Sooooooo
This is just another LDS bashing thread then?
My mistake,
I thought we were actually discussing cults. You know, paying attention to the OP? :rolleyes:
Hey, I’m not LDS either!
A little offtopic, but I have to share.
I was talking religion with someone and she asked what I was. I told her I was Unitarian. She asked for an explaination. I did the song and dance “non-creedal, some Christians, but some atheists as well, follow your own path, liberal faith and usually liberal politics, ladeeda…”
“Sounds like a cult to me.”
As a nitpick:
Charismatic leader being one of the signs of a cult.
I don’t see anyone thinking Mr. Hinkley is charismatic.
(I mean this a a nice way, I am sure he is nice, but he’s not, say, the life of the party which is what some eman by "charismatic>’
Okay, Monty?
aw, thanks Monty :o
not going to any church right now, I believe a christian is one who has a faith in God and acts accordingly.
Cults are such as Heavens Gate.
Yes, Monty does have a temper.
So do most of us(but don’t even think of crossing manhatten…)
We love him anyways; maybe you will too, eventually.
Angelslantern; Monty was flipping out because of you “testing” his religion.
You were simply attacking it.
Theres a difference between asking questions about perceived errancies and stating you already know there are.;j
Non dues paying member of the MontyFanClub
That should be Monty was NOT flipping out.
See? I cant even type write!
You kiddin’? There was NO activity aside from a bunch of country bumpkins mumbling “That Joe kid’s gone off his rocker again!”
I’m starting to think that your entire impression of the Mormon church came entirely from the movie Starship Troopers…
As has been mentioned, I am not LDS. I was raised in it, but I left it when I realized that I didn’t believe in its teachings.
However, that doesn’t mean that I am going to be dishonest about it.
Four LDS posters out of maybe fifteen or twenty does not equal 99.9%.
Only using really strict, anal, non-contemporary definitions of the word “cult”, which would make all religions into “cults”. Since this definition is not helpful in differentiating a “religion” from a “cult”, it shouldn’t be used in such a strict manner.
Yeah, you can always listen to those in this thread that aren’t Mormon… strangely, they’re agreeing with those Mormons, but, ah well.
By all means, share some examples.
Here is a good working defintion of a cult from Operation Clambake ( http://www.xenu.net , a group dedicated to fighting a real cult, the Church of Scientology):
Sorry about the bad formatting. Anyway, LDS does not fit those five criteria (especially the first) and so is, by any nonbiased defintion, not a cult.
ITR Champion: I agree that number three of your list is very important. Cults are basically controlling organizations, and they take that control to extremes simply not found in other organizations.
Another useful tool for defining a “dangerous” cult: "The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame
On that same page, Msr. Bonewits notes:
(I have no idea why Msr. Bonewits put respectable in quotes, sorry.)
Hey, according some extremely hardcore Southern Baptist sects, I’m also a member of a cult: Roman Catholicism.
As weird as us Friday Fishers?
Think about it-EVERY religion has unusual practices. :rolleyes:
And no, Monty does not need to grow up. As long as I’ve known him, he’s been nothing but polite, eloquent and intelligent.
Not practiced by anyone besides the blah blah blah…
There are some practices that are only done by Catholics-does that make Catholicism a cult?
Some practices are only done by Orthodox Jews-does that make Orthodox Judaism a cult?
What about the Muslims? Hindus?
By your oh-so-broad definition, EVERY religion is a freakin’ cult!
:rolleyes:
(BTW, not that I use it, but guys, why does the World Book have such a bad rep?)
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not LDS. tomndebb is not LDS. Spoofe is not LDS.
:rolleyes:
DING DING DING!!! We have a WINNER!!!
Moderator’s Note: The reason there is a Pit in the first place is to confine the personal sniping to the Pit, and leave it out of Great Debates. If someone opens a Pit thread on you, the place to respond in kind, if you must, is in the Pit.
This thread is for a discussion of the definition and atttributes of a “cult”; focusing exclusively on Mormonism is something of a hijack, but a debate on the alleged cultishness or lack thereof of the LDS church is not totally out of line for this thread. Continued personal sniping, on the other hand, is NOT appropriate to this thread or this forum.
Clear? Good.