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Are all religions cults?

MikeDwight

Well-Known Member
Fred Rogers can speak in cult Korean while walking backwards. The Pretzel was made for thousands of years for the Holy Trinity says a guy completely off script, here's praying, here's folding arms, here's 3 holes.


A Cult involves totally unexpectable abnormal behavior, like unpredictable leaders and stuff.
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
In general, mass religions don't seem to me to meet the criteria. While obviously some forms cover some of them, this is a bit specious. Scale is everything as the model can't work on a large, impersonal scale. The cult needs sufficient control over an individual's life which can only be done via personal relationships.
I disagree with this point. Religions typically have hierarchical organizations that allow authority to be dispensed at local levels, meaning that controls such as excommunication (or disfellowshipping, shunning, etc.) can be invoked without reference to a central authority in a large organization.
 

robocop (actually)

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
If this is in an inappropriate forum, mods please move.
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of “ex” whatevers. People who left very controlling religions and call out such behaviour. Which has greatly fascinated me. As a Dharmic, forging one’s spiritual path is something of a matter of pride. Something expected even.
Having “apostate” thoughts isn’t a cause for disfellowship or anything like that. It’s almost encouraged. This does not seem to be the case for the “exes” that I’ve been watching.

So I never really understood the Abrahamic paradigm of the apostates or atheists or anything like that. Not really.

I dabbled with this idea in the past and perhaps I’m finally ready to truly entertain it.

But, if we go by the “BITE” model of what a cult is, does all religion necessarily fall under such a model?
If so, why?
If you go by the BITE model, then I would say every group probably does a few, but some are worse and some are better.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
The members of the true cult are called "the elect". They are in the minority. At the end, 100 million believers will survive to witness the resurrection of God and the angels on the Mount of Olives. Zechariah 14:5.
So they claim. :shrug:
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
But, if we go by the “BITE” model of what a cult is, does all religion necessarily fall under such a model?
If so, why?

The BITE model is useful to gauge how much influence a creed or movement exerts over its members.

I must agree with @Quintessence in at least her general lines.

Any and all movements will of course attain some numeric score under any variation of the BITE model, even if the result turns out be all zeros. Therefore, at the end of the day your question needs clear parameters. What would even count as "all religions"? Likewise, "cult" does not have any clear meaning on its own, and certainly no objective difference from "religion" either. Many people use it as shorthand for "dangerous or worrisome doctrine", but that is hardly an universal understanding of that word.

In any case, the answer to your question must be "no", even if that does not really tell us much in and of itself. There are simply far too many and too varied movements claiming to be religions. Some have lousy BITE scores despite not even qualifying as religions.

Instead, we should consider the BITE results of specific creeds and how much it varies among subgroups inside same, and attempt to keep them in mind when discussing those creeds. Particularly from the inside.
 

FooYang

Active Member
But, if we go by the “BITE” model of what a cult is, does all religion necessarily fall under such a model?

No most religions are not cults, in fact to take it further, most cults probably aren't really "cults" either.
The word "cult" is basically just a slur when it comes down to it.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
No most religions are not cults, in fact to take it further, most cults probably aren't really "cults" either.
The word "cult" is basically just a slur when it comes down to it.
Then what are cults if not cults?
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
Just fringe movements. Fringe isn't a bad thing, better than mediocrity.
Except that there is such a thing as real and immoral harm being made by some of those groups.

There is a point - a moral need even - to detect, stop and heal that harm.
 

FooYang

Active Member
Except that there is such a thing as real and immoral harm being made by some of those groups.

There is a point - a moral need even - to detect, stop and heal that harm.

Ok, so do you run or donate to any charities? if not, why not? I assume if you detect such a so-called "threat" then you would.
 
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