What is the difference between a religion and a cult?

Nothing In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings ("scriptures"), its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. Cult is literally the "care" owed to the god and the shrine. The term "cult" first appeared in English in 1617, derived from the French culte, meaning "worship" or "a particular form of worship" which in turn originated from the Latin word cultus meaning "care, cultivation, worship," originally "tended, cultivated," also the past participle of colere "to till".

Thus in French, for example, sections in newspapers giving the schedule of worship at Catholic churches are headed Culte Catholique; the section giving the schedule of protestant churches is headed culte réformé. By extension, "cult" has come to connote the total cultural aspects of a religion, as they are distinguished from others through change and individualization. Well-known global cults include Islam and Christianity.

The meaning "devotion to a person or thing" is from 1829, and from that connotation comes the modern meaning of "cult" as in a "cultist" or a "cult following". Cult and cultist have recently accrued negative connotations that are separately dealt with at the entry cult. In Roman Catholicism, cultus or cult is the technical term for the following and devotion or veneration extended to a particular saint.

Some Christians make refined distinctions between worship and veneration, both of which are outwardly expressed in cultus or cult and are indistinguishable to the observer. Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy distinguish between worship (Latin adoratio, Greek latreia? ) which is due to God alone, and veneration (Latin veneratio, Greek doulia?), which may be lawfully offered to the saints.

These private distinctions between deity and mediators are exhaustively treated at the entries for worship and veneration. Among the observances in the cult of a deity are rituals and ceremonies, which may involve spoken or sung prayers or hymns, and often sacrifice, or substitutes for sacrifice. Other manifestations of the cult of a deity are the preservation of relics or the creation of images, such as icons (usually connoting a flat painted image) or three-dimensional cultic images, denigrated as "idols", and the specification of sacred places, hilltops and mountains, fissures and caves, springs, pools and groves, or even individual trees or stones, which may be the seat of an oracle or the venerated site of a vision, apparition, miracle or other occurrence commemorated or recreated in cult practices.

Sacred places may be identified and elaborated by construction of shrines and temples, on which are centered public attention at religious festivals (called "feasts" in some Christian communities) and which may become the center for pilgrimages. The comparative study of cult practice is part of the disciplines of the anthropology of religion and the sociology of religion, two aspects of comparative religion.In the context of many religious organisations themselves, the study of cultic or liturgical practises is called liturgiology. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_%28religious_practice%29 .

A religion is followed by millions, a cult by hundreds or possibly thousands. A religion is a belief structure that is institutionalized. Millions of people know it and follow it daily, weekly or as celebrations require (Muslims, Christians, Jews, Budhists, etc.) A cult is a group of believers in one persons' belief which is not widely accepted throughout a region or over time.

Both can be dangerous. Sources: Christian Education, Middle Eastern Studies .

To some extent, it's a matter of degree. In typical parlance, the difference between a 'cult' and a more benign religious group (fringe or otherwise) is that a cult uses systematic and pretty extreme level of psychological manipulation to make its members really dependent upon it and its leaders. Many religions and, in fact, many non-religious groups and individuals also use some level of psychological incentives, and such effects are part of everyday life (whether in the workplace or in advertising), so to some extent it's a matter of degree.

Fortunately, the degree is usually pretty obviously over-the-top for a cult. Cults tend to be extremely isolationist and "us versus them". While many religions will distinguish between members and nonmembers, most are capable of dealing with the existence of other religions and being friends with non-members, few will have their adherents go off to a little barbed-wire compound in the middle of nowhere, or tell its members that the rest of society is out to Get Them (trust no one, and be on the lookout for miniature black helicopters).

Cults tend to want control. While a typical religion will provide strictures against a number of things and provide guidelines on many others, the cult will want veto power on most of your secular life as well - you might need permission to get a new job, or move to a new home, or to start dating someone, and may demand other major life changes.

There are so many variables - As far as I'm concerned, we are all conditioned, but the difference is moral majority. I'm not being flippant in my answer, honestly. I've looked at both sides - there is criteria, even tax considerations, etc.Etc.

The bottom line to me is to Know Thyself and find the truth, at least in the United States, we as one nation have the ability to choose and the freedom to discover the difference. As people, if we are truly a democracy, we can answer from your own decision-making process and pursuit of happiness. My answer is neither pro-religion or pro-cult.It's simply my observation.

Sources: My personal observation Video :) .

A cult that gets about a hundred million people to join it becomes known as a religion.

Do you practice it?" "How many of you like Religion and why" (11 answers) "Your 'Change category' does not work. You put my 'computer' question into 'Religion & Spirituality.

Christians, explain, to the best of your ability, the difference between "religion.

How many of you like Religion and why" (11 answers).

Your 'Change category' does not work. You put my 'computer' question into 'Religion & Spirituality.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.