The Cult of Christianity
9 December 2005An accusation that pops up every so often in conversations with atheists is that Christianity is a “cult”. This is not really an “argument” per say, it is really just an emotional assertion. As we shall see, however, the claim that Christianity is a cult is entirely dubious.
Now, a cult is commonly considered to be a “bizarre” and small religious following full of strange and oftentimes dangerous rituals. However, some people claim that it is unfair to define a cult as a “non-traditional” belief or as a “heretical” group. They point out that such a definition is unfair to those that profess such beliefs, and that to them it is the other view (i.e., Christianity) that is actually “heretical” or “non-traditional”. Therefore, a cult should really be defined as any religious belief whatsoever. Thus, under this rubric, Christianity is indeed a cult.
Essentially, I agree with much of this. It seems a bit subjective to label certain groups as “cultic” because it begs the question as to whether or not their belief or ritual is actually odd or in any way contrary to truth. However, the real problem with the person who claims that Christianity is a “cult” is that they are trying to sneak in the negative connotation of the word “cult” in order to stir the emotions.
After all, if a cult is merely synonymous with “religion”, then there is nothing inherently wrong with being in a cult. In fact, the word “cult” becomes superfluous. However, non-Christians know that the word “cult” carries with it much emotional force. Things like bloody mutilation and unhealthy obsession with rituals and beliefs come to mind at the mentioning of the word. The nonbeliever is merely trying to shove emotional baggage of such activities on the shoulders of the Christian faith. Such an approach is clearly deceptive.
So, the claim that Christianity is a “cult” is really just an emotional non-argument. The word “cult” should either be discarded or given a more specific (and perhaps subjective) meaning than general religious belief.
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Why are all Christians condescending ass holes? In my humble athiest opininion christians are given the steriotype of being a cult, not as a dictionary refrence to “anything religious”, but in order to convey the idea that christianity is set up in a way to operantly condition individuals into their belief systems. Christianity has been used for centuries by monarchs to controll the mindset of the lower class. I believe in the ideaology of christianity, and in God. However, why should individuals have to conform to a universal belief system. Why are Budists unquestionably going to hell? The condescending demeanor christions display to the outside world is slowly encroached into the mindset of individuals seeking meaning and guidance. That is why Christianity is a cult.
— Kreg Ross May 24, 05:49 PM #
Why are all Christians condescending ass holes? In my humble athiest opininion christians are given the steriotype of being a cult, not as a dictionary refrence to “anything religious”, but in order to convey the idea that christianity is set up in a way to operantly condition individuals into their belief systems. Christianity has been used for centuries by monarchs to controll the mindset of the lower class. I believe in the ideaology of christianity, and in God. However, why should individuals have to conform to a universal belief system. Why are Budists unquestionably going to hell? The condescending demeanor christions display to the outside world is slowly encroached into the mindset of individuals seeking meaning and guidance. That is why Christianity is a cult.
— Joe May 24, 05:53 PM #
All religions can be made a cult. Even as most main Christians see what makes a cult, they, themselves, are subject to the meaning of what a cult is. Following a man, religion before family, sacrifice of ones person or material possesions, and not questioning leaders. I know some Christians will say it is to an extreme that makes it a cult, but this isn’t true. Just a faithful cult response.
— David Dec 20, 05:14 PM #
By that definition, atheism is also a cult. Defining things so liberally that anything will fit is a stupid way to argue – and a good indication of someone not really having an argument.
The two guys spamming the same exact comment above are a good example of same.
— PL Aug 16, 12:20 PM #
Cult (noun)-Any religion which regards it’s founder/leader as divine.
Every Christian I know uniformly believes Jesus Christ Josephson to be not only the son of their God, YHWH, but to be the avatar of him/it. In fact, not only do they all believe this, but the belief is in their sacred scripture(s). Therefore, they more or less admit that their faith is a cult.
Note, a “cult” is not always some bizarre new religion started by an egomaniac Hell (or Gehenna or whatever) bent on shattering the minds of innocent seekers of truth, but this is usually the case.
