A matter of time. (time test for a cult to become a religion)

From: Reason | Date: July 1, 1993| Author: Sullum, Jacob | Copyright information

The Branch Davidian cult headed by David Koresh did not exist long enough to pass the time test to be considered a religion. The siege by government authorities on the cult's quarters resulted in the mass suicide of its followers which brought to a swift end the religious group's existence.

Masada is the hilltop fortress in southern Israel where 400 Jewish rebels committed mass suicide in 73 A.D. rather than surrender to the Romans. It is the site where Israeli soldiers take their...

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