Blogger Felonious Monk writes on the potentials of ethical cults:
When you look at the downfall of most cults, it almost always relates to the very thing that cults ask their members to give up: ego. And specifically, the ego of a leader who has become drunk on his (usually) power, treating members as his private workforce and harem. Sexually exploitive behavior is probably the most common, followed by financially exploitive terms. Worshippers must meet the cult leader’s physical needs, and must forfeit their worldly possessions to benefit the cult. And because they’ve found a deep sense of emotional and spiritual belonging, they often do.
But what if we could have the benefits without the madness? What would it look like to have the sense of family without a Manson; the collective spiritual experience without an Osho, the shared sense of purpose without the Koresh? Is it possible to meet those deep human needs in a way that is genuine and sincere, without having it go down the path that so many others have?
