What is the difference between a cult and a religion?

Answer 1

Cults can occur inside of and outside a 'mainstream' religion (here I take it that the question is referring to the classical 'cults' whereby strong leaders have control over members of their group, rather than alternative definitions such as 'personality cults', or 'cults of devotion').

Three ideas seem essential to the concept of a cult.

1. Thinking in terms of us versus them with total alienation from "them."

2. The intense, though often subtle, indoctrination techniques used to recruit and hold members.

3. The charismatic cult leader. Cultism usually involves some sort of belief that outside the cult all is evil and threatening; inside the cult is the special path to salvation through the cult leader and his teachings.

The indoctrination techniques include:

Subjection to stress and fatigue;

Social disruption, isolation and pressure;

Self criticism and humiliation;

Fear, anxiety, and paranoia;

Control of information;

Escalating commitment;

Use of auto-hypnosis to induce "peak" experiences

Cults are absent of the betterment of the individual person but rather than leader only. Cults try to subvert the human will with total and complete obedience to the leader of a group or sect

Conclusion

The term 'cult' tends to be used as a term of abuse. As shown above, there are stringent guidelines for defining whether a body of people (whether religious, lifestyle orientated, political) are a cult or not. An example of of cult outside of 'mainstream' religion is David Koresh. Within 'mainstream' religion we have the cult around Chris Brain at the 'Nine o'clock service' in Sheffield, within the Anglican church.

Answer 2

Perhaps we can ask James the answer the first part of the question, he says " Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world"

Religion is the actual practice of revealed precepts. Religious people are doers of the word and not just hearers only.

Religious Traditions are the laws, regulations, beliefs, doctrines and practices which are handed down from one generation to another. Traditions are either true or false. If they are in accord with scriptures, they are true; if they are contrary to the written, revealed word, they are false.

Answer 3

Culture encompasses all parts of daily life such as clothing, food, religion, etc. while religion is part of culture. Basically, if a textbook or other source gives you information about other aspects of the people's lives, it is culture.

Answer 4

Cuture has to do with your lifestyle and religion is a more personal choice that YOU should make. Not any one else.