What's the difference between a religion and a cult?

Any social group with beliefs and practices that the surrounding population considers to be outside the mainstream. Oscar-Wilde

That's kind of what I'd say too.

The difference is popularity.

they are the samecurtkobain

Not really, a cult can also mean a group of persons who like art, music, writing, faction and fiction that are outside the mainstream hence the term "cult following".

No one knows. Not even Google. fmacraze

:lol:

that made my day.

Therefore, a religion is not necessarily a cult, but a cult is always a religion.


nirvana563

Not all cult leaders are considered spiritual. Sometimes they're just very, very influential or charismatic. If he wanted, Obama could probably start a cult due to his immense popularity, as well as several rock stars, without including religion at all.

Cults are secretive and usually include seclusion or rejection of society in order to operate.

Generally, the leaders are over-controlling and demand money and complete devotion of their followers.

Cults don't molest alter boys.Ultimator777

I loled just a little bit. In a sad sort of way.

Anyway, to me the line between a religion and a cult is really fuzzy. Whats the difference between extorting someone materially (a cult) and spiritually (if you don't do X you'll go to hell,as in religion)

I get that not all religions are like that, but a lot of the major ones really are.

Cults don't molest alter boys.Ultimator777

No, they just rape multiple women and discard their children.

Must we troll?

[QUOTE="Ultimator777"]Cults don't molest alter boys.Theokhoth

No, they just rape multiple women and discard their children.

Must we troll?

[QUOTE="Theokhoth"]

[QUOTE="Ultimator777"]Cults don't molest alter boys.DigitalExile

No, they just rape multiple women and discard their children.

Must we troll?

Actually, a lot of cults here in America practice multiple marriages with underage women and father children with them at ages as early as 12. Then when they're singled out, they often resort to fanatical violence and extreme tactics of deception to keep up their theater of operations, often also banishing most boys born into colonies so that they can harvest the younger females.

Generally, these people go without identification of any kind, including social security numbers or birth certificates, therefore making their very existence impossible to prove sometimes even with a body if the leaders decided they need to get rid of somebody.

It's as if they never existed, but that doesn't stop them from being forced to wed old men and have babies at age 12 while their mothers sit idly by and let the horror pass.