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Drifting wrote:I asked Ray on another thread:

What attributes do cults have that the Church doesn't have?


Anyone?

RayAgostini wrote:

Drifting wrote:I asked Ray on another thread:

What attributes do cults have that the Church doesn't have?


Anyone?

I did see your question earlier, Drifting, and planned to answer it later. To facilitate the discussion, can you post a list of points that determine what is a cult? There are many on the Internet, but I'd like you to select and post one. Along with that, a bullet-list doesn't say much, so "scholarly discussion" of what a cult is will have to follow.

RayAgostini wrote:

Drifting wrote:I asked Ray on another thread:

What attributes do cults have that the Church doesn't have?


Anyone?

I did see your question earlier, Drifting, and planned to answer it later. To facilitate the discussion, can you post a list of points that determine what is a cult? There are many on the Internet, but I'd like you to select and post one. Along with that, a bullet-list doesn't say much, so "scholarly discussion" of what a cult is will have to follow.

Drifting wrote:As for a list - I don't have one. I have no preconceived idea about wether The Church is a cult or not. I was just interested in hearing what attributes are associated with cults but which aren't associated with the Church, if any.

Rufus wrote:
And this would be beneficial for anyone, because.....??? To subject oneself to research and the listing of their findings won't change your keyhole perspective one bit. What a waste of time.

RayAgostini wrote:

Drifting wrote:As for a list - I don't have one. I have no preconceived idea about wether The Church is a cult or not. I was just interested in hearing what attributes are associated with cults but which aren't associated with the Church, if any.

I've read quite a bit into this subject (hardcopy and the Internet), and I'll list and link some of them later. But for now:

What are the Characteristics of a Religious Cult?.

Hard copy: Combatting Cult Mind Control: The #1 Best-selling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults. (I read this, and other books by Hassan, and he said next to nothing about Mormonism, if my memory serves me correctly. It simply doesn't come into the "equation" along with bodies like Scientology, but more later.)

The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment.

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

The group is preoccupied with making money.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

DarkHelmet wrote:It's been a while since I looked at those cult websites. Most of them are run by christian groups and they are intended to scare people away from new religious groups like Mormonism, JW, and Scientology in favor of mainstream christianity. A quick glance at the list on Ray's link. The top 4 seem to be targeted directly at Mormonism.

The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment.

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

The group is preoccupied with making money.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

As for the things I believe cults do that Mormonism doesn't, here are a few off the top of my head:

Mormons don't live in communes (except the FLDS and early church).
Mormons don't isolate their members from the outside word (although they do teach their members the outside world is evil).
Mormons don't wear uniforms (although there is a strict dress standard).
Mormons haven't set a specific doomsday (although they believe Jesus is coming "soon").
Mormon leaders do not have sex with their female followers (except in the FLDS and in the early church).
Mormons are not stockpiling weapons and supplies for an eventful war against the government. (although Mormons do keep food storage to be self sufficient).