America Quote by Frederick Lenz
“Every new movement or group of people who seek to explore awareness is considered a cult. The United States was founded by several cults. They felt that Protestantism had become much too lax, so they came to America and set up a hard line religious cult.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: 1998, New Age Seminar
New movements are labeled cults, yet many societies began as such, showing bias in defining legitimacy.
In simple terms: Cult labels hide bias.
Key Takeaway
Question labels, seek truth.
Themes
cult
legitimacy
bias
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- religious reform
- political movements
- social activism
Key Concepts
social dynamics
group identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines a healthy movement?
- How can we assess groups fairly?
A Different Perspective
Stigmatizing groups can hinder progress.
![“Suicide terrorist groups are [not] religious cults isolated from the rest of their society, ... Rather, suicide terrorist organizations often command broad social support within the national communities from which they recruit, because they are seen as pursuing legitimate nationalist goals…” quote by Robert Pape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/967/robert-pape-63904_broads_suicide-terrorist-groups-are-not-religio_2973374.jpg)
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
