I agree with the first part. I guess since Jesus was crucified and rose in 3 days tells us this. He wasn’t a con as death could not hold him. He wasn’t the leader of a cult because he died at all. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the father except through him.
This is a really lazy and nigh useless definition. You are implying that the Jehovah's witnesses, Scientology and Moonies are all religions now that other abusive assholes have taken the place of the original abusive assholes. Lazy definitions make people stupider.
@@BladeoftheImmortal2005 agree with you;, but there are many better places to spend time than wasting life on deciding which theology is more or less silly. Good time should not be spent here, as if mankind has nothing better to do.
What is the difference between cult and religion? Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences. A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below. Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith. The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions. 1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders. RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power. 2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader. RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes. 3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families. RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion. 4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques. RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please. It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith. It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold) 5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly. RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed. 6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult. RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation. 7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization. RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret. 8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them." RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above. 9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present. RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please. 10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology. RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary. 11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes. RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
At around 37:00, the woman says "I never believed, I was born into it [the cult her parents belonged to] without choice." Representatives of the other religions applaud or nod, unable to recognize that they also impose their religious beliefs on Christian, Jewish, or Muslim children without any choice.
dogless10 religions are all like cult to some extent. Christianity used to be considered a cult back during the time of the roman empire. Christianity was clearly a little cultish in its beginning. But then this could be true with the beginning of many religions.
Denver Britto how? Religion is just a more established cult. Look at the Catholic Church the richest organisation out in regards to religious organizations. There are lots of stories of people being coerced into giving huge amounts of money or property to the church on their death bed. The "what can you do for me" just because the church defines the 'me' as the church doesn't change the fundamental idea behind it.
It's the case of something being the norm rather than a few cases of rich people being coerced into giving. The difference is a lot more than how established something is, or how rich something is. A cult can be poor and well established. One key difference is how willing they are to be open to discussion and internal critical discourse, dissent and debate. The Church has had inquisitions going on for hundreds of years, but these have (despite their modern reputation) not been the towering forces of Talibanesque domination of society (the Spanish inquisition is believed to have executed less than 2000 people over 200 years) and there have still been many critical voices within the church who've changed it's course (see the debates between de las Casas and Sepulveda or Anselm and Gaunilo). In a cult like scientology there's (currently) no toleration for dissent or debate, and on the contrary, a strong suppression of the Free Zone. There's other differences in the money-extracting nature of the organisations/ideologies, such as Scientology paying money to recruiters and having strong rules of contribution to the organisation compared with the more voluntary nature of donations to the main religions. As Michael Shermer, said "Envision converting to Judaism but having to pay for courses in order to hear the story of Abraham and Isaac, Noah and the flood, or Moses and the Ten Commandments. Or imagine joining the Catholic Church but not being told about the crucifixion and the resurrection until you have reached Operating Theological Level III, which can only be attained after many years and tens of thousands of dollars in church-run courses."
Godless Gauntlet same can be said about religion, for example if u are born into a Lutheran family but maybe after u turn 18 you decide to go research of religions and you decide to fully become a Muslim, then all of a sudden you will feel like you were lied to before and that you are only now thinking for yourself instead of just living as a Lutheran just cuz your parents and other family members raised you that way
@@bryanmiller476 What is the difference between cult and religion? Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences. A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below. Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith. The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions. 1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders. RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power. 2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader. RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes. 3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families. RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion. 4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques. RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please. It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith. It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold) 5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly. RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed. 6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult. RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation. 7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization. RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret. 8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them." RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above. 9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present. RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please. 10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology. RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary. 11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes. RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
Of course you can't answer that question because you're failed with anger and misinformation to the thing that you call religion. Don't be so black and white,religious are extremely diverse and many are not even very similar at all. There are 40'000 different variations of christianity alone,so the statement doesn't mean anything. It's like saying all books are bad when there are many different kind of books and quality of books,or saying that all classical music is relaxing when there is a huge variety of classical music in terms of genre,quality and purpose. Please educate yourself and don't have a hard heart and brain.
And it's hilarious watching the religious ridicule and slate Scientology when their religion isn't much better in terms of it's legitimacy. I once brought this up on another website, and of course I had people saying how manipulative and damaging Scientology is. But then, you can say the same thing about Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Yeah, .Scientology is worse but even then that's beside the point. There's nothing more ridiculous than believing about Jesus walking on water, sharing the loaves and the fishes, healing the lepers, and rising from the dead than there is anything Scientology cites as being true.
Mormons are exceptionally stupid, they think there were golden tablets the size of a shed, considering how much info was written, that predicted they would be found (..) and then went missing, but the convicted conman read them and started the cult....... It's exactly like moses, who certainly didn't write his own books, that saw god as the only person, got tablets he reallllly didn't make himself.... but it really is really not just a story..... Billions of people believe it..... we are so fucked
You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, burning bushes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?.. Mark Twain
For the woman in red who stated that religion asks “what can we do for you?” and cults ask “what can you do for me?”. I have 3 words for her. The Catholic Church.
Its not just the Catholic Church ... Islam, Protestants too ... they will do some charity as a shop front so they can carry on imposing their main agenda of cruelties towards people in a hundred ways ...
And all Baptist churches with their bishops and pastors driving around in Teslas living in mansions on the back of tithes of the hard working parishioners. Pretty disgusting.
J.D. Fredricksen What? I'm just pointing out the blatant hypocrisy for a "person of faith, not evidence" to be whining about things that take away critical thinking.
I see little evidence of critical thinking whenever theists and atheists meet on you tube. It is almost always a stupid clash of cliches, innuendos, insults, bragging rights. Most of us, most of the time live our lives on nothing firmer than our faith in what authorities have to tell us at this moment. Much is made about hos skeptics or atheists always rely on evidence before making a decision but this is seldom the case. It is more like a mantra, a way of identifying yourselves as belonging to a community of atheists.
Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are/were advocates that promoted atheism: books, conferences, tv appearances. Here's a list of people who promote atheism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_atheist_activists_and_educators
No.those who promote atheism are merely opposing the tide of irrationality known as faith.Atheists conclude there is no evidence that god exists,but should massive evidence arrive(which never happens)most atheists like me would be happy to reconsider.The evidence needs to be properly verified,and personal anecdotes don't cut it. I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen,as 'god' as a concept is a failure.
Hell is found in Christianity,Islam,Zoroastrianism....so each faith member is going to fry in the hell of other faiths,for being wrong. If you think about it,hell is a sick psychopathic idea,and it destroys morality,since all punishment should fit the crime,and hell is a hugely disproportionate penalty. As I always say,religion destroys morality.
