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From: hedrick@topaz.ARPA (Chuck Hedrick)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.religion,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: MHCS results
Message-ID: <438@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 30-Jan-85 00:58:26 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.438
Posted: Wed Jan 30 00:58:26 1985
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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I'm not sure that this discussion of "cult" is accomplishing anything.
However let me say that it is often used as a quasi-technical term.  The
intent is not to cover anyone that disagrees, or anyone who is not
Christian.  Rather it is intended to characterize a certain class of
religious movements that seem to share a number of similar tendencies:

  - rejection of the rest of the Church as substandard or even non-Christian
  - their own private revelation.  I don't mean to include anybody who
	has new ideas about theology, even ones I think are misguided.
	I am talking about people who have angels descend to their founder
	and reveal that the human race is a large turnip.
  - a "personality cult" centered around their founder or some other
	high officials
  - high-pressure recruitment tactics, often involving classical
	brainwashing techniques

The term is normally used these days to characterize current movements.  The
early Mormons certainly fit several of the criteria (certainly 1 and 2,
probably also 3).  Today's Mormon church is much less subject to the
definition.  Using the term of them is sort of marginal, though I guess I
would be willing to do so.  Knowing the sort of fine people that the Mormon
church seems to collect as members, I really hate to group them with the
Moonies (or with what the Moonies are claimed to be - I claim no direct
knowlege).