What is the difference between Cult and Religion?

When speaking about religion, we accept it as the true, right, and a healthy way to express ourselves spiritually. In any given area of any state, there seems to be a church on every corner. However, many of the characteristics of a cult mimic religion and the way it is practiced. With either one, there is worship and sacrifice involved.

We are to obey God, or we will burn in hell, or we can get into a cult and worship its leader. There is, to some extent, brainwashing in both areas; however, while religion is the accepted norm by society, cults are vilified. When someone is in a cult, they are often isolated and taken away from people they love so that the cult is all they have.

The other component of a cult is that the leader is usually very charismatic and even charming, but behind shut doors, they can be demanding and abusive. This activity can be compared to the way that Christians put on a front for Sunday mass at church, and then in their real life, they treat others as dirt if they do not share the same beliefs. That being said, religion aims to give someone a sense of purpose and give them something to believe. We worship God in faith, but in a cult, it is the person who is the leader that is worshipped.

Everyone has a certain amount of beliefs or ideas that they feel deeply about. That is the root that religion and cults share. They both have fundamental beliefs. They are also both religious groups, but cults are smaller and have a unique set of values.

Religion is apart of a larger group that has a set of ethics and core values. Between the two, religion is more accepted. A person may not agree with their belief, but they would be able to accept a Christian or Muslim more than they could accept a cult member. Religion has been around for centuries, whereas cults are much newer.