Quote:
Originally Posted by sofiaofhouston
There are difference with Religions and Cults......THAT is my point.
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I think the differences are a matter of degree.
Religions usually claim legitimacy due to longevity - they've been convincing folks to accept their mythology for centuries. That makes the teachings no more valid - whenever "faith" is a central tenet of a religion, that's code for "we're manipulating you with stuff that isn't real."
Religions are also usually less direct in their extraction of money from the faithful. You may be allowed to stick around even if you don't pony up.
To me, telltale signs of a cult are the desire to remove a believer from his environment, to take a significant portion of his income, and the fact that the leader(s) of the organization have become wealthy. Also, the leader is typically revered with almost godlike qualities.
Not all cults exhibit all these characteristics. But if you see any of them in your "religion", you should probably realize that the purpose of the group is not to help with your spiritual enlightenment, but rather to use you for their benefit.