By definition, this includes organizations such as Baptists, Catholics as well as Satanists and Witches. While this maybe true, cults have been popularly perceived as Separatists who are consumed by the belief of apocalyptic events, and the leader is someone who believes he or she is chosen by God or some other deity to lead those who are to follow him or her. One group that fits this description is the

Charles Manson is an extremely intelligent and persuasive man, that created his own cult and manipulated people to kill for him, which led to his never being found guilty of committing murder, although serving time in jail for conspiracy to commit murder. His followers carried out several notorious murders in the late 1960’s. The cult was known as the Manson Family. He was roughly in his thirties when the cult was recognized. Born in Ohio in 1934 he did not have much of a childhood. He lived out most of his childhood moving around. His mother couldn’t take care of him so Charles spent his youth at homes of various relatives. He also spent large amounts of time in special reform schools and boys homes. By the age nine Manson had already began stealing. Burglary and stealing cars were added to his repertoire. As he grew older his crimes became more frequent.

Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who committed mass murders, and is a former cult leader who led what became known as the Manson Family, a commune that formed in California during the late 1960s. Manson's followers committed nine murders through July and August 1969. In 1971 he was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, all of which were carried out by members of the Manson Family. Manson also received murder convictions for two other deaths. He is currently serving multiple life sentences at California State Prison.

The Manson Family was a hippie cult led by a man named Charles Manson. For many years, the mention of these people struck fear and horror into the hearts and minds of the American people. They could not help, but wonder who these people were, and what could have influence this group of young adults, barely more than children, to commit a crime of such unspeakable horror.

“Charles Manson was an illegitimate, unplanned child, born to a 16-year-old mother. His mother was irresponsible, into drugs and criminal activity, and unable to care for a child. She reportedly sold him when he was a young child for a pitcher of beer” (Henderson). Sounds like an amazing childhood, right. Wrong. Charles Manson was bounced around from house to house, and because of that, his childhood was not that great. Because of his nerve wrecking childhood, Manson was bound to be a criminal. As the years went by and time took its course, Manson decided that he wanted to take a new turn in life and become a star.

Manson started his cult not only on his religious beliefs, but on his belief that society had given him a rough past and Manson wanted payback for the resentment he had gotten in his childhood. Therefore, he created a cult to kill.

Charles Manson was the leader and founder of the cult the Manson Family or The Family, a group of people well known for being serial killers in the late 1960’s. It was believed that they were associated with cult-quasi-religious groups, that came about in the 1960’s and they are still here today. They believe they know what the future of the planet is, when it will end, and how. In a biography of Charles Manson and the Manson Family it said this, “In August 1969 a series of Hollywood murders were to shock the world and tarnish the 60’s free love and peace legacy.”(Biography Channel 2013.) Charles Manson himself never committed any murders with his own hands, but the murders were committed under his order by several of his most obedient

Cults are the groups that exhibit intense and unquestioning devotion to a single cause. All the group members have a same goal or mission, and the group thinking helps the group members to stick on the same goal. For the Heaven Gate, their goal is to enter the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom level above human. The documentary of “Heaven Gate Cult” perfectly shows the four ways for the cult to promote their group thinking.

In the 1960’s, Manson gathered hundreds of followers which he called “The Family.” They lived on a deserted ranch. Most of Manson’s followers were impressionable young females and he used LSD and amphetamines to help manipulate and convince them to act out his wishes. He slowly broke down his follower’s beliefs and made them believe that he was Jesus and that a race war was impending. Eventually Manson’s most loyal followers carried out his acts of violence and left seven people dead. In 1969, police raided the ranch on suspicions of vandalism, unaware of the murders committed until after the arrests. Charles Manson has been labeled “The Icon of Evil.” (Rosenberg, 2009)

The two perspectives that seem to best explain the life of Charles Manson are sociocultural and behavioral. The behavioral perspective represents learned behaviors. At an early age Manson was around drugs, drinking, and prostitution. Naturally Manson learned that these things were ok. His mother was a prostitute that wanted nothing to do with her son; she also had a drug problem. Manson grew up in and out of prison and developed a drug and alcohol problem. Manson could not have a functioning relationship, his first wife left him due to him being in and out of jail. Manson second wife was a prostitute and divorced Manson after he was arrested for pimping, stealing, and conning. After being released from prison Manson headed to San Francisco where he played guitar. Manson began to develop followers. Manson developed a need for followers, he and his followers moved to a ranch and soon it became a cult compound for “the family.” The consequences of Manson’s actions were reinforced each time he was thrown into prison but let right back out, or each time he was allowed probation. He was able to commit the crimes knowing he would just be back in jail and shortly

     For many years, cult leaders always had a psychological hold on their followers' minds. Whether it was to kill other people or to kill themselves, they did it without question. Some cult leaders used fear, violence and guilt as a means of a weapon to control the minds of their followers. Other cult leaders used persuasive and spiritual speeches that made their followers believe they were doing good and fulfilling God's plan. Because cult leaders are powerful through psychological offenses, the people that belong to their cults are brainwashed into doing things they wouldn't normally do in their right state of mind.

I had watched the South Park episode and thought the idea of the religion was absurd. Through my research I have realized Scientology is even more ridiculous than I thought. Not only does the religion contradict itself multiple times on whether or not it is a religion or not, but it also makes speaking out against it nearly impossible. I had to leave out over half of my research because I did not even want to explain some of the crazy procedures Scientology has used. I focused on the shunning of legitimate science because it made the religion sound a little less weird, still really weird just not so much. While spending hours watching their indoctrination materials I was constantly harassed to take a “free personality test, to discover my real self.” This was very annoying. Not only am I afraid that the Church of Scientology website gave my computer a virus, but I am also mildly concerned that somehow this religion will be spying on me. In conclusion Scientology is even more bizarre than I originally