When asked about what a sect is, you can answer that this is a religious community whose members have split from the ruling church and have adopted a new doctrine. In the future, the ideology of a closed group of people can grow into a major direction of one of the religions and even become an independent teaching.
How is the sect organized?
A destructive sect or a cult of the new cult has the goal of replenishing the spiritual needs of man. She is engaged in the search for the meaning of life, promises each member immortality and deliverance from suffering. In fact, such a community is a kind of financial pyramid, where there is a founder - a teacher, who all unquestioningly obey and fulfill specific tasks: recruiting people, trying to isolate them from loved ones and completely subordinate the founder. In a sect, always someone over someone dominates, and all its members are required to follow certain rules, attend meetings, carry out orders, etc.
In addition, members of the religious community financially provide the organization: give some part of the income or make monthly contributions. In the media, many talk about the crimes of sectarians for taking away housing, when people voluntarily or compulsorily sell apartments or houses, and give money to the sect.
Signs of a sectarian
Most of them betray themselves, stopping passers-by on the street and talking to them about God. But if your acquaintance with a person did not start from this, but you notice in it some strange things, then you can recognize the sectarian by the way he behaves and what he says. The interlocutor classifies himself as a certain group of people who have some unusual knowledge. He is ready to share them and offers to attend a meeting in which you will learn the truth of being and will live better.
However, from direct answers to questions, the opponent avoids, in general, appeals with strange and incomprehensible words and expressions, often creating the feeling that he himself does not understand the meaning of what has been said, but simply reproduces pieces of previously learned text. Sectarians often refer to their sinless leader and argue that his gift is the result of communication with spirits, aliens and someone else. We must not forget that most of them are subtle psychologists who can play on the feelings of people, their vices, for example, vanity. People are persuaded that they are elected, they are entrusted with the great mission to save themselves and save others, and only this causes in people pride in themselves and contempt for others who do not know their purpose.
In addition, many sect members have their own specific symbolism, which is labeled clothing, speech, etc. Often the body is covered with the same tattoos. The ideological community can have its own musical staff,
Struggle against sects
The fight against such organizations is conducted by both the state and private individuals, but for the time being it is more like Don Quixote's struggle with windmills. The whole point is that this requires certain knowledge, time and money. It is possible to spoil the image of the organization's representatives, in any way interfere with their activities, involving the police and local media, but the first and second of their cases are many, and in addition, the sectarians will not calmly watch someone destroy their lives. They can respond with a blow to the blow, both with legal and illegal methods. You can try to save someone from your relatives who are in the sect, but there is not always a possible positive outcome.