Postmaster
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Are they?
Are all religions a cult?
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seattlegal
Mercuræn Buddhist
I would say, "no," in light of the following quote:
James 1:26-27 said:
flowperson
Oannes
The first part of the word "culture" ?
flow....
flow....
arthra
Baha'i
The word "cult" is very loaded one in my view in certain religious communities and triggers a fear such as Jim Jones or Branch Dravidians, etc.
There are some broad sociological definitions though which include....
autocratic controlling leadership... control techniques, isolation, sleep loss, deprivation, fanatical behaviour, use of secrecy and deception.
Some make their living off "cults" by being deprogrammers...For money they'll deprogram your loved ones...
- Art
There are some broad sociological definitions though which include....
autocratic controlling leadership... control techniques, isolation, sleep loss, deprivation, fanatical behaviour, use of secrecy and deception.
Some make their living off "cults" by being deprogrammers...For money they'll deprogram your loved ones...
- Art
Cult seems to be one of those words where it can be expanded to cover any general shared-belief organisation - usually thrown at religious groups, but probably also applied to secular ones.
I mean, couldn't Arthra's comments also apply to army training programs and even undergraduate physics courses?
I mean, couldn't Arthra's comments also apply to army training programs and even undergraduate physics courses?
lunamoth
Episcopalian
Hey Postmaster! Good to see you.
lunamoth
lunamoth
lunamoth
Episcopalian
I said:
ROFL! Bringing back nightmares....
seattlegal
Mercuræn Buddhist
I said:
Excellent point.Postmaster
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Thanks Luna you too, been gone for while travelling all over Europe and doing a couple of weeks in Cyprus and the Greek Islands.. Back in raining England!
I'd say a cult is a club with a belief system that tries to influence you. But doesn't mean it's a negative influence.
I'd say a cult is a club with a belief system that tries to influence you. But doesn't mean it's a negative influence.
jiii
...
Well, that pretty much covers every single form of organization in society...government, businesses, interest groups, families, school...ummm, the entire United States of America (LOL..."you don't have a choice...you MUST be free!"
)...and every single country in existence that has even a shred of nationalism.Honestly, we need to narrow it down here. I mean, with the broad definition you've supplied, then yes...all religions are arguably cults. But so is your family, and your country, by those standards, because both do, in fact, try to influence your independent thoughts and beliefs with those commonly held within the group.
By those standards, all of human society is just one massive cult.
bruceg
Well-Known Member
For fans of declension...
My faith is a religion
Your faith is a heresy
Their faith is a cult..
My faith is a religion
Your faith is a heresy
Their faith is a cult..
RubySera_Martin
Well-Known Member
If you're serious about the meaning of the word "cult," the Religious Tolerance website provides an indepth study of the word here. You have to scroll way down the page to get the "recommended definition."
Their definition agrees with what Lorne L. Dawson says who specializes in the topic. I've taken courses with him. He has also written a book Cults and New Religious Movements. Here is a bibliography on the topic that includes many of Dawson's works, plus many other authors.
It seems the words "cult" and "new religious movements" or NRMs are used interchangeably. Lorne told me it's redundent putting both terms in the title of the book but he had to so people would know what the book is about. I ended up not taking that specific course with him so I can't answer a lot of questions on it.
I attended the first class and he showed a video that upset me too much. I guess it was too similar to the religious abuse I had suffered. I discussed it with him and he recommended I drop the course. I gathered there would be more things like that.
The church I had grown up in is definitely not a new movement. It has its roots in the Reformation of the 1500s. It took its present form around the 1870s. Based on the stories I've read on sites like this where people talk about their religion I gather that it matters little what denomination it is, religious abuse can happen. Thus, I don't think we should automatically link abuse with cults.
Their definition agrees with what Lorne L. Dawson says who specializes in the topic. I've taken courses with him. He has also written a book Cults and New Religious Movements. Here is a bibliography on the topic that includes many of Dawson's works, plus many other authors.
It seems the words "cult" and "new religious movements" or NRMs are used interchangeably. Lorne told me it's redundent putting both terms in the title of the book but he had to so people would know what the book is about. I ended up not taking that specific course with him so I can't answer a lot of questions on it.
