Cults and Extreme Belief

If you are looking for a good overview of some of the various cults in America today, there are certainly better ways to learn than from this mini-series. This is because the films do not present a logical and systematic look at these groups. An academic overview, these episodes are not. Instead, the stories of one or two specific ex-members are given and you learn about them and their specific negative experiences....and what in particular prompted them to leave the groups. And so, what might not be important to them might be extremely important to another. It's often just too specific to have much value to the casual viewer who just wants to know what these groups believe.

Some episodes were interesting but the interviewers too often focused on uninteresting political differences that don't really strike me as cult beliefs. Take the ar15 people for example. Their beliefs about the importance of guns to protect against government tyranny seemed fairly mainstream, biblical translation to "rod of iron" aside. What seemed cultish was more about their Fringe belief that a former founder was the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The episode devolve into characterizing gun ownership and education and spanking as cultish behavior, which seems more like lefty propaganda.

Some episodes seem to be an exception to this.

A boo-hoo tearjerker for the privileged. Firstly, Elizabeth Vargas must be the most ignorant person I've seen in years on television! She must live on fantasy Island because her absolute ignorance is astounding. She is such a complete and utter product of her society that I would be surprised if she had an original thought in years.

And as such, she's predictably judgemental, a true Karen!

As for the program, most of it is small beans. There's a lot of boo-hooing about spanking, or having to eat weird foods, having to have your hair parted down the middle. The agony!!!

All of this is portrayed as being subhuman treatment, when probably 2/3 of the populace of the earth wish they had it that well!

Just another failed docu- drama about the privileged citizens of the United States, and their absolute ignorance of the rest of the world.

As a female who had to marry into the church. My family, my children, myself, have been "raised". It's brain washing. You are defined by your husband. Even tough your husband gets to participate as a Peter pan. Narcissists. They raise narcissists. And as a Ph.D. I'm a threat. They shun me. They shun my children. I am female. We are not allowed to have a voice.

As a Brit watching this I have to say it was a great watch. I guess it made me ask why are there so many of these groups in the USA? Also how is it the wacky ones are allowed to be armed? This series does a great job of trying to understand this issue from inside the group and outside looking in.