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What is an opposite version of a cult ? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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TLDR - what’s the question mark in the following scale

Cult(-1)……………….Religion(0)……………….????(+1)

Long version (a.k.a my stupid mind’s question that is keeping me awake):

My understanding of cult is a group of people with an absurd or even possibly nefarious belief system. Like something negative.

By that definition I would put religion in the middle (though a majority of it leans towards the cult side). A group of people that is very serious about what they believe in, no matter how illogical it is.

So with this understanding what would you call the positive side ? A group of people coming together to have a tradition and belief system just for the fun of it ? Is there such thing ?

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[–] 0 points 1 year ago

Nah, cults have other characteristics too, like a particularly charismatic leader, a tendency to have an extreme us-vs-them mentality, a desire for isolation rather than spreading the 'good word' far and wide, etc. There are definitely things that distinguish a cult of 100 people from a religion of 100 people, for example.

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