Readers’ Responses to Our Question (296)

RELIGION IS GREAT IT KEEPS THE WEAK MINDED PEOPLE UNDER CONTROL,IF THEY KNEW THERE WAS NO GOD THEY DO BAD THINGS AND SINCE THEY BELIEVE IN GOD THEY BELIVE IN PUSHIMENT FOR BAD DEEDS SO IT KEEPS THEM IN LINE. ATHEST DON'T NEED FEAR TO BE GOOD BECAUSE THE BELIEF IS BE A GOOD PERSON BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON,NOT BE GOOD OR THE INVISABLE MAN WILL GIVE YOU PUNHIMENT.

RELIGION IS GREAT IT KEEPS THE WEAK MINDED PEOPLE UNDER CONTROL,IF THEY KNEW THERE WAS NO GOD THEY DO BAD THINGS AND SINCE THEY BELIEVE IN GOD THEY BELIVE IN PUSHIMENT FOR BAD DEEDS SO IT KEEPS THEM IN LINE. ATHEST DON'T NEED FEAR TO BE GOOD BECAUSE THE BELIEF IS BE A GOOD PERSON BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON,NOT BE GOOD OR THE INVISABLE MAN WILL GIVE YOU PUNHIMENT.

RELIGION IS GREAT IT KEEPS THE WEAK MINDED PEOPLE UNDER CONTROL,IF THEY KNEW THERE WAS NO GOD THEY DO BAD THINGS AND SINCE THEY BELIEVE IN GOD THEY BELIVE IN PUSHIMENT FOR BAD DEEDS SO IT KEEPS THEM IN LINE. ATHEST DON'T NEED FEAR TO BE GOOD BECAUSE THE BELIEF IS BE A GOOD PERSON BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON,NOT BE GOOD OR THE INVISABLE MAN WILL GIVE YOU PUNHIMENT.

RELIGION IS GREAT IT KEEPS THE WEAK MINDED PEOPLE UNDER CONTROL,IF THEY KNEW THERE WAS NO GOD THEY DO BAD THINGS AND SINCE THEY BELIEVE IN GOD THEY BELIVE IN PUSHIMENT FOR BAD DEEDS SO IT KEEPS THEM IN LINE. ATHEST DON'T NEED FEAR TO BE GOOD BECAUSE THE BELIEF IS BE A GOOD PERSON BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON,NOT BE GOOD OR THE INVISABLE MAN WILL GIVE YOU PUNHIMENT.

RELIGION IS GREAT IT KEEPS THE WEAK MINDED PEOPLE UNDER CONTROL,IF THEY KNEW THERE WAS NO GOD THEY DO BAD THINGS AND SINCE THEY BELIEVE IN GOD THEY BELIVE IN PUSHIMENT FOR BAD DEEDS SO IT KEEPS THEM IN LINE. ATHEST DON'T NEED FEAR TO BE GOOD BECAUSE THE BELIEF IS BE A GOOD PERSON BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON,NOT BE GOOD OR THE INVISABLE MAN WILL GIVE YOU PUNHIMENT.

zlpgkj kpycl xukzdb vpnmtq togcpj njsego cwedpqaug

zlpgkj kpycl xukzdb vpnmtq togcpj njsego cwedpqaug

zlpgkj kpycl xukzdb vpnmtq togcpj njsego cwedpqaug

as far as I know, Christianity is not a religion. it's a relationship with God. man made it religion.

i thought the catholic church was a cult??

Dear Nicole and other defenders of the faith:

How would you classify the charismatic movement of the catholic church? I knew one charismatic leader who was telling the followers when and who they could marry, when they could have relations and become pregnant, to sell their homes and give him the proceeds, etc. These charismatic leaders are not under the control of the diocese -- they have autonomy to do what they want.

I would be interested in hearing a defense of this cult activity within the catholic church.

Here's the simple answer; All religion is cult. The distinguishing difference is, the number of people who follow. Even the Branch Davidians of David Koresh would have become a religion if it achieved mainstream acceptance. Interestingly, Koresh had a "Christ complex". But by definition, Jesus Christ had a Christ complex too, if you understand my meaning. Today, Jesus is "God or son of God" to many people, just as Koresh would have been perceived had his cult thrived. Of all mainstream religions/cults, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Mormon, etc. Judaism is the only one that did not originally start with the worship of a human being. Maybe this makes Judaism a "cultural cult" while the others are "worship cults".

