In the previous feature, the factual information about how the KKK was established and the recorded tangible events were discussed to give this feature the context it needs. However, in this feature the topic of how the KKK is one of the most culturally destructive and dangerous cults will be muted.
An example of their tyranny can be observed as recently as four months ago. A group of KKK members were reported to have singled out an African American in the town of Atlee in Texas as a target for one of their nefarious acts. The Texas police report said that the gang, all of whom were white, with links to many branches of the contemporary KKK ambushed a man at a local convenience store. They then took him to one of their pickup trucks and chained him to the back axle. They then proceeded to drive at high speed until the man was dead.
Events like these are, in many definitions of the word, cult like. The fact that it was a group, all of like-minded motivations involved in an activity promoted by a shared ethos, is the main criteria needed to be fulfilled to be considered a cult by most standards. However, the fact that the activity was so far from the social norm with extremely negative consequences solidifies the activity as a powerful one that belongs to those few cults with very threatening ideals.
I say the KKK are a negative cult because cults are not, by nature, negative entities and in many cases quite innocuous. There should be no sinister connotation when the word cult is used as it only technically means to worship.
Yet the KKK cult is a prime example of a malevolent one. Members of the cult, sometimes categorised using the WASP acronym: White Anglo Saxon Protestants, have been carrying out heinous activities such as the aforementioned since the creation of the clan. However, the time when the worst and most frequent atrocities committed by the group occurred was in the 1920s.
In this period of time not only was their strong hatred and attacks on African Americans more potent but Catholics, Jews and Liberals were also preyed upon. Some of the most disgusting punishments the KKK inflicted upon those who they hated were group lynchings, burning and desecrating churches and graves of opposing race and religion, mutilation, castration, rape, murder and horrendous torture.
Not many other mainline cults have committed so much violence and killed and destroyed so many families as the KKK. Over the 86 years when the Klan operated in earnest, the Ku Klux Klan lynched 3,446 African American citizens.
This hatred can be explained by economic factors, in terms of those who they hated were usually the immigrants or people who influxed the labour market. Either because they used to be a slave and were freed or came from another country or political ideology etc. This left the majority of white Americans mostly in the South annoyed because they suddenly had a huge arrival of people to compete with for jobs.
Yet this is only the pragmatist’s view. If you were to look at the spiritual or cultural teachings of the KKK you can see that they create biblical ideals suited to their aims by cherry picking from the Bible. This gives them a religious excuse to go about the deeds most likely prompted by the real economic factors and pure hate indicative of their time and culture.
For example, from 1915 onward, Klansmen conducted cross-burnings not only to intimidate targets, but also to demonstrate their respect and reverence for Jesus Christ. The ‘holy’ gatherings also include saying prayers and singing Christian hymns. Modern Klan organizations, such as the Knights Party, USA, continue to focus on the Christian supremacist message, detecting a "war" which allegedly aims to destroy "western Christian civilization."
Of course this is mostly KKK propaganda and notoriously every time a member of the Klan is asked about what section in the Bible justifies their actions, they deflect or become very aggressive.
The KKK is fundamentally one of the worst cults, because they do disgusting, horrifying things often just because of pure hatred. Not because of economic factors of spiritual or religious beliefs. It is because they are so arrogant and self-righteous to think that they are the ultimate ideal of human specimen.
In many ways this brings them parallel with the Nazi’s and their belief of the ultimate race and the extermination of those thought to be inferior. In fact the KKK was heavily influenced by the ideas of the Nazis as many found refuge in American white supremacists groups after WWII. Where their doctrine permeated the already saturated pro-white organisations.
Truly then the KKK can be considered as one of, if not the, most vile and depraved cults on the planet.
Events like these are, in many definitions of the word, cult like. The fact that it was a group, all of like-minded motivations involved in an activity promoted by a shared ethos, is the main criteria needed to be fulfilled to be considered a cult by most standards. However, the fact that the activity was so far from the social norm with extremely negative consequences solidifies the activity as a powerful one that belongs to those few cults with very threatening ideals.
I say the KKK are a negative cult because cults are not, by nature, negative entities and in many cases quite innocuous. There should be no sinister connotation when the word cult is used as it only technically means to worship.
Yet the KKK cult is a prime example of a malevolent one. Members of the cult, sometimes categorised using the WASP acronym: White Anglo Saxon Protestants, have been carrying out heinous activities such as the aforementioned since the creation of the clan. However, the time when the worst and most frequent atrocities committed by the group occurred was in the 1920s.
In this period of time not only was their strong hatred and attacks on African Americans more potent but Catholics, Jews and Liberals were also preyed upon. Some of the most disgusting punishments the KKK inflicted upon those who they hated were group lynchings, burning and desecrating churches and graves of opposing race and religion, mutilation, castration, rape, murder and horrendous torture.
Not many other mainline cults have committed so much violence and killed and destroyed so many families as the KKK. Over the 86 years when the Klan operated in earnest, the Ku Klux Klan lynched 3,446 African American citizens.
This hatred can be explained by economic factors, in terms of those who they hated were usually the immigrants or people who influxed the labour market. Either because they used to be a slave and were freed or came from another country or political ideology etc. This left the majority of white Americans mostly in the South annoyed because they suddenly had a huge arrival of people to compete with for jobs.
Yet this is only the pragmatist’s view. If you were to look at the spiritual or cultural teachings of the KKK you can see that they create biblical ideals suited to their aims by cherry picking from the Bible. This gives them a religious excuse to go about the deeds most likely prompted by the real economic factors and pure hate indicative of their time and culture.
For example, from 1915 onward, Klansmen conducted cross-burnings not only to intimidate targets, but also to demonstrate their respect and reverence for Jesus Christ. The ‘holy’ gatherings also include saying prayers and singing Christian hymns. Modern Klan organizations, such as the Knights Party, USA, continue to focus on the Christian supremacist message, detecting a "war" which allegedly aims to destroy "western Christian civilization."
Of course this is mostly KKK propaganda and notoriously every time a member of the Klan is asked about what section in the Bible justifies their actions, they deflect or become very aggressive.
The KKK is fundamentally one of the worst cults, because they do disgusting, horrifying things often just because of pure hatred. Not because of economic factors of spiritual or religious beliefs. It is because they are so arrogant and self-righteous to think that they are the ultimate ideal of human specimen.
In many ways this brings them parallel with the Nazi’s and their belief of the ultimate race and the extermination of those thought to be inferior. In fact the KKK was heavily influenced by the ideas of the Nazis as many found refuge in American white supremacists groups after WWII. Where their doctrine permeated the already saturated pro-white organisations.
Truly then the KKK can be considered as one of, if not the, most vile and depraved cults on the planet.
By Tim Price