DiscussMormonism.com

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 12:41 pm**

A great article describing cults and religions is found here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24032149/

One reason for the seeming lifelong loyalty, Lalich suspects, is fear.

"A lot of these groups operate on fear. You're afraid of whatever punishment you might get from the group," Lalich said. "But more so, you're afraid that you're going to be missing out on that path to salvation, whatever that salvation might be."

Often, Barnshaw said, cult members are made to believe the outside world is evil. The leaders will set up a dynamic of "insider versus outsider," and "interworldly versus otherworldly." This internal world "is the path to righteousness, as opposed to the external world, which is wicked and harmful and detrimental to our society," Barnshaw said.

For the record, my definitions:

Cult: new religion
Religion: old cult

:-)

~dancer~

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 1:59 pm**

truth dancer wrote:For the record, my definitions:

Cult: new religion
Religion: old cult

:-)

~dancer~

That is a good definition. It is also probably a function of size.

To start a new religion that is successful, you are going to challenge the status quo power structure. It may be that the only way to survive is to rely on secretiveness, extreme devotion and situational morality that characterizes most cults.

I think the LDS Church is fascinating because it gives us a chance to view a religion after it has emerged from its early cult status but before it has become a major religion.

Posted: **Fri May 02, 2008 2:07 pm**

truth dancer wrote:A great article describing cults and religions is found here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24032149/

One reason for the seeming lifelong loyalty, Lalich suspects, is fear.

"A lot of these groups operate on fear. You're afraid of whatever punishment you might get from the group," Lalich said. "But more so, you're afraid that you're going to be missing out on that path to salvation, whatever that salvation might be."

Often, Barnshaw said, cult members are made to believe the outside world is evil. The leaders will set up a dynamic of "insider versus outsider," and "interworldly versus otherworldly." This internal world "is the path to righteousness, as opposed to the external world, which is wicked and harmful and detrimental to our society," Barnshaw said.

For the record, my definitions:

Cult: new religion
Religion: old cult

:-)

~dancer~

Here, I'll do it before someone else does. You're just as religious as the very people you criticize. There. Now that we have that out of the way.

"Be in the world, but not of the world." Hrm... I'll have to think about the other cultish couplets I was told during my stay in Mormon Inc..

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Cults, Religions, FLDS, LDS?

Cults, Religions, FLDS, LDS?

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