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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   3193 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for October 15, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Mass movements that turn into disasters over a decade or more are a dime a dozen

I suspect that the ratio of "cults" doing something so odious that they become newsworthy to the actual number popularly accepted as cults isn't particularly significant.

It's not like established religions don't get up to shenanigans, while having more clout to enact their will.

In something like the example provided by OP, I strongly suspect that if they ever get rapped, it'll be because of something like the founder being a sex pest or coercing people into taking drugs. They're not about to launch the next intifada.

Not that I think anyone should join a religion or cult in the first place.

the founder being a sex pest or coercing people into taking drugs.

This is way more common than basically rolling your own violently-rebellious religion.

As for religion...it binds people together and is valuable; I've even heard that every religion creates a society in its image.

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