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Anon looks into cults (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 days ago by Early_To_Risa@sh.itjust.works to c/greentext@sh.itjust.works
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[-] Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 57 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

The guy pictured, Marshall Applewhite, wanted to fuck dudes and was ashamed of it so he got castrated. Then, after his best friend and cult's co-founder died, he convinced a bunch of people that the world was going to end and the only way they could survive was by committing suicide so that their souls could leave on an alien spaceship hidden behind Hale-Bopp comet as it passed by. Nobody can know what he was thinking but I'd wager he was just depressed and didn't want to die alone.

EDIT: Originally said it was Hailey's comet.

[-] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 16 points 4 days ago

Fun fact, their website is still up https://www.heavensgate.com/

[-] Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 4 points 4 days ago

Ah yes. Just seen it was the Hale-Bopp comet, not Hailey's.

[-] FATALRPG@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 days ago

They were intentionally left behind to continue the mission/maintain the website. Lots of people have talked to them, they’re pretty easy to find interviews with.

[-] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 16 points 4 days ago

I'm more interested in wtf everyone else was thinking.

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[-] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 4 days ago

so internalized homophobia is what got them all killed

[-] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 days ago

I think an array of mental illness and drug abuse is more likely.

[-] LadyButterfly@reddthat.com 15 points 3 days ago

Cults work by coercive control to brainwash people. They subtly do it using tactics including lovebombing, isolation, limiting information, sleep deprivation and getting blackmail material to gain total control over the person's mind and body. It's the same process a domestic abuse perp uses, but they have more resources at their disposal, making it even harder to break free

[-] hypeerror@sh.itjust.works 69 points 4 days ago

Scientology somehow managed to reach cult "escape velocity" and survive the death of its leader.

[-] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 20 points 4 days ago

and mormonism

[-] prole 9 points 3 days ago

And Christianity.

[-] mapleseedfall@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Interesting. I feel like this theory can be expanded to not just cult but also organizations in general like a start up or a hobby club. What are the defining characteristics of a group getting to escape velocity I wonder

[-] Juice@midwest.social 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Own a fuck load of property, don't pay taxes, keep attracting new people to pay into the group, convince existing members to pay more, maybe scare the feds a little so theyre forced to try cooptation rather than direct suppression

[-] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago

When will the Trump cult suicides start?

[-] jouhija@sopuli.xyz 7 points 3 days ago

They need to be kickstarted from the outside

[-] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 days ago

That's just going to be Trump dropping nukes on California

[-] eletes@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago

If some legitimate damning Epstein or Russia pee tape evidence came out I think that could put things in motion

[-] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 126 points 5 days ago

There is one cult I would welcome the ritual suicide of.

They’re just about at 10 years now.

[-] RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip 31 points 5 days ago

I had to think for a while.

[-] Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 44 points 5 days ago

You had a thought? Congrats, you're not in the cult

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago

That's just what a woke gay commie deep state libtard would say!

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[-] don@lemmy.ca 19 points 5 days ago

I’m surprised by how quickly I went from “who tf could they be referring to?” to “Oh, well yeah, that would make a great deal of sense.”

[-] IndiBrony@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

The problems with that cult is that it would suicide the rest of us along with them

[-] Fredthefishlord 9 points 5 days ago

They did nearly have a Fringe of them do it a few years back

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[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 59 points 5 days ago

Humans are super susceptible to charisma, tribalism, and dogma

[-] phuntis@sopuli.xyz 3 points 4 days ago

it's really just americans (and maybe places heavily influenced by america ideologically I dunno) they really aren't a major problem elsewhere noone really joins cults in the uk

[-] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 12 points 4 days ago

China had a serious problem with cults, while Japan and Korea are heavily influenced by America, I don't see that reflected in their cults.

Its not like the UK is less influenced by America than places were the average person has seen like 1 American TV show or movie.

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[-] prole 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Japan has a cult that carried out (I believe) the worst terrorist attack their country has ever seen

[-] answersplease77@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

In India there is a new cult faith healer everyday, and Spoilers Alert they all want to fuck your daughter and wife in order for you to go to heaven. oh and give them all your gold and money on regular basis

[-] Mesophar@pawb.social 6 points 4 days ago

Isn't/wasn't the Jesus Army cult UK based? Like, the USA just has a LOT more people than the UK does, it makes sense for there to be more people that fall into fringe groups. But the UK certainly isn't immune to it.

