Cults: the Hare Krishna

Cults: the Hare Krishna

The form of deviance being studied is cults, particularly the Hare Krishna. Krishna is a popular Hindu god and is the inspiration of many cults. Prabhupada came to America in the 1960's and founded the Hare Krishna movement.   He was sent to America by his guru to spread the word of Krishna when he was 70 and attracted a following of young hippies disillusioned with material goods. But failed to attract a larger population because this behavior is viewed as deviant by most of society.                                                                      
There are different varieties of cults,   the Moonies, the Children of God, Eckankar and Scientology are but a few.   Basically, there are two main types of cults, those with Christian based beliefs, and those with Eastern Religion based beliefs.
Typically, people who engage in the form of deviance are overwhelmingly Anglo-American, over 80% of those who join the Hare Krishna are white. Most are single when they enter, and at the time of their joining are not gainfully employed. Most   have their high school diploma, are under the age of 30, come from middle and upper-middle class families, and most come from Protestant or Catholic backgrounds. As children, most attended church weekly with their families.   Many may incorrectly assume that the people who join cults are in search of support of all kinds. The parents of these members, however,   tend to be well off financially and able to properly support their children.   Many   members associate themselves with a highly authoritarian cult that emphasizes enthusiastic religious devotion. They are in search of group support and family values that lacked in their childhood. This is viewed as deviant behavior because they find conventional ways unsatisfactory to their lives, and instead find unorthodox means to fulfill their needs.
People engage in this form of deviance in temples. The temples are adorned with statues thought to be the incarnation of Krishna in a...