Abstract
In this article, the writer explores the concept of cults in American society today. The writer looks at the general characteristics of cults and examines how people join cults. The writer discusses why anyone would ever wish to join a cult and also looks at the life of a cultist. The writer concludes that overall, the concept of religious cults is an interesting and very significant concept, however, it is also misunderstood today in America, as stereotypes on how all cults involve crazy leaders who lead extremist movements shown by the media blind the public from seeing the truth.

From the Paper
"In Western society today, the concepts of cults and Islam both are looked upon in similar ways. Both are concepts people frequently misunderstand, and both are considered dangerous and radical. Westerners consider only the extremist and violent side of cults and Islam. When people see the word, Islam, most tend to immediately think of terrorists. When people hear the concept of cult, they believe in evil fanatics castrating each other, drinking poison, being led by a charismatic leader. Generally, the overall western view of cults is significantly more accurate on Islam, as many cults do involve extremist and dangerous actions. However, it is still quite inaccurate. Most western views put aside the formal and technical definitions made by professionals, and simply view a cult as a dangerous false religion led by unstable leaders. 1The formal definitions of the word, cult, are actually quite broad and the majority simply describe it as a group of people following a spurious or unorthodox system of religious beliefs and practices that is different from their practices."

Tags:cults, kashi, ashram, leader, religion, hinduism, buddhism, recruit

Abstract
This paper focuses on the characters of these three works and how they epitomize the typical member of society in which they live. The writer analyzes their names as an example of how much this reflects the social class to which they belong and shows how these characters have managed to be marginalized by society despite their best efforts.

From the paper:
Esperanza lives in the impoverished Hispanic community; the only luxury she ever experiences is a ride around the block in a stolen Cadillac. Peanut is part of a working class Catholic family, at a time when Catholics were considered little more than backward cultists, subservient to hundreds of arcane rules and the whims of the pope.
Although no ethnic background is ever specified for him, Willy Loman is a member of a social class that is considered to be most unseemly by mainstream America, the salesman. Worse yet, as the play begins, he is a failed salesman".

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From the Paper
Esperanza lives in the impoverished Hispanic community; the only luxury she ever experiences is a ride around the block in a stolen Cadillac. Peanut is part of a working class Catholic family, at a time when Catholics were considered little more than backward cultists, subservient to hundreds of arcane rules and the whims of the pope. Although no ethnic background is ever specified for him, Willy Loman is a member of a social class that is considered to be most unseemly by mainstream America, the salesman. Worse yet, as the play begins, he is a failed salesman.

Tags:class, struggle, literature, poverty, poor, Hispanic, Spanish, American, Dream

Abstract
This paper examines the second generation of the Unification Church as an American subculture following the Cold War. It begins by describing the background and biases of the researcher, then goes into an overview of the Church's religious beliefs and culture. Then, the paper examines the role of second generation Unificationists, or "Blessed Children," as they are known within the Church. Blessed Children are crucial to the Church's survival, so the writer examines their position in the Church from the perspective of the Church, from the perspective of parents, and from the perspective of the Blessed Children themselves. The paper describes the challenges of being Blessed Children, as well as the problems the Church will face as the second generation comes into power.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1: Overview of Religious Beliefs
True Father and His Divine Principle
The Blessing
The Spirit World
Holidays and Other Religious Traditions
Chapter 2: The Importance of Blessed Children: The Mission, Should You
Choose to Accept it...
True Parents' Words
The Blessed Children's Blessing - "Who's Going to Take
Responsibility?"
What Will the Future Bring?
Chapter 3: "You have been born with responsibility, whether you like it
or not." - How Blessed Children view their role in the Church
The Blessing, Purity, and the Lineage
"Living for the sake of others"
Problems and the Future of the Unification Church
Chapter 4: Concluding Remarks
Bibliography

From the Paper
"The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity was founded in South Korea in 1954 by Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Moon was born in 1920 in South Korea, and raised Presbyterian. When he was fifteen years old, Jesus Christ appeared to him in a vision, and told him to finish the work that Jesus had been unable to do. Through this encounter, Moon learned that Jesus was not actually God, and that the Christian concept of the Trinity is in error. It also turns out that Jesus' mission in life was to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth, by marrying a perfect woman and having a perfect family. According to Unificationist belief, Jesus and his wife were to become the Second Adam and Eve, and through their union they would be able to restore the perfect order of creation that was disrupted when the first man and woman fell from God's grace in the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, due to the Jews' unbelief that he was the Messiah, Jesus was put to death before being able to realize this mission. He was, however, able to offer spiritual salvation for those who believed in him - i.e. Christians. Physical salvation would be impossible until the Third Adam was sent by God to finish what Jesus began. With the perfect marriage of the Third Adam, the Third Adam and his wife will become the "true spiritual parents of all humankind." Members of the Unification Church believe that Rev. Moon and his wife are the long-awaited Third Adam and Eve, and thus refer to them as True Parents. Members of the first generation of Unificationists are thus True Parents' children; more specifically, they carry the name Jacob's Children. Jacob was a historical figure in the book of Genesis, a book whose history forms the foundation for much of Unificationist teachings."

Tags:american, comparitive, cult, cultists, moon, moonies, myung, new, religion, religions, religious, studies, subcultures, sun, tolerance, unificationism