#1 Aum Shinrikyo

This cults originates from Japan and if you translate their name its Supreme Truth. They choses this name because the leader believed that everything he was saying was true and he if you didnt believe in him then you were in a way defying god. This cult was founded in 1984 by Shoko Asahara. On the surface this cult seems harmless and just another yoga and meditation cult. Although it was quite the opposite. The cult was accused of fraud and forcing people to donate money to their organization, they were accused of murder.

Shoko Asahara

After these accusation the police began to take action and started to investigate the cults actions. The thing that made this cult so talked about is what the police found out the leader had done and what they found after the arrest of the leader. Their leader was so worried about being caught he released a sarin gas into a local subway to try and distract the police. Although it was a good try to distract the police they eventually found out he was the one who released the gas. After the police found out it was him they had the right to search where he lived with all of his followers. While searching his compound they found poisonous gas that could kill up to four million people, a russian helicopter, various sorts of drugs, and chemical weapons for example anthrax. The findings shocked everyone and Asahara was sent to prison for his entire life. Although the cult ended when he went to jail some people who still believed in his beliefs created their own cults but none gained as much fame because they were not as extreme.

All this information proves that people may seem harmless and nice but they really may not be. Before trusting someone make sure you know everything about them.

#2 Branch of Davidians

The Branch of Davidians is anotheer cult that is famous for a sort of mass suicide/death that killed a bunch of their members. The cult was founded in 1955 by David Koresh and convinced his followers that if they were not alligned with him and the United States then they were going against God, and if you were to go against god terrible things would happen to. Also this cult is just another form of church that someone was not happy with so they went and created their own so they could be in complete control of everything.

The compound being set on fire

The compound was set on fire after a 51 day stand of with the police. This stand off occured because the police were led to believe of sexual abuse by the leader. The leader was using his power to have sexual relations with the female follower even when it was not wanted. When the police heard about this that is the stand off began. But when the police showed of it deeply offended the people of church(mostly the leader) because they did not believe they were doing anything wrong. The compound was set on fire a couple minutes after releasing teargas but nobody really knows why it set on fire. Because teargas had never set anything on fire and the members of the church were not willing to admit to them setting the place on fire. Anyways due do this massive fire 76 people ended up dying and a bunch of people ended up being injured.

The flag of Branch of Davidians 

All this is showing that sometimes its good to stand up for what you believe in if what you are fighting for is right. But just ensure that nobody gets harmed in the processes. Because if you end up hurting people that are trying to help you it defeats the purpose.

#3 Klu Klux Klan

Theirs no way I could write a blog about the top five most controversial cults in history and not mention the Klu Klux Klan so here it is. Everyone by my age knows what the Klu Klux Klan (often known as KKK) is and is what they have done, so I won't be focusing so much on the history part but more on how it is still socially relevant and give some examples. But to start off here are your basic historical facts about the Klu Klux Klan.

The Klu Klux Klan was founded in 1866 in the United States was in every southern state by 1870. The cult was made because white soldiers who were returning from war were upset. They were upset about the fact the "Republican party aimed at establishing political and economic equality for blacks". The white men were angry about the fact that their was a possibility they would no longer be in complete control of everything which scared them. So their angry and scared themselves ended up committing very horrific crimes towards that killed many african americans.  http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan (quotation is from this site also their is a 2 minute at the top of the article that summarises all of this. It's really good if you want to watch it!!!! I mean I recommend that you watch it)

left: Treyvon Martin  Right: George Zimmerman

Why is this still socially relevant? Now although people no longer walk around the street in white dresses hunting down african americans many especially in the southern states are still discriminating
towards africans, For example the Treyvon Martin case. Treyvon Martin was shot and killed walking back to his dads house after buying something from a connivence store. Treyvon was killed and the shooter a white male received no punishment. Thus showing how their is still discrimination towards africans americans.  

#4 Children of God

David Brandt Berg 

The cult Children of God was formed in in Hunnington Beach, California 1968 by David Brandt Berg also known as Father or King David. The cult was later known has the Family of Love and later. This is a very strange and different cult then the rest. Their belief system that the cult was founded on was
to do things traditionally. Some of those traditional things are ''contacts with spirits, communal living and free love among adults'' and children.

That meaning that the cult believes it is okay for the adults to have sex with the young children. This was mostly done with the girls their had been occasion were the boys were being taken advantage of as well. These young girls were being used as objects os pleasure for the older members and also a source of income. These young girls were being forced into prostitution and what ever profits they made had to be handed back to the church so they could survive, and if they were to not hand the money in all it led to was even more abuse. Another way they used the young boys and girls was as a recruitment system. They would be forced to use beauty to motivate people into joining their cult.

Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan is a actress who stared in the TV show Charmed that ran from 2001-2006 had been apart of the Children of God for the first 8 years of her life. She was born into the cult along with her other 6 siblings. Her and her family were apart of the cult in Italy where she was born. In a interview she did for people magazine she speaks about how she was raised very religiously and how her parents did not become worried until she was around the age of 6. They began to realise how some of the older members were taking advantage of the younger ones and were afraid their children may be one of those kids. After making those assumptions herself and her family fled the cult and moved to United States were she obviously went on to better things.







This proving that even if you face difficult things at a young age you are capable of overcoming those obstacles. It may be difficult but with the love and support of your family you will be able to.

#5 Order of the Solar Temple

My five blogs will be speaking about the 5 most controversial cults throughout history, some no longer exists some still do.



The fifth most controversial cult is the Order of the Solar Temple. The Order of the Solar Temple was founded in Geneva 1984 by Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret (homeopathic physician and New Age lecturer) . The cult contained a 33 member council that would travel around the world luring people by putting together an initiation ceremony that would make the cult seem pleasant and non harmful. This cult is a branch of many other but resembles the most Renewed Order of the Temple. These cults share many of the many beliefs. Although, their is one thing that sets the Solar Temple apart. That being they believed a world wide disaster would ruin the earth and the only way to survive was to join and conform to the cults ways.

 One of those ways being they had to kill themselves. It was the following of that action that brought the Solar Temple to fame. More then 70 people killed themselves during the 90's because they were led to believe that is was the only way to "survive" or "enter a higher spiritual lane". The majority ended their life by being all in one building and setting that building on fire. As crazy as that sounds this cult was one of many cults "whose ends occurred in acts of murder-suicide. Even after all of this and the world ending event (that never happened) the cult made it through and is now larger then ever. It is lead to believe that their are close to 500 members.

This is one of the houses they burned down to commit suicide

Now all this information is proving that some people have nothing to believe in and will search for anything that makes them feel purposeful. Even if that means possibly being brainwashed that suicide is a path that needs to be taken.