Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2017 12:22:59 GMT
Yeah that happens all the time in movies but not in reality. My atheist father was not cut off by his Christian sisters nor my agnostic mother by her family who were many of them clergy. The cousins who joined a cult (the JWs) cut the rest of us off. Christianity doesnt cut atheists off, cults do. Seriously? Seriously made up bullshit. An anecdote for every occasion. Remember when she said she was friends with someone who was in jail for killing a person,when we were discussing the death penalty? She's full of shit Prog. |
|
|
|
Post by Isapop on Mar 17, 2017 12:24:23 GMT
My rule of thumb for a cult is two features. 1) Highly centralized authority (one person or small group).
2) If a member says to the leadership, "I quit", will they suffer any consequences? (And by consequences I don't mean loss of God's favor). |
|
|
|
Post by progressiveelement on Mar 17, 2017 12:30:24 GMT
Seriously made up bullshit. An anecdote for every occasion. Remember when she said she was friends with someone who was in jail for killing a person,when we were discussing the death penalty? She's full of shit Prog. Yup. A friend in Wales where they're all foul mouthex, a friend in Belgium where they're all racist, a Canadian ex ergo just like all Americans, a teacher she stalked and imagined gay between him and a pupil... 😉 |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2017 14:13:59 GMT
When I think of a cult, I think of a small religious sect that makes no attempt to integrate with society and that usually deifies a person or object. And most religions probably do start this way. But if they grow large enough and integrate with society at large, then it's not really a "cult" anymore.
|
|
|
|
Post by general313 on Mar 17, 2017 19:13:42 GMT
My rule of thumb for a cult is two features. 1) Highly centralized authority (one person or small group).
2) If a member says to the leadership, "I quit", will they suffer any consequences? (And by consequences I don't mean loss of God's favor). So did the Roman Catholic church stop being a cult when the inquisition stopped? |
|
|
|
Post by Isapop on Mar 17, 2017 20:43:24 GMT
"So did the Roman Catholic church stop being a cult when the inquisition stopped?"
Drawing religion/cult distinctions in the present is tricky enough without worrying about such distinctions in the past.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2017 22:00:54 GMT
This topic fascinates me, and I'll admit, for the example I'm using, I used to really cut Scientology a lot of slack and give them a lot of wriggle room. As I understood it, religion was a group that all conducted themselves according a certain set of beliefs and behaviours, a united system. Okay, they have that. And then they got their tax exemption status.
But then when I started learning truths from Going Clear and the expose that was done by Leah Rimini, and actually seeing how they went out of their way to damage, hurt and crucify people for questioning or leaving, cutting ties with family, reporting on others,...
Hubbard already had a screwed up system going, but when he died and David Miscavage came in and rewrote their doctrine under the guise of what he said he believes L. Ron "really meant,"...and when I saw the worshipping going on, this guy gives me the creeps.
I cannot cut them the same slack anymore. Any open-mindedness I had has since been lost. If they held a particular belief system but did not go out of their way to harm others,...I may have kept this open mind.
But to be fair it reminds me of some Muslims who rape women and the women are forced to marry these guys and are never permitted to leave or speak or in cases, reveal themselves.
It's all like crossed wires now, and it's not as clear cut as I really thought it was all these years.
My views are evolving....
|
|
|
|
Post by OldSamVimes on Mar 17, 2017 22:42:20 GMT
There is a fine line between a cult and a religion.
I don't know where that is.
|
|
|
|
Post by OpiateOfTheMasses on Mar 17, 2017 23:56:19 GMT
As far as I can tell the only difference is "respectability" or how established they are in society. As far as you can tell? 
Is there not a website somewhere that defines the difference between a cult and a religion, which you can use as a frame of reference to argue whether or not Christianity started as a cult? With the entire internet at your disposal, I really don't see why you need to try and guess what the difference is.
