Re: WC 150K Post Challenge - You Ready?!
You misunderstood me. Here's what I believe a cult is, and what I've been taught on my Sociology classes.
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-religion-and-a-cult
I'm having a hard time not laughing at that link... sigh... being an atheist brings about all sorts of humour that others sometimes don't see.
So to start, yes I agree with the 'list' as it is. I understood you well and I do know what our current view on cults are. If you can find a way to watch Leah Remini: Scientology, you'll see all the traits of a cult as we know them. It's a very good series, highly recommend it.
The point that person made about 'legitimate religion' made me laugh though. His cute dig at atheists was typical as well. Apparently we 'just don't understand the differences'...
My point was historical perspective. I can't say that 'every' religion was a cult as such, though it's probably very likely as religion tended to be inclusive in the past. Most people had religion 'forced' on them as other religions gained power.
Christianity basically started as a cult. As it grew it targeted women and children to join while the men were away working. They tried to convince the women to join then get them to get their men to join. The men typically chased the Christians away if they found out. Sounds very much like a cult, no?
I don't know enough about Islam or the Jewish religion but what little I do know they seem to come about in similar fashions. (on a side note could you imagine being the first person to be circumcised? Talk about cult practices...) Then once these religions gain power, they typically enforce their beliefs. I doubt any cult would act differently.
It's very easy to differentiate religion and cult these days because we see them in a modern day context. From a historical context they are very similar. Why did Christian, Islam and Jewish religions thrive and others got left behind? We need to understand there has always been competing ideologies at the same time. Was it simply because they became political? That's my guess but I don't know for certain. I won't go with the concept of which one is 'true'.
That's all my point was. I know some humanities subjects like to tread lightly with subjects like religion, some however are taking a bit more scientific stance these days and I can see it start to trickle into those other humanities over time. In my view religion should be treated like any other subject and all that goes with it.
However, religions really don't like that, but science, which is what research is, shouldn't care.
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