cults

[syo]

when a religion becomes a cult? what seperates religion from cults?

in my opinion, a cult is an organization that teaches harmful teachings.

 

[savagewind]

I think a cult is an organization that makes itself the center of an adherent's attention.
Does an organization teach self-reliance? Then, it isn't a cult.
Does it teach dependency on the organization? Then, it is a cult.

 

[Polymath257]

when a religion becomes a cult? what seperates religion from cults?

in my opinion, a cult is an organization that teaches harmful teachings.

Who/what determines if the teachings are harmful? Most religions have harmful aspects, at least from some point of view (is monasticism harmful? how about celibacy?)

 

[syo]

Who/what determines if the teachings are harmful? Most religions have harmful aspects, at least from some point of view (is monasticism harmful? how about celibacy?)

there are a few aspects that are definitely harmful, like murder. as far as monasticism and celibacy, they are not forced on people. if some people chose it, why is it harmful?

 

[sayak83]

when a religion becomes a cult? what seperates religion from cults?

in my opinion, a cult is an organization that teaches harmful teachings.

Success separates religion from cult.
Just as success separates rebellion from a revolution.

 

[columbus]

when a religion becomes a cult? what seperates religion from cults?

in my opinion, a cult is an organization that teaches harmful teachings.

It seems to me that cult is one of those words that hasn't really got a definition so much as it has connotations and perjorative implications.
As a non-theist living in the western world, most of the religions that matter to me do teach some dangerous things. One of the most harmful things commonly taught is "Trust the human authorities, like priests and prophets and scriptures, instead of reason and evidence.

One example would be the folks who oppose marriage equality because their minister says that scriptures say that Moses said that God said that gay male sex is an abomination. Despite evidence and reasoning, they insist on that. It's human authorities overriding reality.
Tom

 

[savagewind]

when a religion becomes a cult? what seperates religion from cults?

in my opinion, a cult is an organization that teaches harmful teachings.

Take it a step further. A cult discourages healthy personal training as it focuses on the welfare of the whole. So, it isn't as though it teaches harmful concepts but that it discourages the learning of healthy personal growth concepts so the adherents of a cult must grow the way of the organization, or not at all, according to the cult's dogmas. A person is supposed to be in 100% or not at all.

 

[ajay0]

Imo, a cult rides on the force of personality, while a true religion rides on the force of truth, compassion and values.

Nowadays, so called religions too have a certain proportion of cult-like charecterestics in them as well due to charismatic and deluded rabble-rousers and gullible followers.

 

[columbus]

Nowadays, so called religions too have a certain proportion of cult-like charecterestics in them as well due to charismatic and deluded rabble-rousers and gullible followers.

That's not limited to religions.
There is a certain political party here in the USA who matches that meaning.
Tom

 

[savagewind]

Cults teach faithfulness to the cult which is an unhealthy teaching, imo.

 

[Wu Wei]

cult

1 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious, also : its body of adherents ·the voodoo cult
·a satanic cult

2 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book) ·criticizing how the media promotes the cult of celebrity
; especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b : the object of such devotion

c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion ·the singer's cult of fans
·The film has a cult following.

3 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents ·the cult of Apollo

4 : formal religious veneration : worship

5 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator ·health cults


spurious

1 : of illegitimate birth : *******

2 : outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities : false ·the spurious eminence of the pop celebrity

3 a : of falsified or erroneously attributed origin : forged
b : of a deceitful nature or quality ·spurious excuses

 

[pearl]

It seems to me that cult is one of those words that hasn't really got a definition so much as it has connotations and perjorative implications.

Good point. If one accepts the broad definition of 'cult';
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object:, then Christianity is a cult.

 

[David T]

when a religion becomes a cult? what seperates religion from cults?

in my opinion, a cult is an organization that teaches harmful teachings.

Hell thats culture!!! So do you mean a cult inside a cult!? Is that different? Smaller therfore invalid? Lol

 

[David T]

I think a cult is an organization that makes itself the center of an adherent's attention.
Does an organization teach self-reliance? Then, it isn't a cult.
Does it teach dependency on the organization? Then, it is a cult.

Culture!!!

 

[David T]

Good point. If one accepts the broad definition of 'cult';
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object:, then Christianity is a cult.

Culture. Total religious veneration£££££££$$€

 

[sun rise]

In common usage a cult to me tries to separate people from society and their friends focusing everything on the beliefs and teachings of the cult.

My totally classic definition of a cult is, of course, from the Simpsons

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Strictly anthropologically speaking, a cult is a small-size worship group; for example a fledgling new religion, a sub-group devoted to a particular deity among many, or a fringe group centered on a charismatic leader. The later two don't really "become" religions, and the first of those is already a part of a religion. Technically the second, as well, but they tend to be problematic and dangerous.

For the former - fledgling religions - they're usually recognized as "religions" when they become normalized, have membership spanning a large area (national or global,) or have retained existence for several decades. The exception that I can think to this is Scientology, which many (myself included) believe is more of a business that has bought it's way into "recognized religion" status.

 

[savagewind]

A cult can also be a group which is dedicated to a charismatic ideal. You know who you are.

 

[allfoak]

when a religion becomes a cult? what seperates religion from cults?

in my opinion, a cult is an organization that teaches harmful teachings.

Cults are just subsets of the Christian culture.
Without Christianity they wouldn't exist.
What decides if their teachings are not correct is whether it fits in with the current mainstream Christian culture.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Take it a step further. A cult discourages healthy personal training as it focuses on the welfare of the whole. So, it isn't as though it teaches harmful concepts but that it discourages the learning of healthy personal growth concepts so the adherents of a cult must grow the way of the organization, or not at all, according to the cult's dogmas. A person is supposed to be in 100% or not at all.

Not only that, but another defining aspect of cults are when the organization itself goes after, and pursues its members.