Cult of Personality

Cult of Personality is a cult that have been founded by a charismatic leader. He or she can be educated or not, it depends on what level of crowd that he or she want to gather. There are several characteristics that we could see from this kind of cult:

1. 
   
2. Self centered
   
3. Playing with human vice
   
4. Claiming that he is important figure
   
5. Claiming that his followers get something if they follow his teaching
   

Self-centered The cult leader will center the teaching is about him or how make himself profit the most, in material or social terms.

Playing with human vice In his teaching, the leader usually corrupt the existing teaching and silently convert it into something different with original meaning, usually with some permission that allow his followers to fulfill their vices. For example: "Killing is not permitted, unless..." or "Thievery is not permitted, unless...". Usually, he stated the exception, and the target of exception is unbeliever.

Claiming that he is important figure Many charismatic people have delusion that they are important in a way. In the religious cult, he often claims that he has been visited by deity, angel or even deity incarnated himself. He can say this just to con his follower, or he can be under delusion himself, therefore he believe it with all his heart.

Claiming that his followers get something if they follow his teaching Because of lack of other mean to influence his follower, the cult leader usually promise something extravagant as a reward to follow him, maybe promise of wealth, power or even salvation from their sin or from this world.

We can see someone as cult leader easily by questioning: Is he get any kind of profit (wealth  or even sexually, majority of cult leader do poligamy relationship) from his teaching? Does he permit sins with appropriate conditions, especially his condition? Does he permit physical abuse for the unbelievers or his ex-followers? Does he has very high ego so anyone offend him must be punished?

We also can see someone from his fruits, his folowers: Do the close followers get some of the benefit, especially material benefit, or sexual benefit? Do they will leave him if they do not get any material gain? Do they are ready to kill for him, but not necessarily die or patiently suffer for him?

When we see someone can be entered unto this criterias, the writer strongly suggest to avoid the cult leader and his teaching, because his teaching sometime including brain washing method, intolerance and fear effect for keeping his followers number increasing.