Are the major religions cults?

Answer 1

Not in the truer sense of the word, but they do tend to use psychological manipulation and what could be considered brainwashing. There are some less common religions, branches of major religions, and congregations within major religions that I think, yes, could be officially called cults.


Oops... I looked up the meaning of the word cult and I was wrong, yes all religions are technically cults. We are just more used to hearing about some of them. Wikipedia actually lists both Islam and Christianity as examples of cults.

Answer 2

When you consider that the word "cult" means somethign hidden or kept secret, and if you consider that there are some religions like Catholocism and Hinduism, and Buddhasim which teach that the ways to reach the highest levels of spirituality that can only be taught by totally immersing onesself into monastic ways of life, which shuts people off from the world, where the world cannot see all that they do, then yes.

When you consider that every religion I'm aware of has some sort of method of confessing one's shortcomings to a leader of some sort, and that those leaders tend NOT to make that kind of news available to the general public, then yes.

When you consider that many denominations of the major religions like to teach things on a part-time basis to their more diligent members in classrooms or temples or places where the general public is not only not invited but are restricted from attending, then yes.

Why?

Answer 3

Any religion that professes to be "the only way" is a cult. Any religion that teaches its followers that everyone else is wrong is a cult. Any religion that says that only they will get to go to heaven is a cult.

Answer 4

properly, there is cults and there is cults. I only complete area III of a accessible aspect presentation on cults for the moral Society's Sunday communicate board. And the only truly functional issue i visit inform you is the titles of the three aspects: detrimental Cults quite usually threat free Frauds and Satires Isaac Bonewits has created a cult evaluation scale that you'll discover on his internet web site below. He calls it ABCDEF for stepped ahead Bonewits Cult threat evaluation body. truly some human beings connect the concept that the numerous distinction between a cult and a faith is the variety of people in contact. yet then, some individuals evaluate truly large businesses to be cults lower than the Bonewits evaluation.

Answer 5

Originally...

All religions start out as cults (not necessarily bad cults) until if/when they grow and become accepted major religions.

Answer 6

Definition of a cult: "Devoted attachment to, or extravagant admiration for, a person or principle". They claim that they're not but, all religions are cults.

Answer 7

A cult is a religion or a sect of a religion that denies the diety of Christ.

Answer 8

Depends on how you define cult.

Answer 9

Islam is not a cult.

Answer 10

Yes.