Could Christianity be considered a cult? I mean a cult with a lot of members? If not, why?

Answer 1

Let's be clear. Cults use coercion, they FORCE deprivation, they isolate people from friends and family, their primary source of teaching and information is from "direct revelation" to one or a very few primary leaders. Soooo, since people have willingly engaged in the practices of faiths like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, no, none of these can be considered a cult. Cults have arisen out of them, but these are aberrations.

Answer 2

A cult is not a "group with a lot of members". A cult is a religion that grows up amongst an already established religious society. If a society is one religion, and another religion begins sprouting up, that second religion is a cult until it becomes a dominant and organized religion.

Answer 3

Any religion that organizes itself is in danger of becoming a cult. Now, what I define as a cult is any organization that tries to promulgate it's own creed (especially) at the expense of truth and in order to control its own members.

While certain denominations or churches in themselves may be defined as a cult, "Christianity" on the whole cannot because it tolerates divergence in order to find the truth (I know some of you will disagree, but it is true nevertheless).

Answer 4

There are Christian cults,Muslim cults,Gnostic cults,New Age Cults,Atheist Cults,Socio-political cults,Racist Cults,etc .IMHO,a "cult"(rather than a "cultus" which is just public and habitual honoring) is something that isolates,imprisons,completely controls,zombizes,depersonalizes,dehumanizes,collectivizes,demonizes outsiders and infantizes.

Authentic Christianity does the opposite: it matures,forgives,dialogues with and learns from others,liberates,humanizes and "divinizes",cultivates individuality and community,activates conscience and personal responsibility,integrates,nourishes and heals. Such has been my experience of authentic Christianity.

Answer 5

when Paul invented it and began to get followers, it was a cult

Jesus was another advocate of a messiah and taught people to look inwards and be the change they wished to see, answered with questions, and was a Jew, who were not new and not a cult

Christianity in it's current evolution in general is not a cult, but the split offs like David Koresh, Jim Jones, etc that claim new stuff and make them and their faith central above the needs of others, IS a cult

see also Eldorado, TX and the recent cult that moved from Nevada and Utah

Answer 6

Every religion is considered a cult, by definition. But it's how it's implied that is important.

Answer 7

Precisely what it is. The only difference between a religion and a cult is the difference between a ship and a boat--size.

Answer 8

Yes of course. It is simply the size of the following that determines if a religion is a cult or not. Technically they are one and the same.

Answer 9

Tenuous Arguments For and Against...
Against:
"A cult is a religion with no political power." – Tom Wolfe
“What's a cult? It just means not enough people to make a minority.” -- Robert Altman
For:
“All religions are cults.” – On the 'net.
“Religions are cults with tax exempt privileges.” Unkn.

Answer 10

What would you care anyways? Looking for a cult to join?