I have seen folks from a particular denomination attempt to convert others precisely through this method. They show up to your door not with Bibles and lists, but with a tennis racket and an invitation to go out.
This was a statement about cults, or at least it is more obviously about them. However, we may all be vulnerable to this.
The charisma of an individual is very similar to the pull of fellowship, in my opinion. One refers to an individual leader, the other to the group as a whole.
But aren't all good religious leaders--such as Jesus--charismatic? When someone is a stand-out person, giving off energy in massive waves and you like being around them, it only stands to reason that you would want to know more about them. What makes them tick? Once you start to trust them, it may be a slippery slope to start assuming some of that person's beliefs. You have to wonder--if this person is so great, maybe there is something about their belief system that is contributing to this. Maybe I want a piece of that, too.
The 80s song "Cult of Personality" trashes a lot of well-loved folks--Gandhi's in there, for crying out loud. Is following someone because of the draw of charisma so bad? I suppose as long as we check our emotions with reason and consider the whole package we should be okay.
Perhaps charisma is like any other attribute--it takes on a moral position only in the way it is being used. You can use your talents for good or for evil, but the talent itself is neutral until you put it to use.
Responding to the charisma of others seems to be a part of being human.
I think charisma is very much the draw of a person to a church. I've seen whole congregations fall apart when their minister retires or leaves. Also, it's easy to understand how charisma plays a roll when you look at some of the megachurches that have been successful. I know for one thing, people at the Chapel in Akron are drawn there, a lot, to do with Knute Larson. Other ministers are more involved in the church now who also have a sort of charisma that draws crowds.
ReplyDeleteI became interested in a nondemonimational because I liked the minister, too. He was a friend of my dad and a really nice fellow (also a Star Trek geek). I attended his church a few times and was really impressed with the manner in which he delivered his sermons and the ways in which he interpretted them and made them real for his audience. For an hour, I could forget all about the stuff I dont like about Christianity. He really made the stories really and applicable and they made sense to me.
I've pondered a lot recently about what makes a cult. Mainly, I was worried that my mom would think UUism was a cult because it's not Christian and thus familiar. But I think if you take the world "cult" in the strictest of terms, you could point at any religious organization and call it one...