Is the Catholic Church a cult ?

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after reading posts on different threads I get the impression many Non-Catholics view the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church as a cult. why is this so?
 
celticcrusader said:
after reading posts on different threads I get the impression many Non-Catholics view the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church as a cult. why is this so?
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It probably could have been considered as a cult when it first started by others.

Non-Catholics that I know view the Catholic Church and many Catholics as those who do not know the Bible and therefore are not Christians. Some fundamentalists also view us praying to Mary (eg: the rosary) as nonsensical - they say we should pray directly to Jesus. I have tried to tell them that we only pray to ask her to ‘put in the good word for us’ sort of thing. And that I LIKE praying the rosary. Then the statue thing - they think we pray to statues. I tell them that statues are plaster and paint - they are not God, Jesus, Mary, or anyone - just depictions of them.

It is a mindset they have and you can talk to them one on one and give your viewpoint - but the problem lies with their clergy who spread, or help to spread, that sort of nonsense.

It is the mentality of - to denigrate the other guy so they look and feel better - which is actually not very Christian of them! And very judgemental of them! I laugh since it is all very human to be that way - but they have the problem - is the way I look at it.
 
celticcrusader said:
after reading posts on different threads I get the impression many Non-Catholics view the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church as a cult. why is this so?
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I would not hold to this opinion; a cult by definition as to the modern usage of the word would indicate a church or group which teaches heretical doctrines; Roman doctrine, while I believe much of it false, is not heretical.
 
A cult by general definition is:

A group with a charismatic leader that everyone praises and obeys;

A group that commands its members to turn over all their money to the Group;

A group that teaches their religion is the only “true” or “correct” one;

A group with distinctive beliefs, and that holds that they are specially esteemed by God.

It can often include a group that uses techniques such as brainwashing, mind control and sleep and food deprivation.
 
but so many fundimentalist religions claim that we are. hopefully some will come here and show the errors of the Catholic Church in thier opinion.
 
what did Bishop Fulton Sheen say?there is not one person that hates the Catholic Church for what she teaches BUT there is a multitude that hates her for what they THINK she teaches… or some thing along those lines
 
celticcrusader said:
after reading posts on different threads I get the impression many Non-Catholics view the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church as a cult. why is this so?
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It is a cult. The term “Cult” isn’t necessarily a pejorative
 
TriuneUnity said:
I would not hold to this opinion; a cult by definition as to the modern usage of the word would indicate a church or group which teaches heretical doctrines; Roman doctrine, while I believe much of it false, is not heretical.
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So Protestantism is a heresy, albeit a true heresy.

Catholicism is false, but orthodox… 👍
 
Don’t sue me you invited me here so I cut it and pasted it. I do have experience working with cults.
Actually I did do my research on this particular cult I was working with and it was sometime ago. However to answer your leading question, Yes it is. I am sure that is going to raise a ton of responses but I will say for now I will not reply to any of them. The CC is complicated in that it is so accepted in our communitiesone of the largest business around. largest land owner and at one time the largest distillery.
The first rule in establishing a cult is to alter the Word of God the next to either discredit it or to make their writingsa equal to it as such allowing to add or change the message. Oncew that happens there is trremendous control and almost a complete inability to argue with reason. The area where it does not fit in type as you would usually find is that it does not prohibit its members of protein, essential for cognitive functioning. It will however establish a head and one that can claim exclusicve authority and therby power.
I know I am in trouble. but don’t worry you are in good company with Jehovah Witnesswes, Mormanism and Christian Science to name a few community accepted cults. Ok there. I can hear the guns clicking.
 
GIMJ said:
So Protestantism is a heresy, albeit a true heresy.

Catholicism is false, but orthodox… 👍
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What part of the Nicene, Apostles, and Athanasian Creed do Protestants deny?

And false teaching which is not heretical is not orthodox :eek: it is heterodox.
 
it’s good to see Backfrkthebrink here I think we will have some intense if not heated discussions , but everybody please keep it christian.
 
Sepharad said:
A cult by general definition is:

A group with a charismatic leader that everyone praises and obeys; (I am refering to the Pope.)

A group that commands its members to turn over all their money to the Group;

A group that teaches their religion is the only “true” or “correct” one;

A group with distinctive beliefs, and that holds that they are specially esteemed by God.

It can often include a group that uses techniques such as brainwashing, mind control and sleep and food deprivation.
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While I would not agree that the Catholic Church is a cult, if the above definition of a cult is correct, the Church does display three of the traits.
 
rick43235 said:
While I would not agree that the Catholic Church is a cult, if the above definition of a cult is correct, the Church does display three of the traits.
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I would argue that there have been more than a few popes who were not charismatic at all.