I attended the first class and he showed a video that upset me too much. I guess it was too similar to the religious abuse I had suffered. I discussed it with him and he recommended I drop the course. I gathered there would be more things like that.
The church I had grown up in is definitely not a new movement. It has its roots in the Reformation of the 1500s. It took its present form around the 1870s. Based on the stories I've read on sites like this where people talk about their religion I gather that it matters little what denomination it is, religious abuse can happen. Thus, I don't think we should automatically link abuse with cults.
arthra
Baha'i
I guess i was in the USMC "Bootcamp" cult and had first hand experience! They used to say they wanted to "brainwash" us before anyone else did.
- Art
- Art
Postmaster
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I think the word cult should cover basically any kind of organization. After all isn't the word taken from the word culture itself. In this global age who is to say which religion is considered a cult and which isn’t and if it's to apply to religion it should apply to anything. It's up to people to see which cults are abusive and negative on people. And this has and does happen within all religions and organizations no matter how passive or ancient they are.
arthra
Baha'i
I think actually the word "cult" is most often thought of in religious terms but sometimes in other ways as ina "personality cult" which we don't associate anything religious with.
Here's a few descriptuions or definitions of "cult":
NOUN:
A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
The followers of such a religion or sect.
A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary lists five different meanings of the word "cult":
Formal religious veneration
A system of religious beliefs and ritual; also: its body of adherents;
A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents;
A system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator;
The Random House Unabridged Dictionary definitions are:
A particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies;
An instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers;
The object of such devotion;
A group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc;
Group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols;
A religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader;
The members of such a religion or sect;
_____________________________
I don't think the word "cult" has always had a negative association.
- Art
Here's a few descriptuions or definitions of "cult":
NOUN:
A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
The followers of such a religion or sect.
A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary lists five different meanings of the word "cult":
Formal religious veneration
A system of religious beliefs and ritual; also: its body of adherents;
A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents;
A system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator;
The Random House Unabridged Dictionary definitions are:
A particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies;
An instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers;
The object of such devotion;
A group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc;
Group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols;
A religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader;
The members of such a religion or sect;
_____________________________
I don't think the word "cult" has always had a negative association.
- Art
flowperson
Oannes
Art:
I've read in some scholarly works covering the early years of Christianity that the movement was commonly referred to as "the cultus of the man Jesus " Upon looking it up in my 10" Webster's I find that "cultus" is a rather archaic root of the word we're discussing, and generally means a religious movement, and nothing of a perjorarive nature is mentioned.
As I mentioned in another post, naming something that is "other" gives the "namer" a modicum of power and control over the destiny of the named. I believe that's a large part of the situation with "cult" in our times. I think of this practice as "subliminal demonization" when used with malice. Politicians are really good at this stuff, and perhaps military Drill Instructors also... but then, you'd know more about that than I do.
flow.... .
I've read in some scholarly works covering the early years of Christianity that the movement was commonly referred to as "the cultus of the man Jesus " Upon looking it up in my 10" Webster's I find that "cultus" is a rather archaic root of the word we're discussing, and generally means a religious movement, and nothing of a perjorarive nature is mentioned.
As I mentioned in another post, naming something that is "other" gives the "namer" a modicum of power and control over the destiny of the named. I believe that's a large part of the situation with "cult" in our times. I think of this practice as "subliminal demonization" when used with malice. Politicians are really good at this stuff, and perhaps military Drill Instructors also... but then, you'd know more about that than I do.
flow....
.jiii
...
"Cult" is a pretty subjective word, really. Consider when one talks about films that have a "cult following". All this is really saying is that the whole nation didn't seem to love the film, and so those that do like it for one reason or another are said to be "cult-followers" of the film. This is meant to imply, I think, that they must be strangely hung up on the film...because the ordinary person decides that based on an ordinary viewpoint the movie is just too ordinary to impress ordinary people. By this strange logic, the "cult followers" are deemed to be "out of the ordinary", which I guess could mean many different things. Whether or not the term "cult" is used with a negative or positive connotation usually has to do with its juxtaposition to a set of standardized values. Who is to be the authority on those values remains unanswered.
