The state is a cult.

"Cult? What? The government is not a cult! "I'm not in a cult!" - Every statist ever.

I always hear that in Red Foreman's voice:

No, I won't be thanking the U.S. Government for anything they do, Red. It can kindly fuck right the fuck off, and you with them since you love them so much. Oh look at me allowing my disgust for statism getting me talking to a fictional character....lulz. Have a laugh. Maybe there's some kind of 'my foot in your ass' joke here....and its just eluding me.

The truth is....yeah, the state (or government if you prefer) is a cult, and you're engaging in it and supporting it with almost everything you do. This is long known among anarchists, and many other free thinkers now, and throughout history. But, this message is a lot harder to convey than people might initially believe. I know this is one of the points I find the hardest to drive home on statists. There is an endless amount of proof showing the merit, and the logic of this claim, but most people cannot even so much as tolerate the idea of having to reflect on such a thing - until they have to. Many people have an incredibly hard time being objective in general, so this comes as no surprise that they cannot see the state for what it is: a religion, a cult.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult

noun, often attributive \ˈkəlt\

Simple Definition of cult
: a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous
: a situation in which people admire and care about something or someone very much or too much
: a small group of very devoted supporters or fans

Full Definition of cult
1: formal religious veneration : worship
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator 'health cults'
5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b : the object of such devotion
c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

Now after reading the definition of cult, we should look at the ISCA's website (International Cultic Studies Association) and look and how it recognized and characterizes a cult. - If you trust them as any kind of authority on the matter I think it's worth looking at.

http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm

"The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law."

Fanatics of the state are just that: fanatical. They are largely unquestioning and very trusting of state power, and those with whom it resides in: politicians, bureaucrats, judges, etc. - - other people. Statists see this system as the best thing going. Some might simply describe it as the 'least worst' system. At any rate, they make excuses for it, and view the states monopoly on various services such as, law, money, courts, police, military, etc., as the only and/or best way to organize society - and solve social and economic problems. They view this as some self-evident truth, and go to great lengths, and commit great injustices the world over to defend it as such: the state is 'the law'. In fact, the state is GOD. Obey, or else.

‪"Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished."

This is a self-evident fact. Anarchists and many other political dissidents have been arrested, imprisoned, and even put to death for opposing the state. No one need look very far to see how true this point is. Look at people who opposed the draft and how they have been treated. Look at tax (theft) protesters. Look at people who do not quickly enough, or immediately comply with the arbitrary commands of the police - - as if we don't have enough examples of that in the news! This point makes itself, and I don't think it needs a whole lot of investigation, unless your goal is to see how disappointed you can become in humanity.

‪"Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
‪The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry, or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth)."

Songs about flags, patriotism, freedoms, war, and blood. Don't believe me? Read the lyrics to it yourself!
http://www.usa-flag-site.org/song-lyrics/star-spangled-banner/

There is also the 'Pledge of Allegiance' that is crammed down young people throats! Ever hear of the "Bellamy Salute'?

And as far as the 'leaders dictating', there is a law regarding the 'pledge' and how people 'should' conduct themselves during this ritual.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/4
http://undergod.procon.org/view.additional-resource.php?resourceID=000074

As for debilitating work routines, just look at taxation - its literally a form of slavery. The working individuals of this 'country' work for around half of the year just cover the 'tax' bill for the year. People even believe they need permission from the state to get married, and most people are afraid to discipline their children in any manner the state might deem 'abusive'. As far as changing jobs, and having kids....propaganda is largely used to influence people in these areas, not direct laws.

"The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity)."

Nearly all political bodies nationwide be them, municipal, county, state, federal, etc., decide what their own rate of pay (provided for by tax victims of course) will be, all the while using the 'law' to set a price floor on labor nationwide: the minimum wage law. See FLSA (Fair Labor and Standards Act). They are also largely immune to prosecution, and rarely does anyone ever see members of the political structure ever go to prison for doing things that would land anyone else in prison for life. I don't need to cover the case of Snowden for this point to make its way across. To be fair here, politicians are rarely looked at as saviors or 'Messiahs', but even I gave second thought to this watching Obama supporters at the victory speech in 2008. The flag waving, cheering, crying, and emotional lack of control of some of the people in the crowd was actually quite disturbing - - kinda like having a black man for a president is going to be any different than having any other human being? Muhfreephones and muhObamacare though!

"The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
‪The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations)."

This is just laughable to see people deny: the us vs. them mentality that exist. Especially when you introduce anarchists into the equation - - every stripe of statist seems to unite in order to protect their all precious state.
This is all that 'American' politics is based on, basically. I say this because politics is about redistribution - - people are just fighting over their personally preferred way of how the state should steal from everyone in order to quell their own fears, and feel warm and fuzzy about how economic and social problems are supposedly being solved.

