How do you determine if a religious group is, in fact, a "cult"?

Good question, I've often wondered this myself. Apparently a cult employs brainwashing techniques, demands money (without making it seem like they're doing it) and cuts people off from their friends and family.

But to be honest, telling someone they're going to suffer eternal damnation, tithes/collection plates and encouraging non-believers to be looked upon as hopeless sinners seems to pretty much cover those things in many mainstream religions, so I'm a bit confused as to what is and isn't a cult.

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

That's the wiki page on it. But, being wiki, the neutrality is disputed, so who knows what agenda the writer of it had.

edit: @ Chris S - wouldn't that make Catholics (the Pope) and Buddhists (the Dalai Lama) cultists?

Below is a perfect description of the Jehovah Witness cult:

Step1Determine the structure of the group. A cult generally has a pyramid structure, with all teaching coming from the one at the top. It is presented as the only way to reach a religious goal and as the only true understanding of religion.

Step2Recognize that a cult is often personality-driven. Those at top are charismatic and may be thought to be God-like or in direct communication with God. Generally, the leaders are not to be doubted.

Step3Examine the group's use of manipulation or mind control. A cult will use manipulation to keep members loyal. They may threaten members physically or spiritually. They may also tell members that they will be shunned by their family if they reveal cult secrets or if they leave. Cults may actively abuse members emotionally and physically as well, or subject them to sleep or food deprivation during "retreats."

Step4Find out financial expectations. A cult makes financial demands upon its members. The demands may be tithing a high amount to the organization, selling something for the organization or attending mandatory high-priced workshops or retreats.

Step5Look at time commitments. A cult will take up much of a member's free time with activities that may be focused on recruiting others or activities that are kept secret from friends and families.

Step6Watch for changes in the group's members. A positive religion will lead to positive changes in its members—new confidence, increased happiness, the ability to get along better with friends and families. A religious cult may initially show positive changes but will eventually lead to a distance from those not in the group, obsessive behavior about the group and extreme loyalty to the group.

Step7Determine whether dissent is allowed. In a cult, disagreement is heresy and may be punished or derided. In a healthy religious group, dissent allows for a greater understanding.

Step8Understand the members' attitudes towards people who aren't in the group. If the general consensus of members is that those outside the religion are "unenlightened," it may be a cult. Cults encourage an "us vs. them" mentality, and the group's way is the only way to the goal.

I have this list I use when I'm deciding whether to join a religion or not, to "alert" me as to whether the religion I'm considering is actually a cult.

1. Will they try to kill me if I leave?

2. Do they give me food or drink laced with narcotics?

3. Is everyone wearing the same thing all the time?

4. Did that church leader just say he was going to marry my 12 year old daughter?

5. Do they know exactly what day the world will end?

6. Is there a date planned when everyone has to kill themselves?

7. Is the ratio of guns to people greater than 5:1?

If I answer "yes" to two or more of those questions then I'm like, "uh-oh", looks like I better call my re-programmer.

The modern sociological definition of a cult would be a group that invests complete and total leadership in one or a few people. A cult not only demands total obedience, but seeks to separate its members from their family and society at large, at times even making them physically relocate to a cult-owned building or compound.

Other recognized marks are:

secrecy of the cult's dealings

punishment--sometimes physical--for infractions of the rules

complete shunning forever of anyone who leaves the group

A claim on most or all of the members' personal resources. This goes way beyond a church tithe or group donation to include even signing over one's house, land, etc.

Step1Determine the structure of the group. A cult generally has a pyramid structure, with all teaching coming from the one at the top. It is presented as the only way to reach a religious goal and as the only true understanding of religion.

Step2Recognize that a cult is often personality-driven. Those at top are charismatic and may be thought to be God-like or in direct communication with God. Generally, the leaders are not to be doubted.

Step3Examine the group's use of manipulation or mind control. A cult will use manipulation to keep members loyal. They may threaten members physically or spiritually. They may also tell members that they will be shunned by their family if they reveal cult secrets or if they leave. Cults may actively abuse members emotionally and physically as well, or subject them to sleep or food deprivation during "retreats."

Step4Find out financial expectations. A cult makes financial demands upon its members. The demands may be tithing a high amount to the organization, selling something for the organization or attending mandatory high-priced workshops or retreats.

Step5Look at time commitments. A cult will take up much of a member's free time with activities that may be focused on recruiting others or activities that are kept secret from friends and families.

Step6Watch for changes in the group's members. A positive religion will lead to positive changes in its members—new confidence, increased happiness, the ability to get along better with friends and families. A religious cult may initially show positive changes but will eventually lead to a distance from those not in the group, obsessive behavior about the group and extreme loyalty to the group.

Step7Determine whether dissent is allowed. In a cult, disagreement is heresy and may be punished or derided. In a healthy religious group, dissent allows for a greater understanding.

Step8Understand the members' attitudes towards people who aren't in the group. If the general consensus of members is that those outside the religion are "unenlightened," it may be a cult. Cults encourage an "us vs. them" mentality, and the group's way is the only way to the goal.

Cults generally try to control you in some way. A healthy religion tries to guide, but respects free will.

Some techniques include:

- Cutting you off from family or friends, saying that they will harm your soul.

- Trying to collect information on you to use later to make you feel bad about yourself. By tearing you down and making the religious group superior, they try to make you dependent on them.

- Asking for money or making you go through pain or stress sessions. This opens the mind to brainwashing, and causes some Stockholm Syndrome where the stressor becomes the savior.

Even though I'm a Catholic....I'm going to have to speak the truth and according to the guidelines of what a "Cult" really is, every organized and not organized religion falls under it. Sorry if this offends anyone.

Peace, Love & Happiness

The way most people think of a cult, it would be giving to much authority to the leader to the extent that people would do anything the leader says without questioning, even something dangerous or illegal. Also it might include staying away from people, especially relatives, who are not part of the cult.

according to the dictionary, a cult is a group of people who follow one human as their spiritual leader

the word 'cult' is thrown around a lot on this website

Have you ever heard of sola scriptura? It means "by scripture alone." I could say that "I believe" that God is a mongoose. You should say, "That's great! On what do you base that? Can you show me the scripture?"

The FACT is that God makes it plain that HIS WORD is THE FINAL SAY on everything Christian. Doesn't that make sense that we are free to just make stuff up willy nilly? That's precisely what cults do, they make it up! They either fabricate scripture or twist it. We can look to scripture to disprove what they say and we try to admonish them and they say ... get lost!

Anyone or any group that doesn't care about scripture is lost! Simple as that.