Why are cults so commonplace in American religion?

[AB Asks]

A US polygamist sect leader has been jailed for at least five years for forcing a 14 year old to marry her cousin. The case involved a breakaway group from the mormon church that still believes in polygamy and is based largely in Utah. Why do you think the US is prone to cults like this being set up? And why hasn't the government been tougher in clamping down on them?

[WaldoMcFroog]

L Ron Hubbard is also know to have made the observation that if one wanted to get really rich, the best way was to invent a new religion.

But Scientology is obviously a genuine religion, and I certainly wouldn't want anyone inferring from what I said that it's a completely woo woo institution run by a-holes for nutjobs.

[Skreecheeboy]

I was also under the impression that it was a tax dodge too.