Cults.

I watch the new show on FOX ‘The Following’ and it is very intriguing. The premise behind the show is a serial killer who forms a cult from within the maximum security prison he is in. He is extremely persuasive and charming so it is very easy for people to be convinced by him. Joe Carroll, the cult leader/serial killer, was a professor at a University and uses romantic literature, mainly Edgar Allen Poe to grab peoples attention. In the show, Carroll’s Cult has been compared to Waco and Jonestown. All cults must have a charismatic and powerful leader that controls all members. Other popular cults are the Manson family and Hitler. All of those leaders convinced hundreds of people and most of them didn’t even have to kill their victims themselves. Cults are scary and can happen anywhere and anyone can be involved. Cult leaders are filled with empty promises and hope. They convince their followers to do things they normally wouldn’t do under other circumstances. These people believe that what they are doing is for the greater good of mankind which helps them justify their actions, no matter how violent. Although not entirely common, cults are very dangerous especially since they typically involve a tremendous amount of people including innocent children.