There's a word getting thrown around a lot in regarding churches, ministries, an other faiths. It's a word I've seen used flippantly, jokingly, and sometimes with what I see as an appropriate level of gravity. Often it's a word spoken, and probably rightly so, by broken and hurting people. It's a word used by a commenter recent previous post in Provoketive Magazine, Slap on a Little Lipstick, You'll Be Fine. If I am being completely honest, it's a word I've used, sometimes quickly in anger and pain, and also after great prayer and thought.

That's right, I am talking about the 'C' word. Cult.

It's used by many Christians to describe Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Scientists, and many other fringe religious groups and doomsday groups like (insert examples... Jonestown group name and Heaven's Gatees??)  It's also used against many other Christian churches and ministries that have an authoritarian structure, rigid rules, and apparent spiritual abuse. The commenter from my last article used it in reference to what he thought was a minister requiring me to wear lipstick (as a note, I never stated whether that incident occured at a secular or religious organization).

Given that it carries such a negative connotation, it is probably not a word one should throw aaround unless they no for certain that a group is a cult. But what is a true cult?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives the following definition:

<span class="ssens">1    : formal religious veneration : <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worship">worship</a></span>
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<div class="snum" style="float: left">2</div>
<div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px;margin-left: 20px"><span class="ssens">: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents</span></div>
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<div class="snum" style="float: left">3</div>
<div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px;margin-left: 20px"><span class="ssens">: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents</span></div>
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<div class="snum" style="float: left">4</div>
<div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px;margin-left: 20px"><span class="ssens">: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <span class="vi">&lt;health cults&gt;</span></span></div>
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<div class="snum" style="float: left">5</div>
<div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px;margin-left: 20px"><span class="ssens"><span class="sn">a</span> : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad</span><span class="ssens"><span class="sn">b</span> : the object of such devotion</span><span class="ssens"><span class="sn">c</span> : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion</span></div>
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Going by this definition, any religious group or faith is a cult. That's right, by this definition, any Christian church or group, mainstream or otherwise, is a cult. And it doesn't stop at religion: any fad or craze with a following could be called a cult, like the cult of Mac.  And, with the exception of the third definition above that describes cult as a religion "regarded as unorhtodox or spurious", the term 'cult' doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation.

Even sociologist and psychologists tend to disagree over the use of the word "cult", given that what is generally a neutral term has become to bring to mind only pictures of poisoned Kool-Aid of Jonestown infamy or the Charles Mansen cult murders. However, most agree that there is really a continuum between what constitutes "cult" and "non-cult", which is why many have given to adding further descriptors, such as "dangerous" or "benign" to cults. Because of this, for the purposes of this article, I have gotten the majority of my information on cults from the International Cultic Studies Association.  They focus on the damaging aspects and practices that often occur in damaging cults, but they are careful not to specifically list possible cultts on their webpage, as there are many gray areas where groups may contain some aspeccts of cults, but not really be a full blown cult, or a dangerous cult

Furthermore, it can be difficult to be fully objective when determining what is "unorthodox" regarding religious beliefs and doctrine. And, who gets to decide? If you asked a Lutheran, Catholic, Pentacostal, Charistmatic, Bretheren, Mennononite, and Episcopalian about what constituted orthodox veruses unorthodox beliefs in other denominationsI thin it is likely each denomination would find themselves stuck with that label by another one.

That being said, here is a list of characteristics found with damaging cults, according to the ICSA:
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span>The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span>Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span>The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt <span class="SpellE" style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">iin</span>order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span>Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span>The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>The group is preoccupied with making money.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.</p>
<p class="article" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;text-indent: 0px;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1pc;margin-left: 4.5pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">·<span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px;font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'">         </span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px">?</span>The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group (Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups-Revised, MMichael</p>
Even with this list, I think it is important to be careful before immediately labeling a group a "cult", given the current negative connotation that it immediately brings  to peoples' minds. This is not a checklist to determine if a group is a cult for certain or not, but is merely a guideline of  characterithat cults often display. It is possible for a dangerous cult to not display all of these, and I think it is also possible for a group that is not a cult by today's current usage of the word to display some or even many of these traits
<p class="title" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 0pc;margin-right: 0pc">Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups - Revised</p>
<p class="publication" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 0pc;margin-right: 0pc"><span style="text-align: left;padding-top: 1px;padding-right: 3px;padding-left: 3px;padding-bottom: 6px;margin-top: 1px;margin-bottom: 1px;margin-left: 1px" lang="FR">Michael D. Langone, Ph.D</span></p>