There are plenty of cults out there masquerading as other types of organizations. There is also a gray area as to what constitutes a cult. Cults, in their essence, are small groups that are devoted to a person or thing.
They may be religious, or they may have a belief system similar to a religion.
Snake-Handling Churches
Snake handling in a tiny, rural church may sound like a cliche, but it’s a real phenomenon. They handle dangerous snakes and believe that they won’t be bitten because God will save them. Yes, people have died from this.
Herbalife
This is a company that works as a multi-level marketing organization, having people sell the products and recruit others to sell them. There are many people highly devoted to the company who behave in a cultlike way, eating the products and obsessing over recruiting and sales.
Quiverfull
Some of the most famous adherers to the Quiverfull movement are the Duggars. This enormous family of 19 kids subscribes to the belief that they’re called to have as many children as they possibly can.
Scientology
Was there ever a more clear example of a cult? Adherents believe that ancient alien souls are stuck to humans and that paying for classes is the way to get them off. Started by a science fiction writer, the group reveres the author and his teachings about aliens and anti-psychiatry.
Company “Families”
When you see a job description that tells you the employees are a family, you might want to think twice. Some of these companies say this to pay less and encourage devotion to the company. It could also mean that people get too far into your business and demand extreme loyalty.
Mary Kay
There’s a lot to be said for being an entrepreneur, but many MLM companies operate more like cults. When women start selling Mary Kay, they often become devoted to the brand and buy a lot of makeup to try to get to use a pink Cadillac after a certain level of sales.
College Football
There are a few schools out there in which football is just a fun tradition. At many schools, however, the worship of the team and the school gets extreme. People lose relationships over liking or not liking a college football team.
Crossfit
If you know anyone who does Crossfit, you know they do Crossfit. They will talk about it at length, and the participants love to talk about it with each other. It’s a way of life for many people.
Phish
When people love the band Phish, they want to see as many of their shows as possible. There are Phish fans who follow them on tour as often as they play. A culture has grown up around following the band and living the Phish life.
Dance/Gymnastics
These are activities that grow so large in a person’s life that they take over. The only people the adherents often interact with are other dancers or gymnasts. These activities require strict commitments and daily practice.
Megachurches
These build large communities around them that get overly devoted to the specific church. They may start spending much of their time there volunteering and much of their money on donations to keep it expanding.
Sororities and Fraternities
These can run very much like a cult, using brainwashing techniques to keep people in line. Many people’s whole social lives revolve around the group so that they’re afraid to cut ties with it.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
This group is tight-knit and cultish, demanding a number of behaviors from members. With a lot of strange rules and the shunning of anyone who leaves, this can be a disturbing cult for many adherents.
The Amish
The Amish are largely cut off from the rest of society. Every aspect of their lives is strictly controlled. Those who break the rules or leave the group are shunned by even their closest family members.
Flat Earthers
What started out as a joke has become a far-reaching cult with members who are dedicated to the idea that all of the scientific understandings about the shape, size, and age of the Earth are lies. They generally believe that the Earth is a flat disk. Some of them believe that the stars are holograms.
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