The word cult is used in many ways in our culture today. When my tenure ended at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and I began to experience different areas of media, I was surprised to hear and see the word “cult” used in many other ways besides “religious cult”. Terms such as “Personality cult” or “cult of personality” and “cult like following” were some odd examples that I can remember.
A “cult of personality” in its origin has referred to certain government leaders in totalitarian regimes or dictatorships placing their image or likeness at the forefront of their country. Examples cited here … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality include Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong and more. The modern use has used the term to describe less about governments and more about individuals in the public eye that have a large following that seems to adore them incessantly.
The term “cult like following” refers to “to a small or large group of fans that are either somewhat or highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to “have a cult following” when it has a small but very passionate fan-base.” Defined here… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_following
Well, that makes sense; I had been out of regular touch with “pop culture” and had not been exposed to movies, bands, books or video games. I had no idea or memory about these emotional groups or intense followings. Honestly, when I first left WOFF, there was so much that has occurred in the areas or entertainment, news, sports and the like, while I was inside WOFF, that it was impossible catch-up. Many times, friends would ask me if I had seen a certain movie or read a certain book, I would say “no”. Then the person would have the light come on and say, oh, yea, I forgot. The terms to describe my time in WOFF vary. Some say that I had been “in a box”. Others say – oh, you were “out of town”. Whatever fits, I can’t change my past, I can only move on with this day and the time I have going forward.
Continue reading Other Uses for the Word “Cult” – Fear Being a Key