Of course, for most of us it’s hard to believe that anyone could believe a cult because their ideas are so outlandish. However, there are a few groups that make even the craziest of cults look normal.
The Shakers
Many people know of the Quakers, a nearly silent, pacifist religion that formed in New England when the first settlers arrived on American soil. The Shakers, however, were called so because they would dance erratically during church services, and were much more matriarchy-based (women were in charge). The weird part about this religion is that they believed in strict celibacy, and didn’t believe in recruiting people. So, within just a few short years, the Shakers literally died off.
Dancing Mania
Quite possibly one of the oldest instances of “cult behavior,” a rash of dancing mania literally swept across Europe between the 1300s and 1600s. In France in 1518, hundreds of people danced in the streets and many people even died because they didn’t stop until they fell from exhaustion. This strange phenomenon has been talked about a lot in cult mentality, where people tend to join into mass hysteria “just because everyone else is doing it.”
Toronto Blessing
Already a group who worshipped like normal Christian churchgoers, a Toronto sect burst into singing, dancing, convulsions and laughter in 2010 during service. Since then, this has been a mainstay of the church, which has grown by thousands of members ever since. The leaders, John and Carol Arnott, believe that this is a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and they’re the conductors.
Scientology
Scientology is really good at keeping their true doctrines under lock and key, but many disbanded members have spoken of the myth of Thetan, which essentially is the idea that humans are descended and created by an alien race, but we’ve forgotten this in our own mortal stupidity. To get back to our alien race, we must rid ourselves of human problems, flaws, and desires, and recall our true Thetan nature.
Raelians
Raelians believe the Elohim, a race of aliens, created humans. We humans have seen Raelians in previous centuries, in the form of angels, prophets, etc., but that we have not seen them in recent times due to our evil ways. To be rejoined with the Elohim, humans must return to their peaceful nature. The group believes the swastika is the symbol of the Elohim, and that sexual activity is one of the best ways to find connection to the Raelian spirit.
Family International
Who knew you could have lots of sex to support the word of God? That’s what Family International told people in the 70’s, and women were encouraged to recruit men using their “female ways,” and to bring more people into the group. Group sex, bisexual relationships, polyamory, and “free love” were all practiced for a number of years. People were told to “imagine Jesus” when they were doing the deed, and tons of “Jesus babies” were born as a result.
