One Thing About The Cult

[Sectopod]

What happened to normal beliefs like Christianity? or others? Theres no normal churches!

 

It seems like the Cult has just eaten them all up and spat the bones out of them. They have like ten storey towers (I think the Temple of the Apocalypse anyone?) plus numerous buildings all over the place in Mega-Primus. Why are they allowed to build the buildings there when they would be considered a threat? I mean they keep on rebelling about the Frontier and such, it's just funny at how the Government allows them to dump Temples dedicated to Humanity's no.1 enemy with intimidating names like the Apocalypse, Doom, etc. It's like one of Hitler's Reich Churches dumped smack in London during WW2. I wouldn't mind if they had a religion on the Inquisitors (they were like anti-Cult of Sirius counter religion- hates all aliens even alien technology- formed by ex-X-Com), like heavily influenced by all religion (formation of all religion together), but as with all things the storymakers decided to wipe them out. It would have been great to have a counter-religion to the Cult. But then they'd think that X-Com is already a counter to the Cult.

 

No wonder when they complain the Cult grows in numbers when they aren't doing nothing about it!

 

Anyone else gets itches about this?

Edited March 15, 2006 by Sectopod

[Sharp]

The cult is good, the cult is great, do not mock the cult, we believe in a harmony between humans and aliens and preach peace. We try to be non-violent but certain factions seem to attack us over and over again. I would advise that you join the cult as a trial member to see how the cult really works, im sure it will be an enlightining experience.

 

Also please ignore the orange blob on my head, it is a new.........cult headwear.

[Jonaleth Irenicus]

Well, I think after whatever disaster that made the entire human population withdraw to a last city happened, a lot of the beliefs died out (or people simply stopped believing).

 

It may also be that although certain religions still do exist, people are no longer fanatical about them, or there aren't enough people to set up organisations, like the Catholic or Christian etc organisation, or the Muslims, etc... So religion exists, but not in a political sense (bear in mind that with the exception of a few, most religions have basically lost most -if not all- their political power).

 

I think the Government has little control over the city. Either that, or in the name of democracy, they have to allow organisations like the Cult do whatever they want to do (provided they don't damage the city or harm the citizens). It may also be possible that X-Com was created to fight the aliens AND the Cult as well. The Government and Megapol might just have said "OK, we're not bothering with these pink heads anymore, X-Com, you take care of them".

 

As far as I can see, there is no single organisation that is the most powerful (or has most authority) -except X-Com late in the game maybe. The Government is a council of sissy politicans elected by the other organisations, Megapol can barely keep the city secure (from all the gangs and S.E.L.F.), besides, I guess the situation with Marsec is only shaky at best (Marsec has the biggest guns and they are the security on Mars, the source of elerium, the city's lifeblood). Various other organisations are fighting amongst themselves (for every organisation, there's another organisation in competition with the former).

[Pherdnut]

I'll bet the Church of Scientology pulls more cash in than all other legit religions combined. When people are donating every penny they have to your organization so they can level up (it's kind of like a really sick and twisted RL MMORPG), you're pulling in a lot of jink. The IRS has actually caved under the pressure of constant lawsuits (even though they won them all) and granted them a number of tax exemptions. It takes a lot of dough to hit the IRS with 2,500 lawsuits and lose every single one.

[Aiki-Knight]

Wow - the Cult. What a topic.

 

I think the Cult is perfectly possible. There are, indeed, religions like Scientology, whose secretive and insular behaviour, coupled with its fierce interest in "powerful people", makes it a little suspicious. Although I don't know for sure, I've even heard rumours that Scientology lore has at least some reference to aliens. It may be possible that the XCOM authors are referring loosely to Scientology.

 

And then, there's the reality of religion: there are a lot of crazies out there in every religion. David Koresh is an example of a total whacko claiming to be a Christian, and then Christ reincarnated, at that. There are all sorts of (in my opinion) misguided and extreme Christian groups out there. Not to mention other extremists, notably some Islamic groups these days. Too bad that such extremists tarnish the image of the majority in these religions. And of course, let's not forget that there are actually people out there who in fact worship Satan. I don't know how many of them there are, but they're out there, actually praying to Satan - for what, I can't imagine. At least, I can't imagine what anyone hopes to gain by worshipping Satan.

 

So it strikes me ironically believable that the Cult of Sirius could exist. They'd develop a fanatical quasi-religious fantasy based around some opportunistic figure, professing that aliens are gods, perhaps secretly hoping to establish him/herself as a puppet ruler under an alien occupation. God knows, it happens already. They'd target the wealthy and influential, perhaps with certain perks that come with cults, like sex, drugs, and various thrills. They'd amass money, contacts, and weapons (a la David Koresh). They'd build temples, gain notoriety, and be protected by laws allowing religious freedom.

 

But that's what makes X3 so great - the promise of deep social and political intrigue. Who exactly is IN the cult? How far into the senate, the judiciary, the bureaucracy does its membership reach? Are there high-level cops in the cult? Doctors? CEOs? Do they collect a lot more funding secretly than they let on? Do they have secret facilities? And what are their rituals? What exactly do they "do" for their aliens gods? How do they make offerings? Do they very possibly engage in human sacrifice? Whom do they pick - their own members, or people they abduct? Do they murder those who try to quit, or inform on them? How do they pressure high-level leaders? Do they conduct scientific research of their own, perhaps working on human-alien hybrids, or breeding super-aliens? How do they communicate with the aliens? And what is their objective?

 

Just imagine the possibilities. Even the game tells us of "bizarre rituals" - let your mind go and just think of how dark, brutal, twisted and horrifying the Cult could be. It sends a chill up my spine. And that is why I have no trouble raiding them without mercy - because I'm sure they're doing all manner of evil to innocent abductees and hapless junior members.

 

If only the game had been fully finished, we could perhaps have seen better examples of the cult in action. Civilians could have done more "acting". We could have arrested Cult leaders and interrogated them for their sickening secrets. We could have found evidence of the various horrors the Cult engages in. Alien experiments, and strange parties (like in Eyes Wide Shut - a terrible movie, I admit). And the Men in Black (who were going to be included in the game) would likely have shown up to prevent XCOM agents from learning about the Cult, whose influence would likely extend into the government something like X-Files.

 

So I have to imagine these finer points of detail. To be honest, if the Cult were unarmed and didn't engage in illegal activity, I probably wouldn't raid them. But they are armed, rich, twisted and in bed with the aliens. They're a mighty political force, and it's nothing short of open hostility between the Cult and XCOM.

 

The Cult's biggest mistake is in not trying to take XCOM down in its very infancy, while it still has the chance. The consequence is that XCOM rises up to crush them, along with their alien allies.

 

I wonder what would happen to the cult after the destruction of the alien dimension. Would their popularity dissipate? Would they go into hiding? Or would they continue their practises?

[[Blehm 98]]

you bring up a good point

Although the cult would probably just fall apart with only the mid level people still in, because the leaders would be in it hoping to look good and the new guys would be clueless