# re: Churches versus Cults

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-churches-versus-cults/121094>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 27, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-churches-versus-cults/121094 "2002-07-27T07:20:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mvsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@mvsmith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mvsmith)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-churches-versus-cults/121094/1 "2002-07-27T07:20:27Z")

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Thought I’d add my .02…heard somewhere the following minor amusement…“What’s the difference between a cult and a church?”  
“50 years.”

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-churches-versus-cults/121094/2 "2002-07-27T23:43:33Z")

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And the link to the Staff Report is: [What’s the difference between a church and a cult?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcult.html)

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-churches-versus-cults/121094/3 "2002-07-27T23:47:07Z")

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And there was some earlier discussion on the message boards, namely [Church vs Cult](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=1663)