Why religions are just as dangerous as 'cults'

Why religions are just as dangerous as 'cults'

Many people believe that cults and mainstream religions are completely different things. This leads to a huge stigma against followers of cults, which is actually very damaging for them because it can push them further into the destructive cycle of spiritual entrapment.
It is important to understand that religions and ‘cults’ both manipulate the same emotions; the follower’s belief is almost always on a basis of social influence. Consider Christianity, it was until only a few generations ago forced on western society. Everybody was told to fear and believe in the god of the bible, if they didn’t they would become untrustworthy and in many cases social outcasts.
A few generations down the track, we pick our religious beliefs based on what our elders tell us. Many in western society have been told that the bible is real, yet the people who have convinced us of this were forced to believe that. This is in no way different to the way that ‘cults’ convince its followers.

Although cults are fundamentally no different to religions, there is a subconscious reason people separate them:
Direct and in-direct action.

For example: Christians tell people that they will go to hell and spend eternity in agonizing pain and be tortured constantly if they go against the word of the bible and church. Where as cults may use a direct method of blackmailing and threatening someone not to go against their word. Fundamentally both actions are just as damaging on the person involved and both have the same outcome; they keep the person scared of disobeying. To the person watching from the sidelines, it is easy to say that cults are evil for this; but if the result is the same why are religions not evil?

Why are they both just as dangerous?
Consider a dictatorship that uses direct methods of oppression on its people, something that is obviously wrong; this can be considered a cult.
On the other hand a western nation might use an indirect form of oppression that takes many generations of slight law changing, subtle brainwashing and slowly taking away people’s rights and conditioning them bit by bit to accept they are puppets; this is a religion.
When you look at how the notorious cults have worked, they get a group of followers and then eventually convince them to do something like mass suicide in what seems like for the leaders an effortless task.
Considering that religions have the same control over their members, the only difference is that they have not asked the members to do anything directly wrong yet. Imagine a scenario where the Vatican announces that Jesus has returned and on the TV you see a man in a white robe that performs some miracle that could logically be explained with special effects. If the Vatican is saying that this is the real Jesus, how many followers do you think would be willing to follow his every command?
That is why religions are just as dangerous as cults.
They have control of millions of people’s minds; they just have not used it for obviously bad purposes of yet. Given the history of the church and the contents of the bible, there are many agendas that they could convince their followers to part take in such as genocide, warfare, suicide etc..

I don’t think anyone could argue that people who follow mainstream religions are following what they believe for the same reasons that someone follows a cult. Many years of convincing people that the religion is normal make its followers extremely susceptible to anything they say. Generations of conditioning could engrave in the human mind that religions are correct, where as cults using direct methods push their agenda too quickly and therefore are not accepted by society.
There is a danger behind any religion, because people are intrusting their beliefs to a private group of people. I’m not saying that all followers of religions would be convinced to follow their leaders every word, but considering mainstream religions have hundreds of millions of followers its likely they could ‘summon’ an army of tens of millions of people.

Hahahaha what an oxymoron this is.

reply to post by chrismicha77


How?

Catholics are not only as dangerous as cult members, but Catholicism IS A CULT.

Originally posted by targeting
Catholics are not only as dangerous as cults. Catholicism IS A CULT.

This is why cult is in comers.

reply to post by WakeUpRiseUp


An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side.

To imply religion is a 'cult' is absurb. You have free will and can believe in me if you want. Because someone worships 'God' in any religion, isn't a cult sorry.

reply to post by chrismicha77

Hahahaha oh yes because by saying 'how' I was actually asking 'what', right? I know what an oxymoron is.

There is no difference between a religion and cult, I ask you to please prove me wrong. People in cults often believe in gods; even if they don’t its nothing less believable then any religion. All offer no evidence so they are all equally as possible.

By definition all religions are cults. However, not all cults are religions.

Originally posted by WakeUpRiseUp

Christians tell people that they will go to hell and spend eternity in agonizing pain and be tortured constantly if they go against the word of the bible and church.

