Thread by @TaniaAMarshall

Cults: People join cults because they're looking for love and acceptance. They want answers to the personal problems in their lives. The give their lives and their bodies over to a group that defines reality for them.

All cult behaviour includes manipulation, lies, an authoritarian mindset, mind control over the group members, a communal and totalistic organization, aggressive proselytizing, systematic programs of indoctrination, and often, but not always, perpetuation in middle-class society

Other people outside the group are the ‘enemy’, are ‘othered’ and to be hated. They are beneath the cult members. They expect others to think like them and they rage when others either cannot or refuse not to.

There are several well-known techniques of typically used: isolation from family members, former associates and sources of information, a step-based rigid rules based set of behaviors that are regiment and requiring obedience or excommunication

There are strong social group and leader pressures and lovebombing rewards for cooperation. The use of both physical and psychological punishment for non-cooperation range from social ostracism, shame, threats, coercion, fear and increased mind control.

The violation of boundaries is common and you are encouraged to donate money to their cause. They create a ‘fear’ to control you and tell you they (or some God) are the answer. They use extreme measures with many cult members hading over their entire lives to the group.

They are well known to have little respect for children and due to their lack of boundaries, most often physical, sexual, emotional, and/or psychological harm is caused and maintained. They justify their abusive behaviours from a ‘moral’ or ‘pure’ social justice standpoint