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Rightfully, a question with this title belongs in the religion board, or perhaps the psychology board. However, recent dialogue between Huckabee and Romney have brought this issue to the forefront.
Romney's people have questioned Huckabee as to whether Huckabee believes that Mormonism is a cult. Huckabee has refused to answer the question, saying instead something along the lines of not wanting to speak about other people's religions, only his own. The Romney people are accusing Huckabee of calling Mormonism a cult and are decrying his refusal to answer the question.
So, since this topic is now a front-page political issue, it belongs here.
My questions:
1) What is your definition of a cult?
2) Does Mormonism fit that definition?
Here's my definition of a cult:
A Cult is a pseudo-religious organization that has a living leader who is worshipped either as a deity or the representative of that deity. In order to qualify as a cult, the organization or leader must control all aspects of the daily lives of the followers, to the point of punishing (physically or emotionally) those members who do not submit to that control. Also a cult demands that its members give up all worldly wealth to the organization, with that wealth accruing to the leader of the organization.
Based on this definition of cult, Mormonism does NOT fit the bill. It does not have any specific single leader figure, but rather an organized clergy. It's members, while choosing to submit to a highly regulated set of laws, are free to leave the fold and are not punished by the leadership for transgressions. And while donations to the church are welcome, wealth remains the property of the members. Therefore, Mormonism does not fall into the category of "cult".
Contrast that with the Branch Davidians of Waco, TX. In that organization, David Koresh was an absolute leader, revered as a Messiah figure, a representative of G-d on Earth. He set up a situation wherein he became the sole object of procreation... all married women had to disolve their marriages and women could have sex only with him. He also had sex with several minors with whom Koresh claimed to have fathered children. When Childrens' Protective Services tried to investigate these charges, they found that the women and children wee being prevented from speaking to them. Koresh was in control of their lives. And anyone who wanted to leave the fold had to give up everything they owned... which is the same thing as saying that the organization owned everything they had. The Branch Davidians of Waco, Tx do fall into the category of cult.
What is your opinion on how to define what a cult is, and whether Mormonism is a cult?
Mormonism I define as a cult because they came up with many gods and you will be a god.....by only one man's vision and no other religious teachings can back it up.
I define a cult as one that deviates way off course with A person coming up with something totally different and the followers are influenced by the leaders to avoid all 'outside' beliefs.
Often the followers are following the leader as a god. Their leader/s may claim a special, exclusive ministry, revelation or position of authority given by God.
some of the more radical cults use intimidation or psychological manipulation to keep members loyal to them.
dissent or questioning of the group's teachings is discouraged and shunned.
They adopt a "groupness" mentality. They are not permitted to think for themselves apart from the group and only accept what they are told.
Relationships with friends, relatives, spouses, children, parents etc are broken or seriously hampered.
I heard Jim Jones and Waco started out as a solid Christian church until he got into cult teachings.
edit addition: as I said on Tomder's reply his religion should not be a point of political issue; but rather his values!
Any US public office candidates: When Quizzed About Your Religion Please say:
"Thankfully, the Founding Fathers of the United States of America forever resolved this and engraved the answer into the Constitution. It's in Article VI which in part reads: 'no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.' That, my fellow American, is my answer too."
Given that ‘definitions’ exist only in particular “contexts’” and it seems to me that politically, only a secular context is applicable on this board, and being so Chickadee is right in refusing; otherwise he would politically destroy himself.
SECULAR DEFINITION
CULT - From the Latin "cultis" which denotes all that is
Involved in worship, ritual, emotion, liturgy and attitude.
This definition actually denotes what we call denominations
and sects and would make all religious movements a cult.
Whatever issue may come before me as President--on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling or any other subject--I will make my decision in accordance with these views, in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates. And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise.
I would advise Romney to make it general and specifically to the issue that his faith is in line with the national values and that his church will NOT be making his decisions for him once he is President. He would not be well served in getting into specifics about Mormonism except to emphasis that they follow Jesus.
I would advise Romney to make it general and specifically to the issue that his faith is in line with the national values and that his church will NOT be making his decisions for him once he is President. He would not be well served in getting into specifics about Mormonism except to emphasis that they follow Jesus.
Tom… “Earlier Tuesday in Newton, Iowa, Huckabee wouldn't say whether he thought Mormonism _ rival Romney's religion _ was a cult.”
"I'm just not going to go off into evaluating other people's doctrines and faiths. I think that is absolutely not a role for a president," the former Arkansas governor said.
While he said he respects "anybody who practices his faith," Huckabee said that what other people believe _ he named Republican rivals Romney, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton _ "is theirs to explain, not mine, and I'm not going to."
In my opinion he took the high road with this answer.
For months, Romney held wide leads in polls in the state, but he also has faced skepticism about his religion. The former Massachusetts governor plans to address his faith in a major speech Thursday in Texas.
I suppose Thursday we will find out; but it is my guess he will flop, or fizzle.
Elliot, I can only imagine the responses on that other board, lol. One minor correction though, the LDS church does have a central leader, the President of the church who is "prophet, seer, and revelator—the only person on the earth who receives revelation to guide the entire Church."
Add that to the fact they believe in an alleged Great Apostasy during which "The doctrines of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost became distorted or forgotten." Mix in their belief that Joseph Smith restored the gospel and the priesthood, use as an extra-biblical book allegedly translated from golden plates written in "reformed Egyptian" detailing Christ's appearance in the Americas at completely unknown geographical locations as the primary source of their faith, and I'd say you have a cult - in light of their claim of being a (actually, THE) Christian church.
However, as I've said before Mitt's Mormon faith is - or should be - irrelevant in the presidential race as far as his qualifications for the job. I'm not concerned with his Mormonism in this race, I care about whether or not he would be the best man for the job.
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