Cults or Alliances?

(This document is to be expanded and recreated as a website to counter people who irresponsibly cry "Cult!" whenever they see people functioning passionately and powerfully as a group.

It's time someone took a stand for powerful, positive groups that people label cults.

First, let's be clear.  Cults are destructive to the individual and must go.  But there is a big difference between a cult and an alliance.

Currently, there is no distinction in the public domain between cults and alliances, and it is a shame.  There are many alliances doing great work liberating and empowering people and creating many values for society, yet they get labeled as cults.

There are powerful people who participate in these groups, live like warriors and stand for their values in the face of internal and external conflict.  These powerful people are often shamed for their passionate stand.

The Fear Factor

People fear other groups of people that are passionately committed to a cause, a body of work or a way of life--especially when the members of the group aggressively defend and promote the group.

We don't like people trying to convert us or sell us something, but how can we make them wrong for standing up for what they believe in and sharing it with others?  

If you've experienced great positive results in your life from your participation in a certain group, by all means be an advocate of the group--take a stand for it.  Passionately defend it and promote it!

You don't like people preaching to you or selling you something?  Fine.  Tell them to go away.  But if you really care about advancing your mind and your life, you'd be wise to at least honestly inquire into the validity of their claims.

Alliances grow and survive because they have something that works--something that produces results in peoples' lives.  Investigate to see if the alliance offers a tool, technique, concept or method that you can add to your tool belt.  One can investigate these groups and extract advantages without becoming a blind follower.

The problem is that we fear falling under the spell of the group or leader, and not being able to say 'no.'  Well, are you a leader or a follower?  

If you are a follower, you have reason to fear.  You may, indeed, get sucked in and become a blind follower--a true believer.

True self-leaders, however, are warriors and have nothing to fear from participation in or investigation of such groups or ideas.

Wealth Warriors (warriors who take ultimate responsibility for their minds and their lives) seek advantages wherever they can be found, and are not stopped along their path by irrational fear.

The Similarities 

First, the similarities.  Cults have a powerful leader and so do most alliances.  Both have passionate, committed members who often aggressively defend and promote the group. 

Both alliances and cults have some group members who blindly follow.  There are people who will blindly follow anything or anyone, so one cannot point to how some of the group's followers exhibit blind obedience and blind faith as proof that a group is a cult.

So what if the group has a powerful leader and many blind followers?  You may still extract great value from investigation or participation with the group.

Other similarities that are relatively insignificant are the group's use of music, slogans, symbols, testimonies, rallies, etc.  These can attract weak people, but they also work to empower and motivate people who must stand up to fearful, ignorant critics.

The Differences

The differences are key.   Alliances encourage and empower individuals to be self-leaders, not blind followers.

Alliances

Here is a short list of groups that function as alliances, but have been maliciously and/or ignorantly accused of being cults.

• Amway (Bill Britt's group comes close with his Sunday meetings)

• Institute of Global Prosperity

• Landmark Education

• Neo-Tech

• Network Marketing Groups (of all kinds)

• (Have a group you think should be added?  Email us.)

Cults

• For a list of actual cults click here.

This document is to be expanded and recreated as a website to counter people who irresponsibly cry "Cult!" whenever they see people functioning passionately and powerfully as a group.

© Copyright 2002 by Michael Ivan Skye, all rights in all media reserved.