...this is where your argument is fundamentally flawed.
Your assumptions about Christianity (in this case, the only religion you've actually made reference to) are incorrect. You assume that Christians teach that hell is a punishment for rejecting the Bible and the Church.
...that's not the case.

What Christians teach, what the Bible teaches, is that hell is the default destination of all who fail to meet God's standards... not because God is eager to send anyone to hell, but simply because God's justice does not outweigh nor outbalance His love. If God is perfect (which the Bible, and Christianity, contend that He is), then He must be perfect and balanced in all things... so righteous judgement doesn't come at the exclusion of love, nor vice versa.

So what you have is a scenario where all mankind, because of the choice we've made to go our own way and not God's, are by default headed toward hell; because God can't allow something impure in His presence. That would destroy us anyway purely by virtue of God's holiness ("no man can see God and live").

The amazing thing is that God didn't leave us in this state, and didn't leave us to sort the problem out for ourselves. We screwed up, we run our lives as we see fit, and... well, if the world around us today isn't evidence of how far that gets us, I don't know what is. But regardless of all of those things, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take God's judgement on sinful man, instead of us having to bear it ourselves.

So that's the crux there; God's judgement, and God's love, in perfect balance... that God satisfies His own requirement for judgement on sin, but out of love, takes that punishment upon Himself. That's amazing, no matter how you slice it.

...so what the Christian teaches (or should teach; I'm in no way claiming that the church is perfect and blameless - it certainly isn't, nor does it represent Christ or the Bible as it should), is that the problem of hell has been dealt with, once and for all, by God Himself.

So the choice is like this:

Before you are two paths. Path 1 leads to death and hell. Path 2 leads to heaven. Path 1 is easy, because you don't have to do anything to walk it. Just keep going. Path 2 is hard, because you have to actually admit that there's something wrong with the world, something wrong with you, that you can't control, and can't fix. Something that you need, something we all need, help with...

And to walk that path... you have to enter through a narrow gate. You can't bring your past with you down this path. It won't fit. You have to leave it all behind... and the path, too, is narrow. Much harder than the first path...

but it's worth it.

It's like Noah's ark... which is a picture of this same truth.

Noah spent 400 years building the ark. At any time... ANY TIME, any of the people that saw that ark could have sought refuge from the rain and asked to board with Noah. None did. When the rains came and flooded the whole earth, they died... purely and simply because they refused to accept the provision that God made to save them. And so, only 8 people out of an entire world survived.

So the question is this.
If you're drowning... and we're ALL drowning in this world, that's why we're here on ATS, let's be honest... do you take the lifeboat offered to you? Or do you say "nah, it's okay, I'm good on my own"? We all know where that leads.

I know this is a long post... and I know in a lot of senses it's "preachy".
...but if what you've written in your OP is an accurate description of what you believe the church teaches... then the church owes you an apology... because that's certainly not what Jesus taught.

Originally posted by Rhino5
By definition all religions are cults. However, not all cults are religions.

By definition?
Perhaps you need to buy a better dictionary.

World English Dictionary
cult (kʌlt)

— n
1. a specific system of religious worship, esp with reference to its rites and deity
2. a sect devoted to such a system
3. a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents

religion (rɪˈlɪdʒən)

— n
1. belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny
2. any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief: the Christian religion
3. the attitude and feeling of one who believes in a transcendent controlling power or powers



It's worth noting that the root of the word "cult" is the same root that we have in English for "CULTIVATE"... so what you're really looking at is the implicit (and explicit, really) manipulation of a group of followers in a cult, generally for the purpose of the glorification of a single figure placed at the top of that cult... something entirely man-made and often psychological in nature (as per the definition) rather than something necessarily involving a belief in the Divine.

reply to post by Awen24

...this is where your argument is fundamentally flawed.

No way does that flaw my entire argument. Im merley trying to point out that all religions have methods to control its believers. I'm sorry but if you dont see that christanity has oppresive methods you must be blind, the bible is rife with hatred, confusion and fear tactics.
All of what you have posted sounds no different to the teachings of a cult. I really dont know what your trying to prove by pushing the teachings of the bible? It really just shows that your not able to evalue the statement of the thread without being swayed by your emotion and preconcieved ideas.
Im sorry but there is simply no difference between cult and religion.

