What is a Cult?
 

The word cult pejoratively refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are reasonably considered strange.


Primary feature of a cult is Mind Control. Here's symptoms of mind control:
People are put in physically or emotionally distressing situations;
Their problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized;
They receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader -- or constantly feel they need to find unconditional acceptance, love and attention from said charismatic leader;
They get a new identity based on the group;
They are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives, and the mainstream culture) and their access to information is severely controlled.

Another symptom is what happens when people leave:

People are verbally abused.
People feel trapped and pressured, not sure about leaving.
People are shunned, even family members and life-long friends step aside.
People are publicly castigated and chided.
Married couples may be advised to divorce, children may be advised to leave their parents or vise versa.
Intimidation and manipulation are the chief ways of preventing actual fall-out.

Some called Jesus' earlier followers members of a cult (a key charismatic leader they followed), and that may be rightly used. However, Jesus was always a gentleman, patient and loving, and always leaving the verdict to others to decide.

Though the word is emotionally explosive, the issues with the way some churches are culturally made-up often merit such pejoratives. However, these churches often turn to scripture to defend their actions. What scriptures have you heard? Often the twisting of Jesus' remarks about "hating mother and father" and his statements when sadly departing from his hometown after they did not believe. However, this "mother-hater" honored Mary at his death, entrusting her to the care of John. Of course, that's not the only argument against such twisted interpretation, but it's surely the most obvious.

If a church, on multiple occassions, gives advice to family members to cut the others off if they leave the church, speaks frequently of "confusing others" as their chief concern, should you be worried? Is this a red flag or the righteous signs of Jesus Followers?

Re: What is a Cult?
 

by the way, here is a link from a monk that i thought properly exegeted the hate your family scripture.

http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/...ate-our-family

Re: What is a Cult?
 

Religious groups that use fear, guilt, and all means of manipulation to control and extort from their subjects...

Re: What is a Cult?
 

The word cult, before the evangelicals and psychopa....eh psychologists took it over, meant the same thing as a sect. Cult meant any group or believe in the supernatural, any religion essentially.

The word cult is ever expanding by Trinitarians to include some group or belief that is not theirs

I don't have a single translation that refers to the followers of Jesus as a cult.

Re: What is a Cult?
 

One verse says to hate, the other says you must love God more. This is a classic example of a hyperbole.

It's a hyperbolic way of saying your love for God must be so great that it overshadows the love you have for family. God must be #1

Re: What is a Cult?
 

#1 I understand there is a pejorative context today in the word, which can't all be blamed on mean, pesky evangelicals and fundamentalists. Or even those who have made "cult" an equivalent to "unorthodox." I think Jim Jones, David Koresh, Heavens Gate and the FLDS have done a good enough job at branding themselves.

#2 The post is a look inward. Instead of settling for a general name-calling, based on the definitions gives above, do we see this among us?

#3 No one has posited that Jesus and his followers were referred to in scripture (you said "translation") as a cult. In looking back, it could fit the description (and that's what was posted). Cults can be generally defined as people completely submissive to a man or woman, usually religious in nature. Jesus fit the bill. He breaks the bill with the ways today's traditional "cult-like" groups preserve themselves: fear, control and manipulation. We find none of that with Jesus.

Re: What is a Cult?
 

Did you even read the link? I think your scratching the surface (picking up on the hyperbole). Read the link and let's chat.

Re: What is a Cult?
 

Send me the Cliff Notes!

There is most definitely cult-like tendencies among many groups that us here on AFF have identified with. The horror stories could probably feel up pages and pages.

Re: What is a Cult?
 

It's not that long! Give me a break!

How can a culture be so prevalent among brothers and sisters who claim to follow Jesus? How can the Spirit of God be among them? How can supernatural things still happen among them? They say "Thus Saith the LORD" about people that leave. Is God mocked? Is Jesus, who we read about in the Gospels, really associated with this?

Re: What is a Cult?
 

We might all agree they are mind cults, or cults where in a good deal of mind control by a charismatic leader was used. Even then I don't need the word cult in order to describe such groups or warn people. If I said "they are a cult", what pops up into someone's mind when the word cult has no one specific meaning anymore or so many? If I said "well these pentecostals are a cult" those that don't know what was meant might think they are in a mind controlled group

This is my point though. Who comes up with this stuff? Why is following a charismatic leader a bad thing? The term cult and it's so called definitions (there is no official source anymore) is so incredibly subjective. If we wanted to we can decide any one that believes in the Trinity is in a cult.

Ok. Well you just said "some called". I had no idea you meant "outside the bible" or "today"

But looking back, it only fits one persons addition to the word cult. Where did you get this list? I have seen a dozen lists out there on the web and they don't all agree. My point is, well what I have been saying, the word cult has become so convoluted as to what it means.

People keep adding to the word, what a cult is. It's completely subject to the whims of whoever is making their list of things that defines a cult.

Using the dictionary, here is the first def
a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

Etymologically cultus from latin means "worship" without any bad connocation

1617, "worship," also "a particular form of worship," from Fr. culte, from L. cultus "care, cultivation, worship," originally "tended, cultivated," pp. of colere "to till" (see colony). Rare after 17c.; revived mid-19c. with reference to ancient or primitive rituals. Meaning "devotion to a person or thing" is from 1829.

Where did you get this list from?

Here are the rest of the definitions from that same resource

an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.


3.the object of such devotion.



4.a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.



5.Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.



6.a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.



7.the members of such a religion or sect.



8.any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.