What's the best way to run a cult?

Is this an arthur thread?

Obviously

As secretively as possible.

Gofundme, "help donald drumpf is deporting me and my family and I need $100,000", enjoy the free shekels.

Why does this sound familiar?

Is this based off of that one camwhore who made a guy kill themself?

Same reason why radicals in real life do things like throw acid in women's faces for not dressing as they would prefer, stone people for infidelity, or persecute people who don't fit into the fabric of their community as well as they would like. Very few of these people think of their own actions as evil, and do not see their theological interpretations as such. Someone like this could easily follow the doctrine of a deity that told them that all of these things are not only okay but morally laudable.

The priests of these fictional gods are akin to our swindling televangelists, violent zealots, and psychotic cult leaders except that their twisted theologies are rewarded with tangible power from unholy masters even as they exploit the darkest aspects of the human psyche to wield power over their flocks.

Orcish priests of gruumsh are akin to Saudi imams who call for purging those who aren't part of their cult. Drow clerics of lolth are like Borgias who shake down noble houses for indulgences before assassinating one another over Papal politics. The D&D alignment system allows these groups to be neatly sorted out of the fold from the brighter side of religious influence and institutions and confronted as a separate entity. In the real world it is not so clean, but that is the appeal of escapism.

What is the best way to avoid a cult? Should I read a fucking book? Should I trust no one but myself? Should I get a fedora? Should I go full Max Stirner?

You're posting on a cult website right now. Remember you're here forever

>Is this based off of that one camwhore who made a guy kill themself?
what? Google only gives results on SG girls

Unfortunately, it's hard to give blanket advice to not fall into a cult. Every time you enter a new social circle, you might be entering a cult.

If you are GENUINELY concerned about falling into a cult, read up on cult indoctrination, and you might be able to recognize things like when you're being love bombed.

Be aware the vast majority of cults have a major sexual element that Religions don't.

Of course this doesn't cover them all, but it's a big distinction that applies most of the time.

Also watch out for heirarchies with a non elected "president-for-life" style position, especially if its one family.

Feminist activism is a multi-million dollar industry.
If you've got the means to give anybody loyal to your institution feminist cred you're giving out lucrative and influential careers, with a bit of reciprocity you'll be able to massively enrich yourself.

I wouldn't say Islam's a cult, or at least, it's a shittily ran one if so. Too many sects and splinter factions. A cult would ideally have a central authority that has total control over their adherents.

Now some of the factions like ISIS might fit the bill, but Islam as a larger religion doesn't really qualify.

Welp, we're already doing better to manipulate sjws than any other boards are... I'll see myself out with this:

youtu.be/QxJrjV4PNXA

This vid explains cult behavior pretty well.
youtube.com/watch?v=htqOIjzi-jE

How would one possible profit from using this as a cult leader?

Well it did, but then he died and his successors started fighting over the position. The Sunni/Shia schism started not as a theological matter but a power struggle that ended with Ali (the Shia guy) getting brutally murdered.

And now you know.

If you worship the generic good aligned Judeo-Christian creator god, you're vying for his attention along with billions of others. No matter when you pray, there's a million other people praying. He gives no fucks about you.

If you worship some obscure evil central-asian goddess of the moon and snakes, you probably have all of her attention at any particular moment you might want to talk to her. And evil or not, she's going to care. If she loses you, she's lost like 20% of her total followers.

Sounds like Berserk

1) Get style consultants to help you look and sound like a trendy teen misfit. 2) Claim a passion for some cause that can be said to affect them more than those outside that age group. 3) Promote just enough mild support for your cause that the political opposition begins to retaliate, giving you legitimacy. 4) Release disinformation appealing to science so as to isolate the few who opposed. 5) Post alarmist videos and paid newspaper op eds to stir up everyone. 6) If someone calls you out on your claims being debunked by high school level science, call them a child molester. 7) Disappear from the ranks of the cult in order to enjoy twenty years of guaranteed employment faking science at your global warming research firm, then repeat

>No qt snake moon goddess who dotes on me to take care of myself since she'd genuinely be heartbroken if I died.
>No qt snake moon goddess to have "accidentally" have lewd thoughts about to embarrass her.

