Can you please define for me: Cult?

Cult typically refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding population considers to be outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. The spelling c-u-l-t also has at least eight homonym meanings that have confused the public since 1920 onward.[1]

In common or populist usage, "cult" has a positive connotation for groups of art, music, writing, fiction,[2] and fashion devotees (see Cult following), but a negative connotation for new religious, extreme political, questionable theraputic, and pyramidal business groups.[3] For this reason, most, if not all, non-fan groups that are called cults reject this label.

A group's cult status begins as rumors spread of its novel belief system, its great devotions, its idiosyncratic practices, its perceived harmful or beneficial effects on members or its perceived opposition to the interests of mainstream cultures and governments. Persistent rumors may follow relatively small and recently founded religious or non-religious groups when they are perceived to engage in excessive member control or exploitation.[citation needed]

New religions are often considered "cults" before they are considered religions[4] by social scientists, by Christian Evangelical/Fundamentalist theologians, and also by the secular public – yet these three groups do not usually have the same understanding of the term "cult". People understand the term "cult" through the most popular usage in their cultures and subcultures, which can result in homonymic conflict, a communicative conflict with people who hold a different definition of the same term. This often results in confusion, misunderstanding, and resentment between members of "cult" groups and non-members.[citation needed]

Here is a little bit from Wikipedia that seems to define Cult, well.

A cult is a belief system where a man, not God is held up in reverence and power. A cult seeks to separate a believer from family, friends and have complete control over the person's life. Everything from clothing to employment and other assets. Cults mostly take an idea of Christianity and distort it, its meaning, twist it or add to it other conditions. If there is a Jesus in a cult, it is a false Jesus and a false god.

Cult is what the big congregation calls the little congregation. I personally define cults as "baby religions" that haven't proven their worth yet and an esoteric, somewhat underground following. This may be partly due to cults being ostracized by society so they seclude themselves from a society that doesn't understand them. It may also be because they're running some sort of scam on it's members and/or doing something illegal and immoral like molesting children, raping women, or performing human sacrifices. This is why cults carry such a negative connotation. A lot of times cult members can be so brainwashed to believe that they're literally at war with the world.

Alot of cults are offshots of older religions, mostly Christiany since some of it's tenants lend itself to the whole "Us vs. Them" mentality taht always leads an otherwise harmless though strange religious sect spiraling into something that no longer resembles the religion it originates from. Christianity also has promises of a Messiah returning when the world gets thrown into chaos. People see these times dark times (regardless of whether or not these are really our darkest times) so they looking for a messiah to deliver them to a better place. Cults are usually subject to charismatic charlatans who pose them as Christ second coming. And time after time, you see desperate Christians who fall for them and get sucked into a bizarre secret society that antithesis to what Christianity is supposed to be.

Christianity itself was originally a cult. Not only that it used to be illegal too. I wouldn't define it as a cult today though. At least not in the same way as the Branch Dravidian, Golden Gate, or that new 666 Tattoo cult amongst my fellow Puerto Ricans in Miami. I guess that goes to show white people aren't the only race dumb enough to fall for such obvious scams.

It's pretty subjective. Most western religions are no different from a cult except for the fact that society chooses to accept them. They're all founded on irrational beliefs, worship, conformity, and subject to punishment or to being isolated and ostracized should they choose to leave. They all ask for money or possessions from the "believers". They all use fear tactics to keep their congregations in line. They all use an "us against them" mentality. And they all paint scapegoats out of other cultures and people to blame all the bad things on.

In connection to Christianity it is when people put a person, an action, a day ( Holy Day or Sabbath) above Jesus. There is only one way to be saved and that is acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice for us. Cults almost always say Jesus saves but doing such and such keeps you saved.

I know this because I was involved in one for 17 years.

A Cult Is simply A Religion that has NOT Committed Mass Murder

actually, it is from latin /cultus/ habitation.

i am one of Jehovah's witnesses. we are probably the one most called a cult by the 'mainline' churches. but, note the citation from

dictionary.com and my comments after each definition:

----------------------------

1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

*** we do not have a 'system'. we follow the bible. nothing else. no holy books or directives.

2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.

*** we venerate ONLY Jehovah. no one or no thing other than him.

3. the object of such devotion.

*** ibid

4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

*** ibid

5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.

*** ibid , plus, we do not have rites or sacred symbols.

6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.

*** we are not extremists, nore do we live outside conventional society. we REALLY do not have charismatic leaders!

7. the members of such a religion or sect.

*** ibid

8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.

*** doesnt apply

end of citation============

note, please, that the ones who accuse US of being cultish themselves have may of those features.

interesting, huh.

len

A cult, in my definition, involves extreme brainwash and a complete lifestyle change.

Or go with this...

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

I am so sick of hearing christians thinking evreything is about either "God" or "no God"...

Why can't a cult be something that has nothing to do with God?

A cult is a group of extremist who require a life style change..and sacrifices.

False doctrine/cult,

it is any teaching which is contrary to the basic doctrine of God's Word, such as the Trinity, the virgin birth of Christ, the atoning death of Christ, along with His bodily resurrection and second coming,

salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection of all believers and the reality of heaven, the eternal condemnation of those who reject Jesus Christ.