[-] phuntis@sopuli.xyz 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I've never heard of them but it's always annoying whenever someone says something is worse in america americans will go "hurr durr america bigger so more thing happen" as though the rest of the world isn't aware of per capita measurements it's not just numerically a way higher percentage of americans join cults a lot of americans are predisposed to extreme religious views and searching for solutions to societal problems in religion like here that just really isn't normal here most people aren't that religious and it's considered really weird and abnormal for someone to think a rapture or whatever will be the solution to a societal problem people would just laugh at you cults don't get taken seriously here they're funny

[-] Mesophar@pawb.social 2 points 4 days ago

And for the majority of Americans cults just get laughed at as well. At least until it started leaking into politics, but that is being seen in many other countries now, too.

A lot of Americans are doing horrible things, and there definitely is something about the culture here that affects that, as you don't see the mass shooting and school shooting issues in other parts of the world as strongly. But coming at this saying that it doesn't really happen outside of the USA and that it doesn't happen in the UK is just ridiculous. If you make a statement that infers you don't understand per capital, then you'll get a reply making that rebuttal.

[-] phuntis@sopuli.xyz 2 points 4 days ago

I literally did not say they don't happen I said they're not a major problem they're really rare and don't get very big here

[-] frostphunk@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Poor education, lack of a culture of walking/socializing/eating in cities (overall different city life) and the isolation of suburban car life encouraging engagement only in your preferred echo chambers /// living in the middle of nowhere seems like an amazing recipe to make many Americans predisposed to cults way more than many other countries/world

[-] halvar@lemy.lol 40 points 5 days ago

Oh no this can't be true this would exclude major religions which are cults as well

[-] Taniwha420@lemmy.world 12 points 4 days ago

Ehh ... The definition of a cult includes things like isolating you from your friends and family, and having secret teachings that only the initiated have access to. I.e. the Freemasons: secret teachings, but does not try to isolate you from friends and family. Secret society, but not a cult. Religion is a cult in terms of the original sense of the word: organised worship, but not a cult as we think of them. Though some subsets definitely do get pretty culty. Don't know about these days, but when I was at university the Campus Crusaders for Christ definitely had the love-bombing and isolating you from your friends and family going on.

[-] halvar@lemy.lol 5 points 4 days ago

As a Catholic by baptism and family tradition I do sometimes find Christianity a bit outdated, but I still think it's capable of renewing.

I don't really have time to go to church nowadays but for example when I last got to go at Easter the priest was a Russophile of all things (this happened in Hungary) and he very much made that part of his speech. Something about the Russians doing The Good Lord's job in Ukraine, just as they did back in WWII. I'm not even kidding.

Then again when I got to regularly go to the youth service a few years back it was basically just singing to the guitar band and looking at the Bible which was really fun, the priest was very educated and seemingly didn't have any hateful opinions, which is sadly more than you can expect from most of the clergy nowadays.

So yes TL;DR Christianity can be very fun and inclusive without acting like a cult, but the people who make up the Christian community come in all shapes and forms and sadly most of them aren't people you would want to spend much time with, and that includes some of the priests as well whose job it should be to make people more friendly in my opinion.

Well at least these are my experiences but I haven't ever been an integral part of any Christian Club or something like that.

[-] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Checks out with mine. There are a bunch of nice people who genuinely try to spread the whole love thy neighbour thing, and there are a bunch of weirdos who like being part of the "better" group.

[-] rovingnothing29@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago

Excuse you, in a religion the person at the top is dead.

[-] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

euheueheuheuheueheuheuhe

wow, you're so edgy. I bet this gets you mad bussy.

[-] CXORA@aussie.zone 6 points 4 days ago

Do you think they were trying to be "edgy" or are you just programmed to respond like this?

[-] Teppichbrand@feddit.org 21 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Of you haven't watched Wild wild Country and/or Raël yet you definitely should. It's incredible.

[-] prole 3 points 3 days ago

Dude, Wild Wild Country is insane.

I watched it when it came out, knowing nothing about it besides from "cult documentary". Holy shit lol

[-] Teppichbrand@feddit.org 1 points 3 days ago

Same here! I still thinking about it after years.

[-] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

The Realeans are a fascinating bunch.

[-] Fleur_@aussie.zone 29 points 5 days ago

If you last longer you become a cultural heritage issue and are delegated away from cult status

[-] breecher@sh.itjust.works 20 points 5 days ago

Lots of cults, probably most of them, exists far beyond the ten years range unfortunately.

[-] IndiBrony@lemmy.world 18 points 5 days ago

Yeah, some of the biggest ones have existed for about 2000 years now or a bit longer

[-] omxxi@feddit.org 9 points 5 days ago

right, and they don't fuck your wives, but your kids

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this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
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