For the issue of placing its own writings on par with Scripture, I would point out that the New Testament books are writings of the Catholic Church.
 
TriuneUnity said:
What part of the Nicene, Apostles, and Athanasian Creed do Protestants deny?

And false teaching which is not heretical is not orthodox :eek: it is heterodox.
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The Communion of Saints, for one. (Apostles Creed)
Most Protestants also reject “One Baptism for the forgiveness of sins”. (Nicene Creed)
Whereas you guys have thousands, we believe in, “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church” (Nicene Creed)
 
backfrmthebrink said:
Don’t sue me you invited me here so I cut it and pasted it. I do have experience working with cults.
Actually I did do my research on this particular cult I was working with and it was sometime ago. However to answer your leading question, Yes it is. I am sure that is going to raise a ton of responses but I will say for now I will not reply to any of them. The CC is complicated in that it is so accepted in our communitiesone of the largest business around. largest land owner and at one time the largest distillery.
The first rule in establishing a cult is to alter the Word of God the next to either discredit it or to make their writingsa equal to it as such allowing to add or change the message. Oncew that happens there is trremendous control and almost a complete inability to argue with reason. The area where it does not fit in type as you would usually find is that it does not prohibit its members of protein, essential for cognitive functioning. It will however establish a head and one that can claim exclusicve authority and therby power.
I know I am in trouble. but don’t worry you are in good company with Jehovah Witnesswes, Mormanism and Christian Science to name a few community accepted cults. Ok there. I can hear the guns clicking.
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And the Catholic Church altered the word of God or discredited it in some way? Ummm . . . can you give some examples? Please enlighten me.

**It is "one of the largest business around"?
"Largest land owner"
Please provide proof for these last 2 charges.

You said you will not reply and I believe it is because you know you haven’t a leg to stand on. You’re blowing hot air because you have no proof.

I can make any number of outlandish claims about any number of Protestant churches without proof, but I refuse to. That would be engaging in lying.
 
ok elvisman: I’ll bite. FACT: The cath church IS one of the largest land owners in the world
FACT: At one time operated the largest distillery Christian brothers still run by monks
Fact the assention of Mary
The Ever virgin status of Mary
The title of Mary as the gatekeeper
The claim as Peter as the first Pope
The now commonly understoof mistranslation of Peter being the Rock the church was built on
Water regenerationalists
Purgatoiry
Purchasing of souls with money
More and more
As a sovergien nation they are as well as business with many business to their credit and control. The forbidding of Priests to marry because in part the divorce could legally call into question the assets of the CC
Now that I took the bait Let me ask you this. For fun if any of you can play along. IF you DID agree with the fact that the CC was a deceptive entity would you then believe it to be a cult? I am just asking. Please I really don’t want hostility nor do I want to create antagnosim. A respectful non personal give and take please. Again if not I cannot participate. Not because as elvis (thought you were dead) stated that I have nothing to back it up with but because hostility goes nowhere fast. I got caught up in that in other threads and have to apologize to anyone who participated in that with me as I could have handled all that differently
 
backfrmthebrink said:
ok elvisman: I’ll bite. FACT: The cath church IS one of the largest land owners in the world
FACT: At one time operated the largest distillery Christian brothers still run by monks
Fact the assention of Mary
The Ever virgin status of Mary
The title of Mary as the gatekeeper
The claim as Peter as the first Pope
The now commonly understoof mistranslation of Peter being the Rock the church was built on
Water regenerationalists
Purgatoiry
Purchasing of souls with money
More and more
As a sovergien nation they are as well as business with many business to their credit and control. The forbidding of Priests to marry because in part the divorce could legally call into question the assets of the CC
Now that I took the bait Let me ask you this. For fun if any of you can play along. IF you DID agree with the fact that the CC was a deceptive entity would you then believe it to be a cult? I am just asking. Please I really don’t want hostility nor do I want to create antagnosim. A respectful non personal give and take please. Again if not I cannot participate. Not because as elvis (thought you were dead) stated that I have nothing to back it up with but because hostility goes nowhere fast. I got caught up in that in other threads and have to apologize to anyone who participated in that with me as I could have handled all that differently
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Backfrmthebrink,

I maybe wrong but I thought that one of the reasons for priests not being able to marry was because at their time of death their heirs would get their property and not the church. I have a very hard time with celibacy being a requirement for the priesthood. Wasn’t Peter married?

God Bless!
 
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