"Religions are just cults with more members" ...?

Perhaps an organized cult, or rather one that is socially accepted. I know many people need religion, i.e. church, in order to fulfill needs within them and I use to need that, too. I still love my occasional trip to church to refresh my self and to socialize, as well.

I agree that many seem like robots who are brainwashed into thinking a certain way and if you aren't "that" way, you are somehow different. Many religions think black and white and there is no gray.

Though this may be off topic, regarding the black and white thought, when I think of religion I think of forgiveness and acceptance. Though aren't some of the "religious" the first to throw stones at, for instance, gays? I'm not here to judge, I am here to love, I'll leave the judging up to my God.

I have my relationship with God without going to church on a regular basis and I'm doing well. I have my bible I read and many Christian self-help books. Though they are Christian based, it does not mean that I agree wholeheartedly with what they say.

I have my own mind, and as I said, I prefer to love and not judge.

Yes, it's a bit cultish and even a bit of brainwashing. No disrespect to anyone. Religions want people to follow blindly and call it faith, they disapprove of questions. That's cultish to me.
The major religions of the world are accepted so they don't consider themselves 'cults'.

This is the definition of cult from dictionary.com:
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.

I think all religions fit the bill to a degree, some more, some less. When we think of the word 'cult' we usually think of definition number 6, being false or extreme, people living in a separatist society like Jim Jones' cult or even Charlie Manson's group.
t as we can see, the word cult has other meanings.

i have to agree with you on this. i think there is a fine line that makes a difference between a religion and a cult. the only thing that i can think of is they its two different levels of belief. when you really think about them both you find things in common with each other.

whats stopping someone from turning a religion into a cult and vise versus. both believe in a higher power or something along those lines. but there are some religions that i don't think would come close to being cults. anything that worships one higher being for every thing is one that i would consider more being like a cult. I'm more likely to believe a religion that has more then one good for different things like the Egyptians.

i know that there are most likely people who are going to find what i said offensive, but I'm not try to offend anyone I'm just sharing my view and there's no crime in that. I'm not here try to tell people what to believe and not to believe. i apologize in advance to those who are offend by this.

Cults are a subverted form of religion with one person trying to sway people according to his dictates. Often the cust head is a maveric and is later exposed. We have abundance of such people in the world who can sway you by their knowledge or their gift of the gab. It is up to you if yo get swayed by them or jsut listen to them and use your own brain.

The difference between a religious church and a religious cult is the degree of obsession and rigidness. A cult is more obsessed and rigid.

There's a little amount of truth in the statement, however, I don't think it's quite right.

One main difference is money. Religious organizations tend to ask for a small amount of money that members willingly give, if they refuse they are still members of the religion. Cults tend to demand the coin, you either pay or you're out.

Scientology is a good example of such cults, even though they are considered a religion in several countries. Good lawyers that's all.

Another difference is being law abiding. Groups considered a "religion" usually follow the law as well, cults on the other hand are usually associated to illegal activities and the like, pedophilia, animal (sometimes human) sacrifices, slavery and so on.

This doesn't mean cults are entirely bad, Christianity started as a cult for instance. The thing is, and here comes the kicker, religion should be about bringing people together; even if the people are members of different ones.
You say you see your family acting like robots, and that's the issue I have with religious people these days:

They are missing the message and acting cult like: "if you're not one of us, you're not accepted"

Rich

All religions are cults. All of them. Every single last one of them. I don't care if your religion is Christianity, Buddhism, Muslim, or Pagan in origins. All are cults.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that they are bad things either. We tend to associate the term 'cult' with negative influences from the past. One cult brings negativity into the open, and so all cults must be bad. then people feel the need to differentiate the difference in cult and religion. They quantify their beliefs with things like "oh, this isn't a cult, that's my church gathering for worship services. It's a religion!" "He's not a cult leader, he is our pastor! The tithe we give is to support the church!" "It is God's will of what happens next. Only He has the power to heal and to love. God is good, therfore, this is a religion and not a cult."

In the end, every person needs to believe in something. Even nothing is a belief system. It is our belief in the something that gives us hope when all is lost, that gives us comfort when loved ones pass away, that give us a reason to dream! However, it is still a cult if there is more than one follower.

Sports teams? Cults. Organized yes, an all with a common goal. Still a cult. I'm betting most people don't tend to think in those terms though. Just because all religion is a cult practice, it does not mean that all cult practices are negative.

I tend to think of a cult as being a religion that focuses on a person, usually a charismatic leader of some sort.

so certainly, in the early days, Christianity would definitely have been what I consider to be a cult.


which I find quite funny, as a lot of Christians like to call my path a cult, and my religion has never had anything much in the way of a leader type person. it very rarely has a priesthood even. just each person with their own right and ability to reach out to the divine.

Well according to Dictionary.com a cult is "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."

And a religion is "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs."

So according to these definitions I would say that some religions could be defined as a cult but there would be obvious differences that would set them appart.

There are many other definitions for each term but I can't paste into this box because my rating isn't above 500 yet and I can't type that much right now. But these two were the closest for this topic.

So the answer to your question: No the bumper sticker is not totally true.


Now regarding the "brainwashed robots". What I've observed in my life so far is that many people who just go through the ceremony of the religion don't really have a very clear understanding of what they're there for. If you take a look around a little more you will see some people that show a more passionate and connected way about themselves. Next time you encounter someone like that you might want to ask them why.

Be well.

It depends on the persons point of view. some are using religion just to have power and commanding presence of others, literally brainwashing. but i agree even though i am a Roman Catholic. for past centuries some priest have done nothing but that just to deceive. but there are some who are good.well, anyway, you just have to believe regardless of what the preacher tells yah. in my case, i need to have faith even though it's shaky now, i cannot with out it. il go crazy if i live with out the living the presence of God.