# Difference between a church and a cult

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-church-and-a-cult/728783>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 25, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-church-and-a-cult/728783 "2015-08-25T00:02:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-a-church-and-a-cult/728783/61 "2016-08-25T15:44:51Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> About synagogues asking for (or requiring?) “membership dues”

Old Borscht Belt joke incoming:

An elderly Jewish couple were on a cruise, and the cruise ship sank. Somehow, they managed to get themselves to a deserted island. The couple looked around, no one else had made it to the island, and they were in the middle of nowhere.

They sat down in despair, and the man turned to his wife: “Dear, tell me, I know the synagogue dues were due last month, did you pay them?” His wife answers: “I’m so sorry, in the excitement of packing and getting ready, I completely forgot!” The man laughs and gives his wife a hug. “Why are you so happy?” asks his wife. “Don’t worry,” says the man, “they’ll find us.”

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