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Originally Posted by adam
As far as I can tell, "cult" is mostly just a pejorative term for someone else's beliefs... do you have a more specific definition in mind?
I don't think anything is wrong with polygamy/polyandry/etc., provided the individuals involved are consenting adults. The problem with the "Mormon" cases is that not all the individuals are consenting adults.
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Well, technically, most religions are cults or have cult-like behavior. I wouldn't say it's any more insulting to call them that than it is to try and force their beliefs on everyone who doesn't believe.
Anything where a mass of people get together and believe a common thing, no matter how WACKY it is, to me, is a cult.
Scientologists? Cult. Someone might have this belief, but that's no different than me believing that Santa Claus created this world when he fought a 10 headed dragon. It's silly.
Christianity? You bet. It's just common, so we think nothing of it. Eating the body of christ? Drinking his blood? Whaaaaaaat the hell is wrong with people? People getting eaten by whales and spat out later. Silly when ya think about it.
Mormons? Well, yes, because we know it was created by a guy in the 1920's - it wasn't "handed down by gods" or whatever people claim created it. Think David Koresh. Why do people follow a religion they know was created by a person? (Just like scientologists). That'd be like Gene Roddenberry trying to form a religion based on Star Trek.
The fundamental values aren't bad in pratice, because, for the most part, it's "love your neighbor" type stuff, which is fine, but anything beyond that needs to be suppressed. For example, take a look at Utah and their alcohol laws. Ridiculous and pointless! It doesn't stop there, there's tons of laws that they have that try to impose pointless moral values upon others. It's obnoxious.
Stuff like that, to me, is cultish.