@@douglaswilliams7720 Well if you study the original Greek and Hebrew like i have the eternal hell doctrine is not in existent. For instance the word's they get hell from in English bibles are sheol Hades tartaroo and gehenna. Now sheol and Hades are a pit for dead people aka a grave. Now in Greek mythology it's a torture chamber. But the word does not mean a torture chamber but a grave. Plus in the scripture Hades is used as an equivalent to sheol. Sheol mean's the grave in the scripture. Than you have tataroo but this is only mentioned in regards to fallen angels as a prision. Than you gehenna which is a trash dump used to incenerate trash. Plus the lake of fire is symbolic for refinment not torment. Now the word they get tormmented in revelation's 20:10 is from the Greek word basanos which mean's touchstone. Any bible that has basanos translated to tormented is false a translation. A touchstone is used to test gold and silver for purity. Some concordance's in the past had the actual meaning of basanos in it but they have been removed. Sulphur are brimestone depending on translation is mentioned. Brimestone and sulphur is used to purify Gold. The forever and ever in revelation's 20:10 should be translated to in the age of ages. Because the word they get forever and ever from is Aionion and Aionios. Aionion mean's an age \eon Aionios mean's pertaining to an age. Now if Aionion is used in context of God it's God is the God of all age's \eon's. In this case the age's are used to reflect eternity. But the age does not last through eternity. Now an age are an eon can be long or short in the scripture. Further more when Jesus talked about the punishment of the wiked it was kalosis Aionion. Kalosis if you are talking about punishment is corrective chastisment. If you at talking about fear it is tormented. So what you are talking about determines the meaning of kalosis. Kalosis Aionion is age long correction or chastening Eonion. Which mean's the punishment is not forever. The contradictions in the bible are because translators mistranslate certain word's.
@@douglaswilliams7720 Hell is just the promise of punishment taken to the extreme to make people behave the way you want them to behave, in both good peaceful and bad violent ways ..
You say that as if every religious person forces Hellfire on children (i know you didn’t mention it, but a lot of people do). If you’re an adult in today’s age, you’re probably going to walk it off, but you guys are manipulating of a lot of evangelicals interpretation to fit the whole religion too.
Question: Is there a difference between a religion and a cult? Answer: Yes, a religion is socially acceptable to belong to. Other than that they are the same thing
Baadass Mofo The society in which the cults thrive. Here in the US Christianity is the socially accepted cult. If you are part of that cult you are automatically considered a good, trustworthy person.
you don't know the truth, where do I even begin? Life, human nature, the universe, history of the Word as it tears away lies, etc. The lies being pushed right now are mainly, "religion" as an inclusive term, implying they are all the same. Truth and lies are opposites. Life and death. Next is typically, that science refutes "creationism" as they call it. What is the lie I just saw recently, oh that the U.S laws aren't founded on Christian teachings. That was very interesting to me. But none of it matters if you don't know the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the truth.
Mi at Why do you cling on to Bronze age mythology? You use texts that are historically inaccurate that, if anything show how the superstitious minds of bronze age Palestinians thought in their bid to understand the world. Jesus Christ is the truth? The new testaments were written hundreds of years after his supposed death? Interestingly the scriptures that were written closer to his apparent life (funnily enough!) have no miracles of a supernatural nature in them whatsoever, which probably explains why the church didn't put them in the bible. Moreover you implied that the United States laws are founded on the bible...you really think that?! The bible is one of the most immoral texts I have ever read.
There are very small religions that still exist in tribes. I think they're the same thing but cults get a bad rep. Maybe most cults worship someone alive and religions worship someone dead ? Idk. Probably have to name one thing cults do that religions don't. Rape, Mental/Sexual Abuse, Promise Afterlife, Punishment, Make You Feel Special, etc
At 45:01 the gentleman offers a fantastic definition of a cult which includes using coercion. Christianity's doctrine of hell is one of the most coercive teachings ever conceived. Cult? Religion? No difference.
Mohamed spread his ideas through the sword. Christianity had the crusades, they killed a lot of indigenous people of the Americas. Both are cults then. Jews are wiping out all Christian’s and taking over the entire Middle East step by step , deploying bombs every year to Lebanon: another cult.
What is the difference between cult and religion? Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences. A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below. Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith. The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions. 1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders. RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power. 2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader. RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes. 3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families. RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion. 4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques. RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please. It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith. It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold) 5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly. RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed. 6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult. RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation. 7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization. RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret. 8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them." RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above. 9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present. RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please. 10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology. RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary. 11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes. RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
+Len Page Basically you are saying the world needs religion for order? I am not religious and try to live a moral life as best I personally can.... If people need god or religion to threaten consequence of eternal death, separation from god or hell for them to behave morally, then their motive for moral behavior by default is immoral and self serving. Besides that fact religion creates more disorder than it does order. People will march in the streets, go to war, argue at school and the workplace, judge, condemn, and persecute anyone who does not follow the same belief they do.... take god out of the picture and there is far less division.
I love the way they're all skirting round a certain religion. Talking about what happens when you leave, being shunned, oh no. It's a good thing non of them punish leaving their religion by death..... Oh, hang on...
Well, it goes something like this. If millions of people believe it,it's a religion. If hundreds or thousands of people believe it, it's a cult. If one person believes it, they take him to a nut house.
Very simple distinction. Religion is what a cult becomes when it survives its leaders death. That's it. When/if Jesus was alive, it was a cult. People still followed him after he died, it become a religion. It's much easier to believe extraordinary claims about people after they've been gone for awhile, and this is probably why religions become so widespread while cults stay relatively small. Such hypocrisy. Most religious people reject anyone that claims to be a living prophet, and call his/her followers fools. But ask them about their prophet that lived a few millennia ago....they KNOW he was legit. So...if you revere living prophets, you're in a cult. Dead prophets, religion. If you roll your eyes at the very idea of a prophet, then you're just sane....congratulations!
What about religions which revere present leaders like the Catholic Church which claims that the Pope is God's representative on Earth and has a direct link to God through divine inspiration or Papal infallibility. Aren't these religions carrying on the feature of a cult as you describe it?
I wish there was a show like this in the states or at least groups of different people with different beliefs that could have intelligent conversations without judgment. An amazing show and much respect to the host who does a great job to keep the peace during these conversations.
Religions and cults are identical in that the adherents believe in stuff that basically "isn't there." Believing in stories is believing in stories, under any label.
What is the difference between cult and religion? Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences. A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below. Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith. The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions. 1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders. RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power. 2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader. RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes. 3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families. RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion. 4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques. RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please. It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith. It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold) 5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly. RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed. 6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult. RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation. 7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization. RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret. 8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them." RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above. 9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present. RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please. 10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology. RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary. 11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes. RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
Stuff you said though isn't true of all religions though. "I was never persuaded to give money" This might be true with the church you went to but it isn't true of all of them.
Joseph Nordenbrock like this fucking joke www.doctoroz.com/episode/does-belief-angels-have-power-heal i think doctor oz is generally good to talk of health issues, but this is ridiculous
The rabbi says that a religion is belief in a deity where a cult is a man who concocts something that he then says is a religion. Isn't that the very definition of Christianity with Jesus?
I wish there was a show like this in the U.S. It's refreshing to see different topics of televised intellectual discourse like this in a public forum. Any modern society should want their citizens to remain informed and understand others perspectives.
Nailed that buddha quote! You got it so right, question EVERYTHING especially me. Believe nothing on blind faith. Go out and learn things for yourself :)
I looked up this question once. It appears the main difference between a religion and a cult is the numbers. If a cult gets big it becomes a religion. But essentially they have the same characteristics. It's like the difference between a group and a crowd. They're both a bunch of people.
She really hit it on the head, when she said its a difference in size... Religions have just been around longer and had a longer time to be normalized.
You misunderstand what a cult is, this is why you think it is the same as religion. It's ok to be non-religious atheists and still agree that there's a difference... I'm an atheist but it's such an inane thing to point to the size as being the issue.
@@lukecarroll9823 I dont misunderstand it all. Size, history, and acceptance that's the difference. There are tons of denominations or Christianity, each with its own set customs or rules which could be considered cult like. Same with Islam.The Catholic church just had a high profile case with its leaders being caught in pedophilia rings? That doesnt sound cult like to you? To say Cults are religions are different is actually inane when you look at the terms and how there defined. They're faith based belief system in a person or figure.
