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#1
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Differences Between Religions And Cults
I'm just wondering what the differences are, and also what the overlaps are, between the two. Let's not presume that a certain size or number of adherents helps differentiate a religion from a cult; rather, I'm curious as to the qualitative differences and similarities.
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#2
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
well, webster's defines a cult as 'a group of people with a strong shared belief', SO the word cult refers to a group of people, whereas religion refers to an ideology.
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#3
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
I DO presume that the size is the only real difference, but if you want to know more differences, here are a few but they are indirectly related to the size issue.
Religions have more political power. Religions have better marketing. Most religions have longer histories of existence than cults. Some religions have stories that are slightly less far-fetched than some of the more extreme cults. That has probably helped them a little in gaining followers vs. some extreme cults that have trouble persuading even the most vulnerable of potential members. However, if you ask a non-believer to evaluate the credibility of the stories of one random religion vs. one random cult, I don't think they'd find a nickel's worth of difference. |
#4
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
Mass acceptance.
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#5
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
If you're in it, it's a religion. If not, it's a cult.
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#6
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
Cult is just a word used to demonize a religion.
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#7
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
[ QUOTE ]
Cult is just a word used to demonize a religion. [/ QUOTE ] When I was in the "Protestant Christian Loop", It was commonly thought that all non-mainstream denominations were cults: Mormonism, Jehova's Witness, and sometimes even Catholicism. |
#8
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
[ QUOTE ]
When I was in the "Protestant Christian Loop", It was commonly thought that all non-mainstream denominations were cults: Mormonism, Jehova's Witness, and sometimes even Catholicism. [/ QUOTE ] Catholicism isn't a mainstream religion? |
#9
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] When I was in the "Protestant Christian Loop", It was commonly thought that all non-mainstream denominations were cults: Mormonism, Jehova's Witness, and sometimes even Catholicism. [/ QUOTE ] Catholicism isn't a mainstream religion? [/ QUOTE ] It isn't a Protestant denomination. |
#10
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Re: Differences Between Religions And Cults
[ QUOTE ]
Cult is just a word used to demonize a religion. [/ QUOTE ] Religion is just a word used to legitimize a cult. |
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