Most peoples' definition of "cult" is "a group of absent-minded followers of a small, weird religion and they practice weird freaky things and are weird." Isn't Christianity considered to be a cult? How popular does a religion have to be to be considered a religion rather than a cult? WHY DOES IT MATTER??? My goodness, you would think that "hippies" would be more open-minded to others' religious prefrences. Lets not judge, folks! PEACE LOVE HAPPINESS SOLIDARITY!
Technically, you could classify all religions as a cult, but that would be politically incorrect. A cult carries a strong connotation with it, which requires proper diction to be considered accurate.
all pejorative connotations are absurd. i DO define ALL religeons as cults and all cults as religeons. not disputing that some might be more or less desirable then others, but rather recognizing the subjective nature of such judgements. so i do, simply define "cult" interchaingably with religeon. and prefer, intrinsicly and eternaly, the less pejorative term. belief is an even better one. as it is even less pejorative and doesn't require anyone to join anything. prejudice is evil in that it causes suffering and harm. thus the use of such a term as cult, is itself, by extension in a sense evil as well. fanatics do deserve a taste of their own medicne. not that it bennifits anyone by giving it to them. =^^= .../\...
Here you go, this is what dictionary.com has to say about cults. Cult n. 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. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing. The object of such devotion. 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.
yes. from a dictionary based in a culture based itself on a cult. the currently ultimate and most dominant one. that last paragraph, the part of it beggining with obsessive ... and ending with ... of such devotion, rather precisely describes that very cult itself, generaly refered to as christianity. =^^= .../\...
i see no rationelle for excluding those with political power from the deffinician. which is why i find the term itself gratuitous and supperfilous. =^^= .../\...
that's cool. i wasn't criticising your doing so. just myopicly gratifying my own ego to expand upon my own position. that is of course the peril of quotes: that even sages are no less fallable then ourselves. though they may at times be useful to inspire thought. =^^= .../\...
Cult when referring to religious or spiritual things is an ugly word if you ask me. had i been born a bit earlyer i would have been a sanjasin for sure! on the other hand Cult when referring to music, art, or movies is sortha socially excepted.
