Whats the difference between a cult and a religion?

[MJ the Skeptical]

Religions don't want to admit they're large cults and Cults don't want to admit they're Mini-religions.

[Godlesspanther]

Religions don't want to admit they're large cults and Cults don't want to admit they're Mini-religions.

In my experience nobody wants to admit that the group that they belong to is a cult. In my experience the more adamantly they deny it, the more of a cult member they really are.

Scientologists are notorious for that childish stubborn denial that they belong to a cult. And if you want to see some really angry people -- find some ex-scientologists. Those folks are PISSED.

[Zidneya]

Technically all religions are cults. A cult is just a religion that has not been around for as long and does not have as many members. All major religions started out as cults. Christianity, for example, started out as many small cults. (It is a common misconception that xtianity was originally unified and then split up into denominations over time -- nope -- there never was a unified xtianity.)

There are other criteria where we can examine the way that a cult operates and determine the degree to which the group controls its members. Robert J. Lifton, Steve Hassan, and many more have established criteria that we can use to analyze a particular group. Some groups are much more controlling than others.

Another common misconception is that all cults are religious -- that is -- having a theological or "woo-woo" component to the operation -- not so. There are non-religious cults. A common example is the Ayn Randians. Multi-level-marketing scams are very cultish and most of them do not contain a religious component. There have been therapy cults that have developed in which the members have an unhealthy level of devotion to a therapy group, its leader, and methodology.

A cult need not be dangerously controlling to be a cult. We can observe many harmless cults, for example new age stuff in which the group enjoys an individualist epistemology and no designated leader -- cult-lite, perhaps, but still a cult and they are all still goof-a-noodles in the shit that they believe.

Here is a great list of criteria for a cult -- 100 (count 'em) categories:

http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cult_q0.html

Ohh... if only we could convince religious people to acknowledge this elements in their belief system and regognize that religions are cults

[Anomalocaris]

Broadly the same difference as between "microevolution" and "macroevolution".

[The Valkyrie]

The spelling

[Godlesspanther]

Technically all religions are cults. A cult is just a religion that has not been around for as long and does not have as many members. All major religions started out as cults. Christianity, for example, started out as many small cults. (It is a common misconception that xtianity was originally unified and then split up into denominations over time -- nope -- there never was a unified xtianity.)

There are other criteria where we can examine the way that a cult operates and determine the degree to which the group controls its members. Robert J. Lifton, Steve Hassan, and many more have established criteria that we can use to analyze a particular group. Some groups are much more controlling than others.

Another common misconception is that all cults are religious -- that is -- having a theological or "woo-woo" component to the operation -- not so. There are non-religious cults. A common example is the Ayn Randians. Multi-level-marketing scams are very cultish and most of them do not contain a religious component. There have been therapy cults that have developed in which the members have an unhealthy level of devotion to a therapy group, its leader, and methodology.

A cult need not be dangerously controlling to be a cult. We can observe many harmless cults, for example new age stuff in which the group enjoys an individualist epistemology and no designated leader -- cult-lite, perhaps, but still a cult and they are all still goof-a-noodles in the shit that they believe.

Here is a great list of criteria for a cult -- 100 (count 'em) categories:

http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cult_q0.html

Ohh... if only we could convince religious people to acknowledge this elements in their belief system and regognize that religions are cults

Yes, if they would actually go through that list of 100 items and honestly determine which items apply to their group and to what extent -- they would have to admit that they are a member of a cult.

Your average religious nut would sooner eat broken glass. I mean that literally.

[Clueless Morgan]

Yes, if they would actually go through that list of 100 items and honestly determine which items apply to their group and to what extent -- they would have to admit that they are a member of a cult.

To be fair, though, how many matches to they have to hit on the 100 items list in order to fully qualify as a cult? 100%? 80%? 60%? Or merely >50%?

[Chas]

Rational, skeptical people are always willing to rethink things.

Yep your right, and that is why I am sticking to what I have said.

Except what you said is factually incorrect.

[Zidneya]

Ehh one question is this an example of a cult



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukyo_Mahikari

Because I have an acquaintance that believes an goes to this thing. AND I WOULD BE OKAY IF HE HADN'T TRIED TRO DRAG ME INTO THAT AS WELL

I assume that it was a cult because the people there said that if I let the light and the cosmic energy enter in my I would never get sick ever again in my life.

But since I don't know what that organization is I thought it was worth asking.

[Godlesspanther]

Yes, if they would actually go through that list of 100 items and honestly determine which items apply to their group and to what extent -- they would have to admit that they are a member of a cult.

To be fair, though, how many matches to they have to hit on the 100 items list in order to fully qualify as a cult? 100%? 80%? 60%? Or merely >50%?

I'd say over half would be good enough. If an organization meets more than half of those criteria then, it would be a really fucked up organization and I would call it a cult.