Just spit balling key defining attributes of a cult vs religion. Cult: 1) Discourages questioning and independent thought. 2) Withholds details or misleads intentionally. 3) Holds a living human as super-human without objective scrutiny.* There are probably more, and definitely more yellow flags. A healthy religion should: 1) Incurage you to learn, seek, and question for yourself. 2) Be eager to communicate EVERY aspect of the theology. 3) May have living leaders, and respect authorities, but they are equally human and flawed as anyone else. If they claim otherwise, the better be able to objectively back it up. Otherwise there is not diffrance between them and a con artist.
@@ShankarSivarajan Thanks for the question! My use of "healthy religion" probably isn't the best terminology, I'll admit. I ment it as an extremely reductive statement. I could say "Christianity" is a healthy religion... but that really depends on the flavor you're analyzing. Biblically you're encouraged to take it's proposed truth statements and evaluate them. To determine if you choose to believe them, and if they align with objectives reality. No restrictions. Cults will tell you to not ask questions, just believe without evaluation or challenge. They will withhold information until you reach a certain level. Doing this with the intent to get you "pot committed" before throwing the real weird stuff st you. Like a scam caller asking you to do reasonable things to make you believe they are legitimate, before the throw the turn in and ask you to send them gift cards. To wrap this in up, I'm referring to a healthy religion not as an institutional body, but an individual's selection on world view and truth claims. Everyone believes in a "religion," if they are aware of it or not. We all operate on an assumed set of truths that we can't 100% know are true. But for sanity and organize cognition, at some point, we have to rest on assumptions the a truth statements is true enough that continued questioning is a case of diminishing return.
Steven Hassan's BITE model details how the Mormon church is a cult. Anyone who is paying attention and isn't willfully ignorant about the truth of the LDS church will understand the parameters fit this fraud of an institution.
As an ex member I can honestly state that it is not a cult. Having said that, it is a very strange religion that has cultish tenants especially in ritual within the temple ceremonies
Lds love use dictionary define cult yet truth is few experts now . Does the group have pr firm and spin machine puting out why they are not a cult??? They called FLDS cult what makes them any different worship same old men and same book.
@@trumpdanusanwell… technically the FLDS just haven’t changed the doctrines from Joseph Smith and Brigham young… thats why they still take child brides like their founders.
I do feel like people throw out the name cult a bit too easily, like I get it is weird and strange and not something I would be a part of, but compared to actual cults I think it is pretty mild
Your comment is why the LDS church is so dangerous. So many of their teachings are harmful including their views on Sexuality and Patriarchy. Ultimately they teach that there is only one truth and it comes from one 99 year old man. They teach to doubt your doubts before you doubt them. They have secret ceremonies where you commit to follow them with out question “no evil speaking against the lords anointed”. They control what information you consume, what you eat, the underwear you wear, who you can trust. They teach you to “only rehearse your doubts with trusted sources”. They systemically use their power and money to cover up child sexual abuse. I could literally mention another hundred issues. But they have an insane amount of influence on their people in controlling every aspect of their life. That is A Cult.
A cult more commonly: - A group with questionable practices that exploit or control members. - Often led by a charismatic leader who demands total devotion. - May isolate members from their families and friends. Here are some key features of groups often called cults: - Controlling leadership: A powerful leader dictates members' lives. - Isolation: Limited contact with the outside world. - Indoctrination: Teachings that manipulate and control members' thoughts. - Exploitation: Members are pressured to donate money or work for free. I'd say Mormonism is a cult.
This aligns with what I was already thinking. I was also thinking that it started off as a cult, but became a religion over time. And whether it can be defined as a cult or not doesn't really change the fact that its truth claims are problematic.
