What's the difference between a religion and a cult?

Answer 1

Religions have nicer buildings and costumes.

Answer 2

The cult is the mode of fulfillment of the precepts of the relgion: namely that approved by God, in this case Islam.

Answer 3

They are all cults, those that can collect enough money make it to prominent status; in other words, those that make it become known as religions, but are still cults.

Answer 4

Cults are defined as a great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work -a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious.

Cults align themselves with mainstream religions. Like a predatory animal that has evolved to resemble something commonplace and nonthreatening, these organizations understand that the more they appear to be a branch of a familiar institution, the more easily they'll be able lure new followers into the fold.

Cult representatives will likely direct you toward the cult's introductory courses or workshops, which will supposedly answer all your questions. "By the time you get through those, you don’t remember what your questions were, and you’ve been indoctrinated not to ask questions.  the "charismatic cult leader" — is a person or group of people who are so magnetic that they manipulate their followers into believing that they aren't just upholding a divine message but that they themselves are divine or they alone hold the only divine inspiration.Simply put, it's a red flag if the leader or organization claims to be the only one/s who can speak for a particular god or holy being amd hold that ONLY through them can the congregation accomplish the divine goals or even salvation.  Conventional religions don't constantly watch their followers to make sure they're following their tenets exactly — but cults absolutely do. followers will often be assigned a "monitor," who is simply a more seasoned member of the cult, who will watch their every move and report them to cult authorities if they break any rules. And those rules, can touch every part of someone's life, from how they dress to how they raise their children.

Cults undermine any type of fellowship followers may have with each other. Dr. Lalich explains that public confession and, subsequently, public shaming often play major roles in how cults function, as it guarantees total accountability and enforcement of its doctrine.

Religion- is a particular system of faith and worship.it is a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.

The word religion comes from the Latin word religare, which means “to bind.” It is related to the Latin word regula, which referred to a measuring stick, and is the root of our English word rule. A religion, therefore, is not merely a set of beliefs, but a set of beliefs that bind the believer. Religion imposes a kind of rule or regulation upon the believer’s life. 

If a religion is not ordered (organized) then it’s not really a religion at all, as it does not expect its practitioners to live according to any rule. Indeed, they can hardly be considered “practitioners” if there is nothing for them to practice. They are merely “believers” at that point; those whom we might call spiritual, but not religious.But being spiritual alone doesn’t make any demands on us. It is when our spiritual beliefs motivate us to live in a certain way that spirituality becomes religious.

Religion and Cults are similar - both bind and restrict according to the demands of the leaders of the organizations. Both adhere to rules and rituals that must be accomplished in order to attain "salvation" or "the end goals", "heaven", "favor" etc. Both can believe they are the "only" way. 

 Both are about human attempts to make our lives right with God or organization in question, through our good works, sacrifices, rituals, and money

Religion however does not force, or cajole its congregation into believing or doing works, adhering to rules , it "admonishes" and "suggests" adhering to the beliefs but never forces the behaviors. Cults "brainwash", Religions "indoctrinate". 

-Neither is the ideal system God desires. 

A relationship with God will never be found in ANY religion, because religions only offer swimming lessons to people drowning in the sea of sin. And it doesn’t matter how sincere or devout you are in your religious faith and practice, because the sea of sin is eternally immense. The only hope for men and women drowning in the sea of sin is Jesus Christ. God entered human history in the person of Jesus Christ; he dove into the sea of sin in order to save desperate and drowning people. If you’ll allow him to take you there, he’ll hold you in his loving arms and bring you safely to shore. And after arriving safely to shore, then your swimming lessons begin, so that you can go back and rescue others!

Answer 5

It’s the difference between Protestantism and Catholicism, for example 

Answer 6

Nothing really. The definition of "cult" is "a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object", and all religions fit that definition. It isn't a dirty word.

Answer 7

the size- religions are generally bigger

Answer 8

 

Definition of cult 

 

 

 

 

1 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious (see spurious sense 2)  

also : its body of adherents   

//the voodoo cult 

 

//a satanic cult 

 

 

2a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book)  

//criticizing how the media promotes the cult of celebrity 

  

especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad 

 

b : the object of such devotion 

 

c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion  

//the singer's cult of fans 

 

//The film has a cult following. 

 

 

3 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual  

also : its body of adherents   

//the cult of Apollo  

 

 

4 : formal religious veneration : worship 

 

 

5 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator 

Answer 9

Numbers of followers

Answer 10

You can have cults that are not religious.

Not all religions are cults.

A cult is generally accepted as a group that is tightly controlled by its leaders, to recruit and grow membership and/or to claim that they alone have the truth. Cult leaders exercise various recognized control techniques, such as limiting the information members get about the leaders, getting members to be so devoted to the group they have little time for non-members or activities outside the group. They keep up a sense of urgency and imminent disaster or persecution if the members don't follow instructions. And so on.