What religions do you consider "cults" and why?

Question

Christian: Do you believe some other religions are "cults"? I know Christians who believe Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and Catholics can be called “cults.” Do you? Why or why not?

Non-Christians: What religions, if any, do you think are “cults” and why?

Answer 1

Trinitarians try to use the term "cult" like a sledgehammer to obliterate any thinking analysis of what the supposed "cultist" actually believes. Trinitarians embrace a bizarre, non-etymological, quite arbitrary definition of the term "cult" which includes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century slandered Christ's followers with the insulting term "Atheist" (!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Secular authorities in academia and government routinely acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion. With more than 16 million associating with Jehovah's Witnesses, the term "cult" seems very out of place in a fair discussion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians.

Sadly, Trinitarians seem more interested in perpetuating their human traditions, Greek philosophy, and Babylonish fetishes rather than reasonably examining the Scriptural definition of "Christian". In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all the times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"

(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.

(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”

(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name


So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded


Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/

Answer 2

Well the dictionary defines a "cult" as a cohesive group of people (sometimes a relatively small and recently founded religious movement, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream, sometimes reaching the point of a taboo. So in a sense, every religion known to man at its very genesis could have been considered a cult. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, etc all fall into this category. The only thing that separates Christianity from the "holy church of whatever", is the number of followers and length of existence. Both of these aspects lend validation and credibility to a "cult" therefore making it an established religion.

Answer 3

Hi. I am a Christian. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I consider any religion that forces members to "donate" a very unchristian religion. A cult is any group that preaches devotion and worship to a human.

PS We are incouraged to ask questions, do research(not just in the NWT Bible) and No we are Not watched 24 hours a day. I am practicly a shut in right now. When I had more mobility I was not watched. Now that my family and I do not get out of the house as much, Ya know who checks to see if we need food, or the lawn mowed or a listening ear or a kind word???? It is the friends from the Kingdom Hall. Both my brothers live/lived near us. They rarely offered help. When they called or came they mostly wanted money. When the brothers and sisters from the Hall come or call they NEVER ask for money. We have to beg them to let us cover some of their gas, or if they bring food, give them a 5 or 10. I have a friend in Alaska who once lived in Georgia, where I currently live, she is in her late 50's. I am in my early 20's. If I call and want/need to talk she is there. No we do not just talk about the Bible. She is my friend. Another friend who is extremely busy, and possibly about to lose her home(a VERY LOOOOONG STORY) still takes the time to send me emails to see how I am.

PPSS To the "Christian" person who said any religion that does not believe in the unBiblical principal of the Trinity is a cult. Allot of people throw around the assumption that we Jehovah's Witnesses are brainwashed cultists. We are all taught to search for Bible truth. Yet, you and others, seem to enjoy randomly taking one persons opinion of a term as gospel. Please consider who is acting brainwashed. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

"...one person's cult is another's religion; all religions begin life as cults. An alternative definition is that a cult is a religion which you happen to dislike." Anthony Campbell

"Cult is a word without much use outside the realm of religious mudslinging." Philip Kennicott

"When someone uses the word 'cult,' it usually says more about them than the group," J. Gordon Melton, founder and director of The Institute for the Study of American Religion.

"It's easy to tell the difference - a cult is someone else's religion. Corollary: "A fanatic is someone who believes something more strongly than you do." Jim Heldberg

"I have often thought that the difference between a cult and a religion is an IRS ruling." Ron Barrier

I'd actually have to agree with these people.

A positive definition would be:
"worship; reverential homage rendered to a divine being or beings"
"a particular form or system of religious worship; especially in reference to its external rites and ceremonies"
"devotion or homage to a particular person or thing."

Which means a cult would be a religion. :-)

Answer 5

Counterfeit Christianity is probably the best description I can give for a cult. Counterfeit Christianity is an imitation of real Christianity. Bible terms like "Jesus Christ, Resurrection, Salvation, and Atonement" are used by the Cult, but entirely different meanings have been assigned to these terms by the various cult groups.
Like counterfeit money which is sometimes difficult to detect, so it is difficult to detect counterfeit Christianity, since it looks like the real thing. Experts examining counterfeit money often hold it up to a strong light and look for identifying marks. Counterfeit Christianity also has identifying marks which can be seen when held up to an even stronger light, the light of God's word, the bible.
We are at an advantage if we know what to expect from a cult. Cultists are very well trained to appear "Christian", and indeed believe they are the true church, and you need the deliverance! Therfore, be bold and ask the question, "Do you believe the group you represent is the only true church on the face of the earth?"
If they reply that they are, or if they are evasive, making remarks like "Well, every church has a measure of truth but...", you have made an early detection of a Cultist.
Every true Chistian, if asked the same question, regardless of his denomination, would reply that the true church is comprised of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and HE (not some organization) is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, (John 14:6). No legitimate denomonation would claim that they alone and their members have salvation exclusively, but the cults (the counterfeits) do.
I do not want to list the religious organizations that are cults here because it is offensive to some. If you want to find a list of them you can check out these two links.
http://www.macgregorministries.org
http://www.carm.org/cults.htm

Answer 6

cult /kʌlt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kuhlt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
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.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
–adjective 9. of or pertaining to a cult.
10. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.


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Based on this definition from dictionary.com, all religions are cults.

The worst and biggest are Scientology, Catholicism, Hari Krishna. Each of these has massive infrastructures for taking in money and possessions and appropriating it to the hierarchy of the cult.

Answer 7

As a non-Christian I believe all organized religion is a form or type of cult in one way or another.

Answer 8

all are cults. anyone who subscribes is most likely brainwashed or conditioned in some way. Unless given the ability to think for ones self becoming a follower is the only option

Answer 9

Definition of Cult:
"Adherents of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices"
"A system of religious beliefs and rituals"


So the biggest cults are Christianity and Islam

Answer 10

Atheists do not have confidence interior the declare that god does not exist. somewhat, atheists do not think of that there is sufficient info to end that God exists. additionally, that's not the interest of the atheist to coach that god does not exist. He/she isn't the single making the declare. The declare is being made by the theist. So that's the accountability of the theist to justify the declare. And for the theist to assert that the declare is real purely because of the fact he have confidence that's, or some e book says that's real, does not carry any advantage for the atheist. ultimately, while the atheist does seek for info that god is genuine, he shows damaging info: non secular wars sectarianism concept in books that are self-contradictory concept in a god who's many times propose and merciless invalid philosophical arguments faith used as gadget of the dictator non secular lifestyle and doctrine borrowed from different religions the horrendous concept in blood sacrifice the horrendous concept in hell holy wars T.V. evangelists pedophile clergymen gay popes Nazi popes violation of ladies human beings's rights affront to religious freedom Sarah Palin and so on concept in something, is acceptance of it being real interior the absence of info.