Posted by:
Human
(
)
Date: January 06, 2012 06:22PM
RfMer Baura wrote something excellent on this a while ago:
The word "cult" has different meanings in the dictionary and different shades of meaning within those meanings.
However, back when I was a TBM I took a sociology class in which the sociological definition of "cult" was given. As the teacher gave the characteristics of a "cult" I mentally noticed that every one of them fit Mormonism. That was OK by me because, hey, we were THE ONE-AND-ONLY TRUE CHURCH. That's what I'd expect the OAOTC to be like.
Much later in life I was a member of a choir at a Presbyterian Church. I sat through three years of services, announcements and sermons.
Never once did I hear of anyone being interviewed and pronounced "worthy."
Never once did I hear of the names of the leaders of the Presbyterian Church.
Never once did I hear anyone being exhorted to be obedient to any church leaders.
Never once did I hear that the Presbytarian Church was the one true church. In fact I heard announcements for religious happenings in other, non-Presbyterian churches.
Never once did I hear about needing a special "recomend" to be part of any worship service.
Never once did I hear about anyone being expected to spend two years as a full-time recruiter for the Presbyterian church.
Marriages in the Church were conducted in the chapel and the doors were open for anyone to attend.
The annual membership meeting gave a financial breakdown for the previous year.
It was then that I really understood how Mormonism was a cult and the Presbyterian church was not.
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,372479,372767#msg-372767