What makes a religious group a cult?

Absolute loyalty. Cults cannot operate unless there is unquestionable loyalty and allegiance to the sect’s doctrine, rules, and format. Enforcement of this rule can be through veiled threats or even actual physical punishment. The fear of eternal damnation is one of the strongest and effective tools used by the cult leader to demand 100% loyalty. Punitive actions are quickly administered to those who question or revolt against the leader’s doctrines or authority.

•Cults base their authority outside of acceptable Christian Tradition•Cults surpass any authority given to man from God.•Cult leaders claim special and unique authority given to them by God Himself. •Fear is one of the most powerful tools used by cults to control their members.Fear of earning the displeasure or wrath of the cult’s deity.

Fear of NOT being considered enlightened

Fear of living in error

Fear of not being found worthy of the standards of the cult

It's usually two things--the success of the leader in making his people believe, and the scorn of the people who don't believe. A lot of it is perception. People try to make objective yardsticks to rate this, but the cult leaders can just turn arguments that they are a cult around instantly--they are either doing the same things other churches do, or their odd lifestyle reflects their more abundant faith in their beliefs.

Many would say that the best indicator you are in a cult is when there is only one person's opinion that matters to you. The red flags are usually things like separating yourself from those who aren't in the cult, and being led to give too much of your money away to them. When you're moving to the compound, you're probably in a cult. If Father Joe is the only one who really knows what God's will is, or Lyndon Smith is the only economist who understands the economy, or the only way to heaven is to have sex with the Prophet Bill and the men he sends to you, you are probably dealing with a cult.

While modern Christianity is not very cult-like, early Christianity qualifies. Jesus asked his followers to leave their lives, forget about family obligations and money, and follow him. He was the only way to God, and all the other religious leaders were wrong. While I do believe that Jesus was the son of God, it is pretty much the business model Jesus used to start Christianity that modern cult leaders use to start their cults.

Usually these things are defined by the number of active participants, age, and how compatible the beliefs are with current social norms. However, there is no real cookie-cutter definition as "cult" is a subjective term.

It generally runs the gambit in this fashion:

Sect: Small number of people (less than 100), rather new. Beliefs tend to be based on an existing theology with some deviations leading to separation.

Cult: Moderate number of people (Less than 10,000), usually no more than a few decades old. Theology of the group tends to be greatly different in critical areas than established theology. Beliefs tend to favor extremism and xenophobia.

Religion: Lots of people, usually a century old or older. Beliefs are no longer considered odd or extreme. Usually beliefs have undergone a form of bi-directional social amalgamation in order to appeal to larger numbers of people.

cult [kuhlt]

–noun

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

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

3. the object of such devotion.

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

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

7. the members of such a religion or sect.

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.

in many circumstances speaking.... Cults are basically focussed on a million Charismatic chief, while that chief dies, the cult in many circumstances falls aside. Cults are often exterior of the cultural norms and tend to isolate themselves from the time-honored public. Cults tend to maintain their contributors from speaking to the press and attempt very desperately to maintain them from leaving. important rigidity is placed to maintain human beings in the cult. Cults at the instant are not in contact in society because of fact the withdraw, for this reason they do no longer take area in politics, commerce, etc. to a extensive degree. Cults have faith they have secret awareness that no person else has, this awareness is often opposite or taboo via the time-honored public. Cults in many circumstances require great parts of their followers income to get carry of to the Charismatic chief.

The only difference between a religion and a cult is the number of followers.

Christianity started out as a jewish cult until the roman empire mandated its spread

A cult refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are reasonably considered strange.

Many Atheists including myself believe that the belief in a god is strange. Therefore, religion is a cult.

When they are engaged in practices that are not being teached in the bible.....When they're inventing ways of how to create another way to heaven. When they believe in their daily practice than the power of God.....for example jonestown...

2 Timothy 4:3-4 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

In reply to Chris. Atheism is small in numbers and everyone who believes in God, huge numbers, thinks not believing in God is strange, hence, Atheism is a cult.

"A cult is what the big congregation calls the little congregation."