Cults!

oh man, your leaving out one minor detail: the first two all killed themselves. There are many other differences but that should suffice for now.
Click to expand...

The first two of those killed themselves yes, but that is not a given factor of 'cults'. Indeed followers of the cult TV show Red Dwarf haven't as far as I am aware. Clearly the deaths of followers is not a general factor of cults or reflective of them.
 
SnakeLord said:
The first two of those killed themselves yes, but that is not a given factor of 'cults'. Indeed followers of the cult TV show Red Dwarf haven't as far as I am aware. Clearly the deaths of followers is not a general factor of cults or reflective of them.
Click to expand...

In that example It is only called a cult following but in reality is not because it does not meet the criteria of real cult.
 
Orleander said:
Is the Unification Church a cult or a religion?
Click to expand...

it depends on who you ask.

cult /kʌlt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kuhlt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. 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.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
–adjective
9. of or pertaining to a cult.
10. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.
 
In that example It is only called a cult following but in reality is not because it does not meet the criteria of real cult.
Click to expand...

Ah, now it's "real cult", which John made up to mean anyone that kills themselves. Why didn't you just say that to begin with?

Once again the typical understanding of cult is simply a matter of numbers.
 
Lori_7 said:
i'm a bit leary of the term brainwash. i looked it up just to make sure, but it seems that you have to allow yourself to be brainwashed really. these people are indoctrinated, not strapped to some machine and assaulted with some sort of mind control. unless you are born into a cult, or a religion, you enter into it voluntarily. and even if you are born into it, there comes a day when you're responsible for making a decision to stay on your own.
Click to expand...

To seek evidence that cult members are brainwashed I would start the basics and seek evidence that they had brains.
 
Myles said:
To seek evidence that cult members are brainwashed I would start the basics and seek evidence that they had brains.
Click to expand...

codependence...fear...laziness...power...ego...control...money...

makes people do all kinds of crazy sheit. :shrug:
 
Myles said:
And reading the bible
Click to expand...

it doesn't say that you should join a cult in the bible. :confused:

actually, the bible doesn't shed a real nice light on the pharisees.

seems things haven't changed much since then huh?
 
lucifers angel said:
I know we have various religions, catholism, judaism, latter day saints, and we also have religions like,

Church of Scientology, Branch Davidians , People's Temple , Heaven's Gate ,

who are known has cults!

they (i have been told) brainwash people, but so do all the other, organised religions, so what makes these cults differant to organised religions??

the all brain wash people to belive in a higher power!
Click to expand...

uuuh -must some how (ggnnnh) resist - uuuhh - lucifer's suggestion - uuuuh - to change my mind

(phew think I made it!)

PS - I think we can add one more to the list - adamant atheists
 
Lori_7 said:
it doesn't say that you should join a cult in the bible. :confused:

actually, the bible doesn't shed a real nice light on the pharisees.

seems things haven't changed much since then huh?
Click to expand...



It doesn't say to join a church either! ;)
 
As religion of every kind is nothing but bs, is it worth bothering to make the distinction between small and large groups which have both been brainwashed ?
 
Myles can't step away from his own bad religious experience. It's obvious in a lrge number of his posts.
Myles, sometimes god seeks out people. It's not always the other way around.

As for this topic, I think organized religion lays the foundation for cultism because many times it's a variation that of. I would go as far to say that protestantism was veiwed as a "cult" at it's birth.
 
Isn't that how christianity started? Death of the founder who was killed for being a heretic. Followers met in secret to avoid persecution. Sounds like the Mormons.
 
clusteringflux said:
Myles can't step away from his own bad religious experience. It's obvious in a lrge number of his posts.
Myles, sometimes god seeks out people. It's not always the other way around.

As for this topic, I think organized religion lays the foundation for cultism because many times it's a variation that of. I would go as far to say that protestantism was veiwed as a "cult" at it's birth.
Click to expand...

I'll give your regards to god when I meet him which will be whenever I surrender my reason.
 
Seems the difference is all about numbers. What numbers? Where is the cutoff line of members of a cult that would constitute it as a religion?

Of course, the only real difference is those who don't want to admit their religion is little more than a cult.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top