Do you get upset when a religion is called a cult?

Let's calm down and have your cup of your favorite drink. Taking anger will exacerbate the situation and will never end up with good resolution and no where, as well. This step that you should take if you're in deep religious person...remember KNOCK-OUT is not a FIASCO and will stay tune to the show to the end of the story. And get the points to voice out with your wisdom and counter back with very admirably in a very smart way. Let us go by definition;- CULT a system of religious devotion directed towards a particular figure or subject_a relatively small religious group regarded by others as strange or as imposing excessive control over members. At the eleventh word of your discussion, you mention "A PERSON", means it is only his personal opinion and he/she doesn't understand for the meaning of "CULT". That's all, that stupid person does not know the meaning of "CULT"...an easy facts to counter back that statements.

The word cult has a definition that is neither positive or negative. The definition of a cult is only this, a group of people who worship an object or charismatic leader. Since the Romans worshipped everything from idols to emperors to Gods of their chosing, they were by definition cults. The word does not necessarily have the connotation of an insult.

Well as several others pointed out if you go by the basic meaning of cult any religion is a cult. So no it doesn't bother me if someone says that to me because I do know that fact. Now many believe it to also be of negative connotation due to some factions. The term cult was labeled to them by the press and other media. That doesn't mean the press or other media are correct in that negative term for them but it's one that has gained acceptance. That if it's a negative type religion then it's a "cult". That would be the same as how many in the media have focused on the negative aspects of other religions. Doesn't make them true but society has a tendency to generalize and take the easiest way to term things they don't want to know more about. For example, Pagans are Satanist. So not true but getting people to accept the truth of the matter is easier said then done. Or that all Mormons are polygamists, again not true but many people believe it. It's easy to label and to judge. So many who do not know what a religion is about call it a "cult" to make it simple for themselves. Labeling in our society is very common even if often wrong. The only way we can hope to stop such behavior is ask questions, search things out and be willing to answer questions if people ask them.

*nods* I get really sick of that too. There are so many different definitions of the word "cult" that you could essentially use it for any religion, but it does have very negative connotations. And essentially people tend to use it for any religion they don't like these days. I can't tell you how many times I've been accused of being in a cult, which particularly amuses me because I tend to worship alone, which would definitely make it not fit those negative connotations of "cult". I agree with you that we should be respectful of everyone's choice of religion (or lack thereof). =)

the way I see it, a cult is usually centred more around one person than around deity. I suppose it could be said, in it's very earliest days, Christianity was a cult. it had one Charismatic leader, as many cults do. now it isn't a cult, as that central person is no longer running it. initially, in about the 50s, Wicca was a Cult. centred on Gerald Gardner. as more covens split off from his original one, it became a religion. a lot of cults can be seen as really quite harmful, and some, like those mentioned above in their early days, not harmful at all. to call a religion a cult when it simply does not match the description of a cult is just disrespectful and demeaning.

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