Are we a cult?

Cult Checklist per (https://drsteveeichel.com/about-cults)

• The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment.

  The society is not focused on a living leader. Nor are members expected or desired to be zealots for, or have unquestioning commitment to leaders or teachers.

• The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

  The society and it’s path is not for everyone nor do we desire it to be. The way of the Manzazuu is not easy, and many simply aren’t able to handle it. We do not want numbers for the sake of numbers. Membership will always be highly selective, because teaching and training is a burden.

• The group is preoccupied with making money.

  The society only seeks to make enough money for basic financial overhead, and to give necessary staff fair pay for their fair work. There’s is no desire to bring in riches through dogma, or the stealing of anyone’s labor or income. We simply seek to help members who want to grow into their own image, but doing anything in modern society, simply isn’t free.

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

  In true occultism, questions, doubts, and dissent are apart of the occult science process. We encourage questioning, doubts, and critical thinking. While there are core ideas to our image and path, discouraging or punishing experimentation and questions is counter productive to truly helping people to grow and learn. The Manzazuu path is very flexible, your true only requirement is to use death as the map for understanding the universe, if you’re truly and honestly aren’t trying to do that then this path is not for you and that’s ok.

• Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines) are used to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

  Meditation itself has been proven useful by many cultures and religions around the world for relaxation and a helpful tool to build focus. This simply is not a ‘mind-numbing technique’. Chants or incantation have their role and place for organized structure building in occult practice, but for the Manzazuu, there’s no requirement for this. Everyone is welcome to have their doubts, about the group, or any leaders, however consciously requesting and accepting a leader or teacher and then actively resisting to learn practices/exercises/methods seems a bit silly. If what we offer is not for you, you do not have to stay, we would much prefer you to continue to think critically and grow on your own path rather stay somewhere you’re not happy whether you’re unhappy with us or another society/religion

• The leadership dictates sometimes in great detail how members should think, act, and feel (for example: members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs, get married; leaders may prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth).

  The society and its leaders does not seek to dictate your thought, actions or your feelings. You date who makes you happy, work where you like, wear what you like or wear nothing at all. Live where you want. We don’t subscribe to the mental abuse of children. We also don’t think religion of any kind should be taught to anyone under 13.

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

  There are no members, leaders, teachers etc that are to be worshiped, taught to be a messiah/avatar, or to have some special mission to save humanity/save the world or anything of the like. You worship whatever being, spirit, or ancestor you like to. As long as it’s not a living person, or monotheisic in nature (as in you actively reject the existence of any others, this directly conflicts with other’s freedom and polytheisic nature of the society). You are also welcome to worship nothing, or to be an atheist, following death as a map from a more scientific perspective.

• The group has a polarized us- versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society.

  The Manzazuu do not feel we are in some inherent war with anyone, war with humanity itself, or society itself. Your greatest obstacle on our path, will be mastering yourself, not fighting others. These us-versus-them people will not fit in here.

• The group’s leader is not accountable to any authorities (as are, for example, military commanders and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations).

  Everyone is accountable to the laws of their nation, including leaders. But we do not stand in support of laws that violate human rights.

• The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have considered unethical before joining the group (for example: collecting money for bogus charities).

  Everyone is expected to remain ethical and just. Arbitrary behavior do not support a platform of personal growth.

• The leadership induces guilt feelings in members in order to control them.

  Members, leadership, and teachers will only induce motivation and positive reinforcement. Guilting anyone in order to control them is not apart of our system, nor any system of personal growth.

• Members’ subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family and friends, and to give up personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group.

  No one joining, or associating with the society are expected to or requested to cut ties with friends and family. You are encouraged to gain more, responsibly, and to chase your dreams. The only things you may be asked to cut, are those which are undeniably ruining your life (abusive partner/parent, chronic drug addictions, and directly self destructive behavior).

• Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group.

  Member’s level of involvement is entirely up to them, and what they agree to. We have members that do not actively participate in anything in the public eye and do not directly support the org, this is ok. Everyone has their own personal journey and struggle. We respect them, we value them, and we hope they reach their goals. You are not expected to recruit, preach, train, or teach. Many don’t, and that’s ok. Nor will they be punished for not doing so.

• Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

  Members are expected to live where they like and feel welcomed. They may freely socialize with whoever they like. They are encouraged to do so.