Israeli police have arrested the leader of an alleged polygamist cult and accused him of enslavement and sexual offences including rape. The suspect, Goel Ratzon, has been living in Tel Aviv with 17 women with whom he had up to 40 children. Police launched an undercover investigation in June 2009 after complaints from some of the women. Mr Ratzon says the women were with him voluntarily and that a book of rules he used did not amount to enslavement.
BBC
By what criteria should we assess a cult as such. The term cult is just a pejorative used by dominant religious cultures against minority groups in order to subjugate and delegitimize their beliefs. His penchant towards polygamy certainly seems to fit the profile of a cult leader, but is that really enough?
1 comments:
I see all religions as cults.
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