Would You Ever Join a Cult?

About This Quiz

Cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh contaminated food across Oregon. Jim Jones from the Peoples Temple encouraged his followers to consume a cyanide-laced drink, causing 909 to die. Branch Davidian leader David Koresh believed himself a Messiah, boldly declaring all women as his "spiritual wives." After being locked in a compound with stockpiled weapons for months on end, the Branch Davidian's demise came after a 51-day standoff with the F.B.I. And these are just a few of many, many cults that shocked the globe. 

The word "cult" became popularized in the U.S. in the 1930s as a term for "faith healing" practices. At the time, people used the word cult to refer to these ceremonies, in which people believed that illnesses, ailments and other grievances could be resolved through prayer or worship. Since then, the word has evolved quite a bit, though no one can exactly agree on a definition.

Today, the term generally refers to a group of people defined by their "abnormal" spiritual, religious or philosophical beliefs. It's usually used as a pejorative term since the groups are often deemed deviant or immoral. And, let's face it: while they often reel followers in with messages of hope and unity, they tend to keep them aboard through control and sublimation. Naturally, they often end in complete disaster. 

So, is joining a cult your destiny, or will you manage to steer clear of compounds and sprawling wilderness retreats? There's only one way to find out, and that's to take the following quiz.