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Tips on leaving a cult …
Jeroen
Luminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlands Veteran
First determine whether you are in a cult, by checking for fundamentalist beliefs and following orders of a so-called leader.
Then decide what you are going to take with you. Best to leave behind as many beliefs as possible.
Leave thoroughly, preferably in the middle of the night with all your relations.
Beware brainwashed youngsters who may wish to effect a return.
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Comments
It's very difficult to determine that you're in a cult, if you've been in a cult for a while and have been conditioned to think everything is normal. I would say 95% of people leaving a cult are either "rescued" or have been made aware by others, that they need 'rescuing'.
The thing is, humans can get used to all kinds of different circumstances and social mores. Society in Roman times was quite different from medieval or 17th century, cults are just an expression of that.
But some people would call the Osho sannyasin movement in the 1970’s and 1980’s a cult, and although it had some of the hallmarks of it I don’t think it ultimately was. People were never prevented from leaving or actively recruited, for one.
A while back I was having a conversation with one of my client and the topic of Buddhism came up, I can't remember how we came to be talking about Buddhism, it may have been something to do with a Buddhist approach to one of many of life's dilemmas, anyhow the client said "Oh yes I've heard of that 'cult'.."..I had to smile when she said that...
One person's religion/spiritual path is another person's cult....
Buddhism as a cult, that’s quite funny, but perhaps there are some Buddhist movements which would qualify. Some of the smaller ones in America maybe.
The French considered Buddhism a 'Cult' when I gave a talk on it at the local Town Hall. The only people who turned up were members of my Qi Gong class...
France is still quite Catholic though isn’t it? If you have a single religion which is so dominant, then even other major religions are going to seem like cults.
On the other hand… I just looked this up on Wikipedia.
So Catholicism in France going from 81% in 1986, to 48% in 2016, while non-religious went from 15.5% to 39.6%. Other religions besides Christian, Islam and Judaism fluctuates between 3% and 8%.
It is not difficult to determine if you are in a cult if you are wise. First, you have to have an education. When I was a sixth grader, I gave up my belief in Christianity. I didn't approve of their violent methods for gaining converts.
It is sad to say this, but I think the main Nichiren schools have become cults. It is sad to see this state of affairs. The SGI is basically Ikedaism now. No one actually reads the writings that the school is based on. Even if they do they focus more on president Ikeda's writings. It is important to always go to the source of the writings which your school is based on and come to your own understanding of those writings. Do not listen exclusively to ordinary men.