Cults Are Dangerous Essay

“Cults are inherently dangerous. In fact, few things are more dangerous and destructive,” explains Tom O’Connor. Some people believe that cults are dangerous and cause violence. Other people believe that they are innocent and they are just different religions. “Cults Are Prone to Crime and Violence,” by Tom O’Connor is one of numerous articles that explains that cults are found to be dangerous. On the other hand, “ The Threat of Cults Is Exaggerated,” by Bruce A. Robinson explains that cults are mistaken for danger because they are just dissimilar from other religions. Even though both authors have significant articles, O'Connor has the more superior argument that cults are dangerous and violent. The stronger argument belongs to O’Connor due to the …show more content…
Pathos enhances his argument because it causes the audience to bring forth their emotions to choose their side. Robinson’s use of pathos is weaker because it causes the audience to believe that cults are dangerous. For example, Robinson proclaims, “The word ‘cult’, particularly as used by the media, carries a heavy emotional content. The term suggests that this is a group that you should detest, avoid, and fear” (Robinson 84). This proclamation causes the audience to think about the other side of the argument because he illustrates that the world “cult” has a negative denotation. Tom O’Connor says it best when he states, “When the cult has a doomsday orientation, it may be unclear whether they have more suicidal than homicidal tendencies, or vice versa. It may very well be when the group is at its most uncertain when they are most dangerous and destructive” (O’Connor 80). By mentioning suicide and homicide, the author exploits the emotions of the audience. If one appeals to the emotions of the audience it may cause a direct correlation to their decision making on the topic, swaying them to the authors desired