I just finished watching Waco on Netflix and I can’t stop thinking about cults. NOTE: If you want to watch Waco on Netflix beware of spoilers ahead.
Waco is a mini series retelling the true story of the 1993 FBI siege of a compound in Waco, Texas that belonged to a religious cult called the Branch Davidians. The Branch Davidians, named after their leader David Koresh, were a self sufficient Christian group under fire from the FBI for selling illegal semiautomatic weapons.
When we think of the word cult the next word we likely think of is crazy. From the outside looking in on a cult we can all see the insanity, the leader’s seemingly irrational hold over followers, and we probably all think that would NEVER happen to me. I, like many people, have always felt certain that normal people do not join cults - but then I watched Waco and my perspective changed.
David Koresh’s right hand man was a man named Steve Schneider, a former professor of theology at the University of Hawaii. According to the mini series, Schneider and his wife Judy left their home in Hawaii to debate Koresh on his interpretation of the book of Revelations. In turn, Steve and his wife Judy became members of the Branch Davidians and lived with the other followers in the compound in Waco. If that isn’t crazy enough - Koresh had a belief that all of the men in the compound should remain cellibate and that he would “take the burden” of having sex with all the women to continue procreating. Because of this, Steve’s wife Judy became one of David’s wives and had a child with him.
Throughout the show I could not stop focusing on Steve. How did Steve - a man with a PhD in theology - get lured in and converted by a man who claimed to be the messiah? How did Steve - a man who lived in Hawaii - pack up everything and move to the middle-of-nowhere-Texas? And how did Steve - a man whose wife became the wife of their leader David Koresh - stay loyal until the very end? It made me start to consider how strong our human desire to belong is.
Cults may be the most extreme example of this - as we all are fascinated by documentaries and podcasts outlining the stories of victims and villains alike - but this phenomenon exists everywhere.
It makes me think about the state of our nation now. We are in a world where everyone seems to be divided on every single issue - even wearing a mask to a grocery store. (BTW if you don’t want to wear a mask into the grocery store that just means you have STANK breath and you’re tired of smelling it. Put in a breath mint and wear your mask).
Last weekend there was a Trump Boat Parade in my hometown of Savannah, Georgia. Hundreds of boats floated down the river waving Trump MAGA flags loud and proud. I don’t like Trump and I think he’s a terrible president and person, but I am curious about what makes him so likable to so many people. I believe the same phenomenon is true here. And no - I’m not saying Trump supporters are part of a cult. What I am saying is we can apply the same theme of people wanting to belong to something.
Trump has tapped into some human need for belonging in a group of people that clearly longed for it and were missing it elsewhere in their lives. There are a lot of radical right wing people like white supremacists who are strengthened by Trump’s toxic rhetoric, but I’m not talking about those people. I’m talking about the people who disappoint you when they post something political on Facebook and you think “damn, them too?” Your middle school history teacher, the girl who babysat you when you were a kid, your friend’s parents - the people you like and wish didn’t support him. There is something under the surface of politics that is causing this group of people to rally behind a man who proves time and time again to be a downright lunatic. The reality is most people don’t know much about the substance of political debate - myself included most of the time - so there is something else holding their allegiance. There is a desire to belong to something greater than themselves, something stronger, a movement with a leader who answers to no one except the very narrative that he has created. A narrative that morphs and changes when needed in order to speak truth to power and to keep him and those who look to him feeling strength in their belonging and bond. And while on the left the contest for who can be more woke continues - there seems to be no room for those trying to catch up on their political correctness. One slip and you’re cancelled, leaving the right wing to be a safe cushion for those who are not up to speed on what we can and cannot say. I’m not excusing people who don’t want to listen and learn - but I’m sure you have a grandma too - she means well and if she’s willing to adapt and try she should be given a chance despite her mistakes.
I’m not claiming to have a lot of insightful political takes but I do know this: Not all Trump supporters are awful people. I bet you know a lot of them - and I bet you even like some of them. Being from Savannah, Georgia I know quite a few and it's hard for me to completely respect their political views, but it is also hard for me to write them off. The bottom line is there is something enticing to a lot of people about cruising down the river waving a Trump 2020 flag with hundreds of other people and feeling a sense of belonging. The need that is being filled by this bond spreads far wider than anyone could have imagined Donald Trump had the power to do. The need being filled is no doubt more nuanced than belonging to something bigger than yourself - but there is something tying together a community of voters who may stop at nothing to see their fearless leader sit another term. To that I say, wear your mask, read the news, have compassionate and open conversations with the people in your life, and get out and VOTE this fall.
Happy Memorial Day and stay safe out there!
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