NationStates Jolt Archive

What really separates a oficial religion and a cult besides the number of members? Why do we consider these cults evil and wrong, when our own religions started out pretty brutal? well, that's all I've got to say what do you think?

If you're established, you're a religion. If not, you're a cult. Stupid really. I view 'em all as cults.

A cult can be recognized by the following characteristics:

1) It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members.
2) It forms an elitist totalitarian society.
3) Its founder/leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.
4) It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds and recruit people.
5) Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

-From Xenu.net

Well religions tend to have history and influencial philosiphies. Cults are very un specific on their beliefs, but religion generally mentions all sorts of different people and keeps records of them. It mentions different places that still exist today (e.g Jerusalem etc...). It has very influential philosiphies which can be political and influence culture. They have very extensive teachings and normally a lot more prophets and writers etc...

It all depends how good their brainwashing is.

A religion is a cult which weilds political power.

That's it. Gandhi said something to that effect, and he was dead on.

A Cult is a religion with only one congregation.

From what I've studied about religions and cults. They are practically the same thing. Cults are just small religions and are not known worldwide, and religions are just big cults that are known and recognized worldwide.

Every religion starts out as a cult...

~Satanic Reverend Medivh~

I know a basic way of seperating religions and cults, if it asks for money at anytime its a cult if it doesnt care about it its a religion. IF someone claiming to be from a religion asks you for money it means he turned into a cultist, heretic and must be obliterated muwahahahahahh!HH!H! :eek:

I always thought the difference was that of membership...all religions were cults until they acheived a certain amount of believers...I think it is 1-2 million, maybe?

Political influence.

-Ceremonies involving skulls and goats, or goat skulls.
-Human sacrifices
-Running around going, 'Oy ya ho ya oy ya ho ya' or something similar.
-Reading Latin backwards
-Speaking in funny languages (Other than Latin, which is acceptable in maintrstream religions)
-Random gibberish words with lots of X's and Q's.
-Pamphlets
-Being told to drink koolaid and that it definitly DOESNT have cyanide in it
-Sexual acts with sheep

Thats all that comes to mind right now ;)

-Ceremonies involving skulls and goats, or goat skulls.
-Human sacrifices
-Running around going, 'Oy ya ho ya oy ya ho ya' or something similar.
-Reading Latin backwards
-Speaking in funny languages (Other than Latin, which is acceptable in maintrstream religions)
-Random gibberish words with lots of X's and Q's.
-Pamphlets
-Being told to drink koolaid and that it definitly DOESNT have cyanide in it
-Sexual acts with sheep

Thats all that comes to mind right now ;)
loool! :D

2000 years old or more: Religion
Less than that: Cult

Examples of Religions:
Buddhism
Christianity
Hinduism
Jainism
Judaism
Shintoism
Taoism
Zoroastrianism

Examples of Cults:
Falun Gong
Neopaganism (includes Wicca, Asatru, Druidry and many reconstructionist religions)
Islam
Rasta
Sikhism

...simple really. ;)

Examples of cults:

Buddhism
Christianity
Hinduism
Jainism
Judaism
Shintoism
Taoism
Zoroastrianism
Falun Gong
Neopaganism (includes Wicca, Asatru, Druidry and many reconstructionist religions)
Islam
Rasta
Sikhism

...simple really. ;)

Fixed.

there's not a differnce. religons are just realy big cults.

Tax-exempt status ;)

I'm sorry I misquoted you.

Thanks, apology accepted.

(Let's not do that again, eh?)

Thanks, apology accepted.

(Let's not do that again, eh?)