@@montiz333 I'm well aware of the paedophilic priests, I'm from Ireland. My argument is, that has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the power that was derived from their positions within our society. I don't follow any denomination btw. You could be Catholic and never go to church or visit a priest, making a donation or going to a confessional booth. It's not about control, it's about guidance finding a greater meaning and understanding of the universe and humanity. Look at the whole #metoo thing with Hollywood and a bunch of celebrities caught for the same thing, the only correlation is power. Corruption and power being abused which can and does happen in all social hierarchies (which religions don't even necessarily have to be hierarchies, most of the leading religions do not require anything of its followers beyond abiding by its core tenets.) If you break a core tenet, there is no punishment generally, just a hope that you will confess and make an effort to reform that behaviour. The issue of dogmatism isn't even an issue that plagues only religious groups (doesn't really factor into Christianity/Buddhism etc.), but also businesses and some scientific groups. Btw science has been used to commit and justify some of the most horrific acts in history, but also been a force for good and truth, just as some religions have in the past. I wouldn't ever say to ignore science either, but it can become dogmatic and be misapplied just as religious views can. Cults are predatory. They are purely about control, manipulation and power. Religions don't do this, they preach a message which is generally powerful and positive, otherwise these longstanding religions wouldn't have stood the test of time and been components of very successful cultures.
@@lukecarroll9823 I agree with most of that for sure. I just dont think the distinction is that large. I get the predatory nature, but because cults are less main stream and low profile I cant say there all or even most are predatory, upon doing a deep dive I've seen some that aren't predatory at all. It may just be the ones we know of because they made the news. Personally after meeting some people that were in a cult I can say with confidence that they must not all be predatory. Also in my experience I have seen predatory churches often. Buddhism and Taoism are free of that but other religions establish hierarchy, often require offerings, (tides) which like you said can always end up being corrupt.
@@montiz333 Be careful, but if you ask me it's only a cult if it is controlling and predatory. Could be you are considering small religious groups to be cults. Regardless I would always advise caution with groups like this until you know what you're dealing with. If they have a powerful leader that you have to bow to, red-flag. If they encourage group retreats and get-aways, red-flag. If they encourage detaching/avoidance of friends and loved ones, red-flag. If they ask for personal information, secrets, fears or insecurities big red-flag. Never underestimate the ability for a group or individual to manipulate and control you, especially when you are new to the group. They can employ all sorts of powerful social manipulation tactics that can slowly wear you down and convince you of things you would never believe you could be convinced of man. Like its one of those things it's easy to think "that only happens to other people, I'm mentally strong and sure of myself". They can take their time before they introduce you to the next layer of bullshit, whenever they think you're ready or simply wait until something in your life leaves you vulnerable.
Let us never forget a man who was seen by his followers as a messenger of gods truth. A man who's followers believed he performed miracles, who's followers would live for him, die for him and even kill for this small long haired bearded man... ...but enough about Charles Manson...
I laugh at the guy in the beginning because he is so wrong...but why other religious people laugh at him is outragerous....their believes are just as wicked...
If you laughed in the beginning because he is so wrong, and you say why other religious people laugh at him is outragerous. That their belief are just as wicked.. Well if others belief are outragerous because it doesn´t suit you does not mean that is not right... It just says that you can´t put trust in the LORD, and that´s maybe because you can´t trust others either.. So all in all you have problems you need to fix yourself first, and the first thing that could help is putting trust in the LORD..
Lord Gærneheia *Translation:* If you're having problems trusting people who try to get you to believe in ridiculous fairy tales, then perhaps you should solve your problems by believing in my ridiculous fairy tale. _It's OK, you can trust me._ cc: Boxingisthebomb
Matt Fitt You should get what is the truth before you talk big like you know more since you try to convince me... For an unintelligent person is the one who have accepted that its okey to lie when needed... Players do that. Are you a player around the ladies ? Most men think they are with the ladies, but when the BIG GUN comes they scream like little girls...
This whole debate could have been solved by simply defining the terms. What _is_ a cult? What _is_ a religion? If there is sufficient overlap, one must consider the possibility that, when personal biases are removed, they may be one and the same.
I’m only 4 minutes in and the first guy who believes we are cloned across the galaxy already has a more plausible hypothesis than any religion I’ve ever heard of.
Here's my take on cults. If there was/is a supreme being, then why would a PERFECT being send a message to an IMPERFECT human? They wouldn't. They would want the message to be clear.
I'd like to see what the mother thinks "turned her son" as she says because I've watched quite a lot of Stefan's videos and the guy has a daughter and mostly talks about not hitting children and things like the non-aggression principle. Or even what she means by "inner circle" because as far as I can see it's Stefan and an American guy and one other guy who does editing. I haven't ever seen a call to leave a family or worship him...?
Cults: I know EXACTLY what happens when you die and I know how life started. Religions: I know EXACTLY what happens when you die and I know how life started. Agnostic/Atheist: Not sure, but we're open-minded and working on it.
I can't add to the great satire below, so I'll post a more serious comment. Francesca comes close when she says that size is what separates cult from religion, but I think a more appropriate term would be _proximity_. If Christ returned today his preaching would be considered the ramblings of a mad man and his following would without question be considered a cult. In a supposedly holy book, those same messages are able to penetrate our BS detectors more freely. This also rebuts the religious claim that cults are about the leader and religion about spirituality or divinity. Of course that's the case when the leader of every religion is long dead! If Muhammed or Jesus were to return tomorrow, then the focus would naturally return to the physical person. Even taking it to the extreme, while there have been tragic endings to cults and their members, a common apologetic proof is "die for a lie", so religions have that in common as well. It just appears noble rather than tragic in the hazy distance of time.
it's a shame that Francesca can't speak with out someone talking over her immediately. I think it's because they're scared of how much she understands and what she has to say.
KING OF THE WORLD But as Gawd is imaginary, in the end it equals worshiping the prophet. Those tax-money, tithes, donations, sacrifices all end up in the conman's pocket - because gawd doesn't exist!
gagnashdiak x Where in the bible or Quran does it say that they gave the Prophets money of some sort? And their was no atheists at that time. If you diden't know, Smh. And if a Prophet tells to do not worship a man , how can he be saying worship me.
The difference between most cults and religion is that cults generally psychology manipulate adults and religion gets them while they are young before they can think for themselves.
It's an interesting question. One of my friends had the best responses I've ever heard: "The difference between a religion and a cult is how they let people leave the organization. If they don't let people leave the Order without trying to destroy that person, they're a cult."
They pretty much spent the time bashing cults... Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with them, but they almost tried to make religions look ok when religions the ones that do pretty much the same stuff on an absolutely huge scale (all those sex scandals with catholic priests, instilling dangerous beliefs like in parts of islam that can drive people into becoming suicide bombers)
When you’re laughing at the stupidity of another cult … now you know how we feel when you talk about your religion. “Your cult is terrible! It brainwashes! But my cult doesn’t. We’re just spreading the word and trying to bring our children up well”. The difference is just the words used. They’re the same.
Folks, the difference is easy. A cult is somebody else's religion.
lol nice one XD
dayweed85 Thanks. It's the one thing I learned from church.
well said.
ixlnxs Touché!
***** Says who? Mormons consider the roman catholic church an apostate cult. I know, wtf?
Religious people talking about what's wrong with other religions; this is hilarious
haha yea ^^
Agree so badly.
lol
ahhaahah absolute gold!
Its like watching people discuss which fairytale they believe is true.
