Don't all religions start out as cults?

Question

When are they officially a religion?

Answer 1

I just answered a similar question, so forgive the cut-and-paste.

"Cult" is basically a synonym for "religion," but it carries negative connotations in popular usage.

Cult, from L. cultus "care, cultivation, worship."

Religion, from L. religionem "respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods."

So all "religions" are "cults." It's just that religious laypeople only apply the second term to religions that they're seeking to discredit.

Answer 2

The term "cult" is very subjective, and mostly rhetorical. But you are right, most religions, when they started out, could be considered a cult or a sect. Even Christianity (I'm a Christian) was refered to as a "sect" by people in the times of the early church.

Drawing a line between the terms cult and religion is also subjective, as every person has their own deffinitions of both. Probably, looking at when a belief system stops being called a cult and starts being called a religion, the best place to draw the line would be in the number of followers and the solidity of the belief system. A new belief system, with few followers, that could be perceived as able to dissapear in the not so distant future, will probably be called a cult. But once it gains numbers, and it is seen that it is here to stay, and becomes notably influential, then it would probably be called a religion.

A different way of slicing it is in the way the religion works. Some might see a cult as a belief system where there is only one person who is the legitimate teacher and authority of that religion- everyone follows him/her. A religion has many authorities, sometimes with opposing veiwpoints.

Other qualities that people may use to distinguish cults from religions, is that cults are often secluded, seperating themselves from society, while religions are open and integrate into society.

If a belief system is "officially" a religion, it usually means that some other organization (often a government) has recognized it as such. But the activities of governments do not always accuratly reflect the reality of a situation, and I do not believe this is a good standard to go by.

Personally, I find the terms "cult" and "religion" completely subjective and nearly worthless, except for rhetorical use and to convey understanding to those who are used to those terms, or unless you assign them specific definitions (something they both lack) and stick with them.

Answer 3

The term "cult" is given to "religions" that posses certain traits and characteristics. There are many websites out there that claim to know what religions are cults. A lot of these sites don't have a lot of knowledge about other religions and thus make a judgement based on things they "heard" from people. And for the first speaker to judge people based on the KJV of the bible, he's just as bad as anyone because he feels he is able to judge people. What ever happened to religious tolerance and just being ablet to accept the fact that people will believe different things? Just be careful of the sites you go to stating that they know what is a religion and what is not. Do some research for yourself and you should find a good answer.

Answer 4

Cults. Even Christianity was a cult in the eyes of the locals when there were just a few followers. Most religions start with a charismatic man or woman who impresses others with his ideas (this is not to say they are bad).
Jesus Christ would be a revolutionary in any modern day context.

Moses and his people were a cult to the Egyptians.

Answer 5

Yes they all start as cults when they are small and new. Cult is a pejorative given to the minority. Not all of them exhibit cult like behavior: an inordinate level of control over the adherents (i.e., telling them if they can eat, whom they can marry, etc).

I think size and time allows most religions to shed the label and gain a type of respectability.

To the first answerer: so by that reasoning was Christianity itself a cult until I guess 1611 AD when the KJV was produced? Were earlier Christians actual cultists--including the apostles of the first century (not trying to be a jerk here just trying to follow your reasoning on point 1)?

Answer 6

A cult simply refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. This can be anything like Alcoholics Anonymous which is a very positive cult to Christian or Islamic Fundamentalists which is a negative cult. To your question, yes, all religions start out as a small group or cult and once they gain mainstream acceptance are considered a religion.

Answer 7

The end of new thoughts in a cult or a faction is the beginning if a religion.
This phenomenon induces the followers of the cult to start worshiping its initiator. This initiator becomes a prophet of that religion for times to come.

Answer 8

According to dictionary.com, a cult is:
–noun 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.
–adjective 9. of or pertaining to a cult.
10. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.

Definitions 1 through 5 describe all of Christianity, or pretty much all religion.
Definition 6 is what it seems people are usually aiming for when they throw the world cult out there, but it begs the question, considered by whom? A group or organization is a cult only when you qualify who considers them a cult. Then of course you would want to know why they consider the group to be "false, unorthodox, or extremist".

I guess the answer to the question according to definition 6 might be yes, since when a religion is first starting out it is probably generally considered unorthodox and maybe extremist. The truth or falseness of it would have to be tested of course, through your own study, meditation and prayer.

Answer 9

What's the difference between a cult and a religion?
The number of people in them!

Answer 10

Well if you go by the dictionary meaning, then yes.

Noun
cult (plural cults)

1)A group or doctrine with religious, philosophical or cultural identity sometimes viewed as a sect, often existent on the margins of society.
2)Devotion to a saint.
3)A group that exploits members psychologically and/or financially, typically by making members comply with leadership's demands through certain types of psychological manipulation, popularly called mind control, and through the inculcation of deep-seated anxious dependency on the group and its leaders.

By this standard every sect of Christianity can be classified as a "Cult". So when do they stop being a cult, never really.