is religion a cult?

[Anonymous]

is anybody here religious? were you born into a religious family? do you practice religion now? if so, which one?

the more i get involved with religion the more it reminds me of programs and I am wondering now if religion is just another cult.

any input appreciated, thanks.

[Fr. Cassian]

is anybody here religious?

Yes, I am.

Naysayers like you shall suffer the eternal fires of hell.

[psy]

Is religion a cult?  No.  But there are religious cults.

[dishdutyfugitive]

I'm not in the mood to split hairs or debate semantics but,

I think as a whole, religion is as detrimental as a cult.

If there is a god, we as humans have completely fucked up the entire concept of god.

[Che Gookin]

Would you care to back your assertion with supported qualifiers or shall we just fill in the blanks with the following:

1) Yawn.
2) crusades.. again.
3) getting up early on sunday blows
4) Look at all the people killed in the name of religion  fundamentalism aka politics and ignore all the people helped via religious charities.

I can already tell I'm opening this up to an emotionally loaded rant so fire away.

[Anonymous]

The goodness quotient of religion has nothing to do with whether it’s a cult or not. NO, ITS NOT A CULT. There are religious cults, though. (scientology)

It’s important for the definition of cults to be accurate. We can’t just attach that word to anything that is persuasive and strange, because that keeps the public at ignorant about what cults are, the damage they do, and that people need to be protected from them.

Would you care to back your assertion with supported qualifiers or shall we just fill in the blanks with the following:

1) Yawn.
2) crusades.. again.
3) getting up early on sunday blows
4) Look at all the people killed in the name of religion  fundamentalism aka politics and ignore all the people helped via religious charities.

I can already tell I'm opening this up to an emotionally loaded rant so fire away.

[Anonymous]

Religion is like any other vice. Its fine in moderation

[Che Gookin]

The goodness quotient of religion has nothing to do with whether it’s a cult or not. NO, ITS NOT A CULT. There are religious cults, though. (scientology)

It’s important for the definition of cults to be accurate. We can’t just attach that word to anything that is persuasive and strange, because that keeps the public at ignorant about what cults are, the damage they do, and that people need to be protected from them.

Would you care to back your assertion with supported qualifiers or shall we just fill in the blanks with the following:

1) Yawn.
2) crusades.. again.
3) getting up early on sunday blows
4) Look at all the people killed in the name of religion  fundamentalism aka politics and ignore all the people helped via religious charities.

I can already tell I'm opening this up to an emotionally loaded rant so fire away.

I think you missed my point. I wasn't addressing anything regarding the statement of cults and religion. I was addressing dish's blanket statement that religion has done far more harm than good. This new age hipster trend of cashing in on the counter-culture swing of pooh poohing religion or anything that stinks of traditionalism sans qualifiers gets old. I for once would love to see a well supported argument for this assertion that religion has done more harm than good rather than the usual slew of piss weak popular chants.

Anymore this entire counter-culture populist movement is sounding all to much like doubleplus good newspeak.

[Che Gookin]

The goodness quotient of religion has nothing to do with whether it’s a cult or not. NO, ITS NOT A CULT. There are religious cults, though. (scientology)

It’s important for the definition of cults to be accurate. We can’t just attach that word to anything that is persuasive and strange, because that keeps the public at ignorant about what cults are, the damage they do, and that people need to be protected from them.

Would you care to back your assertion with supported qualifiers or shall we just fill in the blanks with the following:

1) Yawn.
2) crusades.. again.
3) getting up early on sunday blows
4) Look at all the people killed in the name of religion  fundamentalism aka politics and ignore all the people helped via religious charities.

I can already tell I'm opening this up to an emotionally loaded rant so fire away.

I think you missed my point. I wasn't addressing anything regarding the statement of cults and religion. I was addressing dish's blanket statement that religion has done far more harm than good. This new age hipster trend of cashing in on the counter-culture swing of pooh poohing religion or anything that stinks of traditionalism sans qualifiers gets old. I for once would love to see a well supported argument for this assertion that religion has done more harm than good rather than the usual slew of piss weak popular chants.

Anymore this entire counter-culture populist movement is sounding all to much like doubleplus good newspeak.

[Anonymous]

Hell yes religions are cults!  They just have to dupe enough people to get legally recognized as religions, and then they put on the vail of legitimace, over their magical thinking insanity and the havoc it spreads in the world.   This havoc is ongoing and continuous and behind most if not all of the child torture groups that formed the basis of this site.

paraphrase of Richard Dawkins plus Daniel Lazare- 'All religions at best are false and dangerous, even the gentlest religion winds up being violent and tyrannical.'

The insane puritanical behavior of America's early witch burners/hangers hasn't died unfortunatly it still thrives, tortures, creates miscarrages of justice, spreads missinformation, sabatages science of all kinds, including mental and physical health care,  and murders.  The specific instances of this are so numerous I won't but point to a few sources to look.  Unfortunately those who 'believe' won't look as they've been taught not to look or, think for themselves and find rationialzations to justify or excuse the insanity and harm done.

http://www.churchofreality.org/wisdom/cults/  a kind of anti-religion site taking advantage of church tax dodge

http://www.churchofvirus.org/lexicon_4.html  another explaining how religion works or ideas in general can spread like viruses, fortunately religion mostly spreads from parent to child and not so much to others unless they are in weaked desparate situations.

http://www.seesharppress.com/20reasons.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjZ-lSn0A3M

The list of links could go on and on  to educate about the harm caused while putting up piddly efforts of aid for people to convert more and keep (religion/large orgainized cults), alive, for those who's minds are not conditioned by missinformation and mytheducation to dismiss.  Look around knowledge may make us free if religious 'knowledge'/magical thinking myth doesn't kill us first.

http://richarddawkins.net/newsletter

http://www.americanhumanist.org/humanis ... _views.php

~Down

[Froderik]

I'm into Buddhism.

[dishdutyfugitive]

I am into:

- witch hunts...... fucking-a witch hunts are a real hoot.

- collegiate football halftime prayer sessions resulting in victory because the coach yells hard enough at players to pray with the appropriate zest.

- magical thinking / storytelling

- 80 year old popes wearing  white sheets (wait, where is his hood?) and dorthy's, wizard of OZ, red sparkly shoes

[Froderik]

Daggers and contacts and bright shiny limos
I've got a watch that turns into a lifeboat
Glimmering nightgowns and poisonous cobras
Silencer under the heel of my shoe

[dishdutyfugitive]

is ressurection a cure to life?