Here's the simple answer; All religion is cult. The distinguishing difference is, the number of people who follow. Even the Branch Davidians of David Koresh would have become a religion if it achieved mainstream acceptance. Interestingly, Koresh had a "Christ complex". But by definition, Jesus Christ had a Christ complex too, if you understand my meaning. Today, Jesus is "God or son of God" to many people, just as Koresh would have been perceived had his cult thrived. Of all mainstream religions/cults, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Mormon, etc. Judaism is the only one that did not originally start with the worship of a human being. Maybe this makes Judaism a "cultural cult" while the others are "worship cults".

By definition, Christianity is a cult. So the question is, what is the true religion? I think Jesus has the answer:

"I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:6)

Boy, this question really touched a nerve and it illustrates perfectly why we are so divided as human beings and it is mostly semantics.
Not much is being said about behavior, just what you believe.
I would be willing to bet that not one of the responders could give the definition of "religion" from the Latin root.
Knowledge is like the pollen of the flower, from it the bee makes it's honey, the spider it's poison.
Buckle your seat belts please, we are in for a wild ride.

anonymous- it was actually me that pretended to be J.P.-
i have an inherent distaste for for what i consider to be a cowardly action in posting anonymously-
i consider it deceitful and sneaky to make anonymous posts-

but my post would not have made any sense otherwise.

im a believer - an abrahamic tradition-
im not trying to pick on your beliefs- just your reasoning.

just to let people know that believers don't necessarily sacrifice the ability to think rationally- and im a peculiarly illogical person -

i really do dislike anon postings- and dint want there to be any suspicion in the minds of any that J.Price (who i dont really know at all)
may have been posting anon.

peace

Anonymous to JPrice:

**Yes! I know you exist because you have been writing on here. I've never seen you or even heard your literal voice, but I know you exist because of what you wrote. And because you have coherently answered my questions, I know that you exist. I may not know what you look like, but I know you're there.**

Actually, all you know is that SOMEONE has been posting comments with the name JPrice on them. It does not prove that anyone named JPrice exists, or that any living person with that name made the posts. Perhaps you have MPD and made the posts yourself when another personality was dominant.

**Apply all that to God.

He has writings too. It's called the Bible. I've never seen or even heard his voice in person, but I know He exists because of these writings that coincidentally, like you, have answered my questions coherently.**

We know that someone wrote down stories about a particular god. Lots of people wrote lots of stories about lots of gods. That doesn't make any of them literally true.

**So, I guess I've made a logical choice in realizing that you do exist as a person relying on the evidence at hand.**

That JPrice (or anyone else on a message board) exists is a fairly reasonable conclusion based on the available evidence, but it is not ironclad proof.

**I guess using the same application of evidence, I've come to conclude God exists as well. How nice...**

You're welcome to your God, I'll take my gods, but I dont' expect other people to automatically believe what I do just because I do, and those who opt for no gods are welcome to their choice as well. I only get snarked off at other people's religions when they try to get their dogmas and doctrines enacted into legislation or otherwise push them on me against my will.

**Have a lovely day.**

Go thou and do likewise.

It is irrational to base your belief system on the Bible without first using critical thinking to determine whether the Bible is credible or not. Any intellectually honest study will reveal that it is all hearsay and not a reasonable foundation for a belief system. I am speaking as a former Bible student and lay minister in a fundamentalist Christian church. Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" is a good wrap-up of what I have discovered on my own through the years.

It is irrational to base your belief system on the Bible without first using critical thinking to determine whether the Bible is credible or not. Any intellectually honest study will reveal that it is all hearsay and not a reasonable foundation for a belief system. I am speaking as a former Bible student and lay minister in a fundamentalist Christian church. Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" is a good wrap-up of what I have discovered on my own through the years.

Maybe it was me who was talking to you and tricking you. How do you know J.P. exists?
Maybe you're speaking to someone pretending to be J.P., like me.
You're not actually, as I'm not J.P., I'm really not. But how do you know that?

JPrice,

Yes! I know you exist because you have been writing on here. I've never seen you or even heard your literal voice, but I know you exist because of what you wrote. And because you have coherently answered my questions, I know that you exist. I may not know what you look like, but I know you're there.

Apply all that to God.

He has writings too. It's called the Bible. I've never seen or even heard his voice in person, but I know He exists because of these writings that coincidentally, like you, have answered my questions coherently.

So, I guess I've made a logical choice in realizing that you do exist as a person relying on the evidence at hand. I guess using the same application of evidence, I've come to conclude God exists as well. How nice...

Have a lovely day.

ANONYMOUS:

Been thinking again, eh?

Well, lets see...

1. You'd better hope I exist, or you have been having a running circular argument with a CPU.

2. You'd better hope I exist, or you are losing a battle of wits with the element silicon.

3. Maybe I don't exist, and you are just making me up 'cause you could really stand some attention.

4. Only the IRS can prove that I exist.

5. Gotta go, 'cause I have a life.

ANONYMOUS:

Been thinking again, eh?

