Qanon: Is it a Cult?

Abstract

This paper is a comparative analysis between Qanon and past cults in the United States. The purpose is to understand the criteria of past cults in order to explore whether Qanon can be categorized as a cult and examine its propensity for violence. Observing the internal and external factors of how cults form and become violent will then allow for the examination of the origins of Qanon and how this group of people have been led to violence. In the first section I define what religion is, in the second section I define what a cult is and researched popular cults that ended in violence. The third section I discuss the reasons why cults become violent, followed by a section that provides information about the formation of Qanon, how they fit into the criteria for a cult, and how they have and continue to have the potential for violence. Aligning Qanon with certain criteria will help answer the question about whether Qanon can be considered a cult that poses a threat to our society.