What is the difference between cult and religion?

Question

I would really like to know why mass cults are known as religions and good for people to follow. Blindly taking faith in the words of a common man who reads from a book and promotes contempt towards the different and love towards the similar. Taking part in rituals and celebrations that have gone on to help and demonstrate loyalty to the power. Isnt a cult just a smaller scale of a religion that has not lived as long. A man tells stories to his followers and they take part in rituals and celebrations to help demonstrate loyalty to a higher power.

Answer 1

The difference is that "religion" sounds more prestigious. So the most important ones give themselves the name of "religion" and leave the name "cult" for the others, so as to make them look less important. But in essence Charles Manson and Jesus Christ are not very different.

Answer 2

The definition/difference of cults and religions is a little bit wishy-washy. The problem with a living language like English is that meanings of words evolve. The dictionary definition of a cult is "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."

When I talk about a cult, however, I mean a religious group that follows the lead of one man or a small group of men as the final authority of the religious law and teaching. That doesn't mean a cult is a bad thing. Under that way of speaking, most religions, even the one I am a member of, started out as a cult, but when they matured, they out grew that necessity. Also, the Catholic Church would fall under that definition, which I have a great deal of respect for, and the Hindu religion would not, which I have much less respect for.

Answer 3

A cult is built around a single person It helps if the cult leader is still alive. From a purely sociological poit of viewJesus in his time could be considered a "cult leader". After Jesus left the scene, in the physical sense, his followers began to spread their belief system within the Hebrew community. At this point Christianity became a sect within Judaism; a sect being a sub-group with it's own particular interpretations, beliefs and rituals within an established religious system. After Saul/Paul of Tarsus died non Jews had also embraced Christianity and Christian rituals and beliefs had become somewhat institutionalized. It i this institutionalization, widespread massive adherence and organized dogma turned Christianity into a religion unto itself. I suppose a similar case could be made of Buddhism as it evolved from Hinduism, but I know more about Christianity.

Answer 4

1). A "CULT": is define as a sect to mean a group that has broken away from an established religion. Others apply the term to a group that follows a particular human leader or teacher. The term is usually used in a derogatory way. Also A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society.

2). "RELIGION": is define as a form of worship. It includes a system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices; these may be personal, or they may be advocated by an organization. Usually religion involves belief in God or in a number of gods; or it treats humans, objects, desires, or forces as objects of worship. Much religion is based on human study of nature; there is also revealed religion. There is true religion and false.

Answer 5

A layman's definition of a cult is a team of human beings who have faith in or do something different than I do. yet heavily, once you combine 3 tenets you create an exceedingly volatile and unsafe project: a million) the team is amazingly secretive 2) in basic terms participants can understand each and all of the team's ideals and practices 3) as quickly as a member joins, there is no thank you to circulate away no longer attempting to assert any particular team does a million) via 3) above, basically defining what a cult extremely is.

Answer 6

According to police, and socioliogist who debfeife those of ex cults, and teach on the subject, there are three points one eneds to concider if one is asking this questions-
1. abilty and invite to question ahtority. If one is looking at the Catholic church, no, one has no right or invite to question the dictates of the Pope, the father figure. This in itself makes for a strong point of considering it a clut, and for undered of yrs, it was considered a cult. The ohter 2 p[oints must also be ocnsdered;
2. outside-abilty; can be outside, able to go out into the fullest community and access other parts of society and exchange ideas and communtions? As you remeber, when Jim jones took his fellwoship into French Giuena, he totally cut off ALL open communication with outside communicaiton, for this reason- when one has a chance to communicate, one can then be influenced or back-influenced, out of the grp.
Un the case of the Catholic church, thye allow full dispersal into and out of the community, so in this respec, no they are not a cult as they invite conversations with ohters.
3. Adhernace to SOME main stream doctirne that is common to all those in that mainstream rleigonin, but may have some smaller lesser points that vary; but the MAIN points are the same. Such as the main Chrstain views- Catholic, Proistan, Orthodox, Anglican all state the CREDDS as their main stance, These make them in (some sort) of agreemnt this might make the aurguement that they are not cults. even those one or more of them have many differnaces. see?
the jim Jones thing, the mormon things, the Children og God thing, the Juhovan's Wittnesses thing; they all have very differnat views and do not hold the creeds as their primary creeds theirfore one has to re exaimine them, closer.

Answer 7

In religion and sociology, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and recently founded religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. Its separate status may come about either due to its novel belief system, because of its idiosyncratic practices or because it opposes the interests of the mainstream culture. Other non-religious groups may also display cult-like characteristics.

Religion is a human phenomenon that defies easy definition. It is commonly understood as a group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object (real or imagined), person (real or imagined), or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, and rituals associated with such belief or system of thought. It is sometimes used interchangeably with "faith" or "belief system" In the course of the development of religion, it has taken many forms in various cultures and individuals.

Answer 8

About 100 Years.

Answer 9

Cults tend to try to benefit their founder. Everyone else gives so that he/she can gain something. In Christianity, it was the other way around. Christ gave for our benefit. We now serve him. However he does not need me to maintain his position. He is God whether we acknowledge it or not. Certain denominations have elevated their leadership higher than they should be. They are not being accurate to the bible so that should not be seen as a fault of Christianity. Rather it is the fault of those individuals. Other religions may fit the definition of a cult.

Answer 10

It's a matter of scale. They are the same thing.

By the same token, if there is a bunch of bands playing in a park and 1,000 people show up, it's a "concert." If 100,000 people show up it's a "festival." Either way, though, it's just some guys with guitars in a bandshell.

Religion is the same thing. If 100 people believe your insane ideas, it's a "cult." If a billion people believe your insane ideas, it's "religion."

It makes my head spin too.