The other day, while Sally the Intern and I were shaving the head of a new WLBOTT novitiate, she asked me, “is WLBOTT a cult?”
This gave me pause.
Semi-Sequitur: WLBOTT Word of the Day
Are we a cult?
What IS a cult?
Let’s look at what Very Well Mind says….
Very Well Mind
- Absolute authoritarianism without accountability
- Zero tolerance for criticism or questions
- Lack of meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget
- Unreasonable fears about the outside world that often involve evil conspiracies and persecutions
- A belief that former followers are always wrong for leaving and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone else to leave
- Abuse of members
- Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group
- Followers feeling they are never able to be “good enough”
- A belief that the leader is right at all times
- A belief that the leader is the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or giving validation
Let us enumerate and analyze in the context of WLBOTT:
- Absolute authoritarianism without accountability
Actually, we have absolute accountability without any authority at all - Unreasonable fears about the outside world that often involve evil conspiracies and persecutions
Our fears are not unreasonable. - Lack of meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget
Check. But in all fairness, we also lack meaningful finances in general. - A belief that former followers are always wrong for leaving and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone else to leave
No one is allowed to leave, ever. So no, this does not check the box. - Followers feeling they are never able to be “good enough”
Check. But this is just Catholic guilt. It was there before we got here.
And the Cult Leader?
A cult leader can be defined as a very charismatic leader who provides their followers with acceptance, security, and acceptance. Cult leaders must be dynamic, charismatic, and convincing.
Study.com
Again, please allow us to enumerate….
- who provides their followers with acceptance, security, and acceptance
Check (I hope) - Cult leaders must be dynamic, charismatic, and convincing.
Dynamic: Big, big Texas NO
Charismatic: Big, big Texas NO
Convincing: Big, big Texas NO.
- “Religions and cults often follow a leader who claims divine, or at least special, access to different models of knowledge and revelations. Many are martyred.” – Penn Today
Again, no thanks.
You can take a master class in cults?
What Does the Word ‘Cult’ Mean?
The word “cult” descends from the Latin “cultus,” an ancient word encompassing the concepts of adoration, education, and cultivation.
Master Class
WLBOTT Wonders: When you are in a cult, does the etymology of the word “cult” matter?
The Test of Time: Another line item for Project 2124:
As long as there is orthodoxy, there will be heterodoxy, and there will continue to be gospels of the end of days that could be rooted in science or scripture, people seeking answers, and leaders will emerge who claim to have them. Whether their followers are cult members or parishioners will largely be a matter of time.
Penn Today
The Vow
This reflection on cultism began while UC#4 was watching the HBO multi-multi-multi-part documentary “The Vow”. It is about the NXIVM cult.
Make no mistake, the NXIVM cult leader, Keith Raniere, is a seriously twisted and bad dude.
He’s currently serving a 120 year sentence at the United States Penitentiary in Tucson.
But for such a bizarre and horrific story, “The Vow” is exceptionally dull, repetitive, and overly long. Also, many of the victims in this documentary are oddly unsympathetic. Not to get into specifics, but some of them want their 15 minutes of fame to last forever.
Since Mr. Raniere’s release date is approximately 2138, perhaps he could use some of his free time as a freelance contributor to Project 2124?
Mr. Raniere: Home Away from Home
The United States Penitentiary, Tucson (USP Tucson) is a high-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Arizona. It is part of the Tucson Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Tucson) and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility also has a satellite prison camp for minimum-security male offenders.
Wikipedia
Please forward Mr. Raniere’s correspondence here:
There is a certain stark beauty to Mr. R’s abode:
At left, the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, otherwise known as the ADX, in Florence, Colo
Jamey Stillings for The New York Times
Mr. R – Congrats on the Profile! The Executive Management Training workshops paid off.
Silver Lining / It Could Always Be Wurst
His neighbor down the hall wasn’t as lucky….
Will There Be a Buffet?
We note the absence of a brunch menu.
Semi-Sequitur: The Bumper
UC#4 lost his/her/their rear bumper approximately 5 miles from Mr. Raniere’s current residence. This was during a Pandemic Rescue Mission with UC#2 in March, 2020. Should Mr. Raniere find the bumper during an escape attempt, we would be grateful if he would notify us here at WLBOTT headquarters.
And In Conclusion
Ultimately, you will have to be the judge.
Seriously, does this look like a cult to you?
Look at these joyful faces!
2 replies on “Are We a Cult?”
Uh…actually, as pictured, it does look like every presentation of a cult we’ve ever had. And I do have a question, dynamic, charismatic and convincing sir….it’s about this:
“A belief that former followers are always wrong for leaving and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone else to leave
No one is allowed to leave, ever. So no, this does not check the box.”
It seems a big ambiguous as stated. Are you saying that no one is allowed to leave WLBOTT? In the case of death, perhaps, will we be released from this mortal coil and also from the clutches of WLBOTT?
Just wondering…not questioning…no, absolutely not! ~Rochelle
Rochelle, I appreciate the input. Yes, in the event of death, one can be free of earthly WLBOTT. We will need a note from the doctor.
So an honest person will say, “No, this is not a cult,” and a cult leader will always say, “No, this is not a cult.” What does it mean when someone say, “Yes, we’re running a cult”?