(Edit): Here is a place where you could start: cultinformation.org.uk/
The internet doesn't have a clear, unambiguous answer. If you google the question you get hundreds of different answers because lots of different people have lots of different opinions. So it becomes something of a discussion point. As this is a discussion board, I though the people here might be able to discuss it - apparently you don't, you want to tell people to google it. The website you linked to helps people affected by cults but doesn't really make much of an effort to define cults. So I'm not sure how relevant it is to this. |
|
|
|
Post by OpiateOfTheMasses on Mar 17, 2017 23:58:29 GMT
When I think of a cult, I think of a small religious sect that makes no attempt to integrate with society and that usually deifies a person or object. And most religions probably do start this way. But if they grow large enough and integrate with society at large, then it's not really a "cult" anymore. You realise you're describing some of the cliques we have here, right? |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2017 0:52:16 GMT
When I think of a cult, I think of a small religious sect that makes no attempt to integrate with society and that usually deifies a person or object. And most religions probably do start this way. But if they grow large enough and integrate with society at large, then it's not really a "cult" anymore. You realise you're describing some of the cliques we have here, right? Huh? |
|
|
|
Post by awhina on Mar 18, 2017 4:16:25 GMT
Seriously made up bullshit. An anecdote for every occasion. Remember when she said she was friends with someone who was in jail for killing a person,when we were discussing the death penalty? She's full of shit Prog. Yup. A friend in Wales where they're all foul mouthex, a friend in Belgium where they're all racist, a Canadian ex ergo just like all Americans, a teacher she stalked and imagined gay between him and a pupil... 😉 Supes lies again. What I really said is that I have a friend who has a friend in prison on remand (the trial has not happened yet). I do have cousins in Wales, why would I not? As for Gerry M., I didn't stalk him, don't be absurd. I am glad to have seen the last of his lardbutt. You love to pretend that I am a shut-in but that is just ridiculous. Do you really think that I reached 63 without ever meeting anybody? |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2017 9:48:28 GMT
Seriously made up bullshit. An anecdote for every occasion. Remember when she said she was friends with someone who was in jail for killing a person,when we were discussing the death penalty? She's full of shit Prog. Do you consider yourself politically liberal? |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2017 9:51:31 GMT
As far as I can tell the only difference is "respectability" or how established they are in society. As far as you can tell?
Is there not a website somewhere that defines the difference between a cult and a religion, which you can use as a frame of reference to argue whether or not Christianity started as a cult? With the entire internet at your disposal, I really don't see why you need to try and guess what the difference is.
(Edit): Here is a place where you could start: cultinformation.org.uk/
|
|
|
|
Post by tickingmask on Mar 18, 2017 10:18:15 GMT
The website you linked to helps people affected by cults but doesn't really make much of an effort to define cults. Yes it does. cultinformation.org.uk/question_what-is-a-cult.htmlSo there! You don't have to guess any more. Jesus Christ, this is almost as much hard work as trying to explain evolution to a young earth creationist who refuses to do even a modicum of basic research. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2017 10:21:50 GMT
The website you linked to helps people affected by cults but doesn't really make much of an effort to define cults. Yes it does. cultinformation.org.uk/question_what-is-a-cult.htmlSo there! You don't have to guess any more. Jesus Christ, this is almost as much hard work as trying to explain evolution to a young earth creationist. That's a nice site. Now, by comparison, what constitutes a religion? |
|
|
|
Post by OpiateOfTheMasses on Mar 18, 2017 10:25:55 GMT
The website you linked to helps people affected by cults but doesn't really make much of an effort to define cults. Yes it does. cultinformation.org.uk/question_what-is-a-cult.htmlSo there! You don't have to guess any more. Jesus Christ, this is almost as much hard work as trying to explain evolution to a young earth creationist who refuses to do even a modicum of basic research. Apart from the charisma bit how does differ from the Catholic Church? |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2017 10:27:08 GMT
Yes it does. cultinformation.org.uk/question_what-is-a-cult.htmlSo there! You don't have to guess any more. Jesus Christ, this is almost as much hard work as trying to explain evolution to a young earth creationist who refuses to do even a modicum of basic research. Apart from the charisma bit how does differ from the Catholic Church? What? |
|
|
|
Post by tickingmask on Mar 18, 2017 10:43:13 GMT
Apart from the charisma bit how does differ from the Catholic Church? Well, my guesses would be: - The Catholic Church does not use psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members;
- The Catholic Church does not form an elitist totalitarian society;
- The Catholic Church's founder leader (who? St Peter?) isn't self-appointed, etc.
- The Catholic Church does not believe the end justifies the means in order to solicit funds recruit people.
- The Catholic Church's wealth benefits society at least to some extent.
But of course I'm not an expert by any means and you can always disagree! So now you have your new-found knowledge, how about formulating a coherent argument why The Catholic Church meets the criteria of a cult as defined on that website (assuming you agree with that definition, of course)? Who knows, somebody with a better knowledge of Catholicism might decide to weigh in and advance our knowledge even further. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2017 10:45:31 GMT
Apart from the charisma bit how does differ from the Catholic Church? Well, my guesses would be: - The Catholic Church does not use psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members;
- The Catholic Church does not form an elitist totalitarian society;
- The Catholic Church's founder leader (who? St Peter?) isn't self-appointed, etc.
- The Catholic Church does not believe the end justifies the means in order to solicit funds recruit people.
- The Catholic Church's wealth benefits society at least to some extent.
But of course I'm not an expert by any means and you can always disagree! So now you have your new-found knowledge, how about formulating a coherent argument why The Catholic Church meets the criteria of a cult as defined on that website (assuming you agree with that definition, of course)? Who knows, somebody with a better knowledge of Catholicism might decide to weigh in and advance our knowledge even further.  |
|
