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Every time I see an article about the Jehovah's Witnesses,
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or Scientologists, or any other relatively small but powerful religion,
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there are inevitably commenters who chime in and say,
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"It's a cult!"
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Which makes you wonder: How come those groups are cults, but
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the Catholic Church
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or the evangelical mega church next door to you are not?
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I mean, what's the difference between a religion and a cult?
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Is it brainwashing? Because
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I would argue that teaching kids evolution is a lie,
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or being gay is a choice, qualifies.
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Is it about abuse? Because
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we've seen abuse on Catholic Church.
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You know, there's a saying that religion is an old cult
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and a cult is a new religion.
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But that's not exactly accurate.
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So, really, what's the difference?
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Is it just about popularity?
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I mean, unpopular newer religions are cults?
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There's not necessarily a set difference,
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but here's what you should look out for:
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A cult doesn't let you leave.
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A good religion, if we can call it that, lets you come and go without a problem.
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Sure, they want you to stay, but they're not going to come after you if you stop believing.
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A cult only lets you associate with other cult members.
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Do you have friends who aren't atheists, or Christians, or whatever you are?
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Good!
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A cult doesn't let that happen!
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And if you leave the faith, they are done with you.
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A cult may require you to live with other cult members,
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like in a single home or a commune.
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I mean, with religions you live on your own, and you come together every so often to worship.
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Cults have singular leaders with all the power.
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I mean, he has special access to the truth and no one else does.
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That's different from mega church pastors, who might love the spotlight,
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but even they won't say the road to salvation goes through them.
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Cults don't let you disagree.
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If you challenge the teachings or disagree with the theology,
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you should be able to have a discussion and debate about it.
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Most churches are okay with that.
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I mean, there are Christian apologists who run around trying to defend the faith from its critics,
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which is good, because it means they're comfortable having that conversation.
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Questioning your beliefs is a good thing.
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I mean, if your religion can't handle your questions,
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then you should leave it.
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Cults are exclusive, even from within.
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I mean, you might be part of a cult,
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but that doesn't mean you're saved.
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You might have to be more dedicated,
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or give them more of your money.
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I mean, religions don't work that way.
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Accept the divinity of Jesus and you're golden.
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Follow the tenets of Islam and that's that.
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Cults are secretive.
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Only some people have access to all the cult's information:
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Their finances; their leadership hierarchy;
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their beliefs, in some cases.
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I mean, you have to pay money and level up
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to learn Scientology's biggest secrets.
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Most religions aren't like that.
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When it comes down to it, not all religions are cults,
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but they sure as hell dabble in it every now and then.
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There are religions, like Jehovah's Witnesses, that will disfellowship you
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-- shun you -- if you leave them.
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I mean, your family won't even talk to you anymore at that point.
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There are evangelical churches that don't share any information
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about where the tithing money goes, or
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how much the pastor gets paid.
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I mean, there are churches that act like questioning your beliefs is a sin,
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that you just have to have faith.
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So, there's some overlap every now and then,
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but it's usually not complete overlap.
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Also, what's an acceptable religion in the U.S.
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might be considered a cult in another country, and vice versa.
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I'm sure Christianity was considered a cult around the time of Jesus.
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Scientology operates like a cult, but the IRS considers it a religion.
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What I'm getting at is that it's not clear cut,
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and the list I gave you is not comprehensive.
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I'm sorry if I missed something obvious.
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But that also means it's unfair to use the word "cult" as a pejorative
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every time a religion does something you don't like.
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Don't make that mistake.
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My name is Hemant Mehta and I write at FriendlyAtheist.com
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