As far as I see it, isn't all the same?
Each one believes they hold the truth so what's the difference?
If I drink the poisoned cool aid, I belong to a cult but if I kill people in the name of God (or whatever you call it), I belong to a religion? Is that basically it?
2007-03-14 11:59:30 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
IMO - a cult brainwashes people and people follow the leader blindly and believe whatever they're conditioned to believe. So many religions could be considered cults. But not all religions because there are those few minority religions out there that allow free thought and aren't cluttered up with archaic rules or rigid belief requirements.
2007-03-14 12:06:52 · answer #1 · answered by swordarkeereon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cult is a religious movement just like any other such has Islam or Christianity. The difference lies in that cults usually deceive their followers into joining using methods such as drugging people, blackmail, or just flat out lying. Like that Manson hypnotized his followers into killing those young actors in California.
Deception, however is hard to prove. You cannot prove that anybody is the Messiah, so that can't be used as evidence, but drugging can be proved. So can being forced to sign a contract saying you are a member of the religion before being alloed to attend an actual service.
Most Christians call any religion that they see as dangerous or against their teachings, particularly Satanism and Wicca, as a cults. This is wrong, but is easy to say.
Others say a cult is a religion that says it is the only true religion, which is false since almost ALL religions say that.
2007-03-14 19:15:52 · answer #2 · answered by YouCannotKnowUnlessUAsk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cults typically follow a human being that is alive and claims to be divine. They are NOT backed by any religious writings or any other source and ask that you believe merely on their word. That is why they do such crazy things that no other religion teaches.
Religion however is a set of beliefs in 1 god or many that has religious writings and establishes traditions, and its source of truth is NOT based on any 1 simple human being and what they say.
2007-03-14 19:10:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The difference is only in the name. It's like the difference between revolutionary and freedom fighter; just semantics. The media is responsible for 'cult' being used as a pejorative term. The media likes simple definitions which don't require analysis.
2007-03-14 19:12:11 · answer #4 · answered by miketwemlow 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting analogy.
You'd probably enjoy reading the following articles,
which detail both of what you refer to.
Secret Societies--How Great the Threat?
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1997/6/1/article_01.htm
This one really shows them up for what they are, & yet reveals that there is One religous group that stands far apart from either ...
The End of False Religion Is Near!
- What false religion is
- - How it will end
- - - How to identify true religion
http://www.watchtower.org/e/kn37/article_01.htm
2007-03-14 19:32:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are criteria check out www.csj.org for more info...
_()_
2007-03-14 19:19:21 · answer #6 · answered by vinslave 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