Cult vs Religion

[TheIrishman]

What’s the difference?

Some would say that Scientology or Jehovah’s Witness are cults but would say that Christians and Muslims are religions. Some would say vice versa.

So what classifies something as a religion or a cult? What’s the defining line?
Is there one? And how do you recognize if you are in a cult?

 

[bsroufek]

From Merriam-Webster: merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult:

Definition of CULT

1
: formal religious veneration : worship
2
: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3
: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4
: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5
a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b : the object of such devotion
c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

Basically, “unorthodox or spurious” means a small, non-global or local religion. It’s usually used to talk about celebrities and their cults or to talk down about someone’s religion as being cultish.

 

[TheIrishman]

From Merriam-Webster: merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult:

Basically, “unorthodox or spurious” means a small, non-global or local religion. ** It’s usually used to talk about celebrities and their cults** or to talk down about someone’s religion as being cultish.

So then would you classify Scientology as a cult?

 

[bsroufek]

Scientology is big enough to call it a religion (a very false one though), but you could get away with calling it a cult too.

One of its teachings is that aliens inhabit your body… it’s pretty far out there.

 

[Auntie_A]

So then would you classify Scientology as a cult?

I DEFINITELY would classify Scientology as a cult based on my favorite criterion:

A CULT is easy to enter and hard to leave.

A RELIGION is hard to enter and easy to leave.

That is, a religion wants to make sure that you go through a time of discernment, inquiry, and orientation before you join. And if you decide to leave, no one tries to blackmail you, take your family members away, fire you, molest you. defame you.

Read the book about Tom Cruise written by Andrew Morton.

 

[jjkadavil]

What’s the difference?

Some would say that Scientology or Jehovah’s Witness are cults but would say that Christians and Muslims are religions. Some would say vice versa.

So what classifies something as a religion or a cult? What’s the defining line?
Is there one? And how do you recognize if you are in a cult?

Cult is the mode of worship or liturgy. It is an aspect of Religion. For example, Syrian churches in India. They are catholic by faith, Eastern by cult and Hindu by culture.

 

[TexanKnight]

I think one good sign of a cult is a charismatic “prophet”. A person who claims they have spoken to or been visited by God and God has told them to start a new church.

It will usually have a different book in addition to the Bible OR add verses or take away verses from the Existing Bible.

It will have someone claiming they receive revelations from God directing them to do things regarding his new flock.

It will be difficult to leave

There is a lot of pressure to behave in a certain way and to be very close to the rest of the group.

These are just a few of the signs, in my opinion

 

[bsroufek]

I DEFINITELY would classify Scientology as a cult based on my favorite criterion:

A CULT is easy to enter and hard to leave.

A RELIGION is hard to enter and easy to leave.

That is, a religion wants to make sure that you go through a time of discernment, inquiry, and orientation before you join. And if you decide to leave, no one tries to blackmail you, take your family members away, fire you, molest you. defame you.

Read the book about Tom Cruise written by Andrew Morton.

OK, but if you convert from Islam to Christianity, you could be imprisoned, beaten or killed in Muslim countries. If you don’t attend Muslim services anymore, you are left alone, though.

 

[TheIrishman]

I DEFINITELY would classify Scientology as a cult based on my favorite criterion:

A CULT is easy to enter and hard to leave.

A RELIGION is hard to enter and easy to leave.

That is, a religion wants to make sure that you go through a time of discernment, inquiry, and orientation before you join. And if you decide to leave, no one tries to blackmail you, take your family members away, fire you, molest you. defame you.

Read the book about Tom Cruise written by Andrew Morton.

What classifies as hard to leave?

Would you consider Islam a cult then?

 

[TheIrishman]

I think one good sign of a cult is a charismatic “prophet”. A person who claims they have spoken to or been visited by God and God has told them to start a new church.

It will usually have a different book in addition to the Bible OR add verses or take away verses from the Existing Bible.

It will have someone claiming they receive revelations from God directing them to do things regarding his new flock.

It will be difficult to leave

There is a lot of pressure to behave in a certain way and to be very close to the rest of the group.

These are just a few of the signs, in my opinion

I wonder how early Christianity was viewed by Jews and Romans. Most likely a cult, in my opinion.

 

[TheIrishman]

Cult is the mode of worship or liturgy. It is an aspect of Religion. For example, Syrian churches in India. They are catholic by faith, Eastern by cult and Hindu by culture.

So a cult is just the method of practicing your faith?

 

[TexanKnight]

I wonder how early Christianity was viewed by Jews and Romans. Most likely a cult, in my opinion.

And atheists STILL consider Christianity a cult…so?

 

[TheIrishman]

And atheists STILL consider Christianity a cult…so?

Exactly, so how would you explain Christianity is a religion and not a cult?

 

[jjkadavil]

So a cult is just the method of practicing your faith?

For example both eastern and western churches have same belief about what is happening in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist (Holy Mass). Faith
But except the use of bread and wine everything else is different in Latin and Syrian masses. Liturgy/Cult/rituals

 

[PietroPaolo]

It’s important to note that the Church uses the word “cult” to mean something very different than it is used in popular language. We speak of the Cult of the Virgin Mary for example. From Wikipedia…
*
In Roman Catholicism, cultus is the technical term for devotions or veneration extended to a particular saint, not to the worship of God. Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy make a major distinction between latria, which is the worship that is offered to God alone, and douleia, which is the veneration (lit. “[act(s) of] service,” with “service” used as in “worship service” [but contrast the absence of worship itself as is present in latria]) offered to the saints, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose veneration is often referred to as hyperdulia.*

 

[TexanKnight]

Exactly, so how would you explain Christianity is a religion and not a cult?

I don’t.

I could care less what atheists tell me. I am only saying that the Catholic Church has existed since Jesus appointed Peter. He did it in person.

Now, the funny thing about “cults” is that there is always a false prophet behind it claiming divine intervention, a new book to go with the Bible, or a better translation of old Bible because the folks who wrote it or translated it got it all wrong

 

[MaryT777]

Excellent question.

 

[runningdude]

There are two different meanings of “cult”; one is a technical term for one’s mode of worship, the other for the “odd ball” pseudo-religions.

The first definition refers to the nature of one’s religion. For instance, a Catholic man must get a dispensation to marry a non-Christian, such as a Jewish or Hindu woman, due to “disparity of cult”.

I suspect that definition meaning pseudo-religions is a conflation of “occult” and the traditional “cult”, which have separate etymologies, despite similar appearance. Occult refers to secret knowledge or superstitions, which typically feature in a “cult”.

 

[TheIrishman]

It’s important to note that the Church uses the word “cult” to mean something very different than it is used in popular language. We speak of the Cult of the Virgin Mary for example. From Wikipedia…
*
In Roman Catholicism, cultus is the technical term for devotions or veneration extended to a particular saint, not to the worship of God. Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy make a major distinction between latria, which is the worship that is offered to God alone, and douleia, which is the veneration (lit. “[act(s) of] service,” with “service” used as in “worship service” [but contrast the absence of worship itself as is present in latria]) offered to the saints, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose veneration is often referred to as hyperdulia.*

I’m referring to the more popular definition of cult. For instance, Heaven’s Gate, Branch Davidians, Raelism. etc…

 

[TheIrishman]

I don’t.

I could care less what atheists tell me. I am only saying that the Catholic Church has existed since Jesus appointed Peter. He did it in person.

Now, the funny thing about “cults” is that there is always a false prophet behind it claiming divine intervention, a new book to go with the Bible, or a better translation of old Bible because the folks who wrote it or translated it got it all wrong

I feel like you’re hinting towards a specific religion as a cult