Posted by:
Ex-CultMember
(
)
Date: November 23, 2013 02:48PM
Depends on the definition of a cult. There are many definitions of cult and the term is used differently in different fields. The original and most basic definition of the word simply means "worship" or "a group of people who worship a deity." Its been expanded over the years to refer to a "deviant" type of group. Evangelical Christians often use the term to refer to religious groups, churches, or religions who's doctrines or practices which diverge from the "traditional" Christianity.
Others use the term to mean any group or organization, religious or not, which applies a manipulative, psychological system of extreme control over its members. This is the definition I use when referring to cults. A cult could be any size or age. It doesn't have to have "weird" beliefs or even be a religion. For example I consider the North Korean government a cult. Definitely Scientology.
And I definitely consider LDS Inc a cult, but I don't consider it to be the same DEGREE as the above. They employ VERY manipulative, psychological tactics to recruit, retain and control its members which most other "mainstream" churches do NOT employ. Here's a good checklist of this type of cult.
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm. I think LDS Inc. hits most of these points.
All religions, organizations or institutions fall on the cult spectrum SOMEWHERE and some fall on the extreme end. Jim Jones, Scientology, Al Quaeda, North Korea, Charles Manson, are on the extreme end. Most mainstream churches are on the other end. Mormonism is somewhere in the middle, but definitely on the side of the spectrum where I would classify them as a cult.