Well, lets see...

1. You'd better hope I exist, or you have been having a running circular argument with a CPU.

2. You'd better hope I exist, or you are losing a battle of wits with the element silicon.

3. Maybe I don't exist, and you are just making me up 'cause you could really stand some attention.

4. Only the IRS can prove that I exist.

5. Gotta go, 'cause I have a life.

Sigh, this settles it. I pick a religion, every other one says I get punished. I'm going to play the odds and not have one at all. Wow! I have a more productive lifestyle, and I don't have to slap down paraphrases from The Book any time I want to answer a question! Seriously, why not just live by the just morals laid down in many theocratic texts and skip all the bull***t? Besides, I'm sure any powerful beings have their own problems to worry about besides somebody's high and mighty, holier than thou dumb ***.

"To summarize, cult is a subjective word meaning, to the particular person using it, "a religion I don't like." When someone refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a "cult," that simply tells us that the speaker doesn't like the Church. Christianity itself was once a new religion with dynamic leadership, strong in-group bonding, high moral expectations, and additional scriptures, all of which greatly offended the mainline religions of its day. Its leaders were not professionally trained clergy, but they did attempt to convert the world to a truth no one else had. By most of the objective definitions that have been proposed for the term cult, early Christianity was one. And so far any general definition of a cult that would fit the Latter-day Saints will also fit New Testament Christianity. But that's not bad company to be in." Stephen Robinson

Question and Comments to the Confessing Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons:
1.Is God's word mistaken but doesn't it clearly state in the KJV, NIV, NKJV, NASB in John 8:24 - Itold you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be,[a] you will indeed die in your sins."
2. Also, in the New World Translation Jehovah Witnesses misquote John 1:1, The passage reads (John 1:1-5 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it. May I, in the spirit of love and in truth ask which Greek scholar changed John 1:1 to state as the New World Translation quotes John 1:1 as in the In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was a God, and the Word was a God. I'd really like you to show how the greek scholar who quoted this and other greek scholars alike were misquoted as you put "a God". Also, what I find is those who have come to my door misquote scripture or take one passage out of context (e.g, one passage but not either the text prior to the quote or after). For instance: Phillipians 2:8-13 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. YOU MISQUOTE THIS PASSAGE AS HE HUMBLED HIMSELF AND BECAME A MAN/FLESH WHICH IF YOU GO FURTHER WHAT DOES YAHWEH MEAN: DEITY, LORD, ETC. PLEASE ASK YOURSELVES, DO YOU BELIEVE IN A MAN MADE RELIGION OR DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD; THE TRINITY AND ALSO, WHEN YOU READ THE NEW TESTAMENT, DO YOU NOTICE THAT JESUS CHRIST, THE LORD, SPOKE ABOUT HELL THAN ABOUT HEAVEN. LASTLY, IF I BELIEVED IN A GOD LIKE YOU, I WOULD LAUGH AT HIM; I WOULDN'T SEE HIM AS BEING: SOVREIGN, OMNIPRESENT, OMNIPOTENT, ALL POWERFUL....CREATOR THE SUN, STARS, MOON. PLEASE, I ASK FOR YOUR RESPONSE REGARDING WHO TRANSLATED THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION OF YOUR BIBLE, READ THE ENTIRE BOOK OF HEBREWS NOT TAKE ONE PASSAGE OUT OF CONTEXT AND ASK JESUS CHRIST, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, THE MOST HIGH GOD: TO SHOW YOU TRUTH.

MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU...

JPrice,

I think, therefore God exists.

Tell me why I should believe you exist over God. I've never personally seen either one of you.

Anonymous :

You think, therefore I exist.

Dennis,

You said : "The GOOD NEWS (Gospel) that JESUS CHRIST brought to the world was that; God, as a loving Father, sent his Son into the world to save the world,
NOT TO CONDEMN IT!!! Read it for yourself."
John 3:16-17,

But did Jesus say this?????

John 3:16-17 only appears once in all of the NT. Do you find that strange that such an important commnent should appear as a single entry?? And only in John which is not one of the Synoptic Gospels????

John 3:16-17 is also not found in any scripture related documents and many contemporary NT scholars to include three on the On Faith panel (Professors Crossan, Borg and Fredriksen) have concluded that it was not said by the historical Jesus. It was, they conclude, an addition to embellish the life of Jesus to gain converts/money to/for the cause.

See added commentary at http://wiki.faithfutures.org/index.php/350_Jesus_to_Nicodemus and in Professor Crossan's book, The Historical Jesus.

