Yes It's A Cult

The Republican Party has become a cult of personality. The most recent evidence is the gold plated statue of a certain twice impeached former president at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last week in Orlando, FL. Considering that the current conservative movement leans heavily evangelical Christians you’d think such a statue and the worshipping of the former president would bring to mind Exodus 32:4 in which the Israelites put together a golden calf idol and Moses and shames them for their lack of faith.

In the last 12 months more than 500,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, many of them might never have contracted it if our federal and state governments had taken it seriously rather than calling it a hoax or as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick famously suggested grandparents should be willing to sacrifice their lives for the state’s economy. Patrick made that ridiculous statement in May last year, as of last week nearly 44,000 Texans have died from COVID-19. No Republican elected officials criticized him for his callousness and many of local conservatives still don’t want to wear a mask and when they do won’t wear it properly over their nose. Much of this refusal to accept reality is shear partisanship following their cult leader, he of the golden statue above, who at times called the pandemic a hoax and said it would just go away like magic.

The violent takeover of the nation's capitol January 6^th seems to have pushed away the former president's supporters, as evidenced by the growing number of Republicans around the country who have changed their voter registration to Independent or Democrat. Unfortunately diehard Trump loyalists have become even more fervent followers. The twice impeached loser and his devotees have long been known for their divisive rhetoric, strong affinity for conspiracy theories, radical views of the world that are divorced from reality, and support for authoritarianism. Since the electoral loss in November they have started exhibiting clearer characteristics of cult followers, such as victim mentality, and a tendency to blame others.

Cultists place blind and absolute faith in their leader. They believe that they are on the side of truth and in the righteousness of their group. When presented with facts casting doubt on their beliefs, they are unwilling to seriously consider the possibility that they're wrong. Instead, they simply deny reality or embrace a conspiracy theory like the nonsense presented as QANON.

Conspiracy theories can be very attractive as they offer intriguing stories about "truth that is not reported by media" and you've been let in on the secret. Such "theories" often provide support for the persons own views and feelings. Those who become fully committed to a conspiracy theory no longer have to fact-check or evaluate information. They are spared the effort of soul-searching and agonizing over weighty questions.

The aftermath of the U.S. presidential election has unfolded is graphic evidence of the danger inherent in allowing cult thinking to quietly gain ground. A prime example of this is Japan's experiences with Aum Shinrikyo. Chizuo Matsumoto the founder of a religious cult called Aum Shinrikyo, ran for election to Japan's parliament. Confident he would win, Asahara instead suffered a massive defeat. He then claimed there was vote-rigging, saying some votes had been "replaced." Any of that sound familiar? Aum Shinrikyo was allowed to grow into a powerful organization eventually committing numerous crimes  culminating in the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, the world's first indiscriminate terrorist attack using a toxic chemical.

There really is no telling how this cult will end.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - March 3, 2021