A Philosophical Inquiry into Cults and New Religious Movements

Cults have been a subject of hot debates in recent decades. Especially since the 1960s, cults have multiplied themselves and have attracted plenty of converts. This is a strange phenomenon, given that people are becoming less and less religious due to the era of advanced consumerism (liberalism and secular humanity). The philosophy of our age, no doubt, is that of materialism and hedonism: people think they can buy their happiness, that happiness and pleasure are the same, and finally, that this is the meaning of life- to possess as many material things as possible. Cults emerged as an opposition to this philosophy, as a way (although deviated) to search for spiritual principles, a form of living based on spirituality. At the same time, traditional religion (particularly Christianity) is on the decline, with many young people leaving the Church and searching for other ways to experience God. Thus, Cults have been successful in offering these young people different, non-traditional ways to grasp the divine and communicate with God. However, this is the picture that the naïve observer can see in the beginning. The external appearance of cults as an organization, as practices, and as behavior is relatively positive. But when we go deeper into their structure, when we begin analyzing their beliefs and principles of moral conduct, we realize that there is something wrong with them. Many cases of suicide, violence, and sexual abuse, have provoked the attention of our society. Politicians and scientists have proposed many solutions, theories, and hypotheses in the last fifty years.