Comment by Joshua McGee on May 19, 2012 at 9:10pm

Max Weinreich described a language as "a dialect with an army".  Borrowing his logic, a religion could be taken to be "a cult with an army".

So, I would argue: Christianity is both cult and religion.

Comment by Terence Vermont on May 19, 2012 at 9:12pm

Hmm ok good point nvr thought about it like that

Comment by diggerbanks on May 20, 2012 at 5:57am

Semantics would say it is insofar as it is a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object. However, the fact that it is mainstream means that it has outgrown its cult status.

Semantics aside, christianity like everything else that some of us belong to and others don't is just another gang. Atheism too is a gang (although were it not for the label atheist I would see it as an absence of gang-membership).

Cult, gang, religion whatever... Belonging is important, continuity is important, emotional security is important, fellowship is important, and christianity provides all of these very effectively (unlike atheism).

ps When stacked up against those things that are important, truth is irrelevant.

Comment by kOrsan on May 20, 2012 at 5:59am

Truth is only irrelevant to the fools. Atheists choose truth over comfort. And yeah every religion is a cult. They just don't like to call it by what it is.

Comment by diggerbanks on May 20, 2012 at 6:08am

cult |kəlt| noun 

a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object : the cult of St. Olaf.

• a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister : a network of Satan-worshiping cults.

• a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing : a cult of personality surrounding the leaders.

• [usu. as adj. ] a person or thing that is popular or fashionable, esp. among a particular section of society : a cult film.

Christianity is not a cult (by definition) because it is mainstream.

Comment by kOrsan on May 20, 2012 at 6:12am

Religion is just a cult on the bigger scale.

• a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.

• a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing : a cult of personality surrounding the leaders.

• a person or thing that is popular or fashionable, esp. among a particular section of society.

All three are true for any religion, except the small part. Makes it all the more bad.

Comment by diggerbanks on May 20, 2012 at 6:22am

It's just down to semantics and I don't disagree with you. Prefer the term "gang" myself. : )

Comment by Terence Vermont on May 20, 2012 at 12:32pm

The word Cult is just what the biggers ones call the smaller ones, they r all the same i think.

Comment by matt.clerke on May 21, 2012 at 7:37pm

Before reading other responses I thought I would check out the dictionary:

cult (plural cults)

1. A group of people with a religious, philosophical or culturalidentity sometimes viewed as a sect, often existing on the margins of society or exploitative towards its members.
2. Devotion to a saint.

Allow me to paraphrase to make it more relevent:

A group of people with a religious identity, often exploitative to its members.

Sounds like Christianity to a tee. (Pun not intended but left intact for the lols)

Comment by matt.clerke on May 21, 2012 at 7:41pm

Korsan, I would argue with you about the "small" thing... Notice your definition actually says relatively small... To my knowledge, christianity is about 1/3rd of the global population.... relatively smaller than the rest of us, imo.

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