November 11, 2007

Religions And Cults - What's The Difference?

So what is the difference between a religion and a cult? or is there no difference?

As far as i can see the only real difference between a religion and a cult is the level of social acceptance that each receive. while the statement "I have joined a cult" will usually be met with horror the statement "I am religious" is often met with respect and admiration, When the reality of it is they are both the same thing.

wikipedia defines a cult as: "a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream". Isn't that an accurate description of a religion? The surrounding culture considers not mixing milk and meat, pretending to drink blood, Mutilating genitals, Starving yourself and covering up women outside of what would be considered "mainstream", Unless that society was predominantly of the same religion. So is it the amount of people around you who believe the same thing what determines if what you follow is a cult or religion?

The psychology of cults and religions share a common ground too. Cults like to tell their recruits that they are flawed and that perfection can only achieved by staying with the cult and following it's rules. or is that religion? I am getting confused now.

So what is the difference between them? try to answer without discussing particular religions and without quoting from religious books (nobody cares what your "god" thinks).

18 comments:

  1. Lol. There is no difference. When Christians or other members of popular religions say, "Look at them! They're a cult!" They're actually compartmentalizing. One part of their mind filters out the evils of their own religion, while the other, unfiltered part of their mind sees everything...

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  2. Matt, I don't usually sell my own blog posts cheap on the streets, but I liked your post and thought you might be interested in something I wrote recently. It's about Answers and Genesis mind control techniques used on children.

    I get your feed so, keep up the good work!

    HJ

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  3. I will agree with you here matt. Religions are cults. Period. End of sentence.

    What is your point?? The only argument you can make is that it makes religion have a negative connotation. You can do the same thing with a lot of other topics. Gay man? He is a (excuse the language) cock-sucker. You are just trying to be insulting.

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  4. Here is the difference: A cult is local and relatively small while a religion is global.

    BTW, check out my blog: Answers in Genesis Busted! It is dedicated to exposing creationist deception.

    http://aigbusted.blogspot.com

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  5. My point, D, Was to highlight the hypocrisy of putting religion on a pedestal while villainizing cultism when the two are indistinguishable.

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  6. My point, D, Was to highlight the hypocrisy of putting religion on a pedestal while villainizing cultism when the two are indistinguishable.

    Well, most underground cults, like satanism, are crazy. When people say cults, they think of suicide cults, or, like I said, satanism. Both equally crazy.

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  7. And what's not crazy about mainstream religions? Just because there are more of the crazy people doesn't make them less delusional.

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  8. And what's not crazy about mainstream religions?

    I never said it wasn't crazy. They are just more crazy. Everyone is crazy, to an extent.

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  9. Time and reach.

    Seriously. That's all.

    And D, you say "cocksucker" like that's a BAD thing.

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  10. And D, you say "cocksucker" like that's a BAD thing.

    I never said it was. I mean, I'm not into it, but people say religions are cults like its a bad thing.

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  11. You think cults are a good thing D?

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  12. If you mean cults as in a religion, most are all right. Some are crazy, like the Westboro Baptist Church, and Satanism and the like, for the most part, though, most don't do anything wrong. It all depends on the definition you want, because there are many, and most have no negative connotation. The one I am using for this post is, "a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies."

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  13. To me the obvious difference is that religions have history. Most people that call themselves religious grew up in a religious family. They have always believed in their god because it is a way of life for them. Most religions would view people of other religions with a certain amount of respect (a good person with good intentions - too bad they believe in the wrong god). However cults are generally newly created and based on something that has no history. When kids are brainwashed into believing in a religion, it is sad. When adults are brainwashed into believing some dude in sandals that is truly frightening!

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  14. P.S. - if you think that there is no difference at all, ask yourself these questions.

    Would you let a religious person babysit you kids?

    How about a cult follower?

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  15. but isn't atheism becoming the cult of Richard Dawkins? Don't his devotees say they hold the truth and people who don't follow them are 'enemies of reason'. maybe they are getting dangerous and should be stopped. And if it is a cult doesn't that make it a religion bloody religion gets everywhere

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  16. di agnostic

    You sure are hung up on Dawkins! LOL
    Atheism has been around a lot longer than he has, but I'm glad he's come along and started speaking out about it.

    No, doesn't make it a religion. Religion requires belief. Atheism is a lack of belief, so we miss the mark from the get-go.

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  17. Sorry Karen to go on about Dawkins but he is the reason I got interested in the god vs no god debate. What I was implying is before Dawkins, Atheism was just another belief system it wasn't a religion it was a way for irreligious people to lead an intelectually fulfilled life, back then I would of happily said I was an atheist. However, he has taken atheism to an extreme and by doing so, has made it no different and as intolerant as any other extremist belief system. Atheism is a belief. It does not believe in god sure, but it does believe it holds the truth (something all belief systems believe - which is ok). Dawkins now uses science to bolster this belief, as science does not lie, what he says must be true. What he does say in other circumstances would be dangerous as dangerous as creationism or any other set of beliefs that claims to hold the truth. Science pursues the truth it does not know the truth. People such as many of the people on this site read dawkins and believe everything he says about religion without question and look at his arguments as impeccable, this to me is Cultism. I read the God Delusion and I am no defender of religion but that book to me was so ignorant and a little neurotic yet his devotees don't see it like this and because they don't like religion they follow him instead of making their own minds up- that to me is a cult. I am a biologis by trade I have studied evolution and work in genetics. I see coming out of university's these days - graduates of life sciences with the same intolerance of religion as Dawkins and the only prejudice I have seen at work is against religious people by material atheists - this to me is dangerous.

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  18. di...you think atheists are followers of dawkins or somebody who backs up their arguments with science.That is wrong...atheists aren't followers of anybody.I didn't actualy hear or read any of dawkins' arguments against religions,but I am still atheist.
    You also said "an atheist" like we're part of the Atheist Church or something.We do not have a belief system or a hierarchy.

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