CULT:
noun
- 1.a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object:
Religious veneration:
Veneration can be defined as “
respect or
awe directed toward someone due to his/her value or
greatness.” The simplest definition of worship is to “ascribe worth.”
Notice the absence of the reference to a religion involving a higher power.
From my perspective, only God himself deserves such veneration and worship, as where all others are cults. But with the definition above, my view of God is a cult, something I disagree with.
That said, any religion that says they point to God can lead into a cult, whether it is a cult of personality or a cult of organization. Jim Jones is a prime example of this as he originally was a preacher of the Bible, who became a rabid Marxist and moved his congregation out of the country because he viewed the country not diverse enough and not equitable enough, and then had them all drink cool aid.
Once the focus to stop following God stops and the focus becomes to follow the cult of personality or organization instead, it becomes a cult.
As for the cult of an organization, JW's come to mind. They won't even let their flock read the Bible without them there by their side to interpret it for them via the Watchtower. But political organizations are no different in many cases. Once one begins to follow and defend on political organization at all costs, it becomes a cult for that person.
Having said all that, when I stand back and look at "Leftism" in the world today, it is without a question the most successful cult in the entire world as most governments in the world today are full of such cultists as they have also infiltrated most businesses and schools and pretty much everything else. Their core ideology includes.
1. Climate change is destroying the world.
2. Israel bad
3. US also bad, but Ok to some degree if the DNC is in charge
4. LGTB rights come first.
5. Immigrants also come first with no borders
6. Socialism is our savior.
7. Abortion rules
IF you defy any of these precepts, you become a heretic and will be stoned.
And the ONLY way other religions like Christianity can be accepted into their fold, for example, is for Jesus to bow his knee to all of their ideologies, like Joe Biden who claims to be a Catholic while supporting abortion rights. To question the 7 pillars of self righteous purity listed above is not allowed.