In a cult, there is a man at the top who knows its all a con. In a religion, that man is dead.
I agree with the first part.
I guess since Jesus was crucified and rose in 3 days tells us this. He wasn’t a con as death could not hold him. He wasn’t the leader of a cult because he died at all.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the father except through him.
Jesus gave up his weekend for our sins.
Lollll
This is a really lazy and nigh useless definition. You are implying that the Jehovah's witnesses, Scientology and Moonies are all religions now that other abusive assholes have taken the place of the original abusive assholes. Lazy definitions make people stupider.
@@dokorobia8713 lmao
Its hilarious when religious people laugh at the theologies of other beliefs, your beliefs are just as silly!
Evelyn Choy there is no theology without blood on its hands. Even things like Buddhism.
@@BladeoftheImmortal2005 agree with you;, but there are many better places to spend time than wasting life on deciding which theology is more or less silly. Good time should not be spent here, as if mankind has nothing better to do.
@@BladeoftheImmortal2005 as far as l know Jainism doesn't have that history
@Evelyn Choy Most wars have been started over religious belief and surely it doesn't get more dangerous than that?
@mo ali What utter nonsense.
"A cult is a religion with no political power." - Tom Wolfe.
"Cult: a small unpopular religion.
Religion: a large popular cult."
I agree with you totally. Cults are small religions and religions are big cults.
That is so succinct!
What is the difference between cult and religion?
Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences.
A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below.
Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith.
The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions.
1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders.
RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power.
2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader.
RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes.
3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families.
RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion.
4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques.
RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please.
It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith.
It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold)
5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly.
RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed.
6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult.
RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation.
7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization.
RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret.
8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them."
RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above.
9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present.
RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please.
10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology.
RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary.
11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes.
RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
At around 37:00, the woman says "I never believed, I was born into it [the cult her parents belonged to] without choice." Representatives of the other religions applaud or nod, unable to recognize that they also impose their religious beliefs on Christian, Jewish, or Muslim children without any choice.
It's utterly amazing, isn't it?
dogless10 religions are all like cult to some extent. Christianity used to be considered a cult back during the time of the roman empire. Christianity was clearly a little cultish in its beginning. But then this could be true with the beginning of many religions.
dogless10 That's the only reason that religion is still around. It's like a hereditary disease.
dogless10 That woman is Juliana Buhring a champion cyclist and author and one of my heroes. Was a great quote, and well spotted.
dogless10 you can go to church and not believe it, you know
The difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own and the number of followers and their degree of gullibility.
This show should be called “Let me finish”
This!
"A cult is a religion with no political power." ~Tom Wolfe.
it actually has one
convenience..
How can you watch this whole debate and still claim that? The differences are huge.
Denver Britto how? Religion is just a more established cult. Look at the Catholic Church the richest organisation out in regards to religious organizations. There are lots of stories of people being coerced into giving huge amounts of money or property to the church on their death bed. The "what can you do for me" just because the church defines the 'me' as the church doesn't change the fundamental idea behind it.
It's the case of something being the norm rather than a few cases of rich people being coerced into giving. The difference is a lot more than how established something is, or how rich something is. A cult can be poor and well established. One key difference is how willing they are to be open to discussion and internal critical discourse, dissent and debate. The Church has had inquisitions going on for hundreds of years, but these have (despite their modern reputation) not been the towering forces of Talibanesque domination of society (the Spanish inquisition is believed to have executed less than 2000 people over 200 years) and there have still been many critical voices within the church who've changed it's course (see the debates between de las Casas and Sepulveda or Anselm and Gaunilo). In a cult like scientology there's (currently) no toleration for dissent or debate, and on the contrary, a strong suppression of the Free Zone. There's other differences in the money-extracting nature of the organisations/ideologies, such as Scientology paying money to recruiters and having strong rules of contribution to the organisation compared with the more voluntary nature of donations to the main religions. As Michael Shermer, said "Envision converting to Judaism but having to pay for courses in order to hear the story of Abraham and Isaac, Noah and the flood, or Moses and the Ten Commandments. Or imagine joining the Catholic Church but not being told about the crucifixion and the resurrection until you have reached Operating Theological Level III, which can only be attained after many years and tens of thousands of dollars in church-run courses."
Yeah, there's a difference. One is tax-exempt!
How'd you not drop a mic after that?!
essvee86 this is so good
l337pwnage lol, found it! South Park S5E3 "Super Best Friends"
As My Elders used to say, "Tell The Truth & SHAME THE DEVIL!"...LMAO.. Your Statement was RIGHT ON POINT!
No, there's Scientology.
People in cults never think they're in a cult.
Think about that.
If you're in a cult...you'd never know it...until you leave and think for yourself.
Godless Gauntlet same can be said about religion, for example if u are born into a Lutheran family but maybe after u turn 18 you decide to go research of religions and you decide to fully become a Muslim, then all of a sudden you will feel like you were lied to before and that you are only now thinking for yourself instead of just living as a Lutheran just cuz your parents and other family members raised you that way
Bryan Miller
Unfortunately that's very true.
@@bryanmiller476 "A cult is a religion with no political power." - Tom Wolfe.
@@bryanmiller476 What is the difference between cult and religion?
Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences.
A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below.
Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith.
The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions.
1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders.
RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power.
2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader.
RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes.
3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families.
RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion.
4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques.
RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please.
It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith.
It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold)
5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly.
RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed.
6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult.
RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation.
7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization.
RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret.
8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them."
RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above.
9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present.
RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please.
10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology.
RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary.
11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes.
RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
"Is there a difference between a religion and a cult?"
Yes. Religions have tax exempt status. Cults do not
Of course you can't answer that question because you're failed with anger and misinformation to the thing that you call religion. Don't be so black and white,religious are extremely diverse and many are not even very similar at all. There are 40'000 different variations of christianity alone,so the statement doesn't mean anything. It's like saying all books are bad when there are many different kind of books and quality of books,or saying that all classical music is relaxing when there is a huge variety of classical music in terms of genre,quality and purpose. Please educate yourself and don't have a hard heart and brain.
The difference between a religion and cult can be summed up in one word. Success.
It's like the difference between a language and a dialect: Once a dialect has an army it becomes a language.
money,
@@johnosman3550 Nice analogy
@@johnosman3550 Icelandic is a language and Iceland does not have an army.
@@andrewwhyte4753 you miss the point.
Title of the debate should be changed to "Is there a difference between CrAzy and Bat ShIt CrAzy?"
And it's hilarious watching the religious ridicule and slate Scientology when their religion isn't much better in terms of it's legitimacy. I once brought this up on another website, and of course I had people saying how manipulative and damaging Scientology is. But then, you can say the same thing about Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Yeah, .Scientology is worse but even then that's beside the point. There's nothing more ridiculous than believing about Jesus walking on water, sharing the loaves and the fishes, healing the lepers, and rising from the dead than there is anything Scientology cites as being true.
I agree!!!!
Mormons are exceptionally stupid, they think there were golden tablets the size of a shed, considering how much info was written, that predicted they would be found (..) and then went missing, but the convicted conman read them and started the cult.......
It's exactly like moses, who certainly didn't write his own books, that saw god as the only person, got tablets he reallllly didn't make himself.... but it really is really not just a story.....
Billions of people believe it..... we are so fucked
The difference is the the bat shit.
Very smelly.
@@CyberBeep_kenshi Being religious doesn't mean you're automatically stupid. Get rid of this fatuous canard.
