This is not meant to be offensive. But I have heard/seen people refer to various religions as cults. I'm just curious at where does one draw the line? Actually What is YOUR Distinction between a Religion and a Cult? Websters' cult : A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. The followers of such a religion or sect. A system or community of religious worship and ritual. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing. The object of such devotion. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest. re·li·gion: Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. The life or condition of a person in a religious order. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
i think the secular way to define a cult is that it's a typically controlled by an individual or a small group...usually characterized by manipulation.
Well, the meaning of cult gets construed by modern day media, but in the true sense of the word all religions are cults.
yes teh pope and his manipulation. Why don't you call me a papist and go grab your tar and feathers and then I'll meet you down by the river.
i'm not sure if you are making a joke or not (i know i'm not sharp, have been learning most of the day for a exam) but i didn't react on your post. but on the post above you. besides you are wright with your post. and i do not care if you are a religious man or not. i think everybody should be happy and if they are happy without religion thats great and if they are happy with religion thats great too. but if your comment was a joke then sorry. my previous post was kinda meant like a joke, although i do think that the chatolic church have made some questionable actions in his history, but i'm not gonna discuss that.
Good question...DaDakota will most probably point out that they have at least one thing in common, they were invented by man...
It seems to me that any religious organization created less than 200 or so years ago is seen as a cult by the mainstream religions and more recently by the press. One of the reasons I have not started a spiritual discussion group is because I don't want to have it labeled as a cult. I guess I will continue to worship by myself.
Well, now Max, until you can prove otherwise, or at least present one case where they weren't then we must assume that they were. Since all data points to that........... They could be inspired by God, or Allah, or Buddha, or they may not be........ Just looking at it from a skeptics viewpoint.. DD
I do not think either side can prove that they are right, probably in their own mind they can, but not in the mind of the other side (obviously, because otherwise they would not be on two different sides of this)...
Well, Consider that the Bible, was written in part, by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter...etc..etc..etc.... And the Quran was written by the followers of Mohammed... I would argue that even their own religious text tells them it was written by man.... Whether they can see the nose on their face is a completely different story... DD
you need to read either or both texts a bit more. Isaiah wrote a book in the Old Testament he claims to be entirely inspired by God. Mohammed certainly claims the Koran is divinely inspired...and Muslims are much more passionate about this claim to the Koran than Christians are to the Bible...or Jews are to the Torah. SJC -- agreed...but then again, what we can "prove" is only through our own faith in the wisdom of man and the reason of the scientific method. i'm not of the belief that if i can't see it, it doesn't exist. there are limitations to every paradigm.
No matter who is supposed to have "inspired" the Bible, Koran, or any other religious text, when it comes down to it, they were penned by man and as such have an element of human error. Side note - I love Salma Hayek's character in "Dogma." She was the inspiration for many parts of the Bible, but since men wrote them, women are responsible for original sin, cutting Samson's hair, and calling for the head of John the Baptist. Classic.
