The Catholic church is definitely not a cult.

I forget whose idea this is. It's not mine. But it's true, and I'm paraphrasing:
"The difference between a cult and a religion is real estate holdings."
In the end, who's to decide if something is a cult or a religion?

why?

<font color=lime>O,boy. I wonder how long this thread will survive. There is a moratorium on "religous" threads. :rolleyes: </font>

why? </font>[/QUOTE]I believe Illumina answered that :/

So if a cult purchases land in its own name it becomes a religion?

Ok I can't guarentee it's 100% accuracy, but I've heard the term cult defined as any group (typically religious in nature) that requires you to give all your "worldy possessions" (that is basically everything you own at the time) to the organisation. You then move to their little commune where they have cut yourself off from all outside influences, no contact with the outside world. At which point they begin to completely brainwash you into their organization.

Not true in all cases, but for the most part it's fairly accurate. Just out of curiosity does anyone have a dictionary definition of the term cult?

"Cult" is a very flexible term. In the end, popular usage holds more sway over its definition rather than its technical meaning. Last semester, my thesis for my term paper was, "Wal-Mart is a cult."
I aced it. I cited reasons to back me up.
I also saved the paper, and my research, in this lovely folder, so I can tell you what a cult is right now:
According to the Cult Information Centre (CIC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting cults and increasing knowledge of what cults are and how to fight them, "Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following characteristics:
1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate, and retain its members
2. It forms an elitist, totalitarian society
3. Its founder/leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, [unaccountable] and has charisma.
4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds [and] recruit people.
5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society."

So is the Catholic Church a cult? As amusing as the thought might be, according to the CIC it isn't, due to reasons 3 and 4... The Pope is appointed, yes? And the Catholic Church isn't aggressive when it comes to donation time. People who've been to church might disagree with me, but it's really not that terrible.
So, in conclusion, the Catholic Church is not a cult. And I'm not Catholic, either, so don't accuse me of my own beliefs blinding me to the matter.
There are a few religions out there that might fit the criteria above, but I'm certainly not going to go on discussing religion and anger the mods as well as any followers on the board.

I know we're speaking of the more loose term "cult," but I think the actual meaning is not negative. I dont have time to look it up, right now, but I think its more broad than, "psycho brain-washers." [img]tongue.gif[/img]