The International Cultic Studies Association has a checklist writting by Dr. Michael Langone showing the Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups.
(This checklist is from Langone's and Lalich's 2006 book Take back your life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships, Bay Tree Publishing.)
Fair use prevents me from putting the entire 13-point checklist here (you can find them at the link above), but here are some of the highlights:
- The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
- Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
- The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
- The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
The list goes on to cover mind-altering practices, leadership dictating how people should think and feel and whom they should marry, an us-vs-them mentality, no leadership accountability, ends justifying the means, blind subservience to the extent of even cutting ties with family, preoccupation with recruitment and money, dominating time and activities of members, keeping members apart from the rest of society and insular unto themselves, and that there can be no life outside the group.
So why is this relevant in today's political world? Follow me below as we look at how Mitt Romney fits or doesn't fit these criteria and why we should be very, very afraid if he should become President.
A cult is NOT defined by the number of members. It doesn't matter if the group has 14 members or 14 million, if they exhibit these characteristics, they're a cult.
The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
- Mormons believe the President of the LDS speaks the words of God. Thus anything Thomas S. Monson says is gospel. No questions.
- Mormons regularly swear (raising their right arms to the square and swearing) to sustain/obey the Church President (i.e. Monson) and all other Church authorities.
- Mormons swear to never "speak evil of the Lord's anointed," basically meaning to never criticize a church leader, for which the penalty is eternal d*mnation.
- Mormons swear to devote their "time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed you and everything with which he may bless you" for the purpose of "building up the Kingdom of God."
- Mormon priesthood hierarchy supposedly gives Mormon men authority over other people, including wives & children. In the case of a Bishop (i.e. Romney) this includes EVERYONE within the boundaries of their stake or "ward." Ultimately the Bishop is responsible to the President of the Church, who is in turn responsible to no one.
- Mormons believe that their God-given, unquestionable authority applies to everyone whether they are Mormon or not. In this 1995 statement then-President Hinckley lists what is acceptable and what is not and is virulently anti-LGBT.
“We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”
- The LDS President is not elected, but rather appointed by the "Twelve Apostles" upon the death of the last LDS President. That is always the most senior member of their group. That individual's mental or physical health is irrelevant.
- Mormon congregations do not openly dispute their leaders. Romney is stiff (at least) when confronted with feedback. Recent video of Romney in PA supports that discomfort.
Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
- Church historians who come across evidence that is not "faith-promoting" are forbidden to share that information. Historians who do make the evidence public are ex-communicated.
- Questioning church doctrine is a sin.
- To limit questioning, the Mormon Church controls what information its members have access to. Mormon missionaries are not allowed to read any books, pamphlets, etc. except for their missionary manual and the Mormon scriptures. Many Church members are not aware of some of the more sordid chapters in Mormon history, such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, where Mormons dressed up as Native Americans and murdered 120 men, women, and children in a wagon train on its way to California. Survivors were 17 children under the age of seven which were "adopted."
The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
- According to Mormon doctrine, any religion other than the Mormon religion is false and will not get its followers into Heaven. To make up for the fact that Mormonism is only 200 years old (what about everyone before that??) they're retroactively baptizing deceased people without consent, including Holocaust victims "in order to save their souls."
- Mormons believe that they are a "chosen people" who have the responsibility to bring salvation to everyone else on the planet.
The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
- Mormons are taught through their scriptures, the Book of Mormon, that they are commanded to be perfect. No sin, no matter how small, will be tolerated in heaven.
- Stealing a penny is as bad as stealing a million dollars -- both lead to eternal d*mnation, so better to steal a million now and enjoy it.
- Serious sins, such as drinking coffee, masturbating, and "making out" with your boy/girlfriend, must be confessed before a male priesthood leader and atoned for. Atonement is denial of weekly sacrament for a period of time.
- Mormon girls are taught to marry a "Returned Missionary," so a young man who does not complete a mission is forever marked as a sinner.
- Mormons are also constantly feeling guilt about all the things they should be doing that they haven't.
And the checklist goes on. More supporting evidence (from which I borrowed heavily) is this blog
article. I transcribed up to (and possibly beyond) the fair-use limit from it as well, but the material is really important and needs to be brought into the open.
The first question that comes to mind is "am I being intolerant?" My reply is that I am justified in my skepticism based upon the tenets and behavior of the Mormon church and of Romney's history.
Having been unwillingly involved in a different (but quite scary) cult as a child, I recognize the signs and symptoms in others and in Mormonism in particular. It is especially important that we have this conversation without trying to ignore what Mormonism is and how that relates to the Republican presumptive nominee.
And especially what his plans are for US.