— Adrian the Possibly Agnostic Oct 11, 02:34 PM #
Kreg Ross (and, presumably, Joe),
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
That is why “individuals have to conform to a universal belief system.” You wish to demand that God “allow” other religions into His Heaven? Good luck, but I believe such an act will be much more difficult to pull off than marching into a restaurant and demanding to see the manager. You said yourself that you believe in God and in the Christian ideology, and that’s well and good, I welcome you as a brother, but it’s not up to me or you or any man other than Jesus Christ, son of God, to say who gets in and who doesn’t.
— pilotmitchw Oct 21, 09:33 PM #
This day and age the word cult has such a bad rap. It actually means a group with similar beliefs. So, Republicans are a cult as well as Democrats. Peta: Cultic, every religion on the face of the Earth: cultic. I am a Chritian, and to me Christianity is not a cult, it is the truth. I also believe that everyone deserves to have thier own beliefs. If you want to call a piece of peach pie (or whatever flavor you prefer) a God, thats cool, do it. Can you spread your beliefs? sure! But please, don’t call me condesending just because I feel called to spread my beliefs too.
Just live and be content.
— Karl Dec 19, 09:05 PM #
In order to answer this question, we must first understand what we mean by the word “cult.” When people say that a religious group is a cult, they typically mean that it has one or more of the following characteristics:
Overly aggressive recruitment/evangelization
False/deceptive teaching, including hyperexclusivism:
Prior to the beginning of the group, everyone was lost/condemned/without any true knowledge
Only a very small, exclusive set of people (i.e. the group members) will be saved/enter heaven
Use of brainwashing techniques, including:
Questioning of the group’s teaching/leadership forbidden
Isolation (physical or forced isolation, or encouragement to break contact with family and friends)
Sleep deprivation and other abusive practices
Financial exploitation of members (ultimately profiting the leaders)
Emotional explotation of young adults, the elderly, etc.
— agnostic Jan 18, 10:45 AM #
this is ridiculous the government is afraid of new religion but if you think “jesus” or “god” did the same thing a long ass time ago
— crash May 14, 10:49 AM #
what happend to freedom of religon
— crash May 14, 10:52 AM #
I was at a youth group a week or so ago. The pastor was trying to say that Jesus was completely without sin and that, even a newborn baby who has been in the world even for a nanosecond, or being in its mothers womb has sinned. He would not explain any further as to what he meant by this. My question: if a newborn baby who hasn’t done anything in the world yet, other than perhaps cry, has sinned, how can Jesus not have sinned, when he was brought into this world in exactly the same way? What makes him different, special? Why has he not sinned? In my humble atheist oppinion which seems to matter so little to you christians, why on Earth should anybody strive to not sin when a newborn baby (God knows why) has sinned for an inexplicable reason that nobody cares to tell me? I am genuinely curious. Somehow, to me, christianity just doesn’t add up. And to anyone who says that christianity is not a serious cult, of the kind that makes bloody sacrifices and does dodgy things, can I just remind everybody of the inquisition, when christians went rounding up those who dared stand against them, those who dared to be different and believe something other than what they were told? Does that not sound like a barbaric cult? To anyone? And Jesus was sacrificed on the cross for those in his religion. Apparently cults have these random ritualistic sacrifices too. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that seem a bit suss? That christians who, as I have just proved, do exactly the same as some of the major, scary, and fanatically dangerous cults out there? Those cults that give the word ‘cult’ its bad name? No, but of course I must be wrong. After all, if i don’t say I’m wrong, I’ll be hunted down and killed, won’t I? Just like that speaker from South America, who was suspiciously murdered after preaching against psycho christians? CULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULTCULT
— YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY May 20, 06:18 AM #
The Christian religion can be more precisely called a sect, which diverged from the main religious doctrine some 2000 years ago.
— Rob Jul 24, 10:29 AM #