Cult vs. Organized Religion
Posted on: April 24, 2007 - 6:58pm
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Cult vs. Organized Religion
I apologize if this topic has already been covered, but could someone explain the difference between a cult and organized religion? 'Cause I am confused!
I checked wikipedia for info and as far as I can figure out cults consist of small groups and may have new ideology while organized religion consists of large groups that use history and tradition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
Given the information Iruka posted on this thread (here is the article) I do not think there is much difference other than group size. Maybe I am wrong, but aren't they all cults?
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It's all about the numbers, baby!
Like BGH said. Christianity started out as a cult, but then it caught on so fast it became a religion.
JESUS SAVES!!! .... and takes only half damage!
I don't even know what the defining numbers are. But you reach a certain point and all the sudden, "religion".
I don't know if it's numbers only. There are many little christian offshoot churches, for example, which are not aligned with any major denomination and have no history or tradition of their own to speak of, but still may not be called cults. It may have more to do with doctrine than numbers. To the degree that a small group coincides with the larger religion they may just be called a church and not thought of as a cult. The organizations of David Koresh and Jim Jones were clearly cults because they were focused more on their immediate leaders than on the christian faith they claimed to espouse. On the other hand, Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral is still just a church because Shuller doesn't claim any special notice personally by his god. The question is not easy. Scientology insists that it is a real religion. It has a large following, but I'm suspicious of people who claim religious status for a sci-fi writer who invented his own religion. Come to think of it, though, there is exactly the same--and as much--reason to follow the "holy" book of scientology as there is to follow the "holy" bible. At least we know who wrote scientology. By my definition, all religions are cults.
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Well, you guys all pretty much said what I was thinking. They are cults, aren't they?! Largo, I agree that the multiple sects, while falling under the umbrella of one larger name, have so many different ideas about dogma that they essentially are cults/religions in and of themselves.
The numbers do seem to be the one defining factor. This is really frustrating! Scientology has now been around long enough and has enough followers that people do call it a religion. It just seems that if they keep telling us (society in general) they are a religion, we eventually believe it.
Are people really that lazy that they would rather be told what to think than to think for themselves? (Nevermind...I think I know the answer to this.)
I have had this discussion with theist friends, specifically asking them to explain the difference between indoctrination and brainwashing. BGH, you and I have talked about this...could you share your thoughts one more time for me? Please?
In reality, up until about halfway through the 20th century, "cult" and "religion" were interchangable. I think it's a step in the right direction to make "cult" more negative. Organized religions are similar, but not as extreme as what we call "cults" nowadays. Thank No-God
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A Religion is a large cult. also religion is just a misspelling of superstition.
A tax exemption.
/rimshot
Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine
Too funny!
Hey, can we qualify for a tax break since so many theists call atheism a religion?
I think Largo is on the right track. I actually took a class and we looked at the anatomy of a cult. I can't find the book right now though so I can't back up what I'm saying. But there are certain qualifications that a cult has. The charismatic leader for one. But the biggest thing that sticks out in my mind is that most cults required their members to bring in other people. proselytize, in other words. I guess I could be wrong, but that really sticks in my mind. I'll try to find the textbook for that class but I think it may be packed away.
Personally, I would consider fundemental Christianity a cult.
If god takes life he's an indian giver
Interesting! If those characteristics are true, then yeah, fundamentalists are a cult. I was going to jump on the charismatic leader thing and say - What about jesus? - but the proselytizing is found in only specific sects. Sure, they all love converts, and I may be wrong, but it seems that most moderate groups don't do this.
Yep and funny thing to me about is this is I learned about how Christianity was an "underground religion" aka cult in an art history class.
---George Carlin---
I liked christianity better when it was underground. Before all the posers had to ruin it for everyone.
Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine
So you like it less now because somebody, "posers?" ruined it for everyone and partially for yourself...
Wasn't the idea of that religion to have a relationship with god, not to be concerned with actions of others?
It must have been underground a loooong time ago, I would have to guess before electricity was invented ;]
I've been thinking about this whole religion vs. cult thing and have been doing some digging. I went to Google Scholar and got this little blurb:
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_articles/gasde_irene_cultexperience.htm
They also have a website:
http://www.icsahome.com/default.htm
While I normally wouldn't label all religion as 'cult', I was actually a bit surprised that they really do reference some churches as being cults. I guess I thought they would be a bit more 'PC' about it, even though there is a disclaimer (sort of) about not everything listed was a negative.
If god takes life he's an indian giver
am i wrong in viewing christianity as an urban legend? i.e. a fictional story that by multiple retellings has inserted itself into history as fact?
www.derekneibarger.com http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=djneibarger "all postures of submission and surrender should be part of our prehistory." -christopher hitchens
Urban legend . . . . . . . hmmmmmm! I must use that in an argument sometime. Er, may I?
absolutely
on the original topic, i think that if you can call radical islam the "cult of death" it's only fair to say that christianity is something like the "cult of after-life". or the "cult of intolerance", or whatever.
www.derekneibarger.com http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=djneibarger "all postures of submission and surrender should be part of our prehistory." -christopher hitchens
It was a joke. You didn't get it. That's unfourtunate. Better luck next time.
Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine
Maybe it's more of a Death Cult because they focus on death so much. They even invented an afterlife because they're so scared of it.
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I wouldn't be so sure about that. The JW's might be the ones paying for daily TV commercials and going door to door, but almost every if not every church has a sign on the front lawn. A great many of them advertise on local tv or in papers too. They all actively seek converts. Some of them are just more inclined to invade privacy than others.
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