Cults and Religion

[Lisbeth]

I have become rather unhappy at the way some people have been tossing around the word "cult" on these boards. In the spirit of clearing the air I would like to interject some history into the vocabulary of cults and religions.

Both "cult" and "religion" are words of Latin origin (which Tekla hates so much). Both cultus and religio were talked of at length in the Roman world. They are, in that context, exactly the same thing with one exception: religions were officially recognized by the Roman government and cults were not. At the moment a cult received legal standing it became a religion. Until Constantine became emperor Christianity was a cult. At that point it became the only officially recognized religion and all the former religions were reduced to cults.

In the centuries since then Christianity has tried to perpetuate that status quo even in countries, like the United States, where there is no official religion. In countries that have a "state religion" there may be some justification for the religion/cult dichotomy. But in the U. S. all spiritual communities are really cults. But our language has become sloppy, and we refer to all of them as religions. In this country for a member of one religion to refer to another religion as a cult is prejudice.

[Janet_Girl]

Yes there is no "official" religion in the United States, but the unofficial state religion is Christianity.  Look at all the laws that are being passed, most are confirming this.

Janet

[tekla]

I don't hate Latin, I can speak it and read it.  I'm just bored of it.  And given the flexibility of American English, we could do better.

And Judah/Christian is the religion of America, and at that, we still call the people who believed in the original one, JEWS.

[Lisbeth]

All I want is for people to stop throwing around the word "cult" as an insult. One person's cult is another's religion.

[tekla]

ALL RELIGIONS ARE CULTS UNTIL SCIENCE PROVE OTHERWISE.

[heatherrose]

Cult

n. 1 Worship or religious devotion especially, a form of religion. 2 A system of religious observances.
3 Extravagant devotion to a person, cause, or thing; also, the object of such devotion.

Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary International edition
Copyright 1958-1959


The definition that I have been referencing, in my posts on the matter, have
been drawn from that which is cited in bold above. I know first hand the abuse that
an individual can be expected to endure in the name of religion. If you might be
curious as to what I am refering to, type the keywords  "First Christian Fellowship
International" and "L. R. Davis trial transcript" into any search engine.

[tekla]

extravagant devotion

Nuff said.

Though the idea of "devotion" is pretty much enough in and of itself.

[heatherrose]

extravagant devotion ...is pretty much enough in and of itself.

Not to those puffed up, little Hitlers.

[Alyssa M.]

Lisbeth, just because words have Latin roots doesn't mean that they mean precisely what they did in Latin. The word "cult" as a pejorative, outside of any legal framework, is pretty standard and also useful. There really are cults out there, in the sense of organizations that severely exploit people and cut them off from the rest of the world. Just because every religious organization is equal in the eyes of the law doesn't mean that they are all equally beneficial or detrimental to their members or other people.

But clearly people throw the word around to slur religions they don't like. And that's not okay.

[tekla]

You can prove it, or not.  With real proof, like oh, say, science.  It's all a cult.  A belief.  But never a proof.

[heatherrose]

It also offends me, as a former CULT member, when people attempt to paste
the "Cult" label to any particular religion because they don't agree with the
tentents that group may adhere to, with no regard to the good
or harm that these groups may contribute to society.

[tekla]

All religions, that are not a science, and Christian Science does not count, are cults.  Your cult might have been weird, with strange costumes or weird sexual rituals, so be it.  The one I was raised in was the Roman Catholic church and I'll raise you a costume and a sexual ritual or two.

[heatherrose]

The one I was raised in was the Roman Catholic church and I'll raise you a costume and a sexual ritual or two.

You have no argument from me. As a protestant attending catholic school,
I served as an alter "person". I understand all religions are "screwed" in the
proverbial head but there is a red carpet laid out, through the
"Brimstone Pillars", especially for CULT leaders.

[tekla]

Well ask them for proof.  That leaves you time for the rest of your life, a cross country drive and 18 holes of golf while they figure it out.

[Sigma Prime]

Yes there is no "official" religion in the United States, but the unofficial state religion is Christianity.  Look at all the laws that are being passed, most are confirming this.

Au contraire. The two unofficial religions of the USA are Scottish enlightenment philosophy and romantic nationalism. Even the GOP recognizes this. Their insistance on passionate religious fervor is just a symptom of it, and so is their pandering to the religious right. When most people in the country are atheists, the GOP will remain just as insufferable with their fairytale nationalism. That treacly, saccharine trash makes me sick, and it always has.

[lisagurl]

85% of Americans self-identify as Christians. (2002)
7% of US adults classify as evangelicals (2004) (see Evangelical category for more information)
38% of US adults classify as born again, but not evangelical. (2004)
37% are self-described Christians but are neither evangelical nor born again
Atheists and agnostics comprise 12% of adults nationwide. (2004)
11% of the US population identify with a faith other than Christianity (2004)