www.mattkprovideo.com/2025/12/05/free-to-disagree-on-the-word-cult/

There was a post responding to criticisms of Fred Litwins blog post of November 24, 2025.

this is my response to that response:

I think anyone who follows Judith Vary Baker could be considered a “cult” in that they are following a single leader- her.
Although it seems to be a benign cult in that I don’t think Baker exerts any control over their lives. They may have bought her book and might follow her writing online, but she isn’t trying to control them in any other way- its not a high control group like Scientology or Nexium or the followers of some Charlie Manson/Teal Swan character.
Does this “real JFK Jr.” person lead a cult? I’ve never heard of him before so I am going to assume he doesn’t have a cult following ( or am I wrong about that?)
Hardcore conspiracy believer Dick Gregory described the critics of the Warren Report as “a kind of a cult” although its a cult he eagerly wanted to join.

I’m not sure the word “cult” is the right word to describe believers of a certain thing in regards to the Kennedy Assassination . At least not compared to actual high control groups like Scientology/Nexium etc..
Maybe the right word might be “camp” or “movement” or …… I dunno- somebody help me out on this one- whats the right word for this?
Its overly simplistic to say that Conspiracy believers are all in one cult, while Lone Gunman believers are in a seperate rival/competing cult.
There is NOT a single person or ideology at the center of these groups.
Whats the difference between a religion and a cult?
Comedian Joe Rogan joked that “in a cult, theres one guy who knows this is all made-up bulls–t, in a religion, that guys dead”
Is judaism a cult? No. There are numerous different offshoots of Judaism: orthodox, reform, modern reformed, etc. Although I would argue that some of the extremely Orthodox Judaism meet most medical definitions of a cult in that the group controls where the members live, how they dress, what they can read, who they can marry, what they eat, etc..
Is Christianity a cult? No, but some Christian groups like Jehovahs Witness, extreme mormonism, the Catholic “Opus Dei” group (among others) definitely fit the definition of a cult.
If you watch all the episodes of “On the Trail of Delusion” you will see that Fred Litwin found a long list of people who are on the Lone Gunman side BUT if you listen closely, have a disparity of opinions on specific matters.
For example:
In Episode Two we hear from Robert Wagner (author of the book, JFK Assassinated) who doesn’t think there was a second shooter, but he disagrees with the Warren Report in that he thinks there was a fourth show. (Most Lone Gunman types DON’T agree with him on that.)
In Episode Six, we have Gus Russo, who thinks Lee Oswald acted alone, ( no second gunman) but he believes that Cuba might have provoked him to act.
Episode 7, has Dave Perry, who has spent years dubunking many theories, but he still believes there might have been some kind of conspiracy.

On the Conspiracy side there are dozens, if not hundreds of seperate competing ( and completely contradictory) ideas about what happened. One shooter, two shooters, three shooters, a dozen shooters…. a shooter in the sewer drain, a half dozen different and contradictory shooters on the knoll, a shooter from the other side of the street, the limo driver shot JFK, a secret service agents rifle accidentally discharged, a shooter somehow right next to railroad workers on the overpass, a second shooter in three different windows on the 6th floor, a shooter on the 5th floor, a shooter on the seventh floor, a shooter on the roof etc etc etc the list is almost limitless. (Almost) every conspiracy book has the position that THEY are right and all the other conspiracy books are either wrong or lies.
Whenever I go to “JFK Truth Be Told” meetups I often have to bite my tongue when someone says something I disagree with, but we all still (more or less) get along. There is no one all powerful group leader telling us what to think.
Neither side has a uniformity of belief, and thus, in my mind, shouldn’t be called a high controlled cult.

So maybe the word “cult” is too extreme, and I think perhaps the word “camp” or “movement” might be a better word, However, using the word “cult” or “cults” to describe competing schools of thought coming up against each other isn’t exactly wrong either.
I don’t think ONE (possibly) mis-chosen word in Fred Litwins essay/travel blog undermines his overall premise. That on November 22, 2025 ( in my words) the harbor of Dealey Plaza was clogged with competing armadas of boats full of conspiracy theorists and Fred had an amusing time navigating through them. It is HIS blog and in HIS opinion these groups look like cults.

You are free to disagree.