What is your definition of the word "Cult"?

Question

Does a cult have to turn out bad such as the incident at waco or with helter skelter? Or is it something as simple as giving your life to a cause like a commune?

Answer 1

a religion is just a cult with more members

i assume the bad cult you are referring to at Waco
is the US government

Answer 2

In religion and sociology, a cult is a term designating a cohesive group of people (generally, but not exculsively a relatively small and recently founded religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be outside the mainstream or reaching the point of a taboo. Its status may come about either due to its novel belief system, its idiosyncratic practices, its perceived harmful effects on members, or because it perceived opposition to the interests of the mainstream culture. Non-religious groups may also display cult-like characteristics. It does not have to turn out bad. Like in Waco I think these things got out of hand. As with Manson, Jim Jones. These are to mention a few that were on the extreme side.

Answer 3

There are a few definitions... by historians and some others define it as a minority religious group - ie, one that is different than the norm of a society or considered "weird."

I don't define a cult this way in everyday conversation. If I say a group is a cult, it means it's a predatory and spiritually abusive religious group.

A healthy place of worship and a religious community, has leaders that work to promote the well-being, health, and liberty of it's members and encourage a real relationship with God. They encourage good relationships, family, and reconciliation.

Cults want to take advantage of people, isolate them from anyone who could love and care for them, and control and manipulate them. The leaders want you to consider THEM God. A cult like this can have 5 members, or 3,000 members. Doesn't matter - for me what defines them is the predatory nature.

Answer 4

Some here have provided the dictionary definition, but a good working definition is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society. The standard for what is orthodox, however, should be God’s Word the Bible, not some definition made up to fit those with whom one does not agree.

Answer 5

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.

Answer 6

The correct definition of CULT:

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.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.


So YES. Christianity is a CULT. It deoesn't matter how many members there are. It doesn't matter if you think yours is right (all members of any cult think theirs is right and the others are wrong..)

The individual below me is incorrect. The english word definition of the word cult is NOT all that. It's just that some people like to make it a negative word, and then use it to label all the other groups of worship that they don't agree with, so in their minds, those groups are automatically negative.

But, over 70% of the people on earth reject christianity/bible, so it's a minority opinion, too, and thus a cult. Right? YIKES!!

Answer 7

To me a cult is an organization whose leaders take advantage of it's followers or members by either bleeding their wallets dry or brainwashing them to abuse their minds and bodies.
Cult leaders are usually very greedy, on a power trip, and sexually perverted.
I don't consider living your life peacefully in a commune being in a cult.
A true commune has no leaders and is a fellowship.
This is the way true Christianity is supposed to be....
I do believe that organized religion of today has acquired cult status.

Answer 8

A cult is generally a group that forces members to give over control of every aspect of their life to a human leader. They will cut members off from their families and non-member friends, control their money, and take away their rights of self-determination. We like to toss the phrase around, but I think the primary test for cult status is the difficulty of leaving the group. True cults may result to physical violence and even murder to keep a member from leaving.

Answer 9

i do not have self assurance it may be defined, because to grant it a definition may make it into some thing, that's the option of no longer some thing. after I study the note "nothingness" what I see in my options is this: The hum of the universe fading to quietness--no longer because that's quiet, yet because each thing interior ones self is attuned with it (style of like a scent will bypass away right away because you get used to it.) Then, out of the stillness, there is nothingness. *shrug*

Answer 10

I prefer to just use the dictionary. It's best if we all use the same definitions. Makes communication better.

cult /kult/
–noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

2. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

3. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.

4. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist,

Wow, I think all religions fall under those definitions.