Today's GOP Meets the Definition of a "Cult"

Christa

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Tue Aug-04-09 08:21 AM
Original message

Today's GOP Meets the Definition of a "Cult"

/snip

The GOP of today meets 14 out of 15 of the core characteristics of a cult. Check out some of the items from the checklist put out by the International Cultic Studies Association entitled 'Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups':

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry�or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar�or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

The most loyal members (the �true believers�) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

http://www.librarygrape.com/2009/05/todays-gop-qualifies-as-cult.html

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slackmaster

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Tue Aug-04-09 08:37 AM
Response to Original message

1. Kick and Unrec for group narcissism post

:nuke:

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ColbertWatcher

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Wed Aug-05-09 04:06 AM
Response to Reply #1

9. ...

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comtec

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Tue Aug-04-09 09:00 AM
Response to Original message

2. What is the one conditions they do NOT meet?

it must be seriously fucked up.

because it's easy to get into, and hard to get out of.

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girl gone mad

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Wed Aug-05-09 04:18 AM
Response to Reply #2

10. I narrowed it down to one of these two:

Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

But Republicans are always chanting stupid nonsense. "Drill Baby Drill!"; "No You Can't!"; "Kill Himb!1!!", etc. and what was the 2008 Republican convention if not a glorified denunciation session? They spent the entire 4 days doing nothing but preaching hate against candidate Obama and the Democrats.

As for the second one, I don't know. Required may be too strong of a word, but it certainly happens.

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comtec

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Wed Aug-05-09 05:05 AM
Response to Reply #10

11. Hmm... good point

They try to convert, not distance us dum librul famlee memberz!
But yeah dead on which is disturbing as hell!

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TexasObserver

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Tue Aug-04-09 09:05 AM
Response to Original message

3. Recommend

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Orsino

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Tue Aug-04-09 09:06 AM
Response to Original message

4. The term is junta.

Their deluded voters are the cult.

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Heidi

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Tue Aug-04-09 09:09 AM
Response to Original message

5. They're (among) the ones Eric Hoffer was talkin' about.

:kick:

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NecklyTyler

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Wed Aug-05-09 03:43 AM
Response to Original message

6. K&R

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onestepforward

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Wed Aug-05-09 03:48 AM
Response to Original message

7. I totally agree. K&R n/t

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Joe the Liberal

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Wed Aug-05-09 03:52 AM
Response to Original message

8. k&r couldn't agree more with this. n/t

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