You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, burning bushes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?.. Mark Twain
Well quoted! 👍
Mushrooms, or bad cheese?
wait, wait.. burning bushes do exist
@@Mensch-et3xm and do they talk to you? 😂
For the woman in red who stated that religion asks “what can we do for you?” and cults ask “what can you do for me?”. I have 3 words for her. The Catholic Church.
The V Word Yes! Exactly.
Really . Ur just a hater .
Its not just the Catholic Church ... Islam, Protestants too ... they will do some charity as a shop front so they can carry on imposing their main agenda of cruelties towards people in a hundred ways ...
And all Baptist churches with their bishops and pastors driving around in Teslas living in mansions on the back of tithes of the hard working parishioners. Pretty disgusting.
I feel like quoting Hitchens: Why can't we say that all of these cults are equal and equivalent glimpses of the untrue?...
"I'm against anything that takes away people's critical thinking."
"They use deception."
Religious people saying shit like this...wow... O_O
Me too, which is why I suggest you take a long, slow look in the mirror!
J.D. Fredricksen
What? I'm just pointing out the blatant hypocrisy for a "person of faith, not evidence" to be whining about things that take away critical thinking.
I see little evidence of critical thinking whenever theists and atheists meet on you tube. It is almost always a stupid clash of cliches, innuendos, insults, bragging rights.
Most of us, most of the time live our lives on nothing firmer than our faith in what authorities have to tell us at this moment. Much is made about hos skeptics or atheists always rely on evidence before making a decision but this is seldom the case. It is more like a mantra, a way of identifying yourselves as belonging to a community of atheists.
J.D. Fredricksen
Okay, here's a cliche. If someone says god is real...well...
...prove it. :P
Levi Smith
I'm against anything that steals away eternal life !!! Trust Jesus
The Branch Davidian guy is actually scary. An obviously intelligent person living in his own world evidenced by his utterly disjointed answers.
🙏🏿 🙏🏿 🙏🏿
As an atheist.. They are all the damn same
nathan mckenzie yup
Absolutely true. But I include those who promote atheism in the list as well.
Yeah but raeliens believe something which is way more realistic than most bof the big religions.
Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are/were advocates that promoted atheism: books, conferences, tv appearances. Here's a list of people who promote atheism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_atheist_activists_and_educators
No.those who promote atheism are merely opposing the tide of irrationality known as faith.Atheists conclude there is no evidence that god exists,but should massive evidence arrive(which never happens)most atheists like me would be happy to reconsider.The evidence needs to be properly verified,and personal anecdotes don't cut it. I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen,as 'god' as a concept is a failure.
Hell is a pretty powerful example of mental coercion. There is no difference.
Hell is found in Christianity,Islam,Zoroastrianism....so each faith member is going to fry in the hell of other faiths,for being wrong. If you think about it,hell is a sick psychopathic idea,and it destroys morality,since all punishment should fit the crime,and hell is a hugely disproportionate penalty. As I always say,religion destroys morality.
@@douglaswilliams7720 Well if you study the original Greek and Hebrew like i have the eternal hell doctrine is not in existent.
For instance the word's they get hell from in English bibles are sheol Hades tartaroo and gehenna.
Now sheol and Hades are a pit for dead people aka a grave.
Now in Greek mythology it's a torture chamber.
But the word does not mean a torture chamber but a grave.
Plus in the scripture Hades is used as an equivalent to sheol.
Sheol mean's the grave in the scripture.
Than you have tataroo but this is only mentioned in regards to fallen angels as a prision.
Than you gehenna which is a trash dump used to incenerate trash.
Plus the lake of fire is symbolic for refinment not torment.
Now the word they get tormmented in revelation's 20:10 is from the Greek word basanos which mean's touchstone.
Any bible that has basanos translated to tormented is false a translation.
A touchstone is used to test gold and silver for purity.
Some concordance's in the past had the actual meaning of basanos in it but they have been removed.
Sulphur are brimestone depending on translation is mentioned.
Brimestone and sulphur is used to purify Gold.
The forever and ever in revelation's 20:10 should be translated to in the age of ages.
Because the word they get forever and ever from is Aionion and Aionios.
Aionion mean's an age \eon Aionios mean's pertaining to an age.
Now if Aionion is used in context of God it's God is the God of all age's \eon's.
In this case the age's are used to reflect eternity.
But the age does not last through eternity.
Now an age are an eon can be long or short in the scripture.
Further more when Jesus talked about the punishment of the wiked it was kalosis Aionion.
Kalosis if you are talking about punishment is corrective chastisment.
If you at talking about fear it is tormented.
So what you are talking about determines the meaning of kalosis.
Kalosis Aionion is age long correction or chastening Eonion.
Which mean's the punishment is not forever.
The contradictions in the bible are because translators mistranslate certain word's.
@@douglaswilliams7720
Hell is just the promise of punishment taken to the extreme to make people behave the way you want them to behave, in both good peaceful and bad violent ways ..
You say that as if every religious person forces Hellfire on children (i know you didn’t mention it, but a lot of people do). If you’re an adult in today’s age, you’re probably going to walk it off, but you guys are manipulating of a lot of evangelicals interpretation to fit the whole religion too.
Question: Is there a difference between a religion and a cult?
Answer: Yes, a religion is socially acceptable to belong to. Other than that they are the same thing
Baadass Mofo
The society in which the cults thrive. Here in the US Christianity is the socially accepted cult. If you are part of that cult you are automatically considered a good, trustworthy person.
John Doe Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. Just as Rome fell so will the lies you cling to....
Mi at
Enlighten me. What lies do I cling to?
you don't know the truth, where do I even begin? Life, human nature, the universe, history of the Word as it tears away lies, etc. The lies being pushed right now are mainly, "religion" as an inclusive term, implying they are all the same. Truth and lies are opposites. Life and death. Next is typically, that science refutes "creationism" as they call it. What is the lie I just saw recently, oh that the U.S laws aren't founded on Christian teachings. That was very interesting to me. But none of it matters if you don't know the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the truth.
Mi at Why do you cling on to Bronze age mythology? You use texts that are historically inaccurate that, if anything show how the superstitious minds of bronze age Palestinians thought in their bid to understand the world. Jesus Christ is the truth? The new testaments were written hundreds of years after his supposed death? Interestingly the scriptures that were written closer to his apparent life (funnily enough!) have no miracles of a supernatural nature in them whatsoever, which probably explains why the church didn't put them in the bible.
Moreover you implied that the United States laws are founded on the bible...you really think that?! The bible is one of the most immoral texts I have ever read.
Cults have few thousand believers
Religions have millions of believers.
There are very small religions that still exist in tribes. I think they're the same thing but cults get a bad rep. Maybe most cults worship someone alive and religions worship someone dead ? Idk. Probably have to name one thing cults do that religions don't. Rape, Mental/Sexual Abuse, Promise Afterlife, Punishment, Make You Feel Special, etc
@@SoulFlavor18 I think if someone used the BITE model they’d find almost all religions a cult.
At 45:01 the gentleman offers a fantastic definition of a cult which includes using coercion. Christianity's doctrine of hell is one of the most coercive teachings ever conceived. Cult? Religion? No difference.
Mohamed spread his ideas through the sword. Christianity had the crusades, they killed a lot of indigenous people of the Americas. Both are cults then. Jews are wiping out all Christian’s and taking over the entire Middle East step by step , deploying bombs every year to Lebanon: another cult.
What is the difference between cult and religion?
Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences.
A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below.
Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith.
The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions.
