What is one sign of a religious cult?

Answer 1

Not perfectly sure I understand the question, but if it's something like, "What makes a movement a cult?" here's my answer:

In some ways, one man's "cult" is another's "Holy Faith," but these traits distinguish a cult in the bad sense:

* It discourages questioning, insisting on blind obedience

* It fosters a dual morality: the same things (lying, stealing, murder) are bad if done to fellow cultists but often good if done to unbelievers

* A few people at the top get very rich, even while many suffer

* It puts a lot of resources into internal policing; spying on members to see if they're "true believers," punishing them if they seem insufficiently sincere

* It expresses a "siege mentality": all the evil people are plotting against us; every bad thing that happens is the result of our enemies' treachery...