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 Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:20 pm
So, in your opinion, what exactly makes a religion a cult? Is it possible for a religion to have "cult like tendencies," but to still not actually be a cult? And which groups actually count as cults then?
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:38 pm
I'm going to get burned for saying this but... To me all religions are cults. Any group of people that have a belief that cannot be supported by verifiable proof is a cult in my opinion.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:13 pm
DaikonNairu -Ren- I'm going to get burned for saying this but... To me all religions are cults. Any group of people that have a belief that cannot be supported by verifiable proof is a cult in my opinion. So any belief that doesnt have verifiable proof is a cult? I think a "cult" really implies a bit more.... * Questioning and doubt is is discouraged and can be grounds for punishment/banishment * Group has a zealous "us vs. them" mentality * The leader does things which are against the beliefs of said cult, but is excused because of some "divine" reason * The leader pushes violence towards its members, or speaks of "the end" as an event to happen soon ((Lets not forget Jonestown and the drinking of the cool-aid... sad ))
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:45 pm
Call Me Apple DaikonNairu -Ren- I'm going to get burned for saying this but... To me all religions are cults. Any group of people that have a belief that cannot be supported by verifiable proof is a cult in my opinion. So any belief that doesnt have verifiable proof is a cult? I think a "cult" really implies a bit more.... * Questioning and doubt is is discouraged and can be grounds for punishment/banishment * Group has a zealous "us vs. them" mentality * The leader does things which are against the beliefs of said cult, but is excused because of some "divine" reason * The leader pushes violence towards its members, or speaks of "the end" as an event to happen soon ((Lets not forget Jonestown and the drinking of the cool-aid... sad )) Yeah. 'Cult' implies unhealthy practices, and there's plenty of religions that aren't unhealthy.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:11 pm
xxEternallyBluexx Call Me Apple DaikonNairu -Ren- I'm going to get burned for saying this but... To me all religions are cults. Any group of people that have a belief that cannot be supported by verifiable proof is a cult in my opinion. So any belief that doesnt have verifiable proof is a cult? I think a "cult" really implies a bit more.... * Questioning and doubt is is discouraged and can be grounds for punishment/banishment * Group has a zealous "us vs. them" mentality * The leader does things which are against the beliefs of said cult, but is excused because of some "divine" reason * The leader pushes violence towards its members, or speaks of "the end" as an event to happen soon ((Lets not forget Jonestown and the drinking of the cool-aid... sad )) Yeah. 'Cult' implies unhealthy practices, and there's plenty of religions that aren't unhealthy. yes, but how many of these said "religions" haven't displayed one of these things, christianity for one has banned and executed people for questioning them. They can't anymore, but they would if they could, I have no doubts about that.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:12 pm
RurouniZakku xxEternallyBluexx Call Me Apple DaikonNairu -Ren- I'm going to get burned for saying this but... To me all religions are cults. Any group of people that have a belief that cannot be supported by verifiable proof is a cult in my opinion. So any belief that doesnt have verifiable proof is a cult? I think a "cult" really implies a bit more.... * Questioning and doubt is is discouraged and can be grounds for punishment/banishment * Group has a zealous "us vs. them" mentality * The leader does things which are against the beliefs of said cult, but is excused because of some "divine" reason * The leader pushes violence towards its members, or speaks of "the end" as an event to happen soon ((Lets not forget Jonestown and the drinking of the cool-aid... sad )) Yeah. 'Cult' implies unhealthy practices, and there's plenty of religions that aren't unhealthy. yes, but how many of these said "religions" haven't displayed one of these things, christianity for one has banned and executed people for questioning them. They can't anymore, but they would if they could, I have no doubts about that. Maybe a few of the insane denominations would, but I think that's an unfair generalization.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:14 pm
xxEternallyBluexx RurouniZakku xxEternallyBluexx Yeah. 'Cult' implies unhealthy practices, and there's plenty of religions that aren't unhealthy. yes, but how many of these said "religions" haven't displayed one of these things, christianity for one has banned and executed people for questioning them. They can't anymore, but they would if they could, I have no doubts about that. Maybe a few of the insane denominations would, but I think that's an unfair generalization. I agree with Eternally Blue.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:44 pm
