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This is an honest question. I don't want a list of cluts, but I am interested in what kinds of activities, beleifs, and emotions (?) constitutes a cult. In other words, what are the MINIMUM characteristics needed to have a cult?
So, for example, if a cult wears orange clothes and begs in airports, the fact that they wear orange is not a minimum characteristic of a cult. However, the fact that they all dress identically, and out of conformance with the rest of the culture could be.
Please be thoughful in helping me with this quandry, and do not be afraid to punctuate your thoughts with examples.
Are you considering joining a cult? Not a good idea.
I think that many religions would qualify as a cult. "Joining" scares me, cult or no cult. I just have the "free thinker" gene in me, and I rebel at any pressure to "undulate" with the group mind think tank. I am lucky that way. And many cults have no sense of humor. They take life waaay too seriously.
Just look at what Jim Jones did and how charismatic he was and how his followers were brainwashed to giving up everything they had to go to a foreign land called Guayana.People of cults look at the leader as their god instead of the one true God.
And if the leader of a cult offers you Kool-Aid refuse it. J\K
Are you considering joining a cult? Not a good idea.
There is not a cult in the world that would have me! (LOL)
Seriously though, I am in a heated discussion with some friends here about what constitutes a cult. One person says the Mormon Church is a cult (really!) another says that Moonies are a cult (That I beleive) etc etc. As a result of our mind-numbing rambling, we all decided to get a consensus of people not involved in our drunken epistomological affairs.
I am in a heated discussion with some friends here about what constitutes a cult. One person says the Mormon Church is a cult (really!) another says that Moonies are a cult (That I beleive) etc etc.
Thaere are several cults of Christianity and Mormonism is one of them.
What is a cult of Christianity? Alan w Gomes defines it in his book titled “Unmasking the Cults”
Quote:
A cult of Christianity is a group of people, which claiming to be a Christian, embraces a particular doctrinal system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, which (system) denies (either explicitly [definite] or implicitly [absolute]) one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian faith as taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible.
In addition to the above, Mormonism also matches the following cult identifirers.
- They reject the Triunity/Trinity of the Godhead
- They do not believe in the finished work of Christ
- They have extra-biblical revelation
- They believe that they alone are saved or will be saved
- They believe that their founder is the messenger of God
I think the simple answer is that a cult is a group that entices you to join them, tries to control your mind, and then threatens you, (spiritually, physically, emotionally), if you try to leave them. Of course, that answer could apply to many religions, including Islam, and Christianity. How many belief systems try to gain converts, and mold their followers' thinking? How many discourage questions, and honest discussion? How many threaten their followers with hell, as an example, if they dare to leave? Never mind the extremely loopy groups out there, who threaten, (or have threatened in past history), their members with physical harm, for such a dastardly deed as free-thinking.
^imho, the definitions the mere word cult is supposed to cover may themselves not cover what certain gatherings of interests are really (getting themselves?) into.
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