I've seen lots of people on this board throwing around statements like "your religion is a cult" in a way that's meant to be an insult. So I started to wonder just how much of an insult that really was.
I mean, we hear on the news about Heaven's Gate, or other mass-suicide groups which are obviously bad news, and not good for any neighborhood.
But then I heard someone call the Shriners a cult, and I thought "aren't those the guys that are fun to watch in community parades, and donate millions of dollars to children's hospitals?"
So I don't get it? Are the Shriners not a cult? Or are there cults out there that really do contribute positively to their communities?
(Please note I'm asking this question with a complete disregard with whether their beliefs are right or not, this is is more in regards to having a positive or negative role in society in general).
2006-08-22
08:21:45
·
29 answers
·
asked by
daisyk
6
in
Religion & Spirituality