Do you think there was a massive voter fraud in the 2020 election and Trump actually won? And election officials and secretaries of state and judges are all in on the plot? Well, if you do, you’re in a cult.

…

Do you think the Covid pandemic was basically a hoax? And that the lock-downs were imposed to destroy the economy and defeat Trump? Do you think we’re being told to wear masks just to get us to comply with arbitrary limits on our freedom? Well, then you’re in a cult.

— Sam Harris

I particularly liked the phrasing and apostrophe within this passage from Sam Harris’ podcast “#229 - A Few Thoughts for a New Year.” The passage provided me a useful conceptual tool for understanding what could compel a number of citizens to perform a storming of Comet Ping Pong Pizza the US Capitol: they were in a cult.

The enormity of the offense of raiding a US federal building (knowing the punishment doing so would occasion) proves the depth of the cult’s programming e.g. “the leader is so powerful those awful punishments won’t come due to me!”.

As a cult-motivated action:

• “We will invade the temple of the corrupted government, the Leader will depose them and we, the faithful, will be delivered from judgement and oppression”

fits comfortably with a list of cult reasoning:

• “The world is ending on the leader’s predicted date” (William Miller’s October 22, 1844 doomsday)
• The plague can be dispelled by the leader’s incantation" (Kenneth Copeland’s “Wind of God” spell to end Covid)
• Mass-suicide (and murder of any waverers) is the only way to escape our persecution" (Jonestown)
• Mass-suicide is the only way to connect with Higher Beings" (Heaven’s Gate)

The storming reasoning above shares the same literary template as Christ’s storming of the temple. For many in this cult, no doubt, there was probably confirmation in that echo.