dimreepr Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 What is the difference between religion and a cult? Is it simply numbers, or is the difference more fundamental? I.e. is brainwashing a factor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewmon Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Cults are generally viewed as engaging in one or more of the following behaviors: Isolate their followers physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially from the general public Prohibit their followers from considering alternative perspectives or opinions Engage in punishments of a physical and/or psychological nature Involve sexual relationships with the leaders Require followers to give all their wealth and property to the leaders Change their ideologies over time from the mild to the bizarre Demand allegiance to their leaders rather than to their ideologies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimreepr Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Cults are generally viewed as engaging in one or more of the following behaviors: Isolate their followers physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially from the general public Prohibit their followers from considering alternative perspectives or opinions Engage in punishments of a physical and/or psychological nature Involve sexual relationships with the leaders Require followers to give all their wealth and property to the leaders Change their ideologies over time from the mild to the bizarre Demand allegiance to their leaders rather than to their ideologies Sounds very Catholic to me, history shows they have engaged in many of your definitions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 What is the difference between religion and a cult? Is it simply numbers, or is the difference more fundamental? I.e. is brainwashing a factor? Generally a cult is a religion that is not widely recognized by other more mainstream religions.... yeah ewmon is technically correct but then that definition would pretty much apply to all religions to some extent wouldn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imatfaal Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Cults sacrifice their own members, religions sacrifice members of others. Terry Pratchet said it better I will dig out the quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg H. Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 One thing to keep in mind is that cults don't have to be religious. They often are, but technically, a cult is simply the veneration of a person, ideology, or object. If fifty people sat in a circle around me all chanting about how I'm a super cool guy, and everyone should join the circle and idolize me, I'd have my own cult. I don't, for the record. I wouldn't know what to do with fifty brainwashed idiots anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 If I belong to it, it's a religion. If you belong to it, it's a cult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg H. Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 If I belong to it, it's a religion. If you belong to it, it's a cult. So if we both belong to the same thing it's a religious cult? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimreepr Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 One thing to keep in mind is that cults don't have to be religious. They often are, but technically, a cult is simply the veneration of a person, ideology, or object. If fifty people sat in a circle around me all chanting about how I'm a super cool guy, and everyone should join the circle and idolize me, I'd have my own cult. I don't, for the record. I wouldn't know what to do with fifty brainwashed idiots anyway. Good point If I belong to it, it's a religion. If you belong to it, it's a cult. I guess subjectivity does have a lot to do with it, though, given the propensity for psychological manipulation within a lot of cults; it does muddy the waters somewhat. Further to the OP, a lot of religions can be said to have started as a cult, so at what point do they become a religion? Good joke btw Greg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg H. Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Further to the OP, a lot of religions can be said to have started as a cult, so at what point do they become a religion? I think this is the central question, and my opinion would be mainstream acceptance which is, in and of itself, a subjective measure (what counts as acceptance or mainstream). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cuthber Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I don't see a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polednice Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) I personally don't think it's helpful to consider "religions" and "cults" as separate entities, but that doesn't mean I think the popular conceptions of "religions" and "cults" are to be considered similar. Instead, given the complex, multi-faceted ways that they both can work, and the extent of the overlap between harmless- and harmfulness of each, I think it simply makes more sense to consider individual structured beliefs in supernatural entities and the harm they cause. With that in mind, many organisations traditionally considered cults would be more benign than some religions, and vice-versa. Edited May 25, 2012 by Polednice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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