Is religion really a cult?

Question

I believe that religion is a cult. Religion as a whole. My friends have said that they are not religious, but spiritual. I can grasp that, but religion (catholic, mormon, etc.) is a cult. Does anyone agree with me, or are you all brain washed by the cult?

Answer 1

To dsicuss this intelligently, we should pick a common definition of "cult"

cult Pronunciation (klt)
n.
1.
a. 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.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
a. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
b. The object of such devotion.
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.

So by some of those, all religion could be defined as a cult. By others, only the extreme forms of some religions, or some sects of them, are. I think most answers you get will apply to the latter.

Answer 2

Even if the religion or "group" is a bit off the individual practitioner can still gain in spirituality through it's practice.

Spirituality and relgion are very different things. Spirituality creates good thoughs for all others, positive actions and growth.

Dictionary for cult: below. Seems you are very right. For sure every new religion starts out as 2a "cult"

1 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.
3 The followers of such a religion or sect.
4 A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
5 A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.

Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
The object of such devotion.
An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.

Answer 3

If you go to www.dictionary.com and type in the word cult is says : 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.
The followers of such a religion or sect.
A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.

Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
The object of such devotion.
An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.


Basically any organized religion if you believe is false is a cult.

Answer 4

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.

In common usage, "cult" has a negative connotation, and is generally applied to a group by its opponents, for a variety of reasons. Understandably, most, if not all, groups that are called "cults" deny this label. It has been argued that no one yet has been able to define “cult” in a way that enables the term to identify only groups that have been claimed as problematic.

The literal and traditional meanings of the word cult is derived from the Latin cultus, meaning "care" or "adoration", as "a system of religious belief or ritual; or: the body of adherents to same"32. In English, it remains neutral and a technical term within this context to refer to the "cult of Artemis at Ephesus" and the "cult figures" that accompanied it, or to "the importance of the Ave Maria in the cult of the Virgin." This usage is more fully explored in the entry Cult (religious practice).

In non-English European terms, the cognates of the English word "cult" are neutral, and refer mainly to divisions within a single faith, a case where English speakers might use the word "sect", as in "Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism are sects (or denominations) within Christianity". In French or Spanish, culte or culto simply means "worship" or "religious attendance"; thus an association cultuelle is an association whose goal is to organize religious worship and practices.

The word for "cult" in the popular English meaning is secte (French) or secta (Spanish). In German the usual word used for the English cult is Sekte, which also has other definitions. A similar case is the Russian word sekta.

In short all religious practices are cults, but not all cults are evil. you are mistaking information or you are misinformed on the subject..

Answer 5

Uhhh... no... the question doesn't make sense. A "cult" is a distorted and unorthodox subdivision of a "religion". You could say that some denominations are cults of Christianity as a whole, though.

But, as far as I care, I'm in neither a cult, nor a denomination. I follow Jesus Christ, does as He asks of me, and no other name in Heaven or Earth can save me but His alone.

Answer 6

Most religions are cults, including the major ones.

Answer 7

I think all religions are cults. Just because we all study our religion differently. So, we group up in this church and pray to the God our different ways.

Answer 8

Religion is not a cult it is simply a practice. It something that you do.

Answer 9

Are you really a bigot?

Who cares what labels we apply? Look at the "fruits" produced by the followers. Catholics and Mormons in particular are good citizens and have strong family values. Is that something that we want to tear down in our society?

Answer 10

23,000 separate religious faction worldwide ... all with close to the thing thing to say. So, yes.