Captain__Cookies said:
Please tell me how it is not a cult? (sheer number of followers does not stop it being a cult)
yes it dose
Cult is a Sociology term to describe a religion within a certain set of criteria. In order to meet the criteria there is a minimum number of followers needed.
1.relatively good terms with the state and secular powers and may even attempt to influence government at times
2.maintain at least tolerant and usually fairly friendly relationships with other denominations in a context of religious pluralism
3.rely primarily on birth for membership increase, though it will also accept converts; some actively pursue evangelization
4.accept the principle of at least modestly changing doctrine and practice and tolerate some theological diversity and dispute
5.follow a fairly routinized ritual and worship service that explicitly discourages spontaneous emotional expression
6.train and employ professional clergy who must meet formal requirements for certification
accept less extensive involvement from members than do sects, but more involvement than churches
7.often draw disproportionately from the middle and upper classes of society
when it meets all those critea it stops being a cult and become a denomination
after a denomination if it meets another set of criteria it becomes a full church
1.claim universality, include all members of the society within their ranks, and have a strong tendency to equate "citizenship" with "membership"
2.exercise religious monopoly and try to eliminate religious competition
3.are very closely allied with the state and secular powers?frequently there is overlapping of responsibilities and much mutual reinforcement
4.are extensively organized as a hierarchical bureaucratic institution with a complex division of labor
5.employ professional, full-time clergy who possess the appropriate credentials of education and formal ordination
6.primarily gain new members through natural reproduction and the socialization of children into the ranks
7.allow for diversity by creating different groups within the church (e.g., orders of nuns or monks) rather than through the formation of new religions
This form of classification has sorta fallen out of style due to the stigmata with the word cult and dispute over when the change happens but the Catholic Church is no longer a cult.
