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Monday, December 1, 2008

History's Infamous And Dangerous Cult Leaders

As I sit here in my hotel room in Tokyo, Japan posting this article, I'm reminded why I'll be sticking to taxis and steering clear of the subway :)

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Maria Tsvigun was the leader of the White Brotherhood cult based in the Ukraine which predicted the 'end of the world' in 1993. Tsvigun was convicted of hooliganism and extortion in connection with a planned mass gathering around the predicted end of the world.

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Stuart Walker started a cult called 'The Pod' in Mona Vale near Sydney with him claiming to be the reincarnation of Christ and Buddha as well as having the power to talk to whales.

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Serial killer and cult leader Charles Manson was imprisoned on multiple life sentences following a murderous rampage in 1969 with a group of followers.

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83-year-old cult leader Ken Dyers was charged with 22 sex offences against two teenage girls in 2001 and 2002. Kenneth Emmanuel Dyers, was co-founder of the self-styled spiritual healing group Kenja and committed suicide in 2007 as more investigations into sex assault commenced.

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A scene at the Jonestown mass suicide site where 918 people died after Jim Jones led his followers to their deaths

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Former leader of Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinri Kyo Shoko Asahara. Asahara was sentenced to hang for masterminding the 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway that killed 12 and sickened thousands.

Victims are attened to by policemen following the Tokyo sarin gas attack in 1995.

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The leader of the Heaven's Gate cult Marshall Applewhite, who led 39 people in a mass suicide in Southern California.

The bodies of members of the Heaven's Gate cult, at the Rancho Santa Fe in California. The cultists reported believed they would be taken to a spaceship following the Hale-Bopp comet.

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David Berg founded the Children of God Christian sect in 1968 heading the cult despite allegations of sex assault until his death in 1994

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Luc Jouret founded the Order of the Solar Temple cult in Switzerland a organisation linked to neo-Nazi’s which hopes to resurrect the ancient order of the Knight of the Templar from the crusades. Jouret committed suicide in 1994 which led to a mass suicide of his followers.

5 comments:

Capt_Canuck said...

as I sit here in Canada reading these, I am reminded why I steer clear of all forms of organized religions.

Some how the bible was missed from that cult, figure the crusades resulting in the deaths of thousands as well as the witch hangings in Salom in the name of God (to name only one) rings a few bells.

Next question I have is when does a cult stop being a cult and become a religion? is it time or people? 30 people it is a cult, 300,000 people it is a religion? or is it time, you get enough people believing in it for 100 years and it must be a religion?

anyways, interesting stuff to read. Very funky.

Van Bane said...

@Capt_Canuck cults are form of disorganized religion, so you're actually saying in a way that you're for disorganization. Pretty stupid.

Top 23 Arguments Against Religion

Aussie Pete said...

Hi @van bane,

Just visited the lInk in your comment... Interesting.

Just playing devils advocate (pardon the pun), but it kind of insinuates that Christianity is the only form of religion - which is clearly not the case - it is not even the 'majority' belief and faith system globally. It is important that all people are respected regardless of the faith, creed or color. Furthermore, I don't get many of the points.- they don't all make a lot of sense.

Anyway, kind regards and blessings. Thanks for dropping by! Cheers, Pete

Van Bane said...

Your "like that also can" quote makes no sense to me. It reminds me of schizophrenia.

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