Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!amdcad!fortune!polard From: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: cults Message-ID: <4985@fortune.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Feb-85 17:45:13 EST Article-I.D.: fortune.4985 Posted: Thu Feb 7 17:45:13 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Feb-85 09:47:00 EST References: <647@ecsvax.UUCP> Reply-To: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry polard) Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 21 Summary: In article <647@ecsvax.UUCP> hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer) writes: >I heard an authority on cults/brainwashing/deprogramming speak >recently. The main way he distinguished between a cult and an >ordinary religious group was that a cult has a living (or recently >deceased) leader whose word over-rides all else. If his word overrides all else, it sounds like a cult to me! :-) According to the above definition, the Roman Catholic church is a cult, and teachers, corporate officers, government heads, etc. might be considered cult leaders... Perhaps the main distinction between a religion and a cult is that the person who uses the term "cult" disagrees with the organization he or she applies the term to. -- Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.) {ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions of me, my employer, or any AI project.