And (from Professor Crossan's book, "Who is Jesus" co-authored with Richard Watts)

"Moreover, an atonement theology that says God sacrifices his own son in place of humans who needed to be punished for their sins might make some Christians love Jesus, but it is an obscene picture of God. It is almost heavenly child abuse, and may infect our imagination at more earthly levels as well. I do not want to express my faith through a theology that pictures God demanding blood sacrifices in order to be reconciled to us."

"Traditionally, Christians have said, 'See how Christ's passion was foretold by the prophets." Actually, it was the other way around. The Hebrew prophets did not predict the events of Jesus' last week; rather, many of those Christian stories were created to fit the ancient prophecies in order to show that Jesus, despite his execution, was still and always held in the hands of God."

"In terms of divine consistency, I do not think that anyone, anywhere, at any time, including Jesus, brings dead people back to life."

Cult = crunchy united liberal tyrants

Religion = remorseful ecclesia linking infinite god in omnipotent neurosis

JPrice,

No I don't believe in Klingons and Obi Wun. I don't believe you exist either. How can you prove to me that you exist?

What is the difference between a religion and a cult? There really isn't any.What constitutes a real religion? Real religion believes in a all Powerffull, all loving God who truly rules the universe and eternity. A GOd who could never fail in anything He/She sets out to do. Oh did that surprize you? God created us male and female in his own image; so God must consist of both genders. O.K.We say we believe God is ALL-POWERFUL and that God is ALL-LOVING, and then deny it in our doctrines! The two most popular teachings about God's plan for lost, are that He will either burn them forever in hell fire, or that He will exterminate (annihilate) them in hell fire. In either of these two doctrines; God could not be ALL-POWERFUL AND ALL-LOVING! According to these teachings, God either cannot correct the wicked, or He does not want to. Either way we have greatly limited Gods power or His love!!! The truth is that God IS ALL-POWERFUL AND ALL LOVING!!! Just AS A LOVING FATHER OR MOTHER; God will CORRECT his children for as long as necessary for their good - leading to salvation. God does not punish them just to torture or exterminate them. The GOOD NEWS (Gospel) that JESUS CHRIST brought to the world was that; God, as a loving Father, sent his Son into the world to save the world,
NOT TO CONDEMN IT!!! Read it for yourself
John 3:16-17
Romans 5:18-21 1Corinthians 3:11-15, 5:5

TO Anonymouse

So, you have faith that Klingons and Obi Wan exist!! It is wonderful to interact with people of "faith."

Your arguments are so persuasive. I am convinced by your strong and rational logic. I surrender. Take me to your leaders.

TO HENRY JAMES

You Said
"I choose to have faith in a God who lives on an invisible planet 353 light years north east of the planet Kolob. Can you prove that I am deluded?"

I don't feel qualified to prove that you are deluded, but I have tremendous faith that you are a snarky smarta**.

The angel/"pwtfft"/tinker bell cults:

Joe Smith had his Moroni.

Jehovah Witnesses have their Jesus /Michael the archangel,

Mohammed had his Gabriel (this "tinkerer" got around).

Jesus and his family had Michael, Gabriel, and Satan, the latter being a modern day demon of the demented.

The Abraham-Moses myths had their Angel of Death and other "no-namers" to do their dirty work or other assorted duties.

Contemporary biblical and religious scholars have relegated these "pretty wingie talking flying fictional thingies" to the myth pile. We should do the same to include deleting all references to them in our religious operating manuals. Doing this will eliminate the prophet/profit/prophecy status of these religions and put them where they belong as simple human concepts.

Some added references to "tinker bells".

"Latter-day Saints also believe that Michael the Archangel was Adam (the first man) when he was mortal, and Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah."

Apparently hallucinations did not stop with Joe Smith.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07049c.htm
"This belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity; pagans, like Menander and Plutarch (cf. Euseb., "Praep. Evang.", xii), and Neo-Platonists, like Plotinus, held it. It was also the belief of the Babylonians and Assyrians, as their monuments testify, for a figure of a guardian angel now in the British Museum once decorated an Assyrian palace, and might well serve for a modern representation; while Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, says: "He (Marduk) sent a tutelary deity (cherub) of grace to go at my side; in everything that I did, he made my work to succeed."

Catholic monks and Dark Age theologians also did their share of hallucinating:

"TUBUAS-A member of the group of angels who were removed from the ranks of officially recognized celestial hierarchy in 745 by a council in Rome under Pope Zachary. He was joined by Uriel, Adimus, Sabaoth, Simiel, and Raguel."

And tinker bells go way, way back:

"In Zoroastrianism there are different angel like creatures. For example each person has a guardian angel caled Fravashi. They patronize human being and other creatures and also manifest god’s energy. Also, the Amesha Spentas have often been regarded as angels, but they don't convey messages, but are rather emanations of Ahura Mazda ("Wise Lord", God); they appear in an abstract fashion in the religious thought of Zarathustra and then later (during the Achaemenid period of Zoroastrianism) became personalized, associated with an aspect of the divine creation (fire, plants, water...)."