I'm finding less reasons to live every day.

go read up Jim Jones

I always thought the cult of the damned was well designed.

No better way

> What's the best way to run a cult?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aum_Shinrikyo

Modern Feminism

Make great (if somewhat creepy) music.

>how to avoid a cult
Apply critical thinking and use logic. Avoid anything that puts limitations on where you can physically go, demands working for the organization, and/or requires donations.

Particularly if it is required to "advance" or become a greater member.

or not

incompetently

Looking at it, Scientology and Islam are really the same structure, anyway. And both do shady shit to try and compromise governments that they're not a part of.

Cults all have very similar practices: Love bombing at the start, isolation, and replacement of all facets of the outside world with the inside world.

Make it seem convincing, like something you can picture the average person being inducted into. The cults I run usually have some kind of utopian appeal until the key to the puzzle is revealed showing the immoral mastermind behind it all.

I'm sure people would still like the generic hooded guys chanting around some glyph, though.

Read up on persuasive techniques. Cults and salesmen use the same principles, only to different extremes. By learning them, you can build your resistance to them (though you'll have to always be vigilant).

Both of these imploded. Scientology attained tax exempt status.

Bumping out of interest, Veeky Forums what are some things you'd do for your fantasy cult? What would the uniforms be? And would they be a seriously threatening cult or would you throw something like the blue men from earthbound at your players?

What's the best way to stop a cult? I'm tired of these fucking heretics in Dark Heresy always summoning daemons or whatever right as we break down the door

That's because Scientology is about making money not following their whack job religion and leader

Premise:

There's a standard comatose lovecraftian monstrosity somewhere on earth. When it wakes up, it'll kill everyone.

However there's a magical workaround.

If you kill someone and perform the proper ritual, however long they would have otherwise lived is added to the amount of time before the hibernating abomination awakens.

Sure it sucks for the people sacrificed, but without their help, everyone would die.

>Backstory for a standard CoC cult?

Answer this. This is important.

Isn't that picture from that one Manhwa, Wild Girls or something?

And getting a Japanese guy feel really bad about killing your cultists that he becomes black and edgy.

This. Literally make some garbage like "male tears" mugs or retarded feminist slogan shirts, put up an online store, and market that shit on tumblr. Not only will they buy it, but they'll tell all their friends where they bought it from, because they all want to fit in. They're the fat, female version of the rednecks and ultra-patriots who bought anything with an American flag or made in America sticker after 9/11. They'll throw money away in droves if it makes them think they're supporting a cause or signalling how PC they are.

Well that's basically Aztec religion in a nutshell, only swap out the eldritch abomination awakening with the sun rising tomorrow morning.

Maybe someday.

Could make for an interesting CoC game though. Players start investigating the murders, then find out the truth. Now what.

Or the ritual can be performed over weapons and the cultists are simply distributing cursed AKs in some random third world hellhole.

Was just about to post that

It's like jesuspoints for athiests.

First, become a god
The rest will just kinda happen whether you ask for it or not

well not using scissors to become a tomgirl for one

Target lonely isolated people, give them a simple reason/target to blame for why they're like that, tell them you'll make it better if they listen to you/do what you want. Its like gameshows; charismatic hosts, simple answers to complex questions and fabulous prizes.

>The rest will just kinda happen whether you ask for it or not
scp-wiki.net/scp-2662
Essentially an Eldritch Abomination who happens to be a fairly decent guy... who just so happens to spawn cults dedicated to freeing him and worshiping him in extremely profane and disgusting ways. This form of worship squicks him out, big time. He's not so much contained as voluntarily staying, so that he can minimize his contact with the outside world and keep these things to a minimum. What primarily makes this funny is his reactions, which, in spite of being an Eldritch Abomination, are identical to that of an average human being in the same situation.

To summarize, the article's title is "Cthulhu f'UCK OFF!".