Religious Cults and Sects

Branch Davidians David Koresh Victor Houteff In 1981, a man named David Koresh joined the Branch Davidians, a group within the Seventh Day Adventist church that was founded in 1934 by a Bulgarian immigrant named Victor Houteff. Because of Koresh’s familiarity with the Bible, he rose rapidly within the ranks of the church, and eventually found himself at odds with the Davidians’ leader, George Roden. Koresh left the church for a while with some of his followers. In 1987, he returned with seven armed followers, raided the compound, and severely wounded Roden. He went on trial for attempted murder, but the case was eventually dropped as a mistrial. By 1990, Koresh was the leader of the Davidians. He took several wives, some as young as 12 or 13, and had children with all of them. A central aspect of Koresh’s religious teachings was his assertion that the apocalyptic events predicted in the Bible’s book of Revelation were imminent, making it necessary for the Davidians to stockpile weapons and explosives in preparation. "...if you believe in it, it is a religion or perhaps 'the' religion; and if you do not care one way or another about it, it is a sect; but if you fear and hate it, it is a cult." Leo Pfeffer, quoted on the Religious Tolerance Site

FBI Raid In 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms raided the compound as part of an investigation into reports of illegal possession of firearms and explosives by the group. The extended gunfight that resulted left four ATF agents dead and 15 wounded. The FBI took over the investigation. On April 18, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno approved a tear-gas assault on the compound, and at approximately 6:00 a.m. on April 19 the Branch Davidians were informed of the imminent attack and asked to surrender. They did not, so a few minutes later, FBI combat vehicles began putting tear gas into the compound. The Branch Davidians, many with gas masks on, refused to evacuate. A fire erupted, and a few Davidians fled. In the end, Koresh and over 80 of his followers died in the incident.

Marshall Applewhite Heaven’s Gate Leader Other Groups Marshall Applewhite Heaven’s Gate Leader The term cult was and still is often applied to the Branch Davidians. It’s also used when describing groups like the Manson Family, Heaven’s Gate, and the Unification Church. What comes to mind when you hear the word cult? The Branch Davidians followed many Christian ideas, and the group was founded on the idea of the Second Coming of Christ. Cults, sects, and denominations are all smaller groups within a larger religious group. So what’s the difference? Unification Church Mass Wedding Charles Manson Manson Family Leader

Cults Cult Mainstream Religion The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a cult as: a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. Cults are similar to sects but differ in at least three respects. First, they generally have not broken away from a larger denomination and instead originate outside the mainstream religious tradition. Second, they are often secretive and do not proselytize as much. This is because third, they are at least somewhat more likely than sects to rely on charismatic leadership based on the extraordinary personal qualities of the cult’s leader.

Sects Cult Mainstream Religion Sect The word sect doesn’t usually have as negative a connotation as the word cult. It refers to a smaller religious group with slightly different beliefs than the larger group. A sect is a small religious group that is an offshoot of an established religion or denomination. It holds most beliefs in common with its religion of origin, but has a number of novel concepts which differentiate them from that religion. Typically a sect has broken away from a larger denomination in an effort to restore what members of the sect regard as the original views of the denomination. Sect Overlap sect and mainstream to show they share some common ideas

Seventh-Day Adventists Connotations Mormons Christianity Judaism Seventh-Day Adventists Islam Many religions could be considered to have started out as cults or sects. Christianity began within Judaism, led by Jesus, one of the most charismatic figures in history. Islam was founded by Mohammad, a prophet and certainly another charismatic leader of a group outside the accepted norm at the time. Groups that have come into existence more recently, such as Mormons and Seventh-Day Adventists, might also be considered by some to be cults or sects. Because the word “cult” has been used to describe groups (such as the ones mentioned above) that have been involved in a variety of negative situations, the vast majority of people consider a cult to be something negative. Call someone’s religion a cult or sect and you may instantly offend, even if your own definitions of these aren’t particularly negative. And having that term applied to your own religion would likely be considered offensive. Bring in shape for Judaism first, then gradually show others.

Conclusion While studying various religious traditions, it’s important to be able to understand and identify their histories, origins, commonalities, and differences. Terms such as cult and sect help you do that. When working with someone whose religious beliefs may be relevant to the situation at hand (e.g. a serious health care issue in which they may want to pray with someone who shares their beliefs), the best approach may be to keep an open mind, and while keeping what you have learned in mind, ask the person in question (or someone close to them) what their own beliefs and wishes are. Respect for the wishes of others, even if you don’t agree with their beliefs, can be the best way to help someone in a difficult situation.