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.