According to these definitions, couldn't all religious belief be called occult?

occult
Function: noun
Date: 1923
: matters regarded as involving the action or influence of supernatural or supernormal powers or some secret knowledge of them —used with the


adjective
Etymology: Latin occultus, from past participle of occulere to cover up, from ob- in the way + -culere (akin to celare to conceal) — more at ob-, hell
Date: 1533
1: not revealed : secret
2: not easily apprehended or understood : abstruse, mysterious
3: hidden from view : concealed
4: of or relating to the occult
5: not manifest or detectable by clinical methods alone <occult carcinoma>; also : not present in macroscopic amounts <occult blood in a stool>
— oc·cult·ly adverb


transitive verb
Etymology: Latin occultare, frequentative of occulere
Date: 1500
: to shut off from view or exposure : cover, eclipse
— oc·cult·er noun

2008-03-09T22:34:12Z

Reread this definition, many of you are missing the point. That little word OR explains a lot.
Occult: (cult) matters regarded as involving the Action or Influence of Supernatural or Supernormal powers (the idea of a Supreme God?)
OR some secret knowledge of them

2008-03-09T22:35:15Z

If you don't think your church has some secret agenda, better look more closely.

Anonymous2008-03-09T21:28:50Z

Favorite Answer

1 person -- delusion
100 people -- cult
1,000,000 people -- religion

Anonymous2008-03-10T04:27:16Z

Generally yes, but not all religious or spiritual beliefs. Some people are pantheists so they believe the Earth or the Cosmos is God. Although the belief that the Universe or Earth is God can't be proved scientifically, the Earth and the Universe can be studied and observed, thereby removing the mysterious or occult (hidden) knowledge via the scientific method.

Anonymous2008-03-10T04:36:17Z

That word should be CULT not occult.

All religions were cults when they started. But some have grown so big that they are now mainstream religions.

Christianity was a cult when it started - just a few people at first going against the status quo (judaism and paganism).

Anonymous2008-03-10T05:15:58Z

No, occult is secret or not revealed, but religion is very much out in the open, nor very mysterious because all of the laws and/or commandments are always right there for you to see.

MSB2008-03-10T04:30:32Z

Yes... a religion doesn't have to be secret to be considered occult. Just trying to find "that which is hidden from view"-- like God-- could be considered occult practices.

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