Brigham Young, Jim Jones, Rush Limbaugh
There is evidence throughout history that desperate people will follow just about anybody. Generally the numbers do not reflect the majority. Generally the numbers are quite small in proportion to the whole. That was the case with the Mormon cult, it was the case with the Jim Jones cult, and it is the truth with the Rush Limbaugh Cult.
Charles Taze Russell led a movement later to be know as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The premise and the promise were based on the idea that “…the religion was developed in response ‘to what they saw as compromise and corruption in mainstream Christianity’ …” (from wikepedia). This sounds very much like Rush Limbaugh and his frantic fanatic followers (Three ‘F’ words in a row.)
Ellen G. White was among the founders of the 7th Day Adventist Church. She held herself to be a prophet, much as did Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Rush Limbaugh. The ‘remnant church’ theology recognizes other Christian denominations as being anti-Christ.
The Baptist have spread, evolved, devolved, and regrouped over time. Theirs is a more accepted form of cultism. From Wikepedia:
“Baptists are typically considered Protestants. Some Baptists reject that association (see Origins and Questions of labeling subsections below). Most Baptist churches choose to associate with denominational groups that provide support without control. Examples of such denominations are the Southern Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention USA, Conservative Baptist Association of America, American Baptist Churches USA, American Baptist Association (Landmark Baptists), among others.”
Many of the choking weeds of ideology have found root in fear and ignorance. Left alone, unchallenged, the toxic ideologies take root and spread. In the past, when there were wide frontiers, challenge would be met with retreat and the sanctuary of the wilderness. Note the Mormon migration to Utah in the 1850’s. Jim Jones tried to take his flock to a wilderness – but times had changed and sanity followed him, resulting in disaster. David Koresh attempted an isolated cult – but the duty of civilized man is to their fellow man – and Karesh’s cult domination met with doom.
Rush Limbaugh leads a cult based on fear, ignorance, and hatred. His words are those of historical cults – ‘… there is compromise and corruption in Right Wing politics…’ and Rush claims the mantel of the Prophet who will lead the lost into the Promised Land.
Sadly – there are people who will follow.
Comment by Jon W. on 8 February 2008:
Please do not refer to the LDS church (Mormons) as a cult. That is perfectly inaccurate and incredibly offensive to the millions throughout the world who try to live peaceful, clean, productive lives.
Thank you.
Comment by Ronald on 24 September 2008:
Charles Taze Russell knew nothing an organization called “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” He preached against the formation of such an organization until the day he died. Nor did Russell believe in the things taught by that organization. He believed that each local church should take care of its own affairs without a ruling authority. Russell claimed only the role of a servant pastor toward those congregations that that had elected him as their pastror. He repeatedly refused to accept any authority toward any congregation otherwise, and any congregation was free to reverse their election of him as pastor, without any kind of reprisal. Russell was a non-sectarian, and remained so until the day he died. He accepted any individual as a Christian who claimed such, as long at they gave evidence in their lives of such, regardless of what denomination or movement they might be a member of. After Russell died, Rutherford gained control of the Watch Tower Society, reportedly by deceit and legal trickery, and then used that legal entity to create an organization, basically with himself in control. Rutherford rejected Russell’s core teachings of a “ransom for all,” and replaced it with basically a teaching of a threat of the “second death” for all who disagreed with him, something Russell would never have agreed to. It was Rutherford, not Russell, who brought forth the idea that many millions of people — men, women and thier children — who disagreed with him, would suffer the second death in the battle of Armageddon. For more regarding Russell, see:
http://ctrussell.wordpress.com/
Ronald