Difference between a cult and a religion?

[Shaedys]

As the title states, I wonder what the difference is between a cult and a religion.
$cientology is apparently a cult, but as far as I get it, a cult is just a small religion.

 

[Aught3]

Steve Novella did a great post on his blog on this very issue.

1) Totalitarian control, Cults attempt to have total control over their members, which includes absolute dogmatic authority of their leader, who tends to be charismatic.

2) Secrecy, Cults tend not to be up front with their entire belief system. The core beliefs are revealed slowly, as members "progress" deeper into the folds of the cult.

3) Separation, Cults use many methods to separate their members from their former social network and society at large. These methods include instilling an "us vs them" or in-group vs out-group mentality, using jargon that identifies members but is unintelligible to non-members, and physical isolation. Cults also try to convince members that their family and friends are corrupt or impure and interaction with them is destructive. They also require large donations, encouraging financial dependence on the cult.

4) Mind Control, Cults are very manipulative. They use a variety of techniques to indoctrinate or "brainwash" their members. These include things like "love bombing", overwhelming recruits with positive physical and social attention, using guilt, hypnosis, loss of privacy, deprivation, verbal abuse, and other techniques.

5) Self-contained Belief System, The cult belief system tends to be absolute, the leader has perfect authority and exclusive knowledge, they are never to be questioned, everyone who disagrees with the leader is evil and to be opposed, and members who leave the group are always wrong and degenerate. Meanwhile the doctrine tends to be confusing and only slowly revealed when members are "ready."

http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1958

 

[Your Funny Uncle]

Aught, you beat me to it.

 

[DeusExNihilum]

Sounds like Catholicism.

Sure, Catholicism may not require you give to the church, though it used to...or at the very least STRONGLY implied that if you don't you're a horrible hell-bound sinner. And It has been around too long for its beliefs to be secret anymore...though, again, it used to by making sure Mass was in Latin, that peasants couldn't read the bible and that just, in general, the people believed only what they TOLD them to believe.

IMO the only difference between a cult and a religion is the point to which it has "matured". Scientology is a very immature religion and Christianity (for example) is a very mature cult.

 

[godisabullet]

I think the general difference is that a cult is obviously harmful to the individual. Or maybe "generally accepted" as being harmful to the individual.

That's the context in which the word "cult" is usually used anyway.

 

[lrkun]

As the title states, I wonder what the difference is between a cult and a religion.
$cientology is apparently a cult, but as far as I get it, a cult is just a small religion.

According to the merriam-webster cult means the following:

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 <health cults>

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

According to merriam-webster religion means the following:

1 a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness

4 : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

The difference between the two is that a cult has a small group of people or it is exclusive; religion has a bigger group of people and is not exclusive.

 

[godisabullet]

According to the merriam-webster cult means the following:

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 <health cults>

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

According to merriam-webster religion means the following:

1 a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness

4 : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

The difference between the two is that a cult has a small group of people or it is exclusive; religion has a bigger group of people and is not exclusive.

:lol: :lol:

I was way off.

 

[lrkun]

:lol: :lol: I was way off.

I disagree. I think you hit the mark. Subject to some exceptions, most cults seem to appear harmful to society. I mean, in my own country, we call cults "kulto" as something to be feared. Maybe, it's because they are often misunderstood. In some point they really are harmful to society.

However, the term cult in itself means devotion. Hehe.

 

[godisabullet]

:lol: :lol: I was way off.

I disagree. I think you hit the mark. Subject to some exceptions, most cults seem to appear harmful to society. I mean, in my own country, we call cults "kulto" as something to be feared. Maybe, it's because they are often misunderstood. In some point they really are harmful to society.

However, the term cult in itself means devotion. Hehe.

Maybe there is more than one meaning - one for the courts and one for the literary?

 

[lrkun]

Maybe there is more than one meaning - one for the courts and one for the literary?

Well, the term is ambiguous. In a strict sense it refers to devotion to something. In another sense, there are cults who ended up doing mass suicides. In case of doubt, it's better to define a word in view of clarity.

 

[joshurtree]

Only one thing separates the two. Time. If a cult manages to survive its first century then it inherits enough acceptance to referred to as a religion.

 

[godisabullet]

Maybe there is more than one meaning - one for the courts and one for the literary?

Well, the term is ambiguous. In a strict sense it refers to devotion to something. In another sense, there are cults who ended up doing mass suicides. In case of doubt, it's better to define a word in view of clarity.

Ambiguity. Yes. Absolutely.

Ironically, I don't understand your last sentence.

 

[lrkun]

Ambiguity. Yes. Absolutely. Ironically, I don't understand your last sentence.

It means if you doubt the meaning of the term or if there is ambiguity. It is better to define that term for purposes of clarity. In other words, when you say something it will be accurate.

Ex. In a group of different animals in a zoo. One might say, I like that animal. You might ask, which animal among those animals? Isn't it better to say, I like that grey wolf.

Or In the market, one might say, please get me some meat. You might ask, what kind of meat do you mean? Isn't it better to say, please buy me chicken meat, pork meat, beef, or something more concrete. Hehe.

Or in this forum, one might say, theists are so and so. You might ask, which theist do you refer to? All, some, or a particular one? I think it's better to say, creationists are so and so.

 

[godisabullet]

Ambiguity. Yes. Absolutely. Ironically, I don't understand your last sentence.

It means if you doubt the meaning of the term or if there is ambiguity. It is better to define that term for purposes of clarity. In other words, when you say something it will be accurate.

Ex. In a group of different animals in a zoo. One might say, I like that animal. You might ask, which animal among those animals? Isn't it better to say, I like that grey wolf.

Or In the market, one might say, please get me some meat. You might ask, what kind of meat do you mean? Isn't it better to say, please buy me chicken meat, pork meat, beef, or something more concrete. Hehe.

Or in this forum, one might say, theists are so and so. You might ask, which theist do you refer to? All, some, or a particular one? I think it's better to say, creationists are so and so.

Ahhhhh ok .... so basically, clarity is usually better than ambiguity?

And yes, thank you for pointing out that I was being ambiguous in a previous thread

 

[Anachronous Rex]

Religions have schisms.

 

[FaithlessThinker]

And here I am, thinking a religion is a cult with tremendously excessive population...

 

[yuriythebest]

Only one thing separates the two. Time. If a cult manages to survive its first century then it inherits enough acceptance to referred to as a religion.

yup- most of today's religions were at one point cults - early christianity was definitely a cult since jesus told everyone to renounce their worldly possessions, and that they would be the last generation. Then as the cult matures and gains more members it becomes a "religion", usually evolving in the process.

 

[MRaverz]

Cults are generally very secretive groups which separate their believers from the rest of society through a form of dependency from their followers.

Think, extreme religion.

 

[monitoradiation]

I tend to think of religion as dumbed-down cults that lost its edge. Like a snake without its fangs but still have the sacs of venoms if you want to eat it.

 

[DeusExNihilum]

Religions have schisms.

Would that make Scientology a bonafied religion seeing as there is an official "Reformation" movement within Scientology? One that keeps the core beliefs of Scientology but that distances itself completely from the church and it's "cult" behavior?