Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 17, 2000, Page 29
Under exceptional but quite imaginable circumstances, far right cults can exercise an
incendiary influence out of all proportion to their numbers.
In particular, they can spew forth one man armies of the Rambo type, fired by the passions
of prejudice, equipped with the rudiments of an ideology, and convinced that immediate
action is vital to secure the future of the white race. One example is that of Timothy
McVeigh, convicted for the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma. He was deeply influenced by the
theology of Christian Identity, and had photocopies of some Identity writings in his
possession when arrested. McVeigh is not alone. He and others accused of domestic
terrorism, such as Eric Rudolph (wanted for the Centennial Park bombing at the 1996
Atlanta Olympics), have been characterized as part of a ―leaderless resistance,‖ and
described by the chief of the FBI‘s domestic terrorism unit as ―the biggest threat right now‖
to national security (Walsh, 2000, p.29).
Understanding the movement that inspired such people in terms of cultic norms can form
part of a wider attempt to create an educated civil society within the United States. Such
awareness implies the toleration of dissent, uncertainty, and ambiguity in our society.
Without these, freedom and democracy give way to totalitarian mindsets and possibly to
authoritarian forms of social organization. Fanatical organizations on the far right, however,
have a wider agenda than intense control over their own members. As we have seen, they
wish to impose a theocratic vision on the wider society. At present, their chances of doing
so are limited. Indeed, as Russell (1960, p.101) observed in a wide ranging study of power,
―The cases in which fanaticism has brought nothing but disaster are much more numerous
than those in which it has brought temporary success.‖ Fanaticism, however, has also on
occasion (and under certain conditions) been able to conquer and hold state power for a
significant period, as in Germany during the 1930s.
It is in this direction, marching under flags of hate, that many of those on the American far
right have now turned their faces. The cult awareness movement can make an important
contribution to increased understanding of the hazards this poses and to the creation of a
more educated civil society able to hold firm against the prophets of apocalypse.
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