Let's have sex, for God's sake!
A popular image of a sex cult leader is one of a sleazy, unattractive but charismatic man who somehow entices followers to believe his obscure reasons for why they should join his cult, and sleep with him.
Or, a deluded, peace-asserting hippy who believes that sex will open everyone’s third eye or other such coxen claims.
Although free love and sex cults are often tied to the ‘60s, the concept dates much further back.
The Romans had temples dedicated to the goddess Venus, who some interpreted to be the goddess of prostitutes.
It is believed that sex rituals were performed in the temples as a form of worship.
Cult mentality
These days, there is a multitude of cults and they are widely considered controversial, perhaps due to the cult mentality popularised in the 60s.
The decade’s generation developed obsessions with rock stars, and the music scene led the free love movement.
Charles Manson, mainly remembered for instigating murders using followers from the Family, also encouraged open sex among them and conducted prostitution.
Jim Jones, leader of the People’s Temple cult and orchestrator of the Jonestown massacre, was reported to have forced his followers to have sex with him – which they would because they saw him as a ‘supreme being’.
Another cult founded in the ‘60s, which still exists, is The Family International, formerly known as Children of God.
It is a cult whose reputation is defined by reports of sex, child abuse and religious prostitution.
Some blame the overwhelming dedication cult members show for their leaders, which often leads to sex or sexual attraction, on Stockholm syndrome.
That is, thinking of cult recruitment more as kidnapping and brainwashing, than a voluntary decision.
The syndrome – originating from a bank robbery in Norrmalmstorg, Stockholm in 1973 where the bank personnel developed feelings for the robbers holding them hostages for six consecutive days – is a term for the strong bond kidnap victims can develop with their captor, not only siding with but also sometimes falling in love with that person.
Communities
Established religions and religious communities can and have been surrounded by stigma over sexual corruption.
Religious laws and beliefs can be interpreted, no matter how tenuously, to mean different things and faith can prevent questioning or doubt.
Small orthodox communities are seemingly at more risk in terms of sexual corruption or exploitation.
If generations of the same families have grown up in a closed society with only like-minded others it is hard to know what is "acceptable".
The rejection of, or independence from the outside world isolates them and minimizes the risk of confrontation with diverse beliefs.
The danger of crimes – sex-related or otherwise– being committed, especially as the police are rarely involved, is theoretically high.
A small Mennonite (a branch of Christianity) community in Bolivia recently experienced a torrent of drug-assisted rapes.
A small group of men from the community allegedly used a narcotic to subdue victims and their families at night in order to rape girls and women.
The first accusations cast were dismissed, but eventually the community had to take action and even involved the police, finding it too overwhelming to deal with internally.
Though the Mennonite religion is respected as deriving from one of the oldest peace churches, it was still susceptible to a type of sexual corruption.
In 2006 a cult in Darlington, Co Durham was uncovered which used women as submissive ‘slaves’, basing their views on the series of erotic science fiction novels The Chronicles of Gor.
Police could not intervene as most members were taking part willingly and it was not a criminal group.
More recently, in 2009, a sex cult in Papua New Guinea who claimed that banana produce would multiply if residents had public sex with them - this cult however was was targeted by the police.
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