is there a real difference between a cult and a religion?

Question

apart from the amount of people in one i suppose

thanks for your answers

i expect religious peole will argue their religion is not a cult and us athiests will say religions are cults

what do you think

xxx vici

ooops sorry need to learn to spell too

Answer 1

christianity is a cult, so is islam and any other organised religion, the only difference is, is the vast volume of followers, the funny thing is, is that they don't realise that they are in a cult, but to me, that verifies it!!

good question have a star*

Answer 2

Religions and cults through history have been pretty much the same although a cult generally was not as entrenched in tradition and more simplistic than a religion; however more recently the word cult has taken on a derogatory meaning. The word cult is used to separate out those religions that separate individuals from their families and social support structures in order to use mind control techniques to entrap them into the fold. Some individuals incorrectly use the word to refer to any religion that is not comfortably similar to their own.

Answer 3

The words "cult", "sect", and "religion" all pretty much have the same meaning. "Cult" pretty much just has a derogative meaning associated with it. What is and is not a "cult" really depends on individuals viewpoints.

However, for the media to use the word "cult" for a group, the group will probably have to be small, have little or no political or social influence, and be engaged in activities that would seem abnormal to the majority of society.

Answer 4

My answer is long. Sorry in advance.

You are right to some extent. A religion by definition IS a cult.

However, if what you are trying to defrentiate between is a cult and a dangerous mind controlling cult, there are certain measures to do so.

1. A destructive cult tends to be totalitarian in its control of its members' behavior. Dictating in great detail what members wear and eat, work, sleep, and bathe, think, speak, and conduct familial, marital, or sexual relationships.

2. A destructive cult tends to have an ethical double standard. Members are urged to be obedient, honest and open confessing all to the leaders. On the other hand, outside the group they are encouraged to act unethically, dishonestly or manipulative to outsiders or nonmembers, either deceiving them or simply revealing very little about themselves or the group.

3. A destructive cult has only two basic purposes: recruiting new members and fund-raising. All charity work is superficial and only serve as gestures or fronts for recruiting and fund-raising. A cult's real goal is to increase the prestige and often the wealth of the leader or leaders.

4. A destructive cult appears to be innovative and exclusive, instituting the ONLY viable system for change that will solve life's problems or the world's ills.

5. A destructive cult is authoritarian in its power structure. The leader is regarded as the supreme authority. He or she may delegate certain power to a few subordinates for the purpose of seeing that members adhere to the leader's wishes. There is no appeal outside his or her system to a greater system of justice. In a destructive cult, the leader and his designated people claim to have the only and final ruling on all matters. You are discouraged from seeking secular legal or law enforcement against fellow cult members.

6. A destructive cult's leader is a self-appointed messianic person claiming to have a special mission in life.

7. A destructive cult's leader centers the veneration of members upon himself or herself or THE ORGANIZATION. Whereas, priests, rabbis, ministers, democratic leaders, and other leaders of genuinely altruistic movements focus the veneration of adherents on God or a set of ethical principles.

8. A destructive cult effectively persuades followers to abandon or alter their families, friends, and careers to follow the cult. They takes control over followers' possessions, money, time, and lives. They foster a mistrust of outsiders and a deep persecution complex that lets cult members see the world as against them.

Usually professionals suggest that if you are in a group that manifests three or more of these attributes...BE CAREFUL, you could be in a destructive cult.

Answer 5

Peace to all

Yes big differentbetween a cult and a religion.

now we have to examine word Cult and Religion


[Early 17th century. Directly or via French< Latin cultus "worship" < colere "cultivate"]



re·li·gion [ ri líjjən ] (plural re·li·gions)


noun

Definition:

1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life


2. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine


3. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by


4. obsession: an object, practice, cause, or activity that somebody is completely devoted to or obsessed by
The danger is that you start to make fitness a religion.


5. christianity monk's or nun's life: life as a monk or a nun, especially in the Roman Catholic Church


[12th century. Via French< Latin religion- "obligation, reverence"]


re·lig·ion·less adjective



get religion

1. U.S. to stop flouting the rules, regulations, customs, and expectations of society

2. to become a believer or join a religious organization, and, usually, start to lead a life that follows its teachings


Now we know what is diffrence between one another, so leave to you all to distinguish.

Take care

Answer 6

A religion, is an officially recognised faith. A cult, is a fad that is far removed from what we perceive as a religion, and are usually run by contributions made by the participants. The leader usually takes on the persona of a Messiah.

Answer 7

i think the only real difference is that religions are socially acceptable and cults aren't.2000 thousands years ago Jesus could have considered to be the leader of a cult. You could say a religion is just a successful cult.

Answer 8

Well first off a cult has to have a human leader that one worships. Judaism is not a cult because we do not worship anyone but HaShem. Others could say that we follow Moses or Abraham. Which is true, we do follow them, but we don't worship them. We follow them because they receive their guidence from HaShem.

You could say the same thing about Christianity because most denominations of Christianity believe that He was divine. That He was God. But Christianity did begin as a cult until it got so big, that everyone began to understand that they were not just disciples of a mere man, but of God. Because Yeshua (Jesus) is God. But that concept is a bit hard to swallow for a lot of people.

Answer 9

Cults are little religions frowned upon by big religions. Why? Well, possible future competition.

Answer 10

I don't really see much a difference between cults and religion, they are both out to make money.