Religions and Cults

[Tree of Life]

This is a thread directed particularly toward the non-religious but anyone is welcome to participate with how they see this issue from where they sit.

Religions and Cults, at face value, have a number of things in common. "Religion" would seem to always be the neutral or positive term whereas "cult" seems always to be the pejorative term. At least I don't know of any cult member who embraces that term for themselves.

But here's the question: What's the most significant difference(s) between a religion and a cult? From a non-religious perspective, are there any significant differences?

 

[Davian]

Other than the use of 'cult' in the pejorative (as a label on the other guy's religion), no difference.

 

[Tree of Life]

Other than the use of 'cult' in the pejorative (as a label on the other guy's religion), no difference.

Not even a difference of time, historicity, cultural acceptance, or number of adherents?

 

[Ironhold]

Not even a difference of time, historicity, cultural acceptance, or number of adherents?

Over the last few decades, the Christian counter-cult movement has repeatedly sought to redefine the word "cult" so that any organization they disagree with fits the bill.

Problem is, in doing so many of these redefinitions cast such a broad net that mainline Christianity itself gets caught up in it.

I mean, writer Jeff Lindsay notes that one of the definitions of "cult" commonly used against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (scroll down to the bottom of the page) is so overly broad that it could even be applied to high school athletics.

 

[dcalling]

Religion: God's word to us so we can better ourselves, and be saved. i.e. Love your neighbor as yourselves, any nation that follows it will be a nation blessed.

Cult: Followers of some special interest, can be good and can be bad.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

Cult is derived from Latin Cultus, meaning an area tilled or looked after, so was figuratively extended to looking after a god.
Historically it has been used to describe the series of acts done for gods, as in the cult of Baal for instance, meaning how you bring sacrifice correctly, the body of hymns etc. It is thus a body of usages and practices related to worship of a god/s.

Religion is from Latin Religare, meaning to bind. It refers to someone bound to orders like the Franciscans originally, before being extended to all participants in the worship of a god/s.

According to the Oxford dictionary:
Cult: a system of veneration and worship directed to a person or object.
Religion: Belief and worship of a supernatural being, usually a god.

So cults are so called because they usually revere excessively their living founder, sometimes to god-like status.
While cults may be called Religions, Religions are not cults as cultic practices are parts thereof (like veneration of saints for instance), while in an actual Cult the practice thereof and acts of veneration towards their founder is usually the dominant component to exclusion of all else.

 

[doubtingmerle]

So cults are so called because they usually revere excessively their living founder, sometimes to god-like status.

So early Christianity was a cult?

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

So early Christianity was a cult?

Depends on your definition or belief of the nature of early Christianity.
If you accept the gospel account, then no. If you don't, then you can make that argument. This is of course dependant on whether you consider Christianity a Jewish sect or a Hellenistic Jewish sect as well.

 

[juvenissun]

This is a thread directed particularly toward the non-religious but anyone is welcome to participate with how they see this issue from where they sit.

Religions and Cults, at face value, have a number of things in common. "Religion" would seem to always be the neutral or positive term whereas "cult" seems always to be the pejorative term. At least I don't know of any cult member who embraces that term for themselves.

But here's the question: What's the most significant difference(s) between a religion and a cult? From a non-religious perspective, are there any significant differences?

A cult changed the fundamental concept of a religion.
For example, Baha'i is a cult to Islam.

 

[Davian]

Not even a difference of time, historicity,

Not being a historian, I cannot say.

cultural acceptance, or number of adherents?

I do not see the popularity of a cult to somehow cross a 'religion' threshold at any point, other that it may be, as more people accept a particular cult/religion as their own, fewer remain to use the word "cult" in regards to it, and the word falls out of use.

 

[Tree of Life]

So early Christianity was a cult?

Based on his definition it would seem so. Indeed, early Christianity was considered by outsiders to be a cult.

 

[Cuddles333]

Webster's dictionary gives a nearly identical definition as Oxford's for the word 'cult'. However, at the end of it's definitions, Webster's uses the term 'spurious'. At the end of it's definition for that word, Webster's says: of a deceitful nature or quality.

 

[Tree of Life]

Webster's dictionary gives a nearly identical definition as Oxford's for the word 'cult'. However, at the end of it's definitions, Webster's uses the term 'spurious'. At the end of it's definition for that word, Webster's says: of a deceitful nature or quality.

It would seem, then, that these are fairly imprecise or relative terms. One man's religion is another man's cult and vice versa.

 

[Davian]

It would seem, then, that these are fairly imprecise or relative terms. One man's religion is another man's cult and vice versa.

Words are defined by how we use them.

 

[Davian]

Webster's dictionary gives a nearly identical definition as Oxford's for the word 'cult'. However, at the end of it's definitions, Webster's uses the term 'spurious'. At the end of it's definition for that word, Webster's says: of a deceitful nature or quality.

(my bold)

That would make sense; if one's theology/religion is a truth claim, all other theologies/religions - cults - making truth claims to the contrary would have to be considered deceitful.

 

[HitchSlap]

All religious belief systems are, by definition, "cults," it's only a question of degree and devotion as to what extent.

 

[Tree of Life]

All belief systems are, by definition, "cults," it's only a question of degree and devotion as to what extent.

Even atheistic, scientific belief systems?

 

[HitchSlap]

Even atheistic, scientific belief systems?

*religious belief systems

Although hypothetically, I suppose any group of people who are expected to believe and act a certain way, with specific proscriptions, could be considered a cult.

 

[Tree of Life]

*religious belief systems

Although hypothetically, I suppose any group of people who are expected to believe and act a certain way, with specific proscriptions, could be considered a cult.

Based on your definition I don't see why an atheistic, scientific belief system should be excluded.

 

[HitchSlap]

Based on your definition I don't see why an atheistic, scientific belief system should be excluded.

Ok.