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To: Virginia-American; Havoc

To your list VA, I would also ask about those that believe in living apart from others, living in more closed groups, such as the Amish, those who live in the Amana Colonies, and also I think the Mennonites? Are they also cultists...

I still dont agree that anyone can maintain that a particular Christian religion is a 'cult', as a fact...its merely an opinion, and not a fact...which is fine, we all have our opinions...


877 posted on 05/14/2006 2:00:50 AM PDT by andysandmikesmom
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To: andysandmikesmom; Havoc
I still dont agree that anyone can maintain that a particular Christian religion is a 'cult', as a fact...its merely an opinion, and not a fact...which is fine, we all have our opinions...

The pejorative meaning of "cult" has connotations of (usually sinister) mind control and total reliance on a leader. There is often isolation from nonmembers. I'd say the Amish et al meet the isolation standard, but not the devotion to the leader one.

It has been argued that the Branch Davidians are a Christian cult, but I think a lot of that was simply propaganda to try to make the massacre look better. (EG, there is no real evidence that Koresh had relations with underage girls; the sensational congressional testimony from one girl appears to have been instigated by her father, who blamed Koresh for the failure of his marriage)

The Jehovah's Witnesses come close to the negative definition of a cult, IMO.

None of these groups are as controlling as the Scientologists, Hare Krishnas, Children of God, and so forth.

899 posted on 05/14/2006 11:33:15 AM PDT by Virginia-American
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