Rhetorical Methods of Religious Cults

author, Steven Carlino

Fringe and minority religious groups often referred to as "cults," have received much attention since the Waco siege on the Branch Davidian compound and the mass suicide of the Heaven’s Gate group. Religious cults in the United States have their foundation in the Bill of Rights. Every person and every group has the right to the Freedom of Religion. This country was founded by the Pilgrims who left England for the New World to escape religious persecution. Most individuals have a difficult time comprehending how rational people can become involved in these often ludicrous groups. I will examine some different types of rhetoric associated with religious cults. I will discuss the rhetoric associated with the leader of the group, usually someone who presents themselves as a prophet, or deity-like figure. Then I will examine the rhetoric of recruitment, focusing on how these groups prey upon young, insecure people searching for certainty. I will also focus on the defensive rhetoric of the groups when protecting themselves from outside attacks. Religious cults use rhetoric preaching spirituality, God, and Armageddon, to hide their real motives of power, greed and control.

Rhetoric and propaganda are tools that fringe groups use to take power and convert individuals to become believers. These groups will propagate lies, and in the case of new religious movements, they will use deception through biblical falsehoods. While new religious movements are different from political organizations, some comparisons can be drawn. Totalitarian and dictoral governments use deceit and lies to further their goals of conversion and control over new "recruits." In this sense religious cults use the same tactics to gain new membership and further their personalized mission. Characteristics of cult groups are always similar. The offer of a more proximate salvation, the implicit assault on spiritual elitism, and the offer of physical healing to the individual exist within each group. (Barker, 20)

According to Amy Schifrin there are nine characteristics of cults or destructive religious groups. The following listing is from the article, "Only the names have changed: a preview of cults in the 90's," in Entree magazine, February 1991:

Anti-cult activists set defined characteristics of a "cult." These usually include specific rhetorical errors, including reliance on extrabibilical revelation or misunderstanding of salvation by faith. (Tabor, 171)

Three of the most famous cult leaders have been Jim Jones of the People’s Temple, David Koresch of the Branch Davidian, and Marshall Appelwhite of Heaven’s Gate. Other cult leaders often use the same rhetoric and methods as these men in order to recruit new members and hold followers within the cult. The leaders understand how to tap into basic anxieties and fears of potential members. One of the most used tactics is that the leader claims special access to God or claims to be a prophet figure. These rhetorical methods are used to shield the real purposes of cult leaders. These purposes are power, greed, control, and extortion of money members.

Yisrael Hawkins the leader of the House of Yahweh claims that the world is ending and that he is one of two Witnesses prophesied in the Book of Revelation. According to the Scripture, these Witnesses have powers to nearly destroy the world. This is a claim that gives this former police officer and rock band leader, credibility to his followers. (Klebnikov, 49) A current group member named Shaul stated, "[w]e believe that unless we follow the teachings of our leader, the world as we know it may end." (Klebnikov, 48)

The first task of a cult leader is to sever connections between initiates and their families. Timothy Roberts, leader of The Brotherhood does this by telling recruits that true enlightenment can be achieved only when they are separated from loved ones. (Klebinikov, 48B) The separation from family and friends is often another rhetorical tactic taken by cult leaders. Most cult leaders only recognize power as the members trust in their ideology. These leaders attempt to "brainwash" new recruits, and forbid communication from outside sources.

One interesting cult organization is the Church Universal and Triumphant. This group is preparing for the end of the world on a large ranch in Wyoming. Its’ leader Elizabeth Claire Prophet is much less coercive and power crazy than other leaders but also plays on her followers fear of doomsday. The cult’s membership has been falling off, and Prophet is escalating her millennialist rhetoric. "We need your sacrifice,...the world is about to fail. I don’t know where the bombs are coming from. But we must be ready," Prophet recently preached to 400 devout followers. (Klebnikov, 49)

Cult leaders are viewed as being dangerous and psychotic. After "brainwashing," cult members to follow their actions and words, they have extreme power and control over once rational individuals. The rhetorical methods of the cult leader are central to their domination over the members and to achieve their goals of control and financial thievery.

Many young people and college students join cult organizations. They are at a vulnerable point in their life, uncertain of the future and looking for a sense of security and direction. (Gard, 19) Adam Berkowitz, a former cult member stated, "Once you accept the first lie, the rest is easy." (Gard, 20) Cult organizations use their rhetoric as a form of mind control. The group will isolate the recruit from outside influences. They deprive the person of sleep, deliver long lectures, read passages from the Bible, and feed the person a diet low in protein. All of this is done so the recruit becomes more open to the groups coercive rhetoric. One method of coercive control is called psychological stripping. In this method the group tells you what is wrong with you and tells you that everything learned before entrance to the cult is evil and disgusting. (Gard, 19) Over a period of time in a cult, a persons ability to think critically is lost and they become a total believer.

