What is a cult? (Mormon, America, prophets, LDS)

[imbobbbb]

Originally Posted by Peggy Anne

Cult Information Centre - Common Questions About the Cults

This will save my typing fingers.

I think your link sums it up really well!

[Boompa]

Does the C Street "Family" qualify?

[MontanaGuy]

noland123 wrote:

Just look at what Jim Jones did and how charismatic he was and how his followers were brainwashed to giving up everything they had to go to a foreign land called Guayana.People of cults look at the leader as their god instead of the one true God.

That's one of the best examples of a cult that I can think of. I completely disagree with Salt & Light who suggests that the Mormons are a cult. Cults try to get an individual who is vulnerable to break ties with friends and family members who might influence them to get away from whatever group it might be. Mormons as well as Christians try to promote a strong family unit whether you agree with their teachings or not. I often feel that people will refer to a particular religion as a cult just because it sounds insulting when in fact that's not a really accurate description. This topic has come up a few times and I've voiced the same opinion that I'm doing today. Cults by there very nature are centered around an individual who is usually very charismatic and has a strong personality. Unfortunately there are many people who want to be told what to do and are unable to think for themselves who are vulnerable to the psychological pressures applied by a Jim Jones or a David Koresh.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

noland123 wrote:

That's one of the best examples of a cult that I can think of. I completely disagree with Salt & Light who suggests that the Mormons are a cult. Cults try to get an individual who is vulnerable to break ties with friends and family members who might influence them to get away from whatever group it might be. Mormons as well as Christians try to promote a strong family unit whether you agree with their teachings or not. I often feel that people will refer to a particular religion as a cult just because it sounds insulting when in fact that's not a really accurate description. This topic has come up a few times and I've voiced the same opinion that I'm doing today. Cults by there very nature are centered around an individual who is usually very charismatic and has a strong personality. Unfortunately there are many people who want to be told what to do and are unable to think for themselves who are vulnerable to the psychological pressures applied by a Jim Jones or a David Koresh.

Mormonism is not a cult. It is the "true" version of Christianity. Everybody else is a cult.

[imbobbbb]

Originally Posted by Salt & Light

Thaere are several cults of Christianity and Mormonism is one of them.

What is a cult of Christianity? Alan w Gomes defines it in his book titled “Unmasking the Cults”



In addition to the above, Mormonism also matches the following cult identifirers.
- They reject the Triunity/Trinity of the Godhead
- They do not believe in the finished work of Christ
- They have extra-biblical revelation
- They believe that they alone are saved or will be saved
- They believe that their founder is the messenger of God

It sounds to me like the author is twisting the definition of a 'cult' in order to demonize groups whose theology he disagrees with.You seem to have further added to the twisting by adding cult identifiers regarding the mormons which are either debatable,a distortion of their beliefs,or outright untrue.
-Mormons believe in the father,son,and holy ghost,same Godhead-but do believe they are seperate personages united in purpose.pretty much a distinction without a difference imho,yours apparently differs.
-Mormon view of the work of christ is no different in my experiance than the baptist,methodist,or lutheran view
-Yes mormons do believe in extra-biblical revelation,so what?The bible wasnt even compiled as a single book until long after the death of Jesus and each newer book in what became the bible added to the books that preceeded
it-Your assertion that mormons believe they alone will be saved is flat out untrue,actually mormons believe that even those who have died can be saved and almost no one will be cast into eternal darkness with satan.Only the universalists have a broader view of salvation-
-While mormons do believe that joseph smith was a messenger of God,every christian group believes that noah,moses,elijah,daniel,peter,james,john,paul,etc were 'messengers of God' so what is your point?

[Boxcar Overkill]

The word "cult" is a loaded term, used to describe unpopular minority religions.

When an organization is described as a "cult" as opposed to a religion, it says more about the speaker than it does about the organization.

[justamere10]

The 13,500,000 member worldwide Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of course is not a cult anymore than is any other Christian denomination. But it seems fashionable among anti-Mormons (even on this board) to hurl the word at us as if that might help their cause somehow. So I thought it might be of interest to others for me to post a comment in this thread.

Orson Scott Card, author of "Enders Game" and dozens of other best-selling books, writes an interesting and entertaining commentary on cults versus legitimate churches:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/49/story_4906_1.html


Jeff Lindsay writes a lengthy article on the subject. Here are a couple of extracts:

"But recently, contrary to its original generic meaning, the word "cult" in popular use carries frightening overtones. It evokes images of suicidal, comet-chasing groups, physically abusive regimens, corrupt tyrants and Satanic rituals. Clearly there are some odd beliefs and groups in the world - but every religion can seem odd or even extreme to those who do not understand it.

The problem is that any general definition of "cult" in the negative, frightening sense is likely to include many presumably "decent" religions, including early Christianity, which was also denounced as a "sect" and a "cult" by its critics. In my opinion, the "Mormon Cult" is much like the "Christian Cult" from 2000 years ago. Misunderstood, controversial, but nothing to fear."

You can read the entire article at:

http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQ_cult.shtml

[justamere10]

Originally Posted by Salt & Light

Thaere are several cults of Christianity and Mormonism is one of them.

I thought members of this board were above this kind of ignorant bashing of the members of other denominations, but I guess a few aren't...

Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, worship Jesus Christ and do their best to follow his teachings, all of them.

There's nothing more "cultish" about that than there is cultish about Baptists, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, etc.

It's true though that different Christian denominations prefer to worship the Lord in their own way.

[achickenchaser]

You'll likely to get a variety of answers depending on who you're asking. Some people of one specific religion will consider anything other than their own beliefs a cult. Others who don't belong to any religious groups will consider all of them to be cults.

I find it interesting that some think numbers are a strong indicator of what is or isn't a cult. So if Southern Baptist only had around 10,000 members, they'd be a cult? If worshipers of Mithras or Gnostic Christians all of a sudden saw a huge jump in number of members, they wouldn't be a cult anymore? This makes no sense.

I guess anything that isolates people from the rest of the world is cult like to me. That and something were the leader has a scary amount of control over others, usually due to brainwashing from a very early age.

[geofra]

Any worship done outside of your parish is a cult.