1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders.
RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power.
2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader.
RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes.
3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families.
RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion.
4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques.
RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please.
It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith.
It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold)
5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly.
RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed.
6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult.
RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation.
7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization.
RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret.
8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them."
RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above.
9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present.
RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please.
10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology.
RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary.
11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes.
RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
The blind criticising the blind. Good grief.
11:10 "anything that essentially takes away other people's critical thinking..."
so you mean religion then.
If you don't take away their critical thinking, how can they be religious. haha
+Poached Womb but religion keeps order.
+Len Page
Basically you are saying the world needs religion for order?
I am not religious and try to live a moral life as best I personally can....
If people need god or religion to threaten consequence of eternal death, separation from god or hell for them to behave morally, then their motive for moral behavior by default is immoral and self serving.
Besides that fact religion creates more disorder than it does order.
People will march in the streets, go to war, argue at school and the workplace, judge, condemn, and persecute anyone who does not follow the same belief they do.... take god out of the picture and there is far less division.
So Noah didn't walk with Dinosaurs ? 😕
SoulFlavor18
noah was an animal fucker, why else save the animals and not humans.
I love the way they're all skirting round a certain religion. Talking about what happens when you leave, being shunned, oh no. It's a good thing non of them punish leaving their religion by death..... Oh, hang on...
This opinion offends me. ALLAHU AKBAR
Good host. Knows how to ask the hard questions, and when to step in with levity when things get too heated.
Yeah a lot of people give him crap and I have no idea why :p
"A Delusion is considered to be Insanity or a Religion depending on how many believe it." -AronRa
Well, it goes something like this.
If millions of people believe it,it's a religion.
If hundreds or thousands of people believe it, it's a cult.
If one person believes it, they take him to a nut house.
Lunatic on the grass DN
That’s a brilliant way of defining them, is it a quote or yours? Mind if I use it?
Francesca suddenly clocks halfway through that she's sitting next to a proper fruitcake.
Answer: The size of the membership.
Thank you; I am happy to provide the service.
only person talking sense is franchessica, and damn she is hot too
infinity2012starseed she looks like rebecca linares
welshhibby I gonna get her to join my sex cult.
welshhibby in the back door?
Evelyn Choy it’s all talk and no game
Sooooooo hot
Why do religious people say "we are looking for truth" all the time when they are actually doing the opposite!?
Looking for truth! By only reading one specific Religions scripture. xD
How do you know they're doing the opposite?
***** well religion goes against the known truth (science etc).
Anti-theist No it doesnt. I;m a religious scientist.
***** In what way religious? you must be seriously deluded to be a scientist and religious...
"Why do you do this to yourself, Dinesh"
-Christopher Hitchens
I have the best imaginary friend. Yours is make believe
Frank Zappa said it so well when he said "The only difference between a cult and a mainstream religion, is how much real estate they own"!
Just listen to Francesca, she's brilliant!
She’s so intelligent and well spoken. I love her!
She a moron how you a atheist and don't believe in science
@Tom B what the fuck you talking about she a fuckin moron how can you make sense of anything without science
@Tom B you failed bro you know I'm right so your going to attack my grammar go kick rocks I just don't give a fuck
You can always expect when she's on the panel people will get slapped
"What about the argument that cults are using psychological coersion?"
Have you ever spoken to any kids who grew up going to Catholic school?
Where's Christopher Hitchens when you need him? I'd of loved to see his take on all this (sadly this was filmed about a year after he died)
I share the same sentiment, yes Hitch was in a league of his own. RIP Hitch, but I doubt he would give it a rest if you get my meaning....lol
Very simple distinction. Religion is what a cult becomes when it survives its leaders death. That's it. When/if Jesus was alive, it was a cult. People still followed him after he died, it become a religion. It's much easier to believe extraordinary claims about people after they've been gone for awhile, and this is probably why religions become so widespread while cults stay relatively small. Such hypocrisy. Most religious people reject anyone that claims to be a living prophet, and call his/her followers fools. But ask them about their prophet that lived a few millennia ago....they KNOW he was legit.
So...if you revere living prophets, you're in a cult. Dead prophets, religion. If you roll your eyes at the very idea of a prophet, then you're just sane....congratulations!
this makes so much sense i want to hug you
I literally haven't thought of that very simple and obvious answer.
Well done.
What about religions which revere present leaders like the Catholic Church which claims that the Pope is God's representative on Earth and has a direct link to God through divine inspiration or Papal infallibility. Aren't these religions carrying on the feature of a cult as you describe it?
Mooney is dead
ianrwood21 God is not far from each one of us" Not just one man.
What is the point of having a room 98% full of cult members, just to have them all say, "I'm not in a cult, YOU are!"?
The American guy had an hypnotic voice, I see why he's a cult representative
I wish there was a show like this in the states or at least groups of different people with different beliefs that could have intelligent conversations without judgment. An amazing show and much respect to the host who does a great job to keep the peace during these conversations.
The closest thing that I can think of is middle ground by jubilee
Religions and cults are identical in that the adherents believe in stuff that basically "isn't there." Believing in stories is believing in stories, under any label.
Someone once said, "A cult is what the big church calls the little church." So true.
What is the difference between cult and religion?
Only the ill-informed are gullible enough to believe there is no difference between a legitimate religion and a cult. There are in fact, quantifiable differences.
A religion at one time or another may exhibit some of the traits of a cult, but then so does any organization, including rotary clubs, golf teams, fraternities and veterans organizations. That does not make them cults. A clear picture of a cult appears when you apply several of the characteristics listed below.
Cults not only break laws, but also offend religions and give anti-theists without the discernment to tell the difference and ammunition to continue stereotyping actual people of faith.
The 11 commandments of cults vs. religions.
1) CULT: Single, unquestioned leader who makes all the rules, with no accountability to peers, a presbytery, a chapter, or co-leaders.
RELIGION: Plurality and hierarchy of leadership, accountable to one another with a charter or church constitution including a mechanism in place to remove leaders who abuse their power.
2) CULT: Cohabitation. Members often live in a group or commune, often with the leader.
RELIGION: Members have their own lives and homes and come together to worship or socialize, then go back to family homes.
3) CULT: Isolation. Members are often not allowed to interact/socialize with outsiders, and frequently are required to separate from their friends and families.
RELIGION: Respect the friends and family of their adherents, almost always encouraging family relationships, even with family members not part of the religion.
4) CULT: Coercion. Coercive recruitment methods, often including sleep deprivation, withholding of food or bathroom breaks, locking the initiate in a room with a succession of people hammering in the group's ideas. Essentially, these are classic brainwashing techniques.
RELIGION: Members, including new members, are free to come and go as they please.
It does not take a genius to see the difference here. Atheists often claim that all religions "brainwash" others, especially their children. If brainwash means teaching your kids what you believe, then everyone does it, not just people of faith.
It is often claimed that because most people of faith grew up with that faith, that is evidence of "indoctrination." Not by the definition of how cults do this. Furthermore, most Democrats grew up in Democratic families, and Republicans in conservative families. No one accuses political parties of "indoctrination" or "brainwashing." This is just anti-religious rhetoric and has nothing to do with real brainwashing. (Note: I did not grow up with the faith I now hold)
5) CULT: Repetition. Members are told what to believe on a daily basis, with intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to hold members. The few items that distinguish that cult are repeated endlessly.
RELIGION: Teaching and study groups are mutually encouraged with all members free to contribute insights. A variety of subjects are discussed.
