I don’t know that he’s a cultist. However, I do know that Romney is *definitely* a cult member, as that’s pretty well defined and identified by Christian groups.
You can check it out in Kingdom of the Cults
http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cults-Walter-Martin/dp/0764228218/
This is a reference book comparing basic, historic and foundational Christian teaching and doctrine to the cult groups (and also showing various Christian groups, too).
I’ll tell you what, whatever you find in that book about that church — I’ll go along with it. I don’t know what it says, so I’m just going on the basis that it’s recognized in the Christian community.
But, what I do know about Thompson, since listening to him about his faith is that he has no idea what the Gospel is, what the “good news” is and therefore, is not able to choose the message of the Gospel, for purposes of being “saved” (hence a “Christian”) — since he cannot choose what he knows nothing about....
That’s what I do know about Thompson... he doesn’t even know enough to be able to be a Christian, in order to choose that for himself...
Regards,
Star Traveler
By most definitions, a cult is a religious group that demands absolute allegiance and obedience to a charismatic leader, and that discourages or outright disallows contact with others outside the group, including family members. That covers the People'e Temple, Aum Shinrikyo, the Branch Davidians, Heaven's Gate, and any other group I can think of that is by consensus considered a cult. Mormons do not fit that definition.
I've seen a lot of Christian groups that define a "cult" as any group of individuals that do not follow orthodox -- for their own definition of orthodox -- Christian teaching. According to those folks, Buddhism is a cult. The book you endorsed, based on the Amazon summary, endorses that view. That cheapens the word "cult" by reducing it to "any groups whose beliefs aren't mine, or reasonably close to."