NOTE: This thread isn't meant to be taken too seriously, this is just a thought experiment.

Humans are animals, right? So is it possible for other intelligent animals to create their own cult?

I believe that this could happen if:

1) The species in question is actually intelligent enough to form their own society of beliefs
2) The species' society is large and diverse enough for a splinter group to appear
3) The society in question doesn't need to be religious, it just has to have differences in opinion.

I mean, it's unlikely that a group of tree frogs would form a cult, but a group of gorillas or dolphins on the other hand...

Humans have formed animal worship cults in the past, so why not go full circle with a cult of animals worshipping humans? (And yes, I did try Googling "can animals form a cult", but all I got were stories of animal worship cults)

On a side note, I wonder just how dark a cult formed by animals could get...

This one is definitely in a cult

At 9/20/16 09:48 PM, TheGamechanger wrote: Humans are animals, right?

...what?

No.

At 9/20/16 11:01 PM, zornuzkull wrote: What were you smoking when you made this thread and where can I get some?

The only thing I smoke is people like you. (smoke as in a slang term, though there's more than one slang definition of it)

At 9/21/16 01:27 AM, YonusBahtzee wrote:

At 9/20/16 09:48 PM, TheGamechanger wrote: Humans are animals, right?

...what?

No.

If we aren't animals, then why do scientists classify us as an animal species?

At 9/21/16 01:35 AM, zornuzkull wrote: Crows have developed a rudimentary bartering system with humans...
If you feed them sometimes they leave you presents...
Mostly bottle caps and bits of trash but it's the thought that counts...
Dunno about the cult thing though...

Crows have been historically seen as a symbol of the occult and the dark arts, so they may have been a cult long before humans...

Also, I have a feeling that the gorillas may have formed an anti-human cult to avenge Harambe.

At 9/21/16 01:57 AM, zornuzkull wrote:

At 9/21/16 01:52 AM, TheGamechanger wrote:
Also, I have a feeling that the gorillas may have formed an anti-human cult to avenge Harambe.

Gorillas are to chilled to form a cult all they do is sit around picking each others asses...
Chimpanzees however now they are evil bastards... The whole cannibalism thing has a cult vibe to it drinking the blood of there enemies... And all that shit...

What next? Blood sacrifices in the name of the Moon God? Kidnapping and raping other species for dominance? Decorating themselves with the bones of their victims? Trying to purposefully evolve themselves into some kind of ape version of a werewolf?

At 9/21/16 01:27 AM, YonusBahtzee wrote:

At 9/20/16 09:48 PM, TheGamechanger wrote: Humans are animals, right?

...what?

No.

yes we are lmao

hu·man be·ing
noun
a man, woman, or child of the species Homo sapiens, distinguished from other animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright stance.

At 9/21/16 03:22 PM, Kayleeee wrote:

At 9/21/16 01:27 AM, YonusBahtzee wrote:

At 9/20/16 09:48 PM, TheGamechanger wrote: Humans are animals, right?

...what?

No.

yes we are lmao

hu·man be·ing
noun
a man, woman, or child of the species Homo sapiens, distinguished from other animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright stance.

Thats harambe's mind control soldiers in a distant secret lab using ancient alien technology to hypnotize you into believing we are related to primates. Don't believe it.

The whole "incident" with the kid getting into her habitat was fabricated by the government in order to have a reason to assassinate her and stop her plans of world domination.

Sadly her plans are still being carried out by an unknown second-in-command primate.

Maybe in a million years or so.

Does Cthulhu count? Even if the cult is mostly human they were founded by a non human

At 9/21/16 10:03 PM, stafffighter wrote: Does Cthulhu count? Even if the cult is mostly human they were founded by a non human

Fictional creatures such as Cthulhu counts.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cthulhu has already woken from his slumber since the world of today seems to have gone insane already (i.e. Trump vs Hillary [as well as politics in general], war, terrorism [and crime in general], internet culture [including memes], bad economy, environmental damage, mass media, corporate greed, the drug market, etc.).

At 9/21/16 11:21 PM, TheGamechanger wrote:

I wouldn't be surprised if Cthulhu has already woken from his slumber since the world of today seems to have gone insane already (i.e. Trump vs Hillary [as well as politics in general], war, terrorism [and crime in general], internet culture [including memes], bad economy, environmental damage, mass media, corporate greed, the drug market, etc.).

We're gonna build a wall, and the old ones are gonna pay for it, which they can because they have lots of pirate gold.

Does a barracuda mafia count?

In order to have a concept for a cult, you would have to have a concept of a creator and so far, there's no animals that have displayed any sort of self-awareness or intelligence enough to form that complex of a thought.

Its a concept of fiction ( Go read Animal farm. )

At 9/21/16 11:50 PM, PaperWaifu wrote: Does a barracuda mafia count?

Mafia, cartel, gang, etc. all count.

Barracuda mafia sounds like some fishy business to me...