"The beginnings of the biblical belief in angels must be sought in very early folklore. The gods of the Hittites and Canaanites had their supernatural messengers, and parallels to the Old Testament stories of angels are found in Near Eastern literature. "

"The 'Magic Papyri' contain many spells to secure just such help and protection of angels. From magic traditions arose the concept of the guardian angel. "

For added information see the review at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel

A CULT is any organization that creates rules & regulations that organize it's member's lives on the stated goal of improving them, usually around the philosophy of one leader, and requires it's members to join for life.

A RELIGION is any organization that creates rules & regulations that organize it's member's lives on the stated goal of improving them, usually around the philosophy of one leader.

Both band people together in common ways of living and thinking. The difference is the level of CONTROL; a cult demands membership for a lifetime. Cults don't want people to leave.

Steven Macready,

I'm so glad a JW finally came out on here to represent themselves. I never have the opportunity to hear their opinions on sites like these. I have one question for you Mr. Macready. Do Jehovah's Witnesses have the same God as the apostles??

John 20:28

i have a great respect for jehovahs witnesses myself.
during the nazi regime in germany, the jehovahs witnesses would not act against their conscience.
even in the concentration camps, they would not betray each other or their beliefs to become lackey trustess to the nazis.

AND OVER 1 MILLION OF THEM WERE MURDERED IN THE NAZI GENOCIDE

most people dont even know this as they have not called attention to it or their suffering.

i have found them to be unusually consistent in their application of christian principles in their lives.

and ill tell you something- i saw them build a building in 3 days from an empty lot to a fully landscaped kingdom hall and they were the most organized helpful group of people ive ever seen

as a matter of fact- i use that example often in my life when i see inept drawn out projects
peace

im not a witness mr mcready- but that doesnt mean i cant respect you

To the persons responsible for this page and the ones making the comments, please stop and listen before speaking. Jehovah's Witnesses do not claim to be part of or would ever want to be part of the so called "Christianity" the world claims as the religion of Christ. You can use the word "cult", or any other slur word for this world wide organization, but it will not change the fact that they are the only ones doing what Jesus told his followers to do.
The direct commands of Jesus are clearly stated with no need of interpretation or PHD's in theology. They are simple and to the point and completely ignored by the churches of "christendom". Jesus said his followers would be recognized by their love for one another. The churches of christendom bless their members to go to other lands and kill the members of the same church. WWII is one big example. Ireland is another. Does Croatia ring a bell?
The list is long and bloody. As far as the divinity of Jesus, any encyclopedia or history of religion will explain the road to and from the council or Niece. The teaching is not from the Bible. Almost everything christendom teaches is not from the Bible but from ancient religious systems like Babylon and Egypt.
If you would only take the time to read the Bible without someone telling you what to believe you will see that Jesus is really God's SON.........NOT GOD! Jesus taught his followers to pray to HIS GOD and Father.
Jehovah's Witnesses are the only ones doing what the first words of the "Lord's Prayer" commands...
"Our Father.. santify your name - keep your name holy.. halloed be your name... What name?????
Think people... read the Bible and think.. pray.. and think.. then ask the God of Jesus to help you see the truth...go to the Father through Jesus...
John 17:3 - Jesus said our everlasting life means knowing the only true God..... think about it...
Sincerely,
Stephen

A CULT is any organization that creates rules & regulations that organize it's member's lives on the stated goal of improving them, usually around the philosophy of one leader, and requires it's members to join for life.

A RELIGION is any organization that creates rules & regulations that organize it's member's lives on the stated goal of improving them, usually around the philosophy of one leader.

Both band people together in common ways of living and thinking. The difference is the level of CONTROL; a cult demands membership for a lifetime. Cults don't want people to leave.

Everyone! You only have to hit the "post" button once!

Hitting it more often will not make your post come up faster, it will just result in multiple posts...like this one....

A CULT is any organization that creates rules & regulations that organize it's member's lives on the stated goal of improving them, usually around the philosophy of one leader, and requires it's members to join for life.

A RELIGION is any organization that creates rules & regulations that organize it's member's lives on the stated goal of improving them, usually around the philosophy of one leader.

Both band people together in common ways of living and thinking. The difference is the level of CONTROL; a cult demands membership for a lifetime. Cults don't want people to leave.

