LDS is cult?

[Indy Coug]

In a nutshell, the popular usage of the term "cult" has two main connotations

1. It renders a belief set as an illegitimate religion.
2. It involves a fair amount of coercion and brainwashing.

So when people call the LDS church a cult, they are saying they don't feel it is a religion because the beliefs have no legitimacy and the only way that anyone could actually believe that way is due to coercion and/or brainwashing.

I realize that if you look at the textbook definition of "cult" you can come away with a much less pejorative definition, but in practice that simply isn't the case.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

In a nutshell, the popular usage of the term "cult" has two main connotations

1. It renders a belief set as an illegitimate religion.
2. It involves a fair amount of coercion and brainwashing.

So when people call the LDS church a cult, they are saying they don't feel it is a religion because the beliefs have no legitimacy and the only way that anyone could actually believe that way is due to coercion and/or brainwashing.

I realize that if you look at the textbook definition of "cult" you can come away with a much less pejorative definition, but in practice that simply isn't the case.

I think this is right. And it seems to be the marketing strategy of choice for any religion that is picking on any other religion with fewer numbers.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

In a nutshell, the popular usage of the term "cult" has two main connotations

1. It renders a belief set as an illegitimate religion.
2. It involves a fair amount of coercion and brainwashing.

But do you not think that's primarily a matter of being on the outside looking in? That it would be easy to say the same of any of the religions to which one does not adhere?

Logically, if one chooses a religion, all the others are illegitimate.
And is there any belief system that does NOT involve indoctrination of some kind?

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

But do you not think that's primarily a matter of being on the outside looking in? That it would be easy to say the same of any of the religions to which one does not adhere?

Logically, if one chooses a religion, all the others are illegitimate.
And is there any belief system that does NOT involve indoctrination of some kind?

I can respect all sorts of other Christian and non-Christian faiths without resorting to calling them cults.

Just because I may disagree with their beliefs doesn't mean I have to conclude that their faith is a complete farce that preys upon people who, if they were in their right minds, would never be part of these faiths to begin with.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

But do you not think that's primarily a matter of being on the outside looking in? That it would be easy to say the same of any of the religions to which one does not adhere?

Logically, if one chooses a religion, all the others are illegitimate.
And is there any belief system that does NOT involve indoctrination of some kind?

I don't think evangelicals look at Mormons the same way they look at, say, Catholics or Jews or other Christians that are not as fundamentalist. Mormons are a special category of cultishness for them, and they use that term to make us appear strange or illegitimate. At least that is my impression. Also, many evangelicals I've known personally have reworked their definition or impression of mormonism to something less negative after they actually got to know one.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

I can respect all sorts of other Christian and non-Christian faiths without resorting to calling them cults.

Just because I may disagree with their beliefs doesn't mean I have to conclude that their faith is a complete farce that preys upon people who, if they were in their right minds, would never be part of these faiths to begin with.

To make claims like that about other beliefs is easy when your exposure to adherents of that belief has been very minimal. That's a big part of the problem and some just blindly take their preacher's word for it when it comes to Mormons.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

I can respect all sorts of other Christian and non-Christian faiths without resorting to calling them cults.

Just because I may disagree with their beliefs doesn't mean I have to conclude that their faith is a complete farce that preys upon people who, if they were in their right minds, would never be part of these faiths to begin with.

hmm. I must not be expressing myself well.

Here's my take.

All religions are cults. Period. If you don't like cults you'd be wise to exit the religion realm.

I'm not sure where the term farce came from, but I think that you are correct in that the word cult is clearly used pejoratively to illegitimize other belief systems. I don't personally use the term on a regular (or any) basis, but I also feel the term could be accurately employed to describe my or any other religious system, by those on the outside.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

All religions are cults. Period. If you don't like cults you'd be wise to exit the religion realm.

My point is simply that your definition above versus how it is more commonly used are very different and have very different connotations.

[Sleeping in EQ]

The framework I posted the other day is trying to assess "dangerous" cults (and is thinking of "dangerous" in a particular way). You could easily apply its criteria to political cults (like to Italy's Red Brigades or to some of the Anarchist Green Groups).

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

My point is simply that your definition above versus how it is more commonly used are very different and have very different connotations.

But I was using your definition. illegitimacy + indoctrination

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

The framework I posted the other day is trying to assess "dangerous" cults (and is thinking of "dangerous" in a particular way). You could easily apply its criteria to political cults (like to Italy's Red Brigades or to some of the Anarchist Green Groups).

could you link me the thread. I'd like to see it.