What is the difference between a cult and a religion and why should you care?
What is the difference between a cult and a religion? Image: Charles Delos Reyes|Pexels
Knowing what is the difference between a cult and a religion is critical to our faith.
In many of our somber and solemn moments, we ask: What is the purpose of life? Is there a God? Is there eternal life? In our search for God, many religions and faiths profess answers to satisfy man’s innate need for a Creator or higher being.
Clarifying the object of our faith is essential to righteous living and discovering truths about our temporal and eternal lives.
The incident at Jonestown, South Africa
The headline of The Guardian says, “An apocalyptic cult, 900 dead: remembering the Jonestown massacre, 40 years on.”
On November 18, 1978, a tragedy unfolded in Guyana, South America. Rev. Jim Jones, the leader of the Peoples Temple, had convinced over 900 of his followers to move to Guyana in search of a utopian society.
The isolated jungle of Jonestown provided the perfect environment for Jones to build a community based on his twisted beliefs and control over his followers. After convincing his followers that the US government was about to attack them, Jones persuaded them that the only way to avoid torture and death was to commit mass suicide.
Incredibly, over 900 Jones’ followers agreed to drink a lethal concoction of Kool-Aid laced with cyanide. Rev. Jim Jones was also found dead by shooting himself as the mass suicide occurred.
It was a tragedy that would never be forgotten—a stark reminder of the dangers of religious extremism, cultism, and the manipulative power of charismatic leaders to control vulnerable people.
Faith: Knowing what is the difference between a cult and a religion
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1
According to the World Population Review 2020 data, the population of the three most popular religions is Christianity at 2.38 billion, Islam at 1.91 billion, and Hinduism at 1.16 billion. On the other hand, international cult expert Steve Eichel reveals, “Up to 10,000 cults [groups] still exist in the United States.”
Religion is a system of beliefs, values, and practices centered on a higher or highest power. This authority or supreme power is often called a deity or divine being.
On the other hand, a cult typically refers to a sect or group of people who share excessive or unconventional beliefs, often centering on a charismatic leader or ideology.
Cults may exhibit exclusive or secretive practices, often considered contravening and outside the mainstream of society.
But faith plays an integral and primary role in any religion. It means having complete trust in God or the deity, which is the object of the religion.
Knowing what is the difference between a cult and a religion is essential in determining the correct belief. Thus, a genuine follower of any religion must have faith.
Characteristics and dangers of Cultism
“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”- 2 Corinthians 11:14
We sometimes hear cult leaders proclaim: “I am God,” “I am Jesus Christ,” or “I am the Divine Prophet.”
Cults often use various physical and psychological techniques to recruit and retain members. Here are some of the elements and dangers of cultism:
Mind control
Cult cults maintain power over their followers using methods like sleep deprivation and manipulation through mind control techniques. This situation could lead members to lose their sense of self and become wholly dependent on the cult.
Emotional manipulation
Keeping members loyal is often achieved by utilizing emotional manipulation used by cult leaders. Fear-based methods like guilt or shame are standard in managing group members’ behavior and thoughts.
Financial exploitation
Many cults require followers to donate money or forfeit their possessions. Losing one’s life savings or ending up in debt is a possible outcome for members.
Physical harm
Cults may demand that their members participate in dangerous behavior leading to physical damage.
Social isolation
Members may be required to sever ties with family, loved ones, and friends who do not belong to the group.
Idolatry: The roots and core of Cultism
“You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:3
The Israelites of the Old Testament exhibited the first forms of idolatry in the Bible. When they got anxious about Moses’s absence and insecure about the many things in their lives, they carved a golden calf to worship.
The core of cultism in the Old Testament was the worship of false gods and idols. Cults often centered on specific idols or deities, with their adherents offering sacrifices and engaging in various ritual practices.
As the Israelites became more entrenched in these pagan cults, they often adopted the immoral practices associated with them, such as temple prostitution and child sacrifice.
Idolatry is also often condemned in the New Testament. Colossians 3:5 reads: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.”
God created us in His image to worship and fellowship with Him. The heinous sin of idolatry pervades our midst, manifesting in myriad distorted beliefs and practices. God demands that we place Him at the center of our hearts and lives.
When we divert the object of our adoration and worship to another deity, thing, or human being other than God, we become guilty of idolatry.
Denial of God: Apostasy and blasphemy
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” – 1 Timothy 4:1
Getting involved in a cult may result in severe and irreversible consequences regarding our faith and eternal life. Cultism usually breeds the grave sins of blasphemy and apostasy, generally considered unforgivable in Christianity.
Blasphemy refers to a spoken or written declaration or action that shows contempt, disrespect, or mockery towards God. It is often considered a grave offense in many religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
On the other hand, apostasy refers to the act and notion of abandoning or renouncing a person’s faith or religious beliefs. It is considered a severe transgression in many religions and is viewed as a betrayal or a breach of the shared religious identity of a group of people.
In some countries, apostasy is punishable by law, which can lead to imprisonment or the death penalty.
In pursuit of faith: Entering the narrow door
Know what is the difference between a cult and a religion. Image: Tony Eight Media|Unsplash
“And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” – Luke 13:23-24
Armageddon is fast approaching. The Bible reveals that times are getting more evil and that the ends of time are near.
We live in a world of uncertainty, confusion, tragedy, and brokenness. Racism, wars, mass shootings, pandemics, natural disasters, and many sins inundate our moral and social landscape.
In an atmosphere of doubt and insecurity, we turn to drugs, promiscuity, paganism, witchcraft, black arts, false gods, and cults. Our subtle form of idolatry also manifests when we become subjects, extreme followers, or idolaters of money, possessions, pop stars, celebrity preachers, and other things of this world.
These twisted and unbiblical beliefs and practices jeopardize our faith and eternal salvation.
Jesus Christ emphasized that the passage to eternal life is narrow—only a few could enter it.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 aptly reads: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Narcissism and false pride are revealed through our distorted and idolatrous love of the self. God is mocked, and the Devil dances in our midst.
Knowing what is the difference between a cult and a religion is vital to true faith.
Our need for God is now. Living without the assurance of eternal life is meaningless and worthless. Only in Christ can we find the truth and experience true faith, love, joy, and righteousness in our mundane lives.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we obliterate the altars of idolatry and cultism. In Christ, our faith and eternity are secured.