There really isn't a difference between a religion and a cult. If you look up religion in the Webster's you will see it means rules and laws. Cults also consist of rules and laws to follow and a person who says he is the one to follow.
The word you should be comparing religion and cults to is Christianity. In Christianity we are followers of Christ. Christians go to many denominations/religions of their choosing. The only way to follow is to live like our example did: Jesus Christ, God's son. He came to set us free. He said "I am the way, the truth and the life. There is no way to the Father, except through Me."
I do suppose this response will cause a lot of you to scratch your heads and say "What"?? I know because I used to think that way too. Go to John Chapter 3 It is written about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Pray before you read it............ask God to reveal the true meaning of the Words in this Chapter to you.
May any of you who do this find the way, the truth and the life..............Jesus. It is so much easier to understand than religion, cults etc. My hope for anyone reading this is that they find the way to heaven. Jesus is the Way.

There really isn't a difference between a religion and a cult. If you look up religion in the Webster's you will see it means rules and laws. Cults also consist of rules and laws to follow and a person who says he is the one to follow.
The word you should be comparing religion and cults to is Christianity. In Christianity we are followers of Christ. Christians go to many denominations/religions of their choosing. The only way to follow is to live like our example did: Jesus Christ, God's son. He came to set us free. He said "I am the way, the truth and the life. There is no way to the Father, except through Me."
I do suppose this response will cause a lot of you to scratch your heads and say "What"?? I know because I used to think that way too. Go to John Chapter 3 It is written about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Pray before you read it............ask God to reveal the true meaning of the Words in this Chapter to you.
May any of you who do this find the way, the truth and the life..............Jesus. It is so much easier to understand than religion, cults etc. My hope for anyone reading this is that they find the way to heaven. Jesus is the Way.

There really isn't a difference between a religion and a cult. If you look up religion in the Webster's you will see it means rules and laws. Cults also consist of rules and laws to follow and a person who says he is the one to follow.
The word you should be comparing religion and cults to is Christianity. In Christianity we are followers of Christ. Christians go to many denominations/religions of their choosing. The only way to follow is to live like our example did: Jesus Christ, God's son. He came to set us free. He said "I am the way, the truth and the life. There is no way to the Father, except through Me."
I do suppose this response will cause a lot of you to scratch your heads and say "What"?? I know because I used to think that way too. Go to John Chapter 3 It is written about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Pray before you read it............ask God to reveal the true meaning of the Words in this Chapter to you.
May any of you who do this find the way, the truth and the life..............Jesus. It is so much easier to understand than religion, cults etc. My hope for anyone reading this is that they find the way to heaven. Jesus is the Way.

Craig Branch writes "cults are offshoots of the historical mainline group, usually claiming to be the true of legitimate representation, yet denying the essential beliefs of the historical faith. For example, Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses are cults of historic Christianity, as is Nation of Islam and Bahai are cults of Islam."

By that definition, both Christianity and Islam are cults as they are both offshoots of Judaism. Why don't you include those, and what's the tipping point where an offshoot becomes a "historical faith"? I think Susan Jacoby has it right. Cut + time = religion. In my opinion, anything that involves worship is a cult.

faith integration.
mankind is divided by faith,mankind born and raise and die to divide when it comes to faith and ideology, where the final and last name of the game is truthood and falsehood,this is the name of the game of this universe and the name of the game mankind play around the clock.
if faith integration in one melting culinary pot is poosible ,the creator originator of who the universe physical integration is solely and only is in his hands could,v made every mankind on one faith or one colour,rather (for some reason he only know)he made it the way its ,every mankind is on his own after he the creator sent his guidance to every mankind.
mankind in respondeing to the guidance of the creator originator of this universe divided to 2 major division:
1-those who follow the light.
2-those who follow the blindness.

mankind faith divisions is not only one of the major reality of this life but also one of the major forces in this life if its not all,life is none but a huge battlefield whether you faith in or not whether you like it or not,every mankind is- IN- willingly and unwillingly.no escape.the test of life is a must on every mankind.

well liberated- i gave it a go.

you settled down a little-but you're back to the same old obsessions.

strangely, the regular group of islamophobes are in a particularly virulent and lynch mob mentality tonight.

maybe its the furor over ahmadinejad and the fear mongering trying to push us into a war with iran that the media is foisting upon us right now.

whatever it is, there is a distinct pall of paranoia tonight.

if you havent become aware form the degenration of the last question lib- this sort of witchhunt and peculiar vendetta brings down the tone of the dialogue, and ususally seems to drive away those looking for an open or interesting exchange of ideas.

so, i have to boycott you awhile

when you develop manners ill get back to you
otherwise take care of yourself

Victoria, Victoria,

But the Islamic cult allows polygamy?? So when this happens, do the unattended wives consider their man to be having sex outside of their marriage when "doing the do" with the other gals?

How many wives do the Saudi elite have these days?