By dictionary definition all religions are cults. Merriam-Webster Function: noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: French & Latin; French culte, from Latin cultus care, adoration, from colere to cultivate — more at wheel Date: 1617 1 : formal religious veneration : worship 2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents ...but "cult" also implies that the religion in question has... sort of like visible elements, things you can see people doing if you're not a member - see, but not necessarily understand in context. Like ritual or prayer or lighting a candle here and giving an offering there. Wiki In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings ("scriptures"), its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. Carla Antonaccio The term cult identifies a pattern of ritual behavior in connection with specific objects, within a framework of spatial and temporal coordinates. Ritual behavior would include (but not necessarily be limited to) prayer, sacrifice, votive offerings, competitions, processions and construction of monuments. Some degree of recurrence in place and repetition over time of ritual action is necessary for cult to be enacted, to be practiced" A cult religion is therefore a religion that has as an essential part of its practise (ie, to neglect the cult aspects would be to neglect one's duty and one's god/s, if relevant) a system of ritual behaviour. Wicca is one of these religions. Catholicism would be too - confession, Communion etc. The perjorative use is quite new.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:48 pm
Call Me Apple xxEternallyBluexx RurouniZakku xxEternallyBluexx Yeah. 'Cult' implies unhealthy practices, and there's plenty of religions that aren't unhealthy. yes, but how many of these said "religions" haven't displayed one of these things, christianity for one has banned and executed people for questioning them. They can't anymore, but they would if they could, I have no doubts about that. Maybe a few of the insane denominations would, but I think that's an unfair generalization. I agree with Eternally Blue. I'm not saying that all religions are like that anymore, but excommunication is still a common practice. Now a days the church has more rights, and their are still new religions budding off Christianity. I understand that what I'm saying is harsh, but true. If any of the teachers at my school new I thought like this, they would probably fail me.
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 11:21 pm
xxEternallyBluexx Call Me Apple DaikonNairu -Ren- I'm going to get burned for saying this but... To me all religions are cults. Any group of people that have a belief that cannot be supported by verifiable proof is a cult in my opinion. So any belief that doesnt have verifiable proof is a cult? I think a "cult" really implies a bit more.... * Questioning and doubt is is discouraged and can be grounds for punishment/banishment * Group has a zealous "us vs. them" mentality * The leader does things which are against the beliefs of said cult, but is excused because of some "divine" reason * The leader pushes violence towards its members, or speaks of "the end" as an event to happen soon ((Lets not forget Jonestown and the drinking of the cool-aid... sad )) Yeah. 'Cult' implies unhealthy practices, and there's plenty of religions that aren't unhealthy.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:20 am
xxEternallyBluexx Maybe a few of the insane denominations would, but I think that's an unfair generalization. All generalizations are unfair. That's not gonna stop people from making them.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:32 am
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:51 pm
Call Me Apple xxEternallyBluexx RurouniZakku xxEternallyBluexx Yeah. 'Cult' implies unhealthy practices, and there's plenty of religions that aren't unhealthy. yes, but how many of these said "religions" haven't displayed one of these things, christianity for one has banned and executed people for questioning them. They can't anymore, but they would if they could, I have no doubts about that. Maybe a few of the insane denominations would, but I think that's an unfair generalization. I agree with Eternally Blue.
You may say that, but will so the many who have done it?
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:04 pm
I think to classify as a cult, it's members must pay more attention to the leader or the cult itself instead of their own lives. That's when they reach the point to do anything their group tells them to do.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:36 pm
Just Before An Eclipse I think to classify as a cult, it's members must pay more attention to the leader or the cult itself instead of their own lives. That's when they reach the point to do anything their group tells them to do.
There is many examples, but let's take my favorite example.
Has anyone heard of the video game Dead Rising for the 360?
It's pretty much you, a photographer, being stuck in a mall after he was trying to take photos of the town that was cut off from the world.
The main character flies in to see what is going on and discovers it is a zombie invasion.
A little while into the movie, the main character discovers a cult called the Rain Coats.
Introduction here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMLo5QjiKQY
The cult believes that if they sacrifice souls to whoever, their souls will be cleansed and they will be saved from what they call, the apocalypse.
They aren't the only crazy people in the movie. There are a bunch more. Only problem is, this one is a large organization in the game and best suited for what a cult truly is.
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