What's your ddefinition of a cult?

Question

Anyone?

Answer 1

A group that controls your actions, thoughts, behaviors, life, etc.

http://www.cultinformation.org.uk/faq.html#cult

Answer 2

In religion and sociology, a cult is a term designating 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. Its separate status may come about either due to its novel belief system, its idiosyncratic practices, its perceived harmful effects on members, or because it opposes the interests of the mainstream culture. Other non-religious groups may also display cult-like characteristics.

In common usage, "cult" has a negative connotation, and is generally applied to a group by its opponents, for a variety of reasons. "This popular use of the term has gained such credence and momentum that it has virtually swallowed up the more neutral historical meaning of the term from the sociology of religion" James T. Richardson wrote in 1993. Understandably, most, if not all, groups that are called "cults" deny this label. Some anthropologists and sociologists studying cults have argued that no one yet has been able to define “cult” in a way that enables the term to identify only groups that have been claimed as problematic: Richardson's 1993 article summarized the scholarly dialogue.

The literal and traditional meanings of the word cult is derived from the Latin cultus, meaning "care" or "adoration", as "a system of religious belief or ritual; or: the body of adherents to same"32. In English, it remains neutral and a technical term within this context to refer to the "cult of Artemis at Ephesus" and the "cult figures" that accompanied it, or to "the importance of the Ave Maria in the cult of the Virgin." This usage is more fully explored in the entry Cult (religious practice).

In non-English European terms, the cognates of the English word "cult" are neutral, and refer mainly to divisions within a single faith, a case where English speakers might use the word "sect", as in "Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism are sects (or denominations) within Christianity". In French or Spanish, culte or culto simply means "worship" or "religious attendance"; thus an association cultuelle is an association whose goal is to organize religious worship and practices.

The word for "cult" in the popular English meaning is secte (French) or secta (Spanish). In German the usual word used for the English cult is Sekte, which also has other definitions. A similar case is the Russian word sekta

Answer 3

In religion and sociology, a cult is a group of people (often a new religious movement) devoted to beliefs and goals which may be contradictory to those held by the majority of society. Its marginal status may come about either due to its novel belief system or due to idiosyncratic practices that cause the surrounding culture to regard it as far outside the mainstream.
wikipedia

An example of a Christian "Cult" would be Mormons or latter day saints. Their leader if Joseph Smith not Jesus.

Answer 4

I can name many religions that are nothing more than a satanic cult in this world. But there are none bigger than the "c"atholic church.

Better know to some as the "cat-aholic" church. There is no other religion in the world that has started more wars, killed more more people, has had more kids out of wed-lock, put more people into slavey, lied to people about the Bible and has even tried to rewrite it and has killed people for making it publicly known.

Even in the book titled "The Prince", by Machiavelli makes comment of the wars the "c"atholic church was starting during his day and names the "p"opes by name who were starting them.

In the book titled "Foxe's book of Martyrs" by John Foxe starting from chapter four it tells of the thousands of Christians that were put to death because they rather serve Christ than "mama". It even makes comment of painting inside the church of Rome on how the catholic church rejoiced over butching everyone during "The Bartholomew Massacre at Paris, etc."

Another good book is titled, "The Secret History of the Jesuits", by Edmond Paris.

A catholic newspaper in Spain wrote the following on the day Hitler died:

“Adolph Hitler, son of the Catholic Church, died while defending Christianity. It is therefore understandable that words cannot be found to lament over his death, when so many where found to exalt his life. Over his dead remains stands his victorious moral figure, with the palm of the martyr; God gives Hitler laurels of victory.”

He's one book that you can read about the true history of the catholic church online at no cost to you. You don't have to download anything to read it. The first one is titled "The Godfathers", written by a former catholic now Christian. The one below it is titled The Attack. The Attack shows how mama has gone out of her way to rewrite the Bible.

To change pages when reading The Godfathers, just click on the arrow at the bottom of its page.

Answer 5

If you are referring to religious groups: Any group which deviates from Biblical, orthodox, historical Christianity. e.i. They deny the Deity of Christ; His physical resurrection; His personal and physical return to earth and salvation by faith.

A group is called a cult because of their behaviour - not their doctrines.

The group will have an ELITIST view of itself in relation to others, and a UNIQUE CAUSE. e.i. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES RIGHT - everyone else is wrong. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES DOING GOD'S WILL - everyone else is in apostasy.

(b) They will promote their cause actively, and in doing so, abuse God-given personal rights and freedoms. This abuse can be THEOLOGICAL, SPIRITUAL, SOCIAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL.

Answer 6

A group of people. The word has been demonized and described as groups of people, like Jim Jones, who killed or committed mass suicide.

Answer 7

a movement with a leader without enough followers to be elevated to the status of a religion.

Answer 8

Anyone who makes policy from their beliefs. I.E. Christianity, islam, Jewish etc....

Answer 9

I find this a useful measuring stick:

http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html

It judges organizations/groups based on the following criteria; the higher the score, the more likely the group is to be a cult.

Internal Control: Amount of internal political and social power exercised by leader(s) over members; lack of clearly defined organizational rights for members.

External Control: Amount of external political and social influence desired or obtained; emphasis on directing members’ external political and social behavior.

Wisdom/Knowledge Claimed by leader(s); amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations; number and degree of unverified and/or unverifiable credentials claimed.

Wisdom/Knowledge Credited to leader(s) by members; amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader(s); amount of hostility by members towards internal or external critics and/or towards verification efforts.

Dogma: Rigidity of reality concepts taught; amount of doctrinal inflexibility or “fundamentalism;” hostility towards relativism and situationalism.

Recruiting: Emphasis put on attracting new members; amount of proselytizing; requirement for all members to bring in new ones.

Front Groups: Number of subsidiary groups using different names from that of main group, especially when connections are hidden.

Wealth: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members’ donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members.

Sexual Manipulation of members by leader(s) of non-tantric groups; amount of control exercised over sexuality of members in terms of sexual orientation, behavior, and/or choice of partners.

Sexual Favoritism: Advancement or preferential treatment dependent upon sexual activity with the leader(s) of non-tantric groups.

Censorship: Amount of control over members’ access to outside opinions on group, its doctrines or leader(s).
Isolation: Amount of effort to keep members from communicating with non-members, including family, friends and lovers.

Dropout Control: Intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts.

Violence: Amount of approval when used by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s).

Paranoia: Amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies; exaggeration of perceived power of opponents; prevalence of conspiracy theories.

Grimness: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).

Surrender of Will: Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual disempowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).

Hypocrisy: amount of approval for actions which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s); willingness to violate the group’s declared principles for political, psychological, social, economic, military, or other gain.