@@Glass-LookerYes it is A Cult because it's not from GOD and it's not the church that Jesus started that's a lie from hell , This is the church that Jesus started ( ACTS 7:36-38, 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 And there was not one Mormon there only Israelites
A Church is defined by how it began. The fact that you say (min 1:30) the mormon church was a cult in the beginning with Smith and Young simply means the church is still a cult. Martin Luther is credited with changing words and rejecting parts of the Bible, thus starting the protestant movement and all of the subsequent churches that came from that. King Henry VIII started the church of England to justify his adultery. Jesus Christ started the one (1) true 'universal' Church to stand against the gates of Hades, sending the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us, and promised to be with us until the end of the age. The Greek word for 'universal' (καθολικός) is pronounced catholic and St. Ignatius, a disciple of John the Apostle and Bishop of Antioch, described Jesus’s Church as ‘catholic’ in his writings in 107 AD. He learned this from John.
I am an active member of the church and even though I'm sure we are to disagree on a lot of issues that are frequently debated about the church, I am grateful that you don't jump in on the "cult" thing. People are going to use differing criteria to determine what a cult is. The whole of Christianity will also be considered a cult under the same criteria that is used against the LDS church. And I'm sure that people will say that the whole of Christianity is a cult too. Even Jesus the Christ, on whom Christianity is built, could be said to have started a cult movement because he was teaching things that were radically different to the norm. And if you're using that same criteria, then you'd be right. But if you cannot agree on the definition, the classification based on that definition is meaningless. So I appreciate that you clearly stated your criteria and gave the classification based on it. This is at least a lot more clear than what I often see from other ex members who tend to be vocally critical about the church. I understand that there are criticisms to be had and not everybody is going to choose to believe in the truth claims of the church. But it is also painful that many people will say "You're in a cult!" and "Those who are part of a cult never know that they're in a cult!" and whatnot. I hope that interactions between current church members and former members can become more profitable to both parties. I can relate to a lot of people who have left the church. I wish the best for you. Take care.
I think one could easily come to the conclusion it's a cult. They start early on in primary and continue that cult like sentiment all the way to the temple. It's cult like to the "T" imo
I mean if you use that sub-definition, sure. However, I'm looking at my Webster's Dictionary here and it defines cult as "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious" (spurious meaning false).
@@Glass-Looker 🤨 looks like a duck , walks like a duck …. Your channel is focused on Mormonism , so if you were a ex-mormon I think you would answer differently. If you are still a mormon well that makes sense, but If you have no affiliation with mormonism but based a channel on the mormon church , well🙃. Something smells fishy here
Why this is based on some vague dictionary descriptions and not something like Cult/Totalist Recruitment Warning Signs created by ALEXANDRA STEIN Ph.D.
I think the BITE model can help determine how healthy an organization is. "Strange" is subjective, so these definitions are unclear, and you can argue either way and be right from your perspective. I can see the harm the LDS church does, and it's not limited to the suicides in Utah.
This is a straw man argument, unfortunately. Agree with the creator that debunking the truth claims is crucial. That said, the culty aspects of how the organization is run is also critical. It is both-and not either-or. The definitions used here are far too broad and useless. Using modern psychological assessment tools like the BITE model to determine the degree of control, risk, and harm is much better. Here a comparison of the Community of Christ vs the Brighamite Utah-based CoJCoLDS is instructive. The CoC has steadily faced the false truth claims, adopted humanist values, and greatly reduced BITE characteristics. The Utah branch of the Mormon movement, hardly at all. So out of the same source, two splinter groups have very different operational characterisitics, one highly culty, one not. Pick two sects of any larger religioua movement and the same analysis can be done. Like so many terms, the word cult has both changed over time and also been demonized to distract from its meaning & purpose. If you prefer high demand high control organization, fine. But that's a mouthful. Cult is short & to the point.
obviously cult do they control behavior,thoughts,emotions,information. Do they control money,time,talents. Yes its cult. Love one way thinking by hinckly proves cult
@@SparatakusThe LDS doesn't have any more or less claim to be Mormon than the FLDS. They're both interpreting the same scripture and follow the same prophets, in fact, you could make an argument that Brigham Youngs views align better with the FLDS than LDS. Regardless, I'm not saying either of them are right or wrong, but they're both valid interpretations and you saying the FLDS aren't Mormon is as nonsensical as trying to claim the Protestants aren't Christian.
