to get my teaching credential I remember that I got a particular practice test question wrong. It asked "which religion is a cult?" and listed several religions and the correct answer was the Catholic religion. I think that many aspects of that religion are similar to cults. Don't ask me anything more than that since I am not into religions.

state licensing I assume?

and is for those who want to teach in Elementary Schools (multiple subject). I had to take it when I changed careers when I was 32. I had to re-learn all the info I had learned in 12 years of schooling and had forgotten most of it. I had to read The World Book Encyclopedia to prepare for it and re-learn subjects from physics to world history...yuk! I passed it my first try but they lost my test and lied to me about it for 3 months (that was worse than preparing for the damn test). That religion question baffled me and that is why I remember it so well.

like a Texas which appears to have quite a voice in text book writing.

cult |kəlt|
noun
a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object: the cult of St. Olaf.
• a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister: a network of Satan-worshiping cults.
• a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing: a cult of personality surrounding the leaders.
• [ usu. as modifier ] a person or thing that is popular or fashionable, especially among a particular section of society: a cult film.

How many believers does it take to be relegated from cult to the premier league?

ORIGIN
early 17th cent. (originally denoting homage paid to a divinity): from French culte or Latin cultus ‘worship,’ from cult- ‘inhabited, cultivated, worshiped,’ from the verb colere .

There's even a word for it: "papism."

But in addition of course, all Christians venerate Jesus.

a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object

including Southern Baptists.

“Much ado about nothing.”

If you need to blindly and obediently follow some deity without question then it is a cult.

At least that is how I have thought about it for a long time.

Cults don't have Bingo!

to identify a cult.

The RCC is not a cult. If you don't like them, fine. But they are not a cult.

By definition, all religions ARE cults.

You are starting out with a prejudiced statement, so I have no desire to engage you.

Look up the word cult.

You can't apply your own definition of what constitutes a cult. Jesus started with a cult of twelve apostles. At what point did it stop being a cult?

Let's face it. No one likes to be called a cult. Religions use the word as an insult to other religions. Heaven forbid someone tell them to look in a mirror.

and just making up definitions for words? There's been a lot of that on this group just lately.

Here's another entry for cult, from Merriam-Webster.

1 :formal religious veneration :worship
2 :a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also :its body of adherents
3 :a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also :its body of adherents
4 :a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5 a :great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book); especially :such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b :the object of such devotion
c :a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

Definitions 1 and 2 clearly describe Catholicism, also pretty much every religious practice by everyone ever.

Most organized religions are cults

The word has different definitions.

When you use the word in a sentence, you need to understand which definition you're using. The reader or hearer needs to use the same definition--otherwise there's miscommunication.

It's a standard informal fallacy, shifting definitions. You start saying one thing and showing it's true, but then the definition shifts so the proposition you're discussing now isn't the one you proved true 2 minutes ago.

RCC is a cult. Absolutely.

RCC is not a cult. Absolutely.

Both are true.

There are obvious examples. Others are less obvious.

The bartender poured the shot. It made a rattling sound as it fell into the cartridge.

See how it works? "Bartender" tends to make you interpret the word "shot" as an alcohol-containing liquid. In the next sentence, you realize it's the little bits of metal hunters use to shoot at birds. The problem isn't the first sentence is bad--it's that the reader interprets the word "shot" with the wrong definition. The word "cult" has meanings far closer, so the dissonance when you get to a place where the word's shifted isn't so obvious. Then we (mistakenly and bull-headedly) assume that we have the right meaning and the other person is wrong. It's a foolish mistake, but people commit to it constantly.

Much of current American miscommunication is an error of this nature.

Texans fetishize the original all-cane suger version still produced in Texas.

Well, my stomach started lurching.

Not the congregation, but the RCC clergy has all the markings of a cult.
They are a small group that remove themselves from society, often recruited when they are adolescents.
The pedophile scandal shows that they see themselves as separate from the general RCC population and will protect their own over the safety and well being of the rank and file. All the markings of a cult.

Sometime before the universe collapses.

are inspired by God, and are the most sacred texts ever created;

as opposed to the Satan inspired evil pagan hedonistic brainwashing emanating from yours.


Not putting down anyone's beliefs, just reacting to the right wing crap coming from some of my family members.

I always marvel at people I know to be Catholic joining up with reich wingers who have long hated all things Catholic (since the reformation). If the zealots ever achieve their longed for theocracy Catholics and others would soon find their Christian brethren demanding conversion to "true Christianity" or death.

Religion is full of insanity.

They require unwavering belief, require you suspend your critical thinking, do and think what they tell you.

They are all cults.

That hasn't required me to do anything, and they had no problem when I left, which is very un-cult like. The very definition of narrow minded thinking is over generalization and stereotyping.

You do have the devout members.
But I knew the other ones who break all the rules, party like bandits every Sat night yet still make it to church on Sunday morning.
I know darned well Catholic women were suddenly " f this shit!" & headed to their Dr when the first batch of birth control pills rolled off the production line.
Cultists follow lock step what their leader, minister etc tell them to do.
Cultists would harm another, take their own life , give all they own, if their leader tells them the salvation of their special chosen souls requires it.

I know darned well that Catholics go through their rituals but have no problem sort of stretching those rules as it fits their personal business.

Not all mind you, just a good deal of them.
But they also believe that they'll be forgiven somehow in the end for always just remaining a Catholic.
They kind of give themselves a leeway, but they don't speak about it openly. The worst thing a Catholic can do is leave the church. That's a big one.
Other than that, they've been known to take a few liberties where Catholicism draws the lines of Papal do's & don'ts.
Good luck getting all catholics to live as the church tells them to.
You see, Catholics are cool as heck & pretty good at throwing a shindig, but as cults go, they're all over the place & no way are they ever going to get them all to stand in one neat straight line.


Nothing like Pence's MEGA!
(Make Evangelicals Great Again)

😎

That's how I've always seen it.

Some might characterize them all as cultish in nature, but sheer numbers sort of make that a silly thing to call the largest denomination of Christianity.

Had the RCC not existed, Christianity would probably have faded away centuries ago.