6) CULT: Exclusiveness. Initiates are often told that only "select" members of the cult will reach the ultimate goal. This is incentive to stay and to be more dedicated to the cult.
RELIGION: All have the same requirements and opportunities for advancement, leadership positions and participation.
7) CULT: Bread trails. The dogma is fed to the initiate in small pieces, and gaining more knowledge about the dogma requires a greater commitment to the organization.
RELIGION: Typically all beliefs are publicly available with no effort made to keep some beliefs secret.
8. CULT: Alienation. Adherents are encouraged or even bullied into thinking in terms of "us versus them" with total alienation from "them."
RELIGION: Members are encouraged to quietly show themselves as exemplary among their peers in secular workplaces and in public. Yes, okay, some are not very good at this, and those are usually the ones you notice. Still, it's a far cry from the above.
9) CULT: Seclusion. Members are often not allowed to leave the cult or even the cult compound. Even temporary excursions among outsiders are done in pairs or in groups with a trusted member always present.
RELIGION: Gatherings are held at regular intervals with members free to come or skip as they please.
10) CULT: Totalitarian. Cults ask significantly more time and money from their adherents, often asking for a person's life savings to progress in the organization. They are usually totalitarian and demand that the individual give themselves up to the organization or theology.
RELIGION: The tithe (10% of income) is a good example of what a religion may ask of its adherents, and rarely will anyone check up on members to make sure they are doing this. In pretty much all churches, this is strictly voluntary.
11) CULT: Secretive about the workings, the leadership, and the finances. No one but the leader and perhaps a trusted member are aware of where the money goes.
RELIGION: Respect individual freedom and ask for a commitment typically less than a person devotes to their work and family. There is no secrecy over the leader's activities, typically these are very transparent, with the congregation knowing the salary their tithes pay the clergy members, the amount going to building upkeep, and how much goes into helping the needy, community charity, etc. Financial statements are typically available to church members.
A cult still has to pay its taxes.
Not always
Scientology is tax exempt and is a cult
@@Kimberley_P Scientology is officially registered as a "religion" hence the tax exemption.
The Branch Davidian guy is terrifying.
A cult has a living leader. A religion is a cult where the leader has died, and likely been dead for a while.
What does that make the Catholicism?
4422bon A cult
4422bon A cult is what the Religious call other belief systems basically.
4422bon Heh, nice ;)
And still dead XD
I only watch this show to see Francesca.
Summary of most religions :
"If you're not like me, you're BAD!"
There is no difference between a religion and cult two different words but the actions are the same.
Stuff you said though isn't true of all religions though.
"I was never persuaded to give money"
This might be true with the church you went to but it isn't true of all of them.
Gangs,religions,cults are not for every one.
I would only join if they wanted me to be the leader.
I wish we had a similar show in mainstream US.
The christians here would burn the opposition as witches. Any question of their god is unthinkable... because they refuse to think.
We would have to bump one of the many Christian shows at 3: AM.
Joseph Nordenbrock like this fucking joke www.doctoroz.com/episode/does-belief-angels-have-power-heal
i think doctor oz is generally good to talk of health issues, but this is ridiculous
Adam G Exactly ! I've grown sick of all the woo woo spirit shit over running nearly all the TV and cable channels.
Joseph Nordenbrock The perhaps you - and Adam G for that matter - should consider moving to a more developed country,
lol at the irony here....people from different religions criticizing these cults for brainwashing etc..this shit should be on the comedy channel.
Francesca is so amazing
'Religion started when the first conman met the first fool',...Mark Twain.
Poor Francesca.
Why? She's one of the smartest people in the room, if not THE smartest.
Yes, exactly!
Don't feel sad for her. She can hold her own in that room! I've never seen a person more sure of themselves and their education :)
That isn’t saying much.
I love how the cult guy and the alien guy are taking jabs at each other whilst trying to avoid legal action.
9:20 The Rabbi Yitchak Schochet. Attempts to define the difference between a religion and a cult and ends up successfully explaining what religion is.
Once a cult gains control of an Army or Money, it becomes a religion. Scientology is a perfect example of how money matters.
The rabbi says that a religion is belief in a deity where a cult is a man who concocts something that he then says is a religion. Isn't that the very definition of Christianity with Jesus?
KenichiChannel Jesus is not the deity , God is deity , supernatural being . No one knows how God looks like . God existed b4 Jesus
No, they are one and existed before the foundation of the world.
I wish there was a show like this in the U.S.
It's refreshing to see different topics of televised intellectual discourse like this in a public forum. Any modern society should want their citizens to remain informed and understand others perspectives.
Nailed that buddha quote! You got it so right, question EVERYTHING especially me. Believe nothing on blind faith. Go out and learn things for yourself :)
Love Francesca so much. She always gives an honest answer unlike practically anyone else on this show here.
I looked up this question once. It appears the main difference between a religion and a cult is the numbers. If a cult gets big it becomes a religion. But essentially they have the same characteristics.
It's like the difference between a group and a crowd. They're both a bunch of people.
She really hit it on the head, when she said its a difference in size... Religions have just been around longer and had a longer time to be normalized.
You misunderstand what a cult is, this is why you think it is the same as religion. It's ok to be non-religious atheists and still agree that there's a difference... I'm an atheist but it's such an inane thing to point to the size as being the issue.
@@lukecarroll9823 I dont misunderstand it all. Size, history, and acceptance that's the difference. There are tons of denominations or Christianity, each with its own set customs or rules which could be considered cult like. Same with Islam.The Catholic church just had a high profile case with its leaders being caught in pedophilia rings? That doesnt sound cult like to you? To say Cults are religions are different is actually inane when you look at the terms and how there defined. They're faith based belief system in a person or figure.
@@montiz333 I'm well aware of the paedophilic priests, I'm from Ireland. My argument is, that has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the power that was derived from their positions within our society. I don't follow any denomination btw.
You could be Catholic and never go to church or visit a priest, making a donation or going to a confessional booth. It's not about control, it's about guidance finding a greater meaning and understanding of the universe and humanity. Look at the whole #metoo thing with Hollywood and a bunch of celebrities caught for the same thing, the only correlation is power.
Corruption and power being abused which can and does happen in all social hierarchies (which religions don't even necessarily have to be hierarchies, most of the leading religions do not require anything of its followers beyond abiding by its core tenets.)
If you break a core tenet, there is no punishment generally, just a hope that you will confess and make an effort to reform that behaviour.
The issue of dogmatism isn't even an issue that plagues only religious groups (doesn't really factor into Christianity/Buddhism etc.), but also businesses and some scientific groups.
Btw science has been used to commit and justify some of the most horrific acts in history, but also been a force for good and truth, just as some religions have in the past.
I wouldn't ever say to ignore science either, but it can become dogmatic and be misapplied just as religious views can.
Cults are predatory. They are purely about control, manipulation and power. Religions don't do this, they preach a message which is generally powerful and positive, otherwise these longstanding religions wouldn't have stood the test of time and been components of very successful cultures.
@@lukecarroll9823 I agree with most of that for sure. I just dont think the distinction is that large. I get the predatory nature, but because cults are less main stream and low profile I cant say there all or even most are predatory, upon doing a deep dive I've seen some that aren't predatory at all. It may just be the ones we know of because they made the news. Personally after meeting some people that were in a cult I can say with confidence that they must not all be predatory. Also in my experience I have seen predatory churches often. Buddhism and Taoism are free of that but other religions establish hierarchy, often require offerings, (tides) which like you said can always end up being corrupt.