"Polygamy, according to the IAD of Saudi Arabia's Washington, D.C. embassy, is superior to the monogamy of the West: "The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and accommodates widely differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted, according to the Qur'an, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair."

I assume the wives decide about what is scrupulously fair?

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/iad_memri.html

Here's my opinion about the difference between a cult & a religion:

A CULT is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, which members must join for life.

A RELIGION is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, with no attempt to mandate membership for life.

The only difference is the amount of control the group has over the individual's life. Cults don't let people leave, not easily. Or think for themselves.

mr peper-

youll have to do better than make a vague accusation like that.

jehovah's witnesses dont have strict anti-sex rules.

they believe in sex within the sanctity of the marital bonds.

pretty much like every major religion in the world.

why dont you come back and share with us the religions in the world that dont adhere to this precept?

Here's my opinion about the difference between a cult & a religion:

A CULT is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, which members must join for life.

A RELIGION is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, with no attempt to mandate membership for life.

The only difference is the amount of control the group has over the individual's life. Cults don't let people leave, not easily. Or think for themselves.

It is true that some religions are given the label “cult” because of prejudices. I have found that the best way to determine if a religion is indeed a cult is through the simple “freedom” test.

Religions like the Jehovah Witness Watchtower, Scientology, and the Moonies would fail the freedom test because the members of these “religions” are slaves to the central authority of the group.

I have seen many members of the Jehovah Witness Watchtower experience problems with sexual dysfunction because the organization has such strict anti-sex guidelines. I have also seen Scientologists and Moonies that are afraid to think for themselves and use “thought stopping” mind games to prevent themselves from questioning the authority of the organization.

This quote from Galatians 5:1 (KJV) illustrates the true freedom found in true religions: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

It is truly a shame many “religions” preach slavery.

Here's my opinion about the difference between a cult & a religion:

A CULT is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, which members must join for life.

A RELIGION is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, with no attempt to mandate membership for life.

The only difference is the amount of control the group has over the individual's life. Cults don't let people leave, not easily. Or think for themselves.

"Can't someone at WAPO figure out how to eliminate all these multiple postings?
PEOPLE! You only have to hit the "post" button ONCE!
Regards
A (Monday Morning Cranky) Hermit"

But Hermit, it is only possible to gain insight into Truth through the process of repetition. If you say something only once, it is mere opinion that can be easily forgotten. If you repeat it again and again, especially while performing some repetitive OCD-like ritual, like punching the "Post" button again and again or rocking back and forth, it becomes Reality.

The posts that are most likely to be True are those that appear at least several times. :)

AGUSTIN ASTACIO:
Your definition of 'cult' seems to me to apply to Catholicism specifically, and many other Christian denominations as well…
Was that the intent?

I’ve known lots of people that belonged or subscribed to some really wacky belief systems, including some that were media-dubbed cults, but I’ve never heard any claim they belonged to a ‘cult’..

Maybe that’s the real answer If asked, no one actually belongs to a cult. So its merely a pejorative term for someone else’s belief system.

It really is kind of silly to debate this whole thing, since it’s really about semantics rather than actual ideology.

In a cult, the cult leader is the center of the universe.

In a religion, the individual believer is the center of the universe.

Neither cult nor religion can exist without a huge helping of self-importance. It's just a matter of who the object is of that self importance.

christianism vs jeffersonism.
both preach the same delusion.christianism preach for the son who died for the sin of mankind.
,jeffersonism preach for democracy who died for the sin of mankind.
what is funny,both christianism and jeffersonism practice the way of life of secularism wich based entirely on none but atheism wich consider by christianism not only as cult but as deviation and losting.

CULTS Are categorically sects of a religion that operate upon subtle and deceptive means.

Cults firstly operate under "sociological manipulation." - They dissuade others from free thinking through peer pressure tactics. Some use Bubble communal tactics in various ways. Some become totally communal and seperate physically from outside sources or persons not associated with the cult. Others use extreme shunning tactics and most certainly refuse dialogue with former members.

"Informational manipulation"-
They demonize counter literature and any sources outside of the leadership authority. Meanwhile it's sources are given divine inspiration or a sense of infallibility or at least unquestionability.

"Theological manipulation" -
Cults almost always and certainly misrepresent the original thoughts an authorship to the religion it is attempting to usurp. Whether it is the nation of islam from traditional Islam or New age sects from original HIndu or Buddhism. Cults reinterpret and reinvision the history of its perspective religion that it is imitating and attempting to usurp as the "Original" philosophy for that religion.

