Thanks very much for this. I was keenly interested in the observation that it's the rich who seem most susceptible, as if out of guilt at being rich. That resonates with the historical cults I have studied. For example, flagellant cults actually preceeded the Black Death and occurred in wealthy towns, usually following a pogrom of the local Jews. Catholic society did not fit well with great wealth. In a very real sense, the entire Protestant movement is the result.
Thanks very much for this. I was keenly interested in the observation that it's the rich who seem most susceptible, as if out of guilt at being rich. That resonates with the historical cults I have studied. For example, flagellant cults actually preceeded the Black Death and occurred in wealthy towns, usually following a pogrom of the local Jews. Catholic society did not fit well with great wealth. In a very real sense, the entire Protestant movement is the result.