26Druze Ancestral Prophets: Blending Religions
Druze is a religious sect that considers Jethro of Midian (Moses' father-in-law) as their ancestor and chief prophet. They integrate teachings from Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, and elements from both major and minor religions.
27. Rulaizong is a controversial cult originating in Taiwan and classified as a religious group, boasting over 80,000 members. Its founder, a former stuntman, has amassed the equivalent of 72 million NTD through donations, receiving an additional monthly sum of 86 million NTD. Impressively, his followers even purchased two Rolls-Royce cars to fulfill his desires.
28. In Japan, there is a religious group that believes Jesus did not die on the cross, but instead, it was his younger brother Isukiri. According to their beliefs, Jesus lived in Japan until he reached the age of 106. His grave, which attracts thousands of pilgrims and pagans each year, is located in Shingo.
29. The movie "The Matrix" served as inspiration for the religious movement known as matrixism.
30. The Skoptsy were a Russian religious sect that viewed human genitals as a symbol of original sin. They practiced the removal of sexual organs, considering it a means to restore followers to a state of purity. Male members would undergo castration and emasculation using a red-hot iron known as the "fiery baptism."
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31Ervil LeBaron's Sect: Blood Atonement Killings
Ervil LeBaron was the leader of a polygamous Mormon sect who commanded the killings of other sect leaders and members of his own family in the name of "blood atonement." Several of his wives were involved in these murders, resulting in at least 25 victims.
32. The Hutterites, similar to the Amish, are a religious sect that combines traditional values with the use of modern equipment and technology to operate intricate farming and manufacturing operations across numerous colonies in the Western US and Canada.
33. Heaven's Gate was a religious group that orchestrated a mass suicide involving the coordinated ritual suicides of 39 members. They believed this act would enable them to reach an extraterrestrial spacecraft following Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997.
34. The Circumcellions were a Christian sect in the 4th century that believed martyrdom to be the highest virtue. In order to kill their victims, they would therefore attack random people with clubs while praising God.
35. Tondrakians were members of an Armenian anti-feudal, heretical Christian sect that thrived while advocating for the abolition of the church and denying concepts such as the immortality of the soul, the afterlife, and the feudal rights of the church. They championed property rights for peasants and equality between men and women.
