Why do some people throw around the word "cult" so loosely?

Question

The ACTUAL definition of a cult is - religious body of worship and its adherents

But society's definition is more along the lines of .....Cult - any religion other than mine.

These days, people use the word "cult" as a means to scare other people away from a particular faith they don't like or understand. I read on here all the time that "Mormons are a cult", "Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult", "Catholics are a cult", yada yada yada

It just doesn't make any sense to me. Just because a faith doesn't coincide with your own personal beliefs doesn't make it a cult.

Peepers - You see, that is what I'm talking about, though....even according to your criteria for a "cult", you could pretty much find something for that for ANY faith or religion. There isn't a religion out there that doesn't have a belief that looks "unusual" on the surface. You could find anything to meet that criteria. Why single out one faith?

Please don't imply that LDS people aren't intelligent, either :)

Answer 1

I can think of several reasons:

1. IGNORANCE: A lack of knowledge, either in general or of a particular point

2. BIGOTRY: Obstinate and unreasoning attachment to one’s own belief and opinions with intolerance of beliefs opposed to them

3. PREJUDICE: Unreasonable predilection for or objection against something; or an opinion or leaning adverse to anything without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge; or an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics; or an opinion or judgment formed beforehand or without due examination

Answer 2

Society's general understanding of the word "cult" is more akin to the understanding that psychologists or therapists adhere to, usually when working with patients who are dealing with the aftereffects of leaving a cult. There is no short definition, but rather a list of characteristics that cults tend to possess.

I have called a certain religion a cult, and I have not used the word loosely. My designation of this religion as a cult comes from personal experience with the religion and research about cults. I cannot speak for any other religions, or religion in general.

We can split hairs about the use and definition of the word, but I would rather help those whose lives have been hurt by them. And if you think that they don't exist, or that they are not dangerous, I can tell you some horror stories both from a personal and a professional standpoint.

Answer 3

People often use the word cult in a derrogotory way towards those religions they don't understand. If cult were used witih the correct definition than yes... all religions are a cult of some sort. However cult are generally new religions and in some cases their leaders are simply trying to control the followers of this fake religion. They sometimes control the lives of their followers completely. Taking pay checks, telling them where to live, how to live, and what to do. These cults are generally in one area or strech over several cities or states. Not all relgions are a bad cult though.

Peace

Answer 4

Yup! you're right. Haters just use the words of the conveinence and every other religion but theirs is considered a cult. The ones that I have noticed to be more attacked are the JW's and the LDS's. Sadly, they use just to put down others without knowing fully the meaning of the word. I hope people stop being so mean!!! if they call themselves religious they should follow Jesus' steps [as some of them say that they do] and stop bashing others. Jesus wouldn't do that.

Answer 5

It is simply because they didn't study their vocabulary words in 2nd grade...or maybe it was 3rd grade...

The funniest part about it, is that they think they are using the word "occult" which has 2 meanings. As a medical term it means blood in the stool. As a religious term it should be capitalized and represents those who worship Satan. And seeing as 99% of the people on this site either worship God or are atheist, that term doesn't apply either.

All the same, it's just plain ignorance. And for those of you who think I'm being offensive. Look up the word "ignorance" in the dictionary. It simply means that you have not learned something. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Answer 6

You're right. A "cult" simply means a body of believers. People don't seem to realize that, historically speaking, the term only took on a negative connotation fairly recently. Some people toss the term around casually and just use it to mean any religion they don't happen to like. In modern usage, it can also be understood to mean a potentially destructive religious group, such as the People's Temple.

Answer 7

The reason is that they like to make themselves appear superior to the ones that they call cult by using a derogatory term for them.

I agree with you otherwise.

People who call others cults are just narrow minded in themselves in that they can't deal with the issues.

Answer 8

I understand you are lds, so making a point on this is merely a formality.

Nearly all religions profess a level of obedience and conformity in order to survive.

'Cults' do the same, but also demand loyalty to a person (Smith and Hinckley), unusual or uncommon teachings (Plan of Salvation, polygamy, blood atonement, masonic rites), and a charismatic leader -

Well, okay - Gordon is hardly charismatic, but if you read about cults with an open mind and heart (like you demand the rest of the world to do with the BoM), any intelligent person will see startling and unpleasant similarities between mormondom and cult behavior

Answer 9

I agree.
It is really popular for any group to feel superior by calling another group a derogatory term. Yes the term cult has taken on the derogatory meaning.

Answer 10

Trinitarians try to use the term "cult" like a sledgehammer to obliterate any thinking analysis of what the supposed "cultist" actually believes. Trinitarians embrace a bizarre, non-etymological, quite arbitrary definition of the term "cult" which includes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century slandered Christ's followers with the insulting term "Atheist" (!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Secular authorities in academia and government routinely acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion. With more than 16 million associating with Jehovah's Witnesses, the term "cult" seems very out of place in a fair discussion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians.

Sadly, Trinitarians seem more interested in perpetuating their human traditions, Greek philosophy, and Babylonish fetishes rather than reasonably examining the Scriptural definition of "Christian". In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all the times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"

(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.

(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”

(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name


So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded


Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_04.htm