Today I was reading an article in the Guardian about the rise and fall of the Jesus Fellowship, which was a cult in Britain. The article describes one woman's experience of her family having been drawn into the fellowship, and how she and her family managed to extricate themselves.
It dawned on me that MAGA has many of the characteristics of a cult:
- Charismatic leadership
- Extreme beliefs and practices
- Control and isolation
- Suppression of dissent
- Exploitation
- Us-versus-them mentality
- Lack of accountability
- Authoritarian structure
- Mind-altering practices
- Emotional manipulation
If MAGA is a cult, then perhaps understanding what it takes for someone to leave a cult would be helpful.
Most importantly, find a group of former cult members. People need a safe place to talk about their experiences with in the cult and to encourage others who want to leave it.
At some point, people within a cult start to question the actions and motives of its leaders. Especially when they or the people they love start to be hurt.
Only by banding together can former cult members feel safe, find the power to help themselves and others, and fight retribution.
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