What is the difference?
2006-10-23 22:57:21 · 8 answers · asked by Brendan G 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own." [Frank Zappa]
2006-10-23 23:00:44 · answer #1 · answered by AiW 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Straight from Webster's 2003 edition...
Religion: n, from the Latin religio, holiness. 1. belief in and worship of God or gods. 2. a specific system of belief, worship, etc., often involving a code of ethics.
Cult: n, from the Latin cultus, care, cultivation. 1. a system of religious worship or ritual. 2. a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc. 3. a sect.
Ironically enough, not a heckuva lot of difference. About the only difference seems to be that Religion is a belief, and a Cult is the system of belief. At least by the #1 definition of each. Putting #2 of Religion to #1 of Cult and, well, it's pretty much the same thing.
Very thin line there, depending on your interpretation of the dictionary definition.
2006-10-26 19:58:13 · answer #2 · answered by Ophelia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YnotAskDo told you that a cult has less power.
Actually, it has been my observation, that in a cult, the PEOPLE have less power to express themselves freely.
It is the leader or leaders of said cult who have all of the power.
Do you remember Rev. Moon...of the "Moonies", here in America? His cult produced people who were so messed up, in the head, that the U.S. Govn't confiscated all of Reverend Moon's bank funds, and seized his huge acreage (his large amount of land), in Montana...and, they kicked that sucker right out of the country.
He is now "personna non grata": which is Latin for an "unwelcome person", in the U.S. (He is not allowed to function again, in our country, here)
Some "cults" are so sophisticated that they will say that the real difference (that sets them apart) is their CULTure.
Or, "cult" is for "cult-ure" (culture).
They (those sophisticated ones) are more dangerous than the Moonies, in my mind: because they--these crafty ones--are still with us; whereas, Rev. Moon was seen for what he is, and given the boot!
Rule of Thumb (when looking into a religion that some say is a cult):
Ask yourself this--
Do I give up my right, as a free adult (or, as a teen, with innate rights) to think for myself and to speak for myself?
(Or, do I have to tout the "party line", under some sort of threat to conform?)
Do I lose ANY of the freedoms that I enjoy under the (U.S. Constitution)...if you are an American, that is...by joining up with that cult?
Do they shame me into submitting to their leaders (or, otherwise harrass and intimidate by holding promises or eternal punishments over my head)?
Have others felt any kind of duress, coming from their [cult's] leaders?
Finally, (and mainly), do the followers of the religious cult put their leaders on some lofty and glorious pedestal?
(Do you exist primarily to follow the cult leaders, almost without question?)
If the religious leaders are not there to serve YOU (in appropriate ways, of course)...then you may quite possibly be in a cult.
2006-10-24 06:22:03 · answer #3 · answered by hohobankhamen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cult is a group of people with a religion. It's generally smaller than, but analogous to a church or a congregation.
The word's meaning is changing, like words tend to do. Compare these two pages to understand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_%28religious_practice%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult
2006-10-24 06:01:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Religion is Your own personal belief system.a cult brainwashes you to there beliefs.
2006-10-24 06:02:32 · answer #5 · answered by gwhiz1052 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
a cult is brainwashing on the small scale religion is brainwashing on a industreal scale
2006-10-24 06:04:17 · answer #6 · answered by andrew w 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
None, except that a cult has less power.
2006-10-24 05:59:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They have the same definition
2006-10-24 06:15:51 · answer #8 · answered by mike 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