April Awakening: Day Ten ☁️☁️🌤️
One thing I find interesting in The Public Discourse™ is the accusation that those on the “opposite” side of you are the only ones who have the capacity to be part of a “cult.” If you espouse even one belief that can be attributed to the guy (or gal) disliked in this instance, then you’re the one who’s in a cult. The MAGA Cult. The Democrat Plantation Cult. The Beyhive. The LGBTQ+ Cult. The Sports Fanatic Cult. The Girl Scouts. There’s a whole lot of cults going on out there, I guess, and it seems they’re not as esoteric as the charged word implies, if anyone and everyone is accused of being in one.
In Catholic grade school, we’d have “First Friday” mass every first Friday of the month. One of the grades would “lead” the mass each time, but when it wasn’t our turn, I wasn’t ever an active participant. The only thing I cared about was trying to angle myself in line so I could sit next to a boy I liked, as we had to file in boy, girl, boy, girl. Otherwise I’d be counting the stars painted on the ceiling, or wondering who’d get hit if one of the hanging light fixtures fell into the pews. There was one part of mass that always stuck out to me, right after the priest consecrated the hosts. “The Lord be with you,” he’d say, and the congregation would answer, “And also with you.” “Lift up your hearts.” “We lift them up to the Lord.” “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” “It is right to give him thanks and praise.”
The Catholic church has since changed the phrases used, but the rituals remain the same. Stand up. Sit back down. Kneel. Receive Communion. I remember being in fifth grade and thinking in my head, “We sound like a cult.” It felt like a blasphemous statement, as this was the religion I was raised with. And I’m sure comedians before me have made mention of the ritualistic nature of organized religion. But it was the first time I really questioned the meaning of faith and belief. I never disbelieved in God, I just knew my personal walk with the Creator was not going to come from Man’s leadership down here.
I can understand why people revert to the “you’re in a cult” insult. Sometimes I think the same when I hear the most outlandish gaslighting from these so-called leaders who are allegedly working for the American people. But I know it’s all bluster. It’s just mean, frankly, to think someone is so mindless they’ll let anyone rule over their thoughts. I mean, I’m sure it does happen, but not to the scale these reactionaries say it does. And I simply pity those who haven’t discovered their sense of self yet. But why is it such an unknowing concept that everyone comes to their own conclusions when faced with the same information we’re all receiving?
While even today I think of religious adherents as a bit odd, I’m not going to fault them for finding some form of faith that works. It’s not my place to do that. Freedom of religion and all that, even if we’re talking political ‘religious’ affiliation. And I’m going to think those who immediately default to “cult” calling when a disagreement happens as low-effort partisan pushers. You’re not in a cult. You just get mad when someone questions your beliefs.
What I think we have to all watch out for are the real esoteric creeps out there. The ones who are simply after control of another’s autonomy. Who’ll do nefarious things when no one is looking in an effort to take charge of the masses. Who want to shift the energy to their liking because the world would ruin them if they’re ever found out. Call out those cultists. Save the Twitter screeds for another doctrine.