World English Dictionary
cult (kʌlt)

— n
1. a specific system of religious worship, esp with reference to its rites and deity
2. a sect devoted to such a system
3. a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents

religion (rɪˈlɪdʒən)

— n
1. belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny
2. any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief: the Christian religion
3. the attitude and feeling of one who believes in a transcendent controlling power or powers

Sounds exactly the same to me.

I have found any group that shares same thoughts - - - unites members in an energy hold.

In other words - - everything is energy - - thought is energy - - sharing same thought binds people together - - not only in same thought - - but same energy.

Therefore all and any group of same thought would act on a member like/as a cult.

Its more then just believing the same thing. IMO

reply to post by Annee

They only share the same thoughts because they are told those thoughts by that very group. You are very correct that everything is energy, specifically high speed vibration; this does show that fundamentally it’s all the same. Of course it is believing in something, but it’s that belief that organisations such as the church use to exploit people. Thanks for your input

Originally posted by WakeUpRiseUp
reply to post by Annee

 

They only share the same thoughts because they are told those thoughts by that very group. You are very correct that everything is energy, specifically high speed vibration; this does show that fundamentally it’s all the same. Of course it is believing in something, but it’s that belief that organisations such as the church use to exploit people. Thanks for your input

It doesn't matter what the thought/belief is. Some people seek out on their own for something to belong to/believe in.

It could be a book club or an amateur carpenters club. It does not need to be a religion.

The energy increases with the increase/intensity of the congregation (group). I think 4 people can have as much energy intensity as a larger group - - - depending on how devoted they are in thought.

Yes - absolutely I believe people unknowingly trapped in an "energy hold" can be exploited.

reply to post by WakeUpRiseUp


And these?

We worship at many alters in this world. Only one is the way, the truth and the life. Everything else will eventually leave you empty.

Originally posted by SuperiorEd
Only one is the way, the truth and the life. Everything else will eventually leave you empty.

Blah blah blah

You have made a choice to believe a certain way. You - of course - have every right to make that choice.

I have zero interest in your choice.

My life is not empty - - nor will my choices leave me empty - - as everything I do or think - - teaches me.

Originally posted by chrismicha77
reply to post by WakeUpRiseUp

 

An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side.

To imply religion is a 'cult' is absurb. You have free will and can believe in me if you want. Because someone worships 'God' in any religion, isn't a cult sorry.

Oh, I dunno, Christianity is quite like a cult. Let's look at the definition of the word, shall we?

Cult:
noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

(Christians do have a particular system of religious worship)

2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers.

(Jesus, the man, is much admired, and folks do have a great veneration for him)

3. the object of such devotion.

The man known as Jesus, God to all Christians)

4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

(Put your own denomination, or sect here)

See what I mean? Those definitions came from /7xeuonu

reply to post by autowrench


now lookup: Congregation

reply to post by SuperiorEd


Thanks for the good music. But there’s a difference between doing something that is real and worshiping something that isn’t.

Originally posted by WakeUpRiseUp
reply to post by SuperiorEd

 

Thanks for the good music. But there’s a difference between doing something that is real and worshiping something that isn’t.

The second video I listed was a video on computer addiction. You call this real, as in something you can touch and witness with your senses. The rock concert is the same to you. Music.

A computer is a created reality, made of time, space, matter and energy. It is a reality of images, representing the user behind the reality.

Genesis 1:1
In the Beginning (Time), God created the heavens (Space) and the earth (Matter). Let there be light (Energy).

1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Light is a duality of particle and wave. The Father is light. The Son is the Word from John 1. Word is LOGOS. As Word is a wave. The Holy Spirit is consciousness.

Recap: What you call fake is an image of light, energy, Space, Time and Matter with Consciousness. God is one, projecting Himself into our reality by light in an image, projected in three dimensions, but moving in the fourth dimension of time, space, matter and energy.

Hebrews 11

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

1 Colossians 1:
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

What was real again? You may need to rethink which is an image and which is the reality.