MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15724 posts, RR: 47 Posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 2489 times:
Another thread brought up something that I've often wondered-what's the difference between a religion and a cult? For me personally, I see no difference between Christianity, Sikhism, Islam, Judaism, and the Branch Davidians, those following the Hale Bop comet, Mormonism, the Moonies, Scientology, etc.--the only difference is that some institutions have more followers than others. Moreover every single religion originally started as a cult that was an anomaly to the prevailing "religions". So when does a cult become a religion, and what's the difference?
QANTASforever From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 2470 times:
I don't that going from "cult" to "religion" is a natural progression. Religions mature over time, they spawn other movements..it's a very gradual process.
I think that the difference between a religion and a cult is that a religion is a free for all, wheras a cult is rather more esoteric.
That's very vague, I know. I have flirted with the "Freezone" style of scientology in the past - and it's really spoken to me. It's amazing how wonderful the learning of a religion can be when you are removed from the centralised "church".
MD-90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 8418 posts, RR: 13 Reply 3, posted (7 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 2461 times:
Quoting MaverickM11 (Thread starter): Moreover every single religion originally started as a cult that was an anomaly to the prevailing "religions". So when does a cult become a religion, and what's the difference?
It doesn't necessarily follow that all religions originally started as cults, and then became religions.
The first three definitions of a cult, from the American Heritage Collegiate Dictionary, 4th ed.
1a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. b. The followers of such a religion or sect. 2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual. 3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
I think 1. is what people usually think of when they think of a cult, since 2. and 3. are extremely broad, and can pretty much apply to any religion.
There are some grey areas, too. To me, the LDS Church can seem cultish at times, although I wouldn't label it a cult. I also wouldn't label the original Christian church a cult either, even though it was definately out of the norm among the Jewish population.
However, I think that Fred Phelps' "church" is a cult.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15724 posts, RR: 47 Reply 4, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 2435 times:
Quoting MD-90 (Reply 3): 1a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
What religion hasn't started as such? If you take out "authoritarian" you have just about every religion's beginnings.
777236ER From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 2426 times:
How mainstream it is. Christianity was a cult to the Romans, Islam was a cult to the Middle East pre-13th century.
Quoting MD-90 (Reply 3): There are some grey areas, too. To me, the LDS Church can seem cultish at times, although I wouldn't label it a cult. I also wouldn't label the original Christian church a cult either, even though it was definately out of the norm among the Jewish population.
Right, so a cult is whatever MD-90 defines it to be.
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12559 posts, RR: 64 Reply 6, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 2422 times:
Quoting 777236ER (Reply 5): Islam was a cult to the Middle East pre-13th century.
What was the predominant religion in the Middle East before the rise of Islam?
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem - government IS the problem." - Ronald Reagan
TedTAce From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 2410 times:
Cult=organized religion
Accepted Religions are typically accepted because they TRY to serve the greater good of the community, Cults TEND to be self serving.
My OPINION is that while most organized religions have been somewhat self serving forever, they have been blatant about becomming self serving to the point of culthood over the past 10-15 years.
PROSA From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5439 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 2401 times:
Religion are happy to share their belief systems to anyone who asks. Cults, in contrast, usually claim that their beliefs are too "intense" to be described to the uninitiated. People who join cults get the belief systems revealed piecemeal as they get more and more involved - which means, in most cases, as they contribute more and more money.
"Let me think about it" = the coward's way of saying "no"
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15724 posts, RR: 47 Reply 9, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 2397 times:
Quoting TedTAce (Reply 7): Cults TEND to be self serving.
Scientologists, Mormons, and Moonies would disagree...as would probably any cult in all honesty.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15724 posts, RR: 47 Reply 11, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2375 times:
Quoting GQfluffy (Reply 2): The difference between a religion and a cult?
Sidewinder From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 2359 times:
CULT:
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
1 : formal religious veneration : WORSHIP
2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion
KC135R From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 699 posts, RR: 5 Reply 15, posted (7 years 8 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2335 times:
Quoting MD-90 (Reply 3): 1a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false
I want to know who determines what is considered extreme and false? Because there are some forms of "mainstream" religion that I consider extreme - does that make them a cult?
Quoting EA CO AS (Reply 6): What was the predominant religion in the Middle East before the rise of Islam?
If memory serves...
Pre-Islam the Arabs in the region were mostly believers in different polytheistic religions that worshipped gods of the sun, moon, etc... There were also some who followed Christianity and Judaism in the region, but I believe in much smaller numbers.
Muhammad didn't "create" Islam, per se - his big contribution to Islam was reforming it. Muhammad changed the predominant Arab religions from polytheistic to monotheistic - teaching his followers to believe only in Allah, the "one true God".
I may be oversimplifying it, but that's the best I can remember right now.
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