Vice launches guide to cults and fringe religions
Vice has created a dedicated content series which explores cults and fringe religions, locally and internationally.
The announcement:
Vice has been reporting on cults and spiritual weirdness since we were a free magazine in skate shops. Why? Because cults don’t make a lot of sense.
The Oxford English dictionary defines a cult as “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.” But then it goes on to admit that a cult’s practices are often regarded as “strange or sinister” by outsiders. And therein lies the rub. While most groups offer happiness via a single figure or object—think sports teams, or political parties—they’re not usually seen as damaging. So what is it about these groups that set out to purvey peace and understanding, only to terrorise their members? And how is it that so many intelligent people fall for these groups, time and time again?
To explore these issues, Vice Australia is presenting a week of content around cults and fringe religions, both here and overseas.
Coverage includes: an investigation into the Japanese cult that tested weapons in the WA desert, Islamic black magic in Melbourne, photos from Victoria’s “The Family,” and the guy in Queensland who says he’s Jesus.
Vice will also look at the psychology of indoctrination, and speak to survivors of the Jonestown tragedy.
Source: Vice
