What makes a cult and was Jesus one of the greatest cult leaders?

Question

What separates Jesus from other known cult leaders? He claimed to be the only "way" just like other cult leaders. So what is the difference. Please this question isn't meant to offend but a chance to share your "truth" with others! Blessings!

Answer 1

The meaning of the word "cult" has changed over the last few decades. It's original meaning, and still its primary meaning, is a system of worship, with its rituals and practices. By this definition, any religion is a cult, and there can be subsidiary cults within a religion. It's nothing sinister.
Lately it has taken on the meaning of a controlling, maybe abusive religious system, which isolates its members from the wider community and demands absolute obedience. There can be degrees of "cultishness" in different groups. An extreme example of this was the Jim Jones "People's Temple" massacre, in which his followers were induced to drink poison and feed it to their children.
Christianity cannot be said to begin until after the Resurrection, so Jesus as a man was not controlling it. The members of the community discussed problems, submitted them to their leaders, and the leaders submitted their proposed solutions back to the people for approval. (Read it in the Book of Acts.) This is not cultish behavior.

Answer 2

It may be that the meaning of the word 'cult' has changed some to reflect the modern incarnation of it.

In the past, I used to read references to 'the cult of Cybele' or 'the cult of Mithras' or 'the cult of Diana.' I don't think the writers of those references meant the same thing by 'cult' as people mean now when they refer to 'the Heaven's Gate cult' or 'the Jim Jones cult' or 'the Branch Davidian cult.'

I could see some justification for calling Jesus a cult leader by the older definition as well as by the unwritten criterion that a new religion is going to be considered a cult in its early days until it gains sufficiently wide acceptance in the population.

Do I think Jesus was a cult leader of the Jim Jones or David Koresh variety? No, because his teachings were too intelligent for that, and he advocated debate about his philosophy. He didn't kick Thomas out of the fold for doubting him. He argued with priests.

But I do think Jesus could be considered a cult leader by the older definition, though I don't think that was his intent. I think all Jesus really wanted to do was to reform the Jewish religion to make it less legalistic and more compassionate. It may well be that the Disciples and Apostles were the ones who made early Christianity into a 'cult' of the older sort.

Answer 3

The only difference between a cult and an organized religious group is really how long has it been around.

Religions have a lot of followers, infrastructure, meeting buildings, and parents taking their kids to the place.

Cults have a small amount of followers, probably some binders and guidelines about who and what they are, possibly a library of pertinent literature that amounts to a few dozen books which are owned by the founder, would not have a set building explicitly designed for them to meet at, and not after school/Sunday school groups.

So as I said, the difference is success, time, and money.

So was Jesus one of the greatest cult leaders? If he existed then yeah he was pretty successful because his became a religion. Just like Joesph Smith's Mormonism.

Answer 4

Cults usually have leaders whom followers believe to be the sole bringer of truth. In a way, the early Christians were some kind of cult. But, because Jesus taught a real religion ( personal and harmonious relationship with God), He was able to 'multiply' HImself among later preachers and decentralize human leadership.

Answer 5

The current definition of a cult is a group of believers whom follow a man as their god. Thus you can't classify Jesus as a cult leader unless you don't believe Jesus is actually the Son of God. In which case, you might as well be an Atheist.

Answer 6

Religious people, priests, prophets, cult leaders, false messiahs have all faded in time. No one could have done what Jesus has done. Thousands of years later his Truth has survived the "Test of Time". That's what makes him more than just a cult leader.

Answer 7

Jesus was one of the greatest of teachers on this earth.
He did not create a cult.
People created a religion after he died.
Please look up the Encyclopedia about the difference between cult and religion.

Answer 8

The followers have turned it into a blood for sin cult... the Pauline Gospel.

But Jesus didn't preach Paul's Gospel... he taught his own Kingdom Gospel. There is a difference.

Jesus himself was simply teaching his disciples, and doing a fine job of it too.

Answer 9

The characteristics of a cult are numerous. I won't try to list them here.

Jesus healed the sick, and even raised the dead in order to prove his claim as to who he was, as well as his own resurrection from the dead.

He gives us a simple choice; to believe the gospel; a message about God's love for mankind, and our placing our faith in him.

Cultmeisters convince people they have no choice but to follow the cultmeister, and there is no love in those systems.

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Answer 10

By the definition of that word (cult) Christianity could of been considered a cult in it's earliest beginning, but not now, because now it is the mainstream...