In all three categories of manipulation there is certainly a devolving from truth or facts in correlation to each perspective religion. Cults exist within all frameworks of the major religions whether it is Christianity, Islam, Or Eastern religious frameworks such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

I hope this helps!
Agustin Astacio
pastoral assistant at Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Bryan's Road, Maryland
Also Former cult member as a 3rd generation Jehovah's Witness

BOB WALKER:
**...force lifestyles on them that are at odds with the US Constitution. (e.g. Mormons saying women can only go to heaven when their husband lets them into same, only men can be priests etc)**

Granted, it's been a while since I was in a history classroom, but I don't recall the Constitution having anything to say abour who gwts into heaven or who can be priests.

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, I offer these "definitions":

"A cult is a small,unpopular religion.
A religion is large, popular cult."

Or how about:

"A religion is merely a cult that has acquired some real estate."

Or:

"A cult is the other guy's religion."

The term "cult" is very slippery. It would be nice if we could get rid of it, perhaps, but it's frequent usage makes this unlikely. As James Sire of InterVarsity Press wrote, "We should if we could, but we can't; I think we're stuck with it." A cult has traditionally indicated a group that departs from the orthodox core teachings of a traditional religious view, but still identifies itself with that religion. Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are examples in the Christian tradition. They adhere to certain teachings of Christianity, but depart from traditional truth teachings from the Bible about Jesus Christ, for example. They will still call Him Savior, but they will mean different things by that. A "cult" also has certain sociological features that tend to appear, such as a new prophet founder who gives a message not found in the Bible; a tendency to the apocalyptic (at least in its early years); it tends to be very exclusivist in outlook, supported by a more legalistic lifestyle; it tends to see itself as a persecuted minority, and so on. Sometimes, groups that start out with these features can become more mainstream over time, such as the Radio Church of God, or Seventh Day Adventism, for example. In traditions other than Christianity, there are also examples in Asia, such as the Aum Supreme Truth group in Japan, which takes elements of Buddhism and other eastern thought, and throws in a dash of Christianity. This group launched the apocalyptically motivated sarin gas attacks on the subways in Tokyo. The Ahmadiya group in Islam is considered by Muslims to be a cult, and they look upon this group much as Christians look upon Jehovah's Witnesses. The founder of Ahmadiya also considered himself to be a new prophet with an exclusive message. To sum up, I would say that cults lay claim to a certain traditional religious teaching, but depart from that teaching regarding core truths or principles.

Having worked in the area of Christian apologetics for 25+ years, specializing in cults, and working both within Chriatian and secular circles, the answer to your question is contingent on your definitional framework. The word "cult" has a negative conotation, partially driven by the media's proclivity to report the sensational. Of course some religious groups have produced horrible tragedies. Defined from within a religious context, cults are offshoots of the historical mainline group, usually claiming to be the true of legitimate representation, yet denying the essential beliefs of the historical faith. For example, Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses are cults of historic Christianity, as is Nation of Islam and Bahai are cults of Islam. Then there is a psychological definition which encompasses abuse, coercion, significant mind and life control,etc. Doctrinally perverted groups are entirely free to practice in the U.S. but also open to criticism and examination. Psychologically abusive cults are subject to the criminal and civil laws of out country.

To Rob Walker: As an atheist, am I deemed to be a member of a cult? By your logic,I live a "lifestyle[...] that [is] at odds with the US Constitution" i.e. I have fundamental issues with the "under God" part and in fact would not object if religion had no hand, act or part in the social make-up of this country! Of course, I am not a member of a cult, I am a citizen who champions social inclusivity, irrespective of faith (or lack of faith), surely not the behavior of a cult member.

Biblical truth? How can you show that your version of truth is superior to that of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses? Denying the divinity of Jesus seems to me to make them less cultist, not more.

I tried to put a comment on here last night. It never would go through.

Here's my opinion about the difference between a cult & a religion:

A CULT is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, which members must join for life.

A RELIGION is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, with no attempt to mandate membership for life.

The only difference is the amount of control the group has over the individual's life. Cults don't let people leave, not easily.

Cult = faith in a teacher.

Religion = faith in the teachings.

Biblical truth? How can you show that your version of truth is superior to that of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses? Denying the divinity of Jesus seems to me to make them less cultist, not more.

I tried to put a comment on here last night. It never would go through.

Here's my opinion about the difference between a cult & a religion:

A CULT is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, which members must join for life.

A RELIGION is a group formed around a leader, with rules & regulations about behavior & thinking, with no attempt to mandate membership for life.

The only difference is the amount of control the group has over the individual's life. Cults don't let people leave, not easily.

To Rob Walker: As an atheist, am I deemed to be a member of a cult? By your logic,I live a "lifestyle[...] that [is] at odds with the US Constitution" i.e. I have fundamental issues with the "under God" part and in fact would not object if religion had no hand, act or part in the social