@@montiz333 Be careful, but if you ask me it's only a cult if it is controlling and predatory.
Could be you are considering small religious groups to be cults. Regardless I would always advise caution with groups like this until you know what you're dealing with.
If they have a powerful leader that you have to bow to, red-flag.
If they encourage group retreats and get-aways, red-flag.
If they encourage detaching/avoidance of friends and loved ones, red-flag.
If they ask for personal information, secrets, fears or insecurities big red-flag.
Never underestimate the ability for a group or individual to manipulate and control you, especially when you are new to the group.
They can employ all sorts of powerful social manipulation tactics that can slowly wear you down and convince you of things you would never believe you could be convinced of man.
Like its one of those things it's easy to think "that only happens to other people, I'm mentally strong and sure of myself".
They can take their time before they introduce you to the next layer of bullshit, whenever they think you're ready or simply wait until something in your life leaves you vulnerable.
Let us never forget a man who was seen by his followers as a messenger of gods truth. A man who's followers believed he performed miracles, who's followers would live for him, die for him and even kill for this small long haired bearded man...
...but enough about Charles Manson...
What is the difference between a religion and a cult?
About 1000 years.
I am so glad that I engage in reality instead of magic.
In religion, theres freedom to believe, in a cult, 'you MUST' believe...
@Bang Bang Tan! ...beg to differ on what?
As a free thinker, it's funny watching religious people arguing with each other.
Francesca’s body language next to a raelian vs a branch davidian is very telling
I laugh at the guy in the beginning because he is so wrong...but why other religious people laugh at him is outragerous....their believes are just as wicked...
If you laughed in the beginning because he is so wrong, and you say why other religious people laugh at him is outragerous. That their belief are just as wicked.. Well if others belief are outragerous because it doesn´t suit you does not mean that is not right... It just says that you can´t put trust in the LORD, and that´s maybe because you can´t trust others either.. So all in all you have problems you need to fix yourself first, and the first thing that could help is putting trust in the LORD..
Lord Gærneheia
*Translation:* If you're having problems trusting people who try to get you to believe in ridiculous fairy tales, then perhaps you should solve your problems by believing in my ridiculous fairy tale. _It's OK, you can trust me._
cc: Boxingisthebomb
Matt Fitt
You disputes and faces, but you look in a direction where you see visions ...
Lord Gærneheia
An unintelligible answer? _I'm so surprised_.
[/sarcasm]
Matt Fitt You should get what is the truth before you talk big like you know more since you try to convince me... For an unintelligent person is the one who have accepted that its okey to lie when needed... Players do that. Are you a player around the ladies ? Most men think they are with the ladies, but when the BIG GUN comes they scream like little girls...
Are you trying to tell me sexual abuse did not happen in WACO?
I did not say that.
WTF?
That Branch Davidian is in denial
This whole debate could have been solved by simply defining the terms. What _is_ a cult? What _is_ a religion? If there is sufficient overlap, one must consider the possibility that, when personal biases are removed, they may be one and the same.
I’m only 4 minutes in and the first guy who believes we are cloned across the galaxy already has a more plausible hypothesis than any religion I’ve ever heard of.
9:22 This man is describing, exactly, the history of the Christian church.
Here's my take on cults. If there was/is a supreme being, then why would a PERFECT being send a message to an IMPERFECT human? They wouldn't. They would want the message to be clear.
Steven D that doesnt make sense.
The guy who runs that philosophy podcast is Stefan Molyneux Just incase anyone is interested.
I'd like to see what the mother thinks "turned her son" as she says because I've watched quite a lot of Stefan's videos and the guy has a daughter and mostly talks about not hitting children and things like the non-aggression principle. Or even what she means by "inner circle" because as far as I can see it's Stefan and an American guy and one other guy who does editing. I haven't ever seen a call to leave a family or worship him...?
Cults: I know EXACTLY what happens when you die and I know how life started.
Religions: I know EXACTLY what happens when you die and I know how life started.
Agnostic/Atheist: Not sure, but we're open-minded and working on it.
I have heard about Raelians just now from this video and that is a laughably absurd belief. I can't believe groups like this seriously exist.
I can't add to the great satire below, so I'll post a more serious comment. Francesca comes close when she says that size is what separates cult from religion, but I think a more appropriate term would be _proximity_. If Christ returned today his preaching would be considered the ramblings of a mad man and his following would without question be considered a cult. In a supposedly holy book, those same messages are able to penetrate our BS detectors more freely.
This also rebuts the religious claim that cults are about the leader and religion about spirituality or divinity. Of course that's the case when the leader of every religion is long dead! If Muhammed or Jesus were to return tomorrow, then the focus would naturally return to the physical person.
Even taking it to the extreme, while there have been tragic endings to cults and their members, a common apologetic proof is "die for a lie", so religions have that in common as well. It just appears noble rather than tragic in the hazy distance of time.
Stavrakopoulou seems the most logical to me.
A "relationship with GOD is just relationship with your MIND", nothing more
That is a lie.
it's a shame that Francesca can't speak with out someone talking over her immediately. I think it's because they're scared of how much she understands and what she has to say.
No she really doesn’t.
@@AnonymousC-lm6tc Doesn't what?
'A sheep and a shepherd', shepherds look after their flock while fleecing them time after time before finally having them slaughtered.
In a cult there is one person at the top who knows it is a scam.
In a religion, that person is dead.
All religions started off as cults. - face palm -
But it's true ...
You are right. It always starts with a guru or prophet, then it become an institution, and after an established religion.
A Prophet tells you to worship God, not himself.
KING OF THE WORLD
But as Gawd is imaginary, in the end it equals worshiping the prophet.
Those tax-money, tithes, donations, sacrifices all end up in the conman's pocket - because gawd doesn't exist!
gagnashdiak x Where in the bible or Quran does it say that they gave the Prophets money of some sort? And their was no atheists at that time. If you diden't know, Smh. And if a Prophet tells to do not worship a man , how can he be saying worship me.
LOL
The woman at 53:00 is talking about Stefan Molyneux.
That was exactly my thought too. It's hard to believe that her son cut off all communication with his family because of the podcast.
Ibu Gama He was a vegan or still is and one of Tom's biggest problems with the family was his Dad. Tom accuses his Dad of animal abuse.
the truth about stefan's cult series. can't wait for that podcast. lol
I was thinking that but wasn't sure
This is like a Monty Python sketch!😂
The difference between most cults and religion is that cults generally psychology manipulate adults and religion gets them while they are young before they can think for themselves.
"a religion and a cult; the main difference is size" 16:07 ... so true!!
It's an interesting question. One of my friends had the best responses I've ever heard: "The difference between a religion and a cult is how they let people leave the organization. If they don't let people leave the Order without trying to destroy that person, they're a cult."
Amish people make it pretty bad if you decide to leave. Banished from the community and no contact with your family
a cult is what the big congregation calls the small congregation
The lady at 52:00 is definitely talking about Stefan Molyneux.
This debate was thoroughly intellectually stimulating.
Francesca is amazing!
They pretty much spent the time bashing cults...
Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with them, but they almost tried to make religions look ok when religions the ones that do pretty much the same stuff on an absolutely huge scale (all those sex scandals with catholic priests, instilling dangerous beliefs like in parts of islam that can drive people into becoming suicide bombers)
These shows are so fascinating
When you’re laughing at the stupidity of another cult … now you know how we feel when you talk about your religion.
“Your cult is terrible! It brainwashes! But my cult doesn’t. We’re just spreading the word and trying to bring our children up well”.
The difference is just the words used. They’re the same.