skeptical wrote:Quote:Skeptical, don't throw the baby out with the bath water...
Websters does not define the word "cult" so aptly.
A cult is a group of people that believe something that the majority of the rest of the world do not believe or understand. This does not mean that this minority of people are wrong but it does mean that there is a disagreement in the idea of what the "truth" is...
Quite often there is truth in nearly everything but only half truth. In order to travel from one place to another successfully one must know the set of directions correctly. If one part of the directions are faulty then it will mislead and one will arrive at their destination in the wrong place.
Jesus Christ was a cult leader because the world crucified him because he did not fit their idea at the time of a messiah.
But was Jesus wrong or was the world wrong for killing an innocent man?
Jesus symbolizes that freedom of thought should be a human right no matter what traditional customs and beliefs prevail.
The "moral majority" uses the word cult to ostracize anything that disagrees with it's canonized traditions that they espouse. So the moral majority can become an antagonist against diversity and change. It does by it's own tradition obscure the truth.
Matthew 15:3
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
First of all, RexRed, I own a Websters dictionary, which I consulted for the defintion, the definition I have given is ONE of the definitions, but a correct definition I assure you.
Now, what you need to understand, is that I am addressing the word from this simple definition first. You have gone straight to defending your beliefs, which are not being attacked. My point however, has been clearly made by what you have said. The word does indeed have different meanings, and most associate the word with the more in-depth definition, the one I believe you are getting at.
Alright, this discussion so far, isn't getting anywhere. So, I have this to think about. Concidering the definition of the word so many of you are eager to talk about, which has been given by others in the post, how is it that religions generally speaking are similar to a cult? If you don't think there are similarities, explain why.
Religion because it's common belief is so widespread to differ with it is to be considered a cult. So I would be considered myself in a cult because my brand of Christianity differs so much from the accepted Christian faith collectively. If Christianity suddenly became so unpopular that few actually believed in it then it too would fall under the definition of a cult.
Websters is wrong on so many words it is pitiful.
For instance wikipedia defines carpe diem as "seize the day" but on simple observation one can realize carpe should be translated "capture" or capture the day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpe_diem
Nowhere on the wikipedia page will you see the word capture. Neither will you on dictionary.com (which is Webster's) which also references several dictionaries at once.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carpe%20diem
If you want to trust Websters to define every word then there would be no need for specialized text books. Science terms that differ from discipline to discipline and all would be contained therein but the dictionary is sorely lacking when it comes to specialized words and words deeply associated with disciplines in themselves. Specialists can define words of their own disciplines usually much more accurately than the limited staff at Websters.
Christianity is only a cult when it falls out of the mainstream of ideas and practices of the majority of the populace. Maybe you are anxious for that to happen but I will venture to say you may have a long wait.
Here is another example, the name Hermes means "son of (or the branch of) Ham... Find that definition anywhere in the encyclopedias or dictionaries of the world.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Hermes
Webster's meaning 6 of the word cult.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living
outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
Comment:
Christians in America are the "conventional society" considering less than 10% of Americans do not believe in God. A religious institution branded as an actual cult with the actual truth is still a cult simply because it is unpopular and the minority.
Considering there are so few atheists and agnostics in America, they are actually the cults in our day and time. They follow their God hating leaders unquestionably.
