To understand the difference between a cult and a religion, one must first understand the connotation of both words.
If we use the first definition the word “cult” as found on dictionary.com, we find that “cult” and a “religion” are synonyms . Dictionary.com defines “cult” merely as “a particular system of religious worth, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.”
This would seem to fit every religion in existence.
The true difference between the words “cult” and “religion” is one of connotation. Whereas the word “religion” has a positive or at least neutral connotation, “cult” has a decidedly negative connotation. It’s not until the sixth definition of “cult” that we discover why: “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.”
This definition immediately conjures up images of Jim Jones style cults committing atrocities. Yet, even this definition isn’t necessarily meant to be negative. For example, Jesus was a charismatic leader that started a little group, later called “Christians,” that were considered by the Jewish orthodoxy they sprang from to be false, unorthodox, extremist, and with members living outside of conventional Jewish society. Thus technically all of Christianity is a “cult” from a Jewish point of view. Likewise, Islam and Judaism both have charismatic founders (Mohammed and Moses) and must have seemed unorthodox and extremist to non-believers. All religions started out as “cults” depending on your personal point of view.
So what does it mean when a religion calls another a cult? To use a modern example, when a modern Christian group calls a member of a Christian religious sect that they disagree with – such as Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses – a “cult” presumably they are using the term as a pejorative meant to say “we see that other religion as being a false, unorthodox, extremist version of Christianity.” This is undoubtedly a true statement and not necessarily offensive, in and of itself.
However, this begs the question: why bother with an ill-defined term like “cult” at all? Why not be more specific and just say “I disagree with your religion and belief something different”? Again, the answer lies in the connotation of “cult.” As has been pointed out, people generally associate “cult” with images of Jim Jones, mind control, brain washing, and other socially unacceptable behaviors. Because the word sounds so much like “occult” many people also associate the term with practicing black magic or satanic rituals. Thus the difference between a religion and a cult is one of connotation and point of view. A cult is a religion that one person wants others, rightly or wrongly, to fear.
This would seem to fit every religion in existence.
The true difference between the words “cult” and “religion” is one of connotation. Whereas the word “religion” has a positive or at least neutral connotation, “cult” has a decidedly negative connotation. It’s not until the sixth definition of “cult” that we discover why: “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.”
This definition immediately conjures up images of Jim Jones style cults committing atrocities. Yet, even this definition isn’t necessarily meant to be negative. For example, Jesus was a charismatic leader that started a little group, later called “Christians,” that were considered by the Jewish orthodoxy they sprang from to be false, unorthodox, extremist, and with members living outside of conventional Jewish society. Thus technically all of Christianity is a “cult” from a Jewish point of view. Likewise, Islam and Judaism both have charismatic founders (Mohammed and Moses) and must have seemed unorthodox and extremist to non-believers. All religions started out as “cults” depending on your personal point of view.
So what does it mean when a religion calls another a cult? To use a modern example, when a modern Christian group calls a member of a Christian religious sect that they disagree with – such as Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses – a “cult” presumably they are using the term as a pejorative meant to say “we see that other religion as being a false, unorthodox, extremist version of Christianity.” This is undoubtedly a true statement and not necessarily offensive, in and of itself.
However, this begs the question: why bother with an ill-defined term like “cult” at all? Why not be more specific and just say “I disagree with your religion and belief something different”? Again, the answer lies in the connotation of “cult.” As has been pointed out, people generally associate “cult” with images of Jim Jones, mind control, brain washing, and other socially unacceptable behaviors. Because the word sounds so much like “occult” many people also associate the term with practicing black magic or satanic rituals. Thus the difference between a religion and a cult is one of connotation and point of view. A cult is a religion that one person wants others, rightly or wrongly, to fear.
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WHERE AS ANOTHER WRITES:
The main difference is that a cult veers away from the main doctrine of its core religion whether Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. Any time a religion veers away from it’s basic fundamentals that are documented in it’s book, like the Bible or Qur’an and goes on its own, then it’s a cult.
Its original sense, refers to:
- Cult (religious practice), the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety
Cult may also refer to:
- Cult, a social group sometimes accused of mentally controlling its members.
- Destructive cult, a group which exploits and destroys its members or even non-members
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ANOTHER WRITES: ”A cult was a branch off a religion (fundamental belief in God) — a new order so to speak — but once a child, or second generation was born into it, it became a religion.
There are some things that most people believe to be a cult (as I) like the hale-bopp comet cult from several years ago.
What do you think (or know) to be the differences?”
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Christianity: 2.1 billion
Islam: 1.5 billion
Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
Hinduism: 900 million
Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
Buddhism: 376 million
Indigenous: 300 million
African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
Sikhism: 23 million
Juche: 19 million
Spiritism: 15 million
Judaism: 14 million
Baha’i: 7 million
Jainism: 4.2 million
Shinto: 4 million
Cao Dai: 4 million
Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
Tenrikyo: 2 million
Neo-Paganism: 1 million
Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
Scientology: 500 thousand