It's very entertaining to see people reject these facts all the while attending the voting booth.

‪"The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities)."
‪
Do wars come to mind? How's about drone bombing people? Use of nuclear/atomic weapons ring a bell? It's worth the costs, right? How many statist jump through a myriad of intellectual and moral hoops to justify these things? Wasn't it wrong when Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot did it?

"The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion."

Just going around wearing a t-shirt that says 'Taxation is Theft'. Or a shirt that says "there is no such thing as the social contract." Or a shirt with any one of the of anarchist, libertarian, Rothbardian, Spoonerism zingers and see how people react. Imagine what a shirt with this would do at some random patriotic parade charade:

Now of course this is just looking for trouble if you wear a shirt with a picture of a coffin draped with a flage on it that says "is this all you can be'....but, there is a degree of truth to this that statists cannot and will not accept. At least not until their OWN children are drafted off, or are dying in wars in some far away place because the U.S. pharmaceutical racket must maintain a monopoly on opiates.

Better yet, don't just wear the shirts, actually say these things to people and see how you are treated afterwards.

"‪Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group."

Just try to renounce your citizenship here in the U.S. (if you can afford it)and expatriate to some other place thousands of miles away. Better yet, try staying anywhere after renunciation - if they even allow it. Imagine how you might be treated by people here in the U.S. if you make your renunciation known. Also take note that anyone who wished to renounce their U.S. 'citizenship' needs permission from the state, and must their process in order for the renunciation to be 'officially' recognized. Lastly, doing this doesn't exempt you from taxes if you stay - so don't get that idea in your head.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/renunciation-of-citizenship.html

This also doesn't account for the permission slip known as a 'Visa' if you want to travel outside the U.S. Just try doing that without one....
‪
"The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members."

The state has almost absolute control over all education - schools, and attendance is mandatory in every state.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0112617.html

What about the number of government employees nationwide?
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/21955000-12329000-government-employees-outnumber-manufacturing
‪
"The group is preoccupied with making money."

LOLOLOL!!!! This one is flat out hilarious. The state is all about redistribution of wealth. As if the states absolute monopoly over the monetary system is not 100% clear to everyone! I mean how much evidence does one need on this? Try to print your own money, coin your own coins, collect taxes, etc., and compete with the government in the monetary game. LOL! Yeah, just try. Try exempting yourself from taxes.

"Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities."

Voting, taxes....any of that ring a bell? How's about this:
http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/TaxFreedomDay_2016..pdf
‪
"Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members."

In the cult of statism, this is more encouraged than it is required. But how many politicians do you know that regularly hang out with anarchists? Lawyer, judges, cops....????
‪
"The most loyal members (the true believers) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group."

Yeah....we've all heard the 'if not for government' it would be Mad Max, and the 'if you don't like it here' move to Somalia types, right? These people literally fear condition themselves into rejecting the idea of a world without state control over nearly ever aspect of their lives, and everyone else's around them. The most loyal members of the state are rewarded. Gold star families, enforcers of the law, military conscripts and volunteers, 'public servants', etc., etc., are all rewarded financially and in many other ways via ceremonies, awards, medals, speeches....you name it. Society is propagandized and shamed into accepting these people as best that humanity and society have to offer, and that we all better thank them for our 'freedoms', because without them.........

Honestly, there are a lot of ways to address each of these points, and I probably repeated myself a few times. Some of you could probably even better, or say that I could, but that's not really the point here. I think that when presented with the facts, it can surely be shown that the state is so near, if not identical to a cult that you literally have to almost brainwashed or brain-damaged (take your pic) to not see it. Or....you already know this, and maybe even accept it, but maybe you deny it for 'political' reasons? Personally, I think this point extends to a lot more people than anarchists realize. The perverse incentives of the state are blinding in a way - actually in many ways. They disconnect people so far from reality that morals, ethics - all sense of right and wrong all but evaporate as if such things never existed. I'm not smart enough to say exactly what the solution to this problem is, but I know that ignoring it won't solve anything.

The state system is a religious system of control - control over all things, basically. The state is totalitarian in nature. This is the point to begin with: to create GOD on earth....in some form or another. All I can tell you, is that once you see it for what it is, there is no going back. If you find yourself unable to accept the possibility of this to the point where you will literally fight against it, or experience physical and/or mental anguish from it, you really should ask yourself one thing: why?

other related articles and stuff - make what you want of them

https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/the-cult-of-the-state-and-the-sexualization-of-everything/
http://kevincraig.us/cult.htm

http://www.notbeinggoverned.com/the-achievement-of-liberty-and-the-cult-of-the-state/

      ..........HEY YOU, YEAH YOU, ONE LAST THING: