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View Poll Results: Have you ever been a member of a RELIGIOUS CULT?
Yes, and still a member/ cannot leave due to family, friends etc 1 5.56%
Yes, but got out, thank GOD 3 16.67%
No, never been in one 3 16.67%
No, but am thinking about joining one 0 0%
All Religion is a Cult imo 11 61.11%
Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 09-17-2017, 09:15 PM
 
Location: NSW
3,739 posts, read 2,948,600 times
Reputation: 1346

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Of course, this depends on how you define the term.
But I would go on some of the following:

What's a Cult? | Ignite Your Faith

Cults – CULTWATCH

Cult Definition - What is a cult?

https://carm.org/cults-outline-analysis

The last group I am sure would like to define Catholicism as a cult, but is reluctant to go the full hog here.

Generally it is an excluvist group, that deviates from mainstream, has a charismatic leader, and demands a very high commitment from it's members in terms of time, money etc.
It may exert various mind control techniques, ostracize those that leave it from family, friends etc, so make it very hard to leave.
More often than not, there is no Salvation outside of the group. (you are destined to Hell if you leave)

Last edited by Derek41; 09-17-2017 at 09:25 PM..
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Old 09-18-2017, 03:40 AM
 
9,664 posts, read 9,921,542 times
Reputation: 1907
Actually every form of religious control outside the spiritual belief than the authorship of Jesus Christ and His salvation is a cult which outside of which will invite the dark spirits to rule in authority and push Jesus out , which include many religious beliefs and liberalism and humanism would be cults by default
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Old 09-18-2017, 04:21 AM
 
Location: On the brink of WWIII
21,088 posts, read 29,046,806 times
Reputation: 7812
Not that I was a card carrying member, but I faithfully attended the Presbyterian USA dark cloud for like 6 years...
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Old 09-18-2017, 04:57 AM
 
Location: S. Wales.
50,079 posts, read 20,479,780 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hljc View Post
Actually every form of religious control outside the spiritual belief than the authorship of Jesus Christ and His salvation is a cult which outside of which will invite the dark spirits to rule in authority and push Jesus out , which include many religious beliefs and liberalism and humanism would be cults by default
So which particular religious cult do you belong to, then? JW wasn't it? Or am I thinking of someone else?

Liberalism and humanism are "Cults". Noce reversal os thee reality where the cults are Creationism, speaking in tongues and refusal of medical treatment. What a Symptom of the disease America has which badly need inoculation.
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Old 09-18-2017, 05:03 AM
 
21,869 posts, read 19,019,005 times
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Like Richard Dawkins you mean

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2014/08/...chard-dawkins/
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Old 09-18-2017, 05:29 AM
 
Location: S. Wales.
50,079 posts, read 20,479,780 times
Reputation: 5927
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tzaphkiel View Post
The costly cult of Richard Dawkins? Sorry, I only got a glimpse before a pop -up appeared demanding money. Perhaps you can explain the point it was making.

I know he is a spokesman for atheism (and evolution) but so are others. His Books are notable in the genre. So is Hawking in his. Or Sagan on TV. He has a website. Many people do.

Where is the Cult? Who is it costing? Could you elucidate these mysteries?
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Old 09-18-2017, 05:46 AM
 
21,869 posts, read 19,019,005 times
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"Dawkins calls on atheists and agnostics to "ridicule and show contempt" for the religious and their doctrines. ... He encouraged atheists to mock and ridicule the religious in public."

"The number of Dawkian atheists has significantly diminished post Elevatorgate and due to his generally abrasive manner, Dawkins does retain a small cult following (See: Richard Dawkins' loss of influence). ... Dawkins' fans tend to be arrogant, socially challenged, naive men"

Richard Dawkins' cult of personality

Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 09-18-2017 at 06:00 AM..
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Old 09-18-2017, 06:01 AM
 
7,381 posts, read 7,664,569 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tzaphkiel View Post
"Dawkins calls on atheists and agnostics to "ridicule and show contempt" for the religious and their doctrines. ... He encouraged atheists to mock and ridicule the religious in public."

"The number of Dawkian atheists has significantly diminished post Elevatorgate and due to his generally abrasive manner, Dawkins does retain a small cult following (See: Richard Dawkins' loss of influence). ... Dawkins' fans tend to be arrogant, socially challenged, naive men"

Richard Dawkins' cult of personality
Would this be similar in calling those who don't believe "fools"?
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Old 09-18-2017, 07:17 AM
 
Location: S. Wales.
50,079 posts, read 20,479,780 times
Reputation: 5927
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tzaphkiel View Post
"Dawkins calls on atheists and agnostics to "ridicule and show contempt" for the religious and their doctrines. ... He encouraged atheists to mock and ridicule the religious in public."

"The number of Dawkian atheists has significantly diminished post Elevatorgate and due to his generally abrasive manner, Dawkins does retain a small cult following (See: Richard Dawkins' loss of influence). ... Dawkins' fans tend to be arrogant, socially challenged, naive men"

Richard Dawkins' cult of personality
I haven't always agreed with Dawkins, though sometimes I have. I have sometimes disagreed with other atheist spokesmen, notably those who suggested dropping the term 'atheists' for something else. We do not all agree a dogma nor agree with everything (1) no matter how prominent a spokesperson they may be. This open debate and disagreement is something I like about atheism.

Elevatorgate was overdone by the theist side, whose espousal of women's right to say No has not been noticeably a platform of their dogma. Dawkins said that there were more important things to worry about. Perhaps that's so, but that is the fallacy akin to appeals to ignore abuies in religion and focus on the positives. The ideal of women feeling able to attend atheist conferences is important, as the more women participating, the better. However if you ask me how to stop men running after women anywhere from a megachurch to an atheist convention, I don't know. I don't know how to solve that problem and, while gender relations matter, I haven't a fix -all cure, and atheism rolls on and can't be halted just because we don't know how to stop men hitting on women in lifts.

So, there may be a cult of dawkins - if you want to call a fan -base a cult. Is there a cult of Kent Hovind? (well, not any more, perhaps) or of Lee Strobel? Nobody uses the term.

In a way I suppose applying "Gult' to atheism - with dawkins seen as the principal hate -figure, is like calling it a religion. It is neither. To identify apparent resemblances (publications are Holy Books', spokespersons 'priests', conferences 'religious services') between churches (or cults) and the activities of atheism as it gets organized is so broad as to apply to anything from banks to ball -games.

On any case, even if it was a religion of atheism or a cult of Dawkins, it would make no difference to the fact that we have logical reasoning and validated evidence supporting us, and religions and cults don't.

(1) and while I don't disagree with the call to mock and ridicule religion, one has to think about the best way to do it. Since religions demand 'respect' (though they mean privilege and immunity from criticism), one has to do the mocking and ridicule by showing up the absurdity, not just by spewing torrents of abuse over them. Atheists can do that. Some can be very abusive, and I wish they wouldn't. But uyou have to hit hard. Being super -respectful of religion is more than they deserve and plays into their hands. I find being polite and humous while slipping a serrated dirk of debunk between the ribs of religious rhetoric works quite well.
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Old 09-18-2017, 08:01 AM
 
21,869 posts, read 19,019,005 times
Reputation: 17980
Quote:
Originally Posted by TRANSPONDER View Post
I haven't always agreed with Dawkins, though sometimes I have. I have sometimes disagreed with other atheist spokesmen, notably those who suggested dropping the term 'atheists' for something else. We do not all agree a dogma nor agree with everything (1) no matter how prominent a spokesperson they may be. This open debate and disagreement is something I like about atheism.

Elevatorgate was overdone by the theist side, whose espousal of women's right to say No has not been noticeably a platform of their dogma. Dawkins said that there were more important things to worry about. Perhaps that's so, but that is the fallacy akin to appeals to ignore abuies in religion and focus on the positives. The ideal of women feeling able to attend atheist conferences is important, as the more women participating, the better. However if you ask me how to stop men running after women anywhere from a megachurch to an atheist convention, I don't know. I don't know how to solve that problem and, while gender relations matter, I haven't a fix -all cure, and atheism rolls on and can't be halted just because we don't know how to stop men hitting on women in lifts.

So, there may be a cult of dawkins - if you want to call a fan -base a cult. Is there a cult of Kent Hovind? (well, not any more, perhaps) or of Lee Strobel? Nobody uses the term.

In a way I suppose applying "Gult' to atheism - with dawkins seen as the principal hate -figure, is like calling it a religion. It is neither. To identify apparent resemblances (publications are Holy Books', spokespersons 'priests', conferences 'religious services') between churches (or cults) and the activities of atheism as it gets organized is so broad as to apply to anything from banks to ball -games.

On any case, even if it was a religion of atheism or a cult of Dawkins, it would make no difference to the fact that we have logical reasoning and validated evidence supporting us, and religions and cults don't.

(1) and while I don't disagree with the call to mock and ridicule religion, one has to think about the best way to do it. Since religions demand 'respect' (though they mean privilege and immunity from criticism), one has to do the mocking and ridicule by showing up the absurdity, not just by spewing torrents of abuse over them. Atheists can do that. Some can be very abusive, and I wish they wouldn't. But uyou have to hit hard. Being super -respectful of religion is more than they deserve and plays into their hands. I find being polite and humous while slipping a serrated dirk of debunk between the ribs of religious rhetoric works quite well.

I don't find the militant atheists on these boards to be reasonable or logical at all. That they brag about mocking and ridiculing shows their lack of maturity and stunted development both intellectually and emotionally.

Kinda like richard:

"The 75-year-old evolutionary biologist, who suffered a stroke early this year, had stirred the public years ago when he denounced monogamy and fidelity in relationships....

"He defended that men should be allowed to keep mistresses and indulge in sexual pleasures with others."

Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 09-18-2017 at 08:14 AM..
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