whats the difference between a cult and a relgion?

Answer 1

I believe a cult is a religion taken to the extreme. But define extreme. ?

Answer 2

Technically, there is no difference. The word "cult," up to about the year 1970, was synonomous with "religion." Current usage now implies to the word the definition "destructive religion."

The dictionary defines the word as:

"cult 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. --attributive. Often used to modify another noun: a cult figure; cult films. [Latin cultus, worship, from past participle of colere, to cultivate."

One can say that the word "cult" is used derogatorily. Most "cults" are merely labeled a "cult" by competing religions, and may or may not have "cultic" traits.

Answer 3

A cult is with the wiccan relgion...like when 4 or more people are in the power of 3..they are concidered a cult.

Answer 4

A cult does things in secrecy where a religion does things openly. Although a person can have religion and it turns into a cult. Jesus wants you to have freedom in Him, freedom to worship and freedom to live. There is great freedom in Jesus, you can do whatever you want although once you start reading the Bible and living His way....you don't want to do all that other stuff of the world. A cult usually takes an authoritarian way of living, telling you when and how to do things. Sometimes even making you give all of your possessions and money to the leader. A cult ALWAYS goes against the teaching of the Bible.

Answer 5

In a strictly techincal sense, a cult has less than a million members and a religion has more than that. However, most people interpret the meaning of "cult" to a small group of people believing an obviously crazy ideas, like the belief that alien overlords placed us on the Earth and when we are worthy will bring us back to space.

Answer 6

A cult is a small secretive group that has a leader trying to tell their followers what to do. It is COMPLETLY DIFFERENT than a religion. A cult leader controls its followers and oftentimes tells them to do things that are offensive and oftentimes illegal- such a rape, murders, suicide, and even incest. Look at the movie "Helter Skelter" about Charles Manson. He was a cult leader.

A religion, however is a large organization that has a leader trying to INFLUENCE followers of Christ or whatever figure of worship. They do not try 2 force someone or tell them to commit vulgar activties like a cult does. I'm not saying all cults do that, but most that I've heard of do.

Answer 7

cults are like those people that hide in dark rooms drinking kool aid and slitting thier wrists...

im not really sure.
but a cult is a very small relegion. under a few thousand people, that is usually located in a small section, maybe a town, state, or country if most.

a relegion has millions of members, and is for the most part world spread.

Answer 8

Cults demand a complete and utter hold on a person. They isolate the person from there family and friends to make it easier to rebuild them into perfect little soldiers.

Some religions are cult- like. But most religions do not require that you completely seperate yourself from outside contact physically.

Answer 9

A cult is 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.
Ex: wicca, growing in grace, scientology, black magic etc



Religion is 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, divine or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values.
Is believing in something you do not see.
Ex: catholics , cristianism, muslim, Judaism etc

Answer 10

Technically, there is no difference. The word "cult," up to about the year 1970, was synonomous with "religion." Current usage now implies to the word the definition "destructive religion.