Are all religions cults?

[Angrboda]

I don't necessarily know the correct distinction to make.  Many argue the distinction is simply a matter of size of following.  Others suggest that the divergence from mainstream religious opinions and practices characterizes a cult.  Regardless, I think that an important distinction needs to be made between a group of religious followers whose faith and devotion is invested in a doctrine or a belief, and those who are invested in the personality and utterances of a person or small group of people.  Thus, the Ananda Marga religion which Little Rik follows would, while P.R. Sarkar was alive, likely have tended more toward a cult than a religion.  It also allows one to make meaningful distinctions in non-religious areas as well.  China's gang of four would then be considered a cult.  And Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, regardless of their religious claims, would have been considered cult leaders.  The question becomes somewhat tricky when it comes to the Judeo-Christian religions.  Judaism is largely a belief in doctrines and a supreme God rather than a leader or person.  Christianity can go either way.  Christianity has a large investiture in doctrines and beliefs, yet it is also centered on the worship of their founder, Jesus Christ, and slavish adherence to his opinions.  Likewise, Islam exhibits a strong doctrinal component, yet is slavishly devoted to its founder.  It's a matter of judgement, I suppose, as all religions typically come from the sayings or writings of a small few or single person.  I think that as long as the followers remain focused on worship and reverence and obedience toward a leader or charismatic figure, rather than devotion to the ideas expressed by that person, then they are more of a cult than less of one.  It then becomes a matter of degree, rather than an all or nothing attribute.

Here we go...............    

The expert in this field has spoken........

A pity that when I did asked her what is the difference between religion and spirituality she could not come up with anything that make any sense.

For her it is all the same soup so to speak.  
This show all her impudence and effrontery.  

As I have already told you, I don't find the distinction you make between the two to be valid, nor your claim that you are spiritual and not religious. Your past attempts at soliciting an answer have been seen through as the transparent attempts to provide a springboard for talking about what you believe and proselytizing rather than honest discussion and have been treated as such. I don't recall venturing any opinion on the difference between the two. I may have, if so, feel free to remind me. Otherwise this is just a schoolyard taunt that I did not fall for your loaded questions and because I may have chosen to respond otherwise than according to your pre-written script, I have not addressed the issue. The only relevant question which I have addressed is whether you and Ananda Marga are religious in addition to being spiritual, and despite your opinion otherwise, it's relatively obvious that you and they are. So you can take this claim about what I could and could not come up with and shove it up your rectum where you will find the rest of your opinions. (I even listed how Ananda Marga hit all or most of the check marks on Ninian Smart's seven dimensions of religion, so your claim that I didn't come up with anything that makes sense is just absurd nonsense and yet another one of your lies. Ninian Smart's research is highly acclaimed, and far from mere nonsense.)