Why is scientology a cult and christianity isn't?

Answer 1

"A cult is a religion with no political power." - Thomas Wolfe

"The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own." - Frank Zappa

"Whats a cult? It just means not enough people to make a minority." - Robert Altman

"...one person's cult is another's religion; all religions begin life as cults. An alternative definition is that a cult is a religion which you happen to dislike." - Anthony Campbell

"Cult is a word without much use outside the realm of religious mudslinging." - Philip Kennicott

"When someone uses the word 'cult,' it usually says more about them than the group," - J. Gordon Melton, founder and director of The Institute for the Study of American Religion.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/cultmenu.htm

I was a "lay-witness missonary" (Methodist) as a youth, later I took some Scientology courses, and for awhile was a born again Baptist (due to my wifes family being so). If a cult is invasive, money grubbing, forcing weird beliefs, and makes it hard to quit... then I had the least trouble with all of those from the Scientologists. But hey, thats just my own real world experience.

Answer 2

The difference is to do with structure and hierarchy. A cult basically is structured in such a way that anyone in has to do exactly what the leadership says in order to progress, sometimes even in order to be accepted. Therefore, it is possible that some small churches can have cultic tendencies, but the religion as a whole would not be a cult, as each group would do things its own way.

Answer 3

Any religion that doesn't accept the trinity is a cult according to Christian's or so says the National World of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Answer 4

By definition, a cult is a system of belief where the followers hold to secret teachings or hold rituals in secret places.

Scientology has hidden teachings (though they are generally available, the Church of Scientology holds that the Operating Thetan levels are private and only for Scientologists),

MOST forms of Christianity are completely open and accessible to any and all who wish to learn.

As such, most forms of Christianity simply don't meet the requirement of being a 'cult'.

Answer 5

A cult or religion is what you want to call it. Personally I would say that the difference is when people get so involved in whatever the group is that they give their lives over to it it is cult. When it stays in the background to their lives there for them to go to when they want to. It is a religion and by that definition any group can be a religion or a cult to and individual depending how deep they get into it. i.e Roman Catholicism I would say is a religion but Opus Dei is a cult

Answer 6

because the basis of scientology is to make money.

I don't even think that it rises to the level of cult, calling it a cult is bieng generous because it implies that its initial goal was to explain to the world the origins of the universe.

That is what all religions basically do when broken down. creation myths.

however this one, the intent of L Ron hubbard was (as a failed sci fi writer) to get rich.

the fact that it is couched into religious terms is because he believed (as he was quoted saying) that the quickest way to get rich in this country was to become a religion.

so his ponzi scheme took shape and form under the guise of religion.

unlike any other religion or cult- scientology has its roots and intent not to explain the workings of the universe that science cannot yet explain definitively, its goal was to fleece people out of money.

Answer 7

Cult:
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.
Look at def 1 that says it all.
each and every one.

Answer 8

If it wasn't for the sheer number of people who follow it, Christianity may well have remained a Jewish 'sect'. ie; a branch of Judaism that chose to accept Jesus as the messsiah, whilst the mainstream did not. Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all 'Abrahamic' faiths.

As for Scientology, it's worth remembering that its founder (L.Ron Hubbard) is on record as saying that the real money is in starting your own religion !

Answer 9

A cult is what the big congregation calls the little congregation

Answer 10

A cult follows a human leader.