You need to get around teh interwebs more, my friend. ;)

A cult can be recognized by the following characteristics:

1) It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members.
2) It forms an elitist totalitarian society.
3) Its founder/leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.
4) It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds and recruit people.
5) Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

-From Xenu.net
i suppose everyone ignore this because it was so obviously right

the theology, ritual, dogma, etc of a religion isnt what makes it a cult. you can sacrifice all the babies you want to satan and still be a religion.

a cult uses psychological manipulation to get the maximum WORK out of its followers so that the head people can live in luxury while the workers live like undocumented mexican lettuce pickers.

its not set up to benefit anyone but those at the top. no missions passing out medicines to african orphans, no schools in the slums of india, just a big fancy boat sailing around the world at all times and platinum plates with the works of the leader inscribed to last a billion years.

i suppose everyone ignore this because it was so obviously right

the theology, ritual, dogma, etc of a religion isnt what makes it a cult. you can sacrifice all the babies you want to satan and still be a religion.

a cult uses psychological manipulation to get the maximum WORK out of its followers so that the head people can live in luxury while the workers live like undocumented mexican lettuce pickers.

its not set up to benefit anyone but those at the top. no missions passing out medicines to african orphans, no schools in the slums of india, just a big fancy boat sailing around the world at all times and platinum plates with the works of the leader inscribed to last a billion years.

No, everyone ignored it because it was so wrong, and such blatant disinformation. Religions use every one of those things- to one degree or another, and some cults use none of them. The difference is one thing- political power. A religion has recognition from a state, while a cult does not.

you guys are all as dumb as a sack of wet dog dicks. religions sre for real thugs, and get down in the hood. cults are dumb, gay, and probly do weird gay sex stuff to their memebers.

you guys are all as dumb as a sack of wet dog dicks. religions sre for real thugs, and get down in the hood. cults are dumb, gay, and probly do weird gay sex stuff to their memebers.

Brilliant first post. You'll go far here. :rolleyes:

Brilliant first post. You'll go far here. :rolleyes:

Yeah, but no gun smilie. Pity, I was looking forward to collecting a soul today. I am up to 17 now.

No, everyone ignored it because it was so wrong, and such blatant disinformation. Religions use every one of those things- to one degree or another, and some cults use none of them. The difference is one thing- political power. A religion has recognition from a state, while a cult does not.

I don't think he gave any disinformation. Those are characteristics commonly acknowledged as being cultish. Whether you believe Religions to be cults has no bearing on the actual definition of the word "cult".

from dictionary.com
"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."

No, everyone ignored it because it was so wrong, and such blatant disinformation. Religions use every one of those things- to one degree or another, and some cults use none of them. The difference is one thing- political power. A religion has recognition from a state, while a cult does not.
no

that definition makes a cult simply a small out-of-the-mainstream religion. like those crazy-ass snake handlers. those people are nutz but they arent a cult. members come and go all the time and are none the worse for having been a member.

when you come across a congregation of .... baptists .... who are worked all day every day to a state of physical and mental exhaustion, are kept away from non-baptist family members, are poorly fed and are kept away from any media that suggests bad things about them, give me a call and ill believe that all religions practice what cults practice.

any "cult" that does NOT do those things is not a cult, its just a small quirky religion. im thinking that by your thinking WICCA would be a cult. being a bit weird does not make it a cult.

What really separates a oficial religion and a cult besides the number of members? Why do we consider these cults evil and wrong, when our own religions started out pretty brutal? well, that's all I've got to say what do you think?

what seperates a religion from a cult, excluding members as you requestes, would be the practices. Cults in modern days prey on college teens, yada yada, and commit suicide yada yada. That also brings up another deference: time. The current religions of the world started thousand of years ago, and have made their mark when the world was young. Thats why most people think Mormon is a cult, because some pioneer in modern time says God said no one had it right; after thousands of years of practices, some random guy says God said no one had it right. Hard to believe after a long period of faith.

Cult - Noun

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 <health cults>
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

By the first two definitions, any religion is a cult along with its members. By the fifth definition, any religion, political party, or almost any other group of people enthralled by a subject, person, or piece of art is a cult.

I always thought the difference was that of membership...all religions were cults until they acheived a certain amount of believers...I think it is 1-2 million, maybe?

1,000,000

hes asking for reasons besides members.

A cult can be recognized by the following characteristics:

1) It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members.
2) It forms an elitist totalitarian society.
3) Its founder/leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.
4) It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds and recruit people.
5) Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

-From Xenu.net

I always knew the Catholic Church was a cult....