At 9/21/16 11:38 PM, stafffighter wrote:

At 9/21/16 11:21 PM, TheGamechanger wrote:
I wouldn't be surprised if Cthulhu has already woken from his slumber since the world of today seems to have gone insane already (i.e. Trump vs Hillary [as well as politics in general], war, terrorism [and crime in general], internet culture [including memes], bad economy, environmental damage, mass media, corporate greed, the drug market, etc.).

We're gonna build a wall, and the old ones are gonna pay for it, which they can because they have lots of pirate gold.

And President Cthulhu shall drive the world even further into insanity by causing the friction between rival fandoms to heat up, starting a literal fan war.

Cthulhu for President 2016: Why vote for the lesser evil?

EDIT: was having problems loading the picture

At 9/22/16 12:06 AM, Mrccbirdguy wrote: In order to have a concept for a cult, you would have to have a concept of a creator and so far, there's no animals that have displayed any sort of self-awareness or intelligence enough to form that complex of a thought.

Its a concept of fiction ( Go read Animal farm. )

There's been at least one documented atheist cult, such as the Cult of Reason.

So a creator god isn't required for cults.

At 9/22/16 12:42 AM, TheGamechanger wrote:

Its a concept of fiction ( Go read Animal farm. )

There's been at least one documented atheist cult, such as the Cult of Reason.

So a creator god isn't required for cults.

No, But a self-awarness is required. Animals generally don't ask "Where did I come from" or "What am I really" The most we can do is teach animals a few tricks or teach birds mimicry, but in the long run I really doubt they'll be smart enough to know what they're really doing.

And the cult of reason is just applying logic instead of saying "God will do it" And most animals don't have a good grasp of logic. They can have repetitive learned behaviors ( Pavlov's dog and the bell, Rats and the button that dispenses food) But complex problem solving isn't usually their strong suit.

Yes it's called Islam.

Elephants have graveyards and probably worship a cult of death and ancestor veneration, much like Mexicans and Asians do.

They also have a subsonic language and highly prehensile trunks for manipulating objects.

Honestly I think mammalian culture has been all downhill since the extinction of the mammoths.

Eventually if it ain't happening currently.

Yes. Example included below.

At 9/23/16 02:15 AM, Kwing wrote: Example included below.

Jeez, looks like a goddamn town meeting.

At 9/22/16 12:06 AM, Mrccbirdguy wrote:
Its a concept of fiction ( Go read Animal farm. )

At 9/23/16 02:15 AM, Kwing wrote: Yes. Example included below.

@Mrccbirdguy, come check out Krang's picture! (Reposted just so you can see it)

http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1414943

At 9/23/16 11:33 PM, chiquinox wrote: IN THE WRONG FORUM...

Ok, back to the culty stuff. The stuff with the monkeys is more of a pavlovian behavior (Classical Conditioning) But with a group of animals. When they learn that going for the bananas at the top of the ladder equals getting the hose. When a newcomer shows up and begins to defy what the monkeys are used to, they become agressive towards the newcomer and make it learn that going up the ladder is bad. Don't even try it, Bucko.

Cults all have one thing in common, They generally have one leader that is much more charismatic and seems more intelligent than his followers. They also have ideologies that are relevant and convincing for the situation at the time. They usually look for people that have turned away from their church and are jaded and lonely ( This makes them more likely to be loyal followers.)

The moonies, the promise keepers, branch Davidians, people's temple, they all have a leader that's a self-declared messiah that wants to save the world, keep love in the world or some weird crap. The problems start to show up when they begin asking for money or take people's family members against their will.

@Kwing Where did you get the Monkey scenario? I couldn't find it anywhere.

Again, I don't think animals have the complex intelligence to create a cult. You would need a set number of animals(Group A) living their lives normally when a new group (Group B) is introduced that shows the other animals a new way of life and have members of group A leave with group B.

The difference if it was a cult:

Don't tell anyone, but me and @brandon are creating a pony army to destroy Norway

Maybe, and it may actually happen. Unfortunately we can't verbally communicate with animals to ask, but research does suggest that primates, particularly bonobos and chimpanzees, have been known to have rituals very similar to ancient spiritual traditions. Whether or not they have a concept of a soul or afterlife, or if they believe in any god, has yet to be seen. Elephants throughout Africa also have burial rituals, meaning they could also have some kind of spiritualistic tendencies. Elephants also have been known to bury non-elephant animals, including humans (rarely, but it has happened), in this fashion.

Cognition in animals is something we are a long way from fully grasping, but with people, particularly zoologists and anthropologists, actually paying attention to animals we could come closer to figuring out whether they do or not.

Edit:
I done went and took the thread too seriously. To make up for it here's a funny lol lol mee-mee.

Well they have documented chimps forming a cult. I think it's called Black Lives Matter.

At 9/24/16 02:14 PM, PleasantPeasant wrote: Well they have documented chimps forming a cult. I think it's called Black Lives Matter.

To fend them off, just give them a bucket of chicken and they'll be satisfied!

At 9/23/16 08:07 AM, TheGamechanger wrote: @Mrccbirdguy, come check out Krang's picture! (Reposted just so you can see it)

These little Siemens are looking restless. Maybe I oughta let em out for some fresh air.