The distinction between cult and religion lies squarely in how those leaving or those wanting to leave are treated
Diane Benscoter tells her harrowing story of leaving the "Moonie" cult. In highlighting the dangers of cults, Benscoter uses clear examples like David Koresh, Jonestown, suicide bombers, the Westboro Baptist Church, but often the line between conventional religion and cult is not so clearly defined.
Cults claim exclusivity, are highly secretive, and authoritarian. To many of my atheist friends, religion fits the bill. What distinguishes religion from cults is the ability to question without being shunned and ability to reject dogmatic tenets without being shunned.
Many religions make exclusive claims to truth. There is nothing wrong with that. Many systems of philosophy do the same. Kantianism's categorical truths are, for example, incompatible with utilitarianisms balancing of harm and good.
The harm stems from a system that shuns and ostracizes adherents that don't accept their exclusive claims to truth. That is where conventional religion becomes a potentially harmful cult. Forcing people to conform by using the subtle threat of social alienation is a form of coercion.
People leave religion because of the seemingly restrictive lifestyle, conflicts between science and literal biblical interpretation, ethnocentrism, sexism, dogma, intolerance or boredom. Those may all be legitimate reasons or just misapplication of religious principles but the bottom line is those are personal choices people make about whether to follow a particular religion.
Continued
Diane Benscoter tells her harrowing story of leaving the "Moonie" cult. In highlighting the dangers of cults, Benscoter uses clear examples like David Koresh, Jonestown, suicide bombers, the Westboro Baptist Church, but often the line between conventional religion and cult is not so clearly defined.
Cults claim exclusivity, are highly secretive, and authoritarian. To many of my atheist friends, religion fits the bill. What distinguishes religion from cults is the ability to question without being shunned and ability to reject dogmatic tenets without being shunned.
Many religions make exclusive claims to truth. There is nothing wrong with that. Many systems of philosophy do the same. Kantianism's categorical truths are, for example, incompatible with utilitarianisms balancing of harm and good.
The harm stems from a system that shuns and ostracizes adherents that don't accept their exclusive claims to truth. That is where conventional religion becomes a potentially harmful cult. Forcing people to conform by using the subtle threat of social alienation is a form of coercion.
People leave religion because of the seemingly restrictive lifestyle, conflicts between science and literal biblical interpretation, ethnocentrism, sexism, dogma, intolerance or boredom. Those may all be legitimate reasons or just misapplication of religious principles but the bottom line is those are personal choices people make about whether to follow a particular religion.
Continued
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