Cult psychology is the art of taking what is good in the heart and mind of a human being and turning it against them in an effort to control and manipulate them.
As it becomes more and more difficult to grow a congregation, many protestant pastors will adopt cult like psychology to keep members in line, attract new recruits or simply as part of a capital campaign. Why? Because it works so well it is almost impossible not to want to use it.
Protestant leaders actually have a distinct advantage over known cults in that people don’t associate them with a cult. Because of the name on the front of the Church, members would never believe they are in a cult or that any cult like tactics were being used against them. However, if they were to step back and look, they would see a different reality. Remember this one fact – people in cults do not believe that they are in a cult. If you were in a cult you probably would not know it. Other people are in cults but not you.
I have listed some common characteristics of cult psychology and tactics below. If you find that these are being used in your church then you should find out why. Done with Church people see this happening and take off for good.
Tactic #1 – Group Psychology or Peer Pressure (conform or be ostracized)
The reason I list this first is because it is the dynamo that makes all other cult activities possible. Remember this, an organizations leadership is motivated by money, power, control, budget, etc… However, a follower is motivated by a sense of belonging, family, friends, affirmation, etc… Leaders know this. And evil leaders create a system that capitalizes on what they see as a weakness. Your desire to belong.
The way this is done is so very simple. People want to be part of a group in order to have their social, emotional and intellectual needs met. To belong to a group means you need to fit in and conform. So people in general have a “need” and a willingness to “change” to fill that need. Leaders need to “change” the way you think in order conform you to their agenda. So they simply use the groups that have been set up to do this. Within a properly managed group truth is pushed out and lies are pulled in. Without even knowing it you accept lies that you would normally reject and they become part of your reality and in turn affect your decision making process.
Remember this. Real friendship will protect and help you. False freindship will destroy you.
Tactic # 2 – The Doctrine of the Organization Becomes a New Reality for the Follower (re-programming the mind)
A Cult’s doctrine is considered the absolute truth and members are expected to believe and obey it without question. Here is the amazing thing, the doctrine does not even have to make sense. The best cult doctrines are unverifiable and impossible to test which means they cannot be proven or disproven. They have to be accepted strictly on blind faith. Since faith is a huge part of all religions it is a simple jump from faith in what is true to faith in what is not true. As previously stated, a person who questions nothing is a prime target for this type of programming.
A fundamental aspect of cult psychology is to get the person to abandon their original identity and develop a new identity where this new doctrine is the master program for all thoughts, feelings and actions. This creates a sort of false-identity so that the follower does not need to be in the presence of the group leader to know what to do. In any given situation, the programming tells them how they should act, think or feel.
Tactic # 3 -Make Everything Black and White (good versus evil – us versus them)
Cults often reduce everything to black and white. All things become absolute. This tactic eliminates the value of a members opinion. They are either with the group or not. Right or wrong. Good or bad. Etc… The cult psychology of black and white thinking extends to many other areas, too. You are fully committed or not, you accept everything the leader says or not. Since the cult has discovered the ultimate truth, then every other group must be wrong. This leads to an us versus them mentality where everyone outside the cult, church or group is the enemy. You’re either with the group or you’re an outsider.
This phenomenon explains how group members end up distancing themselves from family and friends. They are simply made to believe that outsiders are the enemy. This way of thinking also serves as a defense against anyone trying to rescue a member from the clutches of the cult. Anyone that is an outsider trying to enlighten a member is falsely seen as someone trying to separate the member from the truth.
Tactic # 3 –
(IN PROGRESS)