How many followers must a religion have to considered a Religion and not a cult?

Question

Why do people consider Scientology, Jehovas Witnesses, Latter Day Saints, and many others cults as opposed to the big 'organized' religions. All of them are essentially founded on a faith and belief in a higher power or inanimate object or thought, so why poke fun at people for having other beliefs. I am an athiest so it would be nice to have a good solid answer, not one based upon some unprovable concept.Thanks

Answer 1

The majority of "denominations" (religion is not correct) use solely the bible, for instruction, and faith in the death of Jesus Christ for the atonement of their sins as the basis for their beliefs. This is not so with the Catholic Church or the other groups which you've mentioned. The Catholic Church uses the scriptures and the churches teaching for its' belief structures and they believe that you have to have participated in all of the sacraments to earn eternal life. Mormons use the book of Mormon, in addition to the bible for their teaching. The JW's do not believe that Jesus was G-d in the flesh and they are at odds with a good many other doctrines in the bible.

Let me share with you, that if you were to base a denomination soley upon the word of G-d, believed that Jesus died for your sins, met regularly and called it "The One True Denomination Church regardless of the number of followers yo would have a unique denomination.

Answer 2

In order to not be considered a cult, all you need is enough followers to afford expensive lawyers.

Yes, there is no difference between the cult down the street and say the Catholic Church (for example), except that the Catholic Church has more followers. It's that "Well, were better than you because..." complex.

People think that cults all commit suicide, which is vastly untrue, it’s just that the ones that do, get on the news. Christianity started as a cult. In fact all religions did.

Answer 3

By definition religion and cult can be considered synonymous. A cult is "a system of religious worship directed towards a particular figure or object" (Compact OED). There is no way to distinguish from the outside what is a "cult" (in a pejorative sense) versus a "religion".

Answer 4

The word "cult" has subjective meaning. that's relatively any faith that exists outdoors the "norm" of society. normally human beings evaluate the 5 important international religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism) to be "valid religions". A stricter definition must be "a non secular team whose leaders make the main the followers financially or sexually". If we bypass with tips from this definition than there are maximum probable church homes of all faiths that ought to fall into this classification. Stricter, nonetheless might "a non secular team that forbids touch with those outdoors the religion", returned we could see how some individuals of purely approximately any faith must be considered individuals of a cult, in view that maximum religions motivate some form of monasticism.

Answer 5

It's not the number of followers but the nature of the group which is the difference between "cult" and "religion".

Each cult has these 5 characteristics in common:

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.

Cults also use several mind control techniques. These include, but are not limited to:

• Peer Group Pressure: Suppressing doubt and resistance to new ideas by exploiting the need to belong.
• Rejection of Old Values: Accelerating acceptance of new life style by constantly denouncing former values and beliefs.
• Disinhibition: Encouraging child-like obedience by orchestrating child-like behavior.
• Confession: Encouraging the destruction of individual ego through confession of personal weaknesses and innermost feelings of doubt.
• Financial Commitment: Achieving increased dependence on the group by 'burning bridges' to the past, through the donation of assets.
• Flaunting Hierarchy: Promoting acceptance of cult authority by promising advancement, power and salvation.
• Fear: Maintaining loyalty and obedience to the group by threatening soul, life or limb for the slightest 'negative' thought, word or deed.
• Shunning: exile from all family and friends still members of the cult in the event that one completely leaves.

Answer 6

The real difference is that cults are based on control. Most of the time there is a factor involved where if a person decides to leave the group, they will lose something or someone very important in their lives. This causes their motivation to remain in the cult become dependent not on their faith and love of God, but on trying to keep hold of something dear to them. It's like being held hostage at the threat of losing what's dear to you.

Religion is based a person's personal relationship with God. Their faith (or lack of), decision to continue in their faith and so forth is completely up to them. There is an understanding that it is no one else's business if a person goes to church or not. We must each concentrate on our own relationship with God. There is no threat of losing something else, like a loved one or family or friends.

I was a Jehovah's Witness at one time and can tell you that they practice shunning, which means if you leave the JW's, you are exiled from all friends and family who are still JW's. Most people cannot bear this and remain simply because they can't be without their family. This is definately a cult.

I later converted to the Catholic Church and finally learned the true definition of faith in God, and my personal relationship with Him. It is completely up to me. Total freedom.

God bless.

Answer 7

The big organized religions ( mostly christianity based ) have a tendancy to put down any other religions by calling them cults and discrediting them.

Answer 8

I think that consideration is pure personal opinion.

In accordance with dictionary.com a Cult is:

1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

Under this definition all religions are cults!
But the definition that is used the most is:

6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
Any religion that you consider false is a cult (but Scientologist don't live outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader).
So any religion can be a cult depending of the point of view of the observer.

For example: Jesus Christ was persecuted, captured and killed because he was considered to be a cult leader. Christians were persecuted and killed for centuries because they were considered to be cult members. To this day Christians in China have to worship in hiding (members often living outside of conventional society) . And in some Muslim countries the punishment for spreading the cult Christianity is death.

I'm not trying to put down Christianity or any other religion. I'm just trying to explain that any religion can be considered a cult depending on your point of view.

Answer 9

Christianity was considered a cult in the earl stages of its development.

Answer 10

i guess people feel that anything that isn't taught and treated like a religion is instead a cult