ok, first of all im just researching this, its not really my opinion, im more curious as to what other people think. besides it's only a theory.
many people only see cults as a negative thing, but that is not necessarily the truth. We have only heard of the negative cults of how there is sexual abuse and murders and suicides, but is it possible that religion can be a cult?
Cult typically refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception.
A 20th century attempt by sociologists to replace "cult" with the term New Religious Movement (NRM), was rejected by the public [8] and only partly accepted by the scientific community. [9]
The literal and traditional meaning of the word cult is derived from the Latin cultus, meaning "care" or "adoration."[11] In English, "cult" remains neutral and a technical term within this context to refer to the "cult of Artemis at Ephesus" and the "cult figures" that accompanied it.
In non-English European terms, the cognates of the English word "cult" are neutral, and refer mainly to divisions within a single faith, a case where English speakers might use the word "sect," as in "Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism are sects (or denominations) within Christianity." In French or Spanish, culte or culto simply means "worship" or "religious attendance"; thus an association cultuelle is an association whose goal is to organize religious worship and practices.
By comparison, the non-English European cognates of "sect" mean what "cult" does in English: secte (French), secta (Spanish), sekta Russian, and Sekte (German) which also has other definitions.
cult[15]
1 a system of religious worship directed towards a particular figure or object.
2 a small religious group regarded as strange or as imposing excessive control over members.
3 something popular or fashionable among a particular section of society.
sect[16]
1 a group of people with different religious beliefs (typically regarded as heretical) from those of a larger group to which they belong.
2 a group with extreme or dangerous philosophical or political ideas.
(wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult#Psychological_definition)
Therefore, if a cult is NOT defined as only negative and its known for religious worship, then wouldn't all religions be a cult? Because wouldn't the leader in religions such as christianity be jesus? or the church's preacher?
the "Deviant" acts that occurr in a cult are only deviant bc ppl label it that way.
deviant is a act that is out of the social norm. There are so many countries and cultures that do things such as, prick boy's entire bodies with razors to resemble a crocidile so they can be considered a man or, people that pierce their faces with sharp thick long rods and walk 2 miles to a beach and back while wacking their backs with an axe thinking they r sacraficing their bodies for their gods... If these things occurred in America the groups would be labled a cult doing deviant things, but its only ladled so negativley bc we don't see things like that every day.
i just want to know wut other people think.
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is it possible for all religions to be a cult?
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I completely agree with this statement...I think it is a cult...b/c you are right it's never defined as something that has to be negative...I think that a lot of social organizations in society could fall under the cult category but we don't define them as such b/c the word has such a negative connotation now