What is the difference between religion and a cult, if any?

Question

People tend to laugh at cultists and cults because they are so brainwashed. What is the actual difference between that and other religions?

I'm not looking to inflame anyone.
Religious fanatics in both camps seem to do a lot of crazy things for a belief system (like denial of bacon, or praying 5 times a day or mass suicides).
I worry that doing things other than for the survival of you and your species may be inflicting more damage than it is solving.
If there is an adaptative reason for a belief system I want to know it.

JMort, according to you a cult is any belief system with a person leading it. So catholicism would be a cult because of the Pope?

Answer 1

Some have beat around the bush, but in fact a "cult" and a "religion" are distinguished by their gate-receipts. There seems to be a participation threshold past which a cult becomes a "genuine" religion. Other than that, there ain't a lick of difference between them.

Answer 2

Cult members are adherents of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices, while practitioners of a religion hold a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny.

It could be argued that there is no difference. Cults typically are led by a charismatic leader, Jim Jones, the leaders of both Heavens Gate and The Branch Davidian, while religions tend to have one central leader with leaders below them to help run the Church. While some would say the Catholic Church is a cult because some view the Pope as a cult leader. I would disagree because there is no singular leader that people worship.

Answer 3

Practically, the distinction is all a matter of size. If you can only convince a few people to follow your belief system, it's just a cult, but if you can convince countless billions, it's a religion. Also, to graduate from cult status, you need some figure of power to endorse your system. It's pretty well documented that Christianity was considered like we think of a cult until Constantine came along...

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. Some anthropologists and sociologists studying cults have 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[citation needed].

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.

Answer 5

The religion versus cult thing is entirely subjective. People tend to refer to religions that they don't understand, don't agree with, or are afraid of as cults. Its a way of trying to make them seem less valid than other religions. Religions take many forms. I don't personally believe in the idea of a cult. It many not be a religion I want to follow, but it obviously works for someone, so why should I be the one to judge as inferior and as a cult?

Answer 6

A religion can be a cult that got bigger. Cults have been described as trying to keep their members, not feeding them well, closing them off from family or any "non-believers", to achieve an end for an individual.

A religion may not try to separate a person from their family and friends, allows them to leave with minimal hassal, and the benefit is not just for one person.
I'm sure this is not the typical definition... this is just some of the differences I have seen amongst religions and cults.

Answer 7

The basic difference (to me) is the capability or encouragement of questioning said beliefs.

Both camps (I don't see a difference either) discourage, or outright punish anyone who questions the religious belief system.

Bottom line is that if questioning, debating the leader(s) or eating a BLT sandwich, is considered one step to eternal damnation, well run the hell out of there

That said, The minister I respect the most will always start out as such;

"I read this or that the other day, and this is what it means to me, what do you think"

In other words, he will not respect anyone who allows them-self to be unquestionably indoctrinated, you must question everything.

Answer 8

I would say the difference between religion and cult would be the level of control. Religion has its nuts also......and some of those veer into cults. From what I know of cults, they control almost everything you do, say, wear, or own. WIth so many religions in the world today, I guess you would have to decide what level of worship and control you want.

Answer 9

My personal opinion is that it is a cult if:
- You are forced or strongly "encouraged" into isolating from your current relationships
- Payments of money to the church/organization are required to join, remain a member, or move up in the ranks
- The good of the collective is more important than the good of the individual, even if it means the illness or death of the individual.
- And I always think one very distinguishing mark of a CULT is if they have a team of LAWYERS.

An acceptable religion, in my book, is always voluntary, and every part of it is voluntary. You make certain resolutions or agreements to be part of a church, but when you're forced to, it's no longer a religion.

Answer 10

Anytime a belief system becomes an obsession which causes harm to others or yourself, it is a cult - even if it is generally considered a religion.
Or - worse still - any time a religious leader tries to control personal aspects of your life, they are leading a cult group.

A religion is supposed to be 'ethereal substance'(forgive the oxymoron) for your soul, or the deepest most sensitive part of you. It is a focal point to give you balance, or to give you relief from the everyday happenings.