Isolation is a key to keeping members from leaving the organization. Cult leaders will tell new recruits that if their parents don’t agree with what they are doing, then they are not respected. In contrast to what the leaders and recruits preach, cults aren’t about spiritual or God. The cults are about power and greed. The leaders want power over their followers and money to support their lifestyle. (Gard, 20)

Tim Stoen a former member of the People’s Temple, the Jim Jones cult has recently given some insight into why people join cult organizations. "...I’ve seen all sorts of experts on TV talking about why people join cults...These people aren’t necessarily from dysfunctional families. My loving parents gave me everything in the world, and I was a successful assistant district attorney. People join cults in moments of weakness-- when they’re angry about something in their personal life or in the world around them. Form many in our throwaway, hedonistic society, life has become empty. Anything that involves a family-which is what a cult is- can be very appealing. People want simplicity a cult provides ready-made answers." (Stoen, 46)

Many of the cult organizations preach that "doomsday," or the end of the world is upon us. Only those that join the cult and follow its’ ways will be saved. Many cult leaders have been accelerating a rhetorical Armageddon for personal and often twisted reasons. The recruitment of new members is central to the survival of cult organizations. Not only does the cult group feel a need to expand its’ operation, but the addition of new members gives credence to the "feeling of rightness" of the current members. False rhetoric and deceit are the only methods that cults can use to recruit new members. Often the cult group will promise special redemption or life after death in return for an individual association with the group. Cults will promise savior during a forthcoming judgement day or a reserved space on an alien spaceship.

An organization which I feel can not be deemed a cult because of their large membership and famous members, is the Church of Scientology. I would refer to this group as a fringe religious organization. The Church of Scientology recently received federal tax-exempt status as a religious group. It was founded by L. Ron Hubbard, author of Dianetics. The group counts many celebrities among its members, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta. The group has been criticized for charging high fees and for practices that allegedly sometimes have emotionally damaging results. (Maxwell, 84)

Cult groups rely on new members to provide the organization with positive feedback. This positive feedback can be used to reinforce the merit of the group’s ideology and validate the group’s course. (Galanter, 110) These new recruits give legitimacy to a group that faces hostile outside sources and can be a tool for social regulation.

As I eluded to previously cults shield members from outside sources. This is a technique called boundary control. It is believed that if members come into contact with information from outside sources that it would unsettle their newly learned belief system. This is one of the main arguments against cults or "new wave" religious organizations.

There also exists a distinctive rhetoric that comes from media sources and public perception that takes a negative view of cult groups. Any attempt to balance the picture is seen against the best interest of society. (Tabor, xi) If we have a commitment to religious tolerance in this country, why is the rhetoric geared towards cult groups so negative? Groups in the movement disseminate anti-cult propaganda through newsletters and the media. They can also employ various degrees of persuasion to remove persons from cults. These range from informal counseling to illegal kidnaping and the "deprogramming" of "victims." (Barker, 333)

Many organizations such as the Cult Awareness Network (CAN) and the Council on Mind Abuse (COMA) are on rhetorical missions to raise public awareness about the damaging effects that cults can have on people. The only things many individuals believe about cults comes from media sources and the rhetoric of anti-cult groups. Anti-cult groups have developed great skill in presenting their argument to the public and to the impact of the legal and public relations setbacks that they have suffered at the hands of new religious movements. (Tabor, 151) Arguments by anti-cult groups include the rhetorical manipulation by an overwhelmingly powerful leader. It is argued that new recruits are often brainwashed through the leaders rhetoric and lies.

I believe a distinctive rhetoric exists in connection with cult organizations. Each organization functions as a social system and has exact communicative processes. Cults are amazingly persuasive in our society, and they come in a lot of disguises. Those who seek answers through new religous movements must fight through the false rhetoric and lies to see the truth. As a country and a society we are committed to religious freedom, but each individual must have awareness to view new religious movements critically before deciding it is the right decision. I am not against new religious movements. I believe that if religion, even a fringe religious group can bring someone happiness, then it is positive in substance. It is when cult groups or new religious movements use false rhetoric and lies to promote their real motives of power, greed, and control, that they become negative and harm the tenets of real religions.