Top 10 Ways to Identify a Cult
If you stumble upon a group of people and, after reading this, you are wondering if they are a cult... there are some things you can look for:
- Co-habitating adults - If a group of "roommates" (way past the college/young-adult age) move in next door -- and it seems as if most of them don't have a job, then score 1 point.
- Speedos - If a large number of the guys are wearing Speedo swimsuits -- first ask yourself if it could be a swim team. Next look around and see if you have somehow transported yourself back to 1980. If the answer to both of these questions is no, then score 1 point.
- A sudden change in behavior at your approach - If you see a group sitting/standing around a central figure and, when you approach, they suddenly break into a chorus of "Happy Birthday," score 1 point. An alternative to this is that they will start slouching and looking around (in their approximation of "dead" people.) I didn't actually realize how weird this looked until recently. I accidentally stumbled upon a Sunday outing at a local theater. They were gathered outside the theater, presumably to share about the film they had just seen. When I rode by in my car it was so weird... they all simultaneously adopted a "casual" stance (leaning against the wall and looking up at the sky, or looking around as if amazed that they happened to be standing there... that it was just a coincidence that they were standing there in a circle.... you'll know it if you see it.) You won't understand what they think they are doing, but you'll recognize how weird it is. And then you can score 1 point.
- The Throne - If you see people setting up a "handicapped chair" (that more closely resembles a throne than any device to aid a disabled person), score 1 point.
- Conflicting responses - If you have suspicions about a group, approach them and ask in a non-threatening way, "What's going on?" If they say they are some sort of ecological group or film group, score 1/2 a point. Next, either ask how you can join and ask for a flyer or contact information (because what real group isn't open to new members?) - OR - Move 10 or 15 people away and ask the same question again to see if you get a different response. If you get any sort of weird response, there's your other 1/2 point.
