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ARE YOU IN A CULT -- ONE THAT HAS NOT NAME BUT COMES WITH A STRANGE FEELING?

Are you in a cult? Of course not. Or are you?

It's an interesting word, isn't it? Cult. Tough to define it. Oh, we know the blatant examples -- Moonies, Scientology.

But it's more than that -- much more.

When we say "cult," we often equate it to a feeling. Someone we know is in a situation that seems "cult-like" -- hard to put one's finger on.

Let's say this: a cult is a circumstance in which folks suddenly find themselves in a small "exclusive" world. Only they are right. It is like they are chosen. It is "them" against the rest of the world. They have special access to information. They are "chosen ones."

We think of cults in mainly religious terms but cults exist in ever aspect of living. There are religious cults, for sure: cults that revolve around charismatic leaders, or seers, or a particular set of rules. But there are also political, business, educational, media, legal, entertainment, and geographic cults.

A cult is when one's vision narrows. A cult is when there is intolerance for anyone who differs. We're not talking about tolerating sin; we're talking about tolerating other viewpoints. A cult is when one excludes anyone who dares to question a member of the "cult." A cult is when the leader of the cult thinks for everyone else. There are movie cults. There are cults founded on specific predilections. There are radio-show cults. Unfortunately, there are even cults formed around excellent causes. The devil can twist anything!

The Vatican recognizes certain cults formed, for example, around the Blessed Mother; but these are specifically recognized as such.

When you think that anyone who differs an iota from the standard viewpoint of your group or click or political organization is an evildoer -- the "enemy" -- you're entrapped in a cult-like spirit.

The keyword is "trapped": usually, we don't realize our bondage. We didn't see it coming. We don't know how cultic we are. But we can't seem to shake free of a certain way of viewing matters -- we have lost objectivity. Anyone who disagrees is the antichrist.

We are living in an age where nastiness rules and there are cults at every turn -- liberal cults, conservative cults, Christian cults, cults of atheists.

It's "us against them." Everyone who doesn't agree with us is the enemy. This is a lack of love. This is how we ensnare ourselves.

Tolerance? We draw the line at sin. We draw it at belief in God. One must believe in Him. But don't draw it at a difference of opinion. In the past few decades, we have seen cults formed around seers, locutionists, movies, and television networks. More than anything, it it prevalent in blogs. Libertarians too often have taken on the spirit of Ayn Rand (an atheist). In Marian Catholic circles, there a cults whereby one is disdained if one does not believe in a certain seer. There are cults around certain movements within Catholicism. You can feel the electricity. That's another sign: you feel zapped. There are cults around musical bands (see The Grateful Dead).

Are you in bondage to anyone or anything?

Are there good cults?

There are good cults.

But the leader of a good cult can only (and alone) be Jesus.

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