Can anyone list all the cults and sects that exist?

Question

Like the tom cruise scientology one, i need to talk about one but everyone else has chosen all the main religions so i have to do this, thanks.

Answer 1

Did you want information on Scientology? I don't have a list of all cults but I do have info on Scientology.

This is what Scientologists ACTUALLY believe:

Xenu was an alien ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft resembling Douglas DC-8 airliners, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living. The alien souls continue to do this today, causing a variety of physical ill-effects in modern-day humans. L. Ron Hubbard (a science-fiction writer and the creator of Scientology) called these clustered spirits "Body Thetans," and the advanced levels in Scientology place considerable emphasis on isolating them and neutralizing their ill effects.

To rid ourselves of "Body Thetans", we have to go through "auditing" with a member of the “church” who uses an "e-meter" to measure our “reactive mind” in order to clear our mind of “engrams” (past negative experiences stored in our unconscious mind)...... and we have to pay lots and lots and lots of money to take courses on Scientology to advance to higher “levels” in the “church”.

Scientology is undeniably a cult.

Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following five characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members
2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.
3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.
4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds & recruit people.
5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

Are Cults Harmful?

To remain within the strict mental and social confines of a cult for even a short time can have the following disastrous effects:

Loss of choice and free will. Diminished intellectual ability, vocabulary and sense of humor. Reduced use of irony, abstractions and metaphors. Reduced capacity to form flexible and intimate relationships. Poor judgment. Physical deterioration. Malnutrition. Hallucinations, panic, dissociation, guilt, identity diffusion and paranoia. Neurotic, psychotic or suicidal tendencies.

Answer 2

Are you talking about "cults" as a subject, or do you need to talk about any religion and just want to choose a minority religion to talk about?
One definition of "cult" is "system of religious beliefs and ritual". In other words, it is just a religion. This would classify Protestantism as a cult for example.
Another definition is "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious".
Well, that could change depending where you are in the world, or who you mix with, as what classifies as "spurious" could be cultural.
The French government did compile a list of about 176 minority religions, in order to single them out as the target of new "anti-cult" laws. Their list included Buddhists and Baptists. It was, of course, a violation of human rights: if a law applies to one, it applies to all, not just some picked on group.
As for Scientology, you need to be aware that it is in fact the fastest growing religion on the planet. With barely 50 years under its belt, compared with the 2000 years that Christianity and Buddhism have had, it is only a matter of time before it is without doubt mainstream.

Answer 3

the international Almanac lists 7 significant religions and 12 minor ones: Christian denominations make up 40 8 significant and a bunch of teenybopper. Hinduism has thousands of diffrent sects, Buddhism and Islam are also divided into tremendous and small sects and communities. seem up religions interior the Almanac. it really is especially dazzling.

Answer 4

Want to get an "A"?
Forget listing the cults to pick one from. Instead, list the CHARACTERISTICS that the top counter-cult experts watch for in determining what is a cult.

What is a Religious Cult?
http://www.sspx-cult.com/WhatIsAReligiousCult.htm

Is the Catholic Church a Cult?
http://www.sspx-cult.com/ChurchCult.htm

***What are the Characteristics of a Religious Cult?http://www.sspx-cult.com/CultCharacteristics.htm

You just need the last one, but the other links provide good background to embellish your discussion.

Answer 5

Conversion by force is a characteristic of a cult. It is also a characteristic of Islam. That is an established fact of history. Even speaking that truth outloud makes some Muslems violent.

Thats a nice cover-up job on the genocide the Islamic Sudanese government is doing on Christians. Nobody seems to know about it.

I am waiting for a "born again / bible-only/ evangelical / non-denominationalist "Christian" to find a way to blame it on the Pope for his 'silence'.

Of course, we won't even mention the Jews being killed in the name of Allah. Somebody will find a way to blame that on the Pope too.

Answer 6

Religions A - Z James Beverley would be a good place to start.

It gives the core beliefs of most religions. That's because there's always a "new" one out there that is the new kid on the block.

Also, you could google it and get a multitude of answers!

Grace to you and God Bless!

Answer 7

There's a cool book called - and I'm serious here - The Joy of Sects. It has some good infor on cults and sects.

Answer 8

Jehovahs Witness
Latter Day Saints
Christian Science
Theosophical society
WCG and United church of God
Bahai Faith
New Age cults
Unification church
DScientology
Eastern Religions apocalyptic
Islam
Hindu

Answer 9

No. Cults and sects pop up and disappear as often as fleas on an alley cat.

Answer 10

Islam is not a cult, it is a revealed religion by God, continuation of Judaism and Christianity. Unlike these two religions Islam is not corrupted.