Welcome to Gaia! ::


Wheezing Prophet

"In a cult, there's a guy at the top who knows it's a scam. In a religion, that guy's dead."

Floppy Member

Suchness
"In a cult, there's a guy at the top who knows it's a scam. In a religion, that guy's dead."


What is the point we're supposed to hold an extended discussion about in this?

Sparkly Shapeshifter

12,950 Points
  • Megathread 100
  • Lavish Tipper 200
  • Person of Interest 200
Even in mainstream religion there are people on top who know it's all bullshit.

A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.

Wheezing Prophet

The Legendary Guest
Suchness
"In a cult, there's a guy at the top who knows it's a scam. In a religion, that guy's dead."


What is the point we're supposed to hold an extended discussion about in this?


Well we could discuss why you agree or why you disagree or if you think there's more to it etc etc. Honestly I just thought the religion forum was the best place for it.

Wheezing Prophet

Blood Valkyrie
Even in mainstream religion there are people on top who know it's all bullshit.

A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.


I found the quote very interesting, but I always thought in order to be considered a cult, it has to have some esoteric element to it.

Sparkly Shapeshifter

12,950 Points
  • Megathread 100
  • Lavish Tipper 200
  • Person of Interest 200
Suchness
Blood Valkyrie
Even in mainstream religion there are people on top who know it's all bullshit.

A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.


I found the quote very interesting, but I always thought in order to be considered a cult, it has to have some esoteric element to it.


A cult is an unpopular religion that the mainstream community finds to be strange, or evil, or both.

Omnipresent Vampire

There's really no difference. Religion is falling though, so that's nice.
My understanding that a cult and a religion in the technical sense are pretty much the same thing. My understanding also is, that some polytheistic or pantheistic religions, different cults exist focusing on honoring certain deities or reincarnations of deities, and that cults within the one religion are not necessarily considered as adversaries (e.g. such as in Hinduism). For example, historically, Christianity was considered as a small (often persecuted) cult within Judaism (until Paul came along and helped change that).

However, cults

If someone knows a little more about this, feel free to jump in... Any minute now...

Magical Investigator

22,875 Points
  • Bookworm 100
  • Pine Perfection 250
  • Forum Regular 100
Blood Valkyrie
Suchness
Blood Valkyrie
Even in mainstream religion there are people on top who know it's all bullshit.

A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.


I found the quote very interesting, but I always thought in order to be considered a cult, it has to have some esoteric element to it.


A cult is an unpopular religion that the mainstream community finds to be strange, or evil, or both.

Only in social context. In the anthropological context, a cult is simply a small religious group. At one time, Christianity was a cult. Though I'm sure in the beginning Jesus and his followers would have at the time thought of it less as a scam (or even a religion) and more of a religious (and possibly political) movement. Their god was Yahweh, not Jesus.

Mora Starseed's Husband

Intellectual Combatant

11,225 Points
  • Battle: Mage 100
  • Unfortunate Abductee 175
  • Mark Twain 100
Blood Valkyrie
A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.
I dunno, Mormonism is pretty popular but it gets referred to as a cult all the time... (inb4: someone says "Mormonism is a cult" wink

Anyway, I think it has more to do with which religion/s have the most followers rather than popularity, since almost all faiths say that pretty much everything that isn't themselves counts as a cult.

Floppy Member

Suchness
The Legendary Guest
Suchness
"In a cult, there's a guy at the top who knows it's a scam. In a religion, that guy's dead."


What is the point we're supposed to hold an extended discussion about in this?


Well we could discuss why you agree or why you disagree or if you think there's more to it etc etc. Honestly I just thought the religion forum was the best place for it.


It's just a quote...but yea. OK. Religions used to be cults, they're like "officially accepted" cults but who knows what these "guy(s) at the top" actually know? Better still, who cares? It's not like the credulous and gullible would lose their precious faith over it anyway.

Sparkly Shapeshifter

12,950 Points
  • Megathread 100
  • Lavish Tipper 200
  • Person of Interest 200
Xiam
Blood Valkyrie
Suchness
Blood Valkyrie
Even in mainstream religion there are people on top who know it's all bullshit.

A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.


I found the quote very interesting, but I always thought in order to be considered a cult, it has to have some esoteric element to it.


A cult is an unpopular religion that the mainstream community finds to be strange, or evil, or both.

Only in social context. In the anthropological context, a cult is simply a small religious group. At one time, Christianity was a cult. Though I'm sure in the beginning Jesus and his followers would have at the time thought of it less as a scam (or even a religion) and more of a religious (and possibly political) movement. Their god was Yahweh, not Jesus.


I'm not disagreeing with you.

Sparkly Shapeshifter

12,950 Points
  • Megathread 100
  • Lavish Tipper 200
  • Person of Interest 200
Arcoon Effox
Blood Valkyrie
A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.
I dunno, Mormonism is pretty popular but it gets referred to as a cult all the time... (inb4: someone says "Mormonism is a cult" wink

Anyway, I think it has more to do with which religion/s have the most followers rather than popularity, since almost all faiths say that pretty much everything that isn't themselves counts as a cult.


I don't view Mormonism as a cult, because it's so damn popular. I just view it as South Park material.

3,050 Points
  • Hygienic 200
  • Brandisher 100
  • Dressed Up 200
Arcoon Effox
Blood Valkyrie
A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.
I dunno, Mormonism is pretty popular but it gets referred to as a cult all the time... (inb4: someone says "Mormonism is a cult" wink

Anyway, I think it has more to do with which religion/s have the most followers rather than popularity, since almost all faiths say that pretty much everything that isn't themselves counts as a cult.


No, popularity has everything to do with it. 8 million Jehovah's Witness' world wide and it is called a cult.

Floppy Member

Sargonarhes
Arcoon Effox
Blood Valkyrie
A cult IS a religion, but it's not a popular religion.
I dunno, Mormonism is pretty popular but it gets referred to as a cult all the time... (inb4: someone says "Mormonism is a cult" wink

Anyway, I think it has more to do with which religion/s have the most followers rather than popularity, since almost all faiths say that pretty much everything that isn't themselves counts as a cult.


No, popularity has everything to do with it. 8 million Jehovah's Witness' world wide and it is called a cult.


It is called a cult because they have beliefs that are at a variance with mainstream Christianity. It is other Christians who are screaming about them being a cult.

Quick Reply

Submit
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum