I read through some of the threads on this forum and notice the word "cult". Someone suggested that North American culture could be cult. (notice that culture has cult in it)

Another log posts some observations of what constitutes a cult. I noticed that in this list of things you can see parts of any civilization.

For example: I have met people that were so (obsessed?) with ideas that are important to them eg. health/safety/abortion/abuse etc. that they are willing to hurt others intellectually and even physically as they promote their idea. Actually the world is full of this kind of thing. We tend to think that the perspective we have is the correct view. What else causes us to buy into a cause and even go to war to get something looked after? We call it "justice".

In life we function inside of government. "Homes" would be a basic example. When my home becomes an obsession it can be "cult" in the bad sense of the word.

Church, community, municipal, regional, territorial, and finally world government affects us. These governing principals are often promoted originally by the folks with a cause. They are the ones that have the feelings and therefore fan the fires of concern. The concern fuels desire for change and laws are made to effect desired ajustment.

When does the system become "cult"?

Can racism, gay bashing, muslim hating, church criticizing, or even brand name promotion become "cult"?

If so where is the dividing line?

You have made some real valid points there, I can relate to much of what you said.
We have over the years been proponents of homeschooling and also homebirth. I grew up in a family that organic gardened, farmed and grade A dairied. Heaven help you if you didn't have green tractors and black and white spotted cows, we had david browns, case and jerseys. I have at one time or another attended nearly every denomination in our area. and have relatives in a large number of them. One thing that I have observed is that when we become stuck on something, so that it is all consuming, we often make many enemies and a lot less friends. Also I have seen a lot of people have to eat their words when their life situation changed and their circumstances changed and they had to do what went against their opinion and they felt like they had totally failed life. I think home schooling is great, It is not however for every one, nor for every set of parent, student combination. I think home birth is definitely the way to go,had 4 of them, however when my last was an 8 week preemie and I nearly died in the week before he was born, I was not at home, I was in a hospital that specialised in difficult situations many miles from home, where I needed to be. I have helped others have homebirths and I have helped others have hospital births, They have all been a time of bonding and meeting new people, and a joyous occasion. don't have a desire to make a career out of it though.
Our oldest children went to public school, it was a great place where nearly half of the students with them were amish and they had great christian teachers. It was not our first choice but it was our only option as we did not have enough money to drive our children to school every day. eventually we homeschooled 2 yrs. then we were able to place our children in the local cong school and for most of our remaining children that was great. One, however suffered great abuse at the hands of well meaning people. He did survive and is now in an apprentice program where he is maintaining a 4.0 average and passed a math test with a 75% failure rating with the second highest score in the class and without even so much as a GED> just his 8th grade diploma. So obviously even with his great struggles, he still learned something. But I have seen parents set on homeschooling have great changes come over their household that make so they cannot do it anymore and they struggle hard against it.

I know personally how hard it has been for me to walk away from the H, not because I was so staunch in the belief system. but because I felt so strongly that I was there because God wanted me to be and to leave feels like I have given up and walked away from something that I am not finished with. Once a minister told me, "You cannot leave us, because you can put into words what the outside sees and explain it so we can understand why they see us as they do." Unfortunately the local cong does not see it that way and in the end, sometimes you just cannot fight city hall or the man in charge.
I watch as some of you that are members there yet struggle with the same things that I struggled with for years and it hurts to see it.
It hurts to see the constant division created by the situation I am in that was created by one man's lies and cannot be rectified by the system in place. I find that sad. Along with watching the standards be placed and the constant stream of those trying to live so that the appearance of a standard is there but not living it, and not being able to recognise that the world around knows and sees the living of a lie. And knowing that respect is not really there like the church thinks it is. The world around really does respect those that they know are living what they profess and believe and are truly serving Christ. but be assured that if you aren't, they for sure know it and don't respect you like you think they do.

I think there is a lot to be said for what you have posted notg, many things are not always as they seem.

Love and prayers, Locklady

What I personaly tend to be skeptic about is causes that are advantages to the proponant.

Examples. Causes that if supported would bring personal power, prestige, or financial advantage.

Now at the basis of almost all advertising you will find this premise. The propeller in the advertisement is that it will be an advantage to you to get on the band wagon. Does the advertiser actually have your good in mind or is the basis selfish?

When someone really believes that something is benefical and they are promoting it for "free" because they want to aid humanity it is more acceptable.

There are alot of educaters out there that are the real thing. There are alot of the self promoting type as well.

If you give "cult" its broadest possible meaning, we are all in cults if we follow a certain creed or organization. I have students that seem to be "cult" followers of the Detroit Red Wings. The others in the class call them "Wing Nuts." There are many in the past that would have followed Star Wars installments in a cultish manner.

As a Christian, my understanding of a cult is a denomination that teaches salvation some other way than through Jesus Christ. Take Jim Jones a few years ago. Here is a quote from him: "If you see me as your friend, I'll be your friend. As you see me as your father, I'll be your father, for those of you that don't have a father...If you see me as your savior, I'll be your savior. If you see me as your God, I'll be your God."[39]

While there are "cultish" practices in most religions, I think it is a stretch to label COGIC-M's as a cult. An outsider is welcomed to their services, and an insider can walk away. (I did) Granted, you leave a lot behind, but you are not pursued and forcibly brought back.

I guess the most cultish thing they do from my perspective is their interference in marriage relationships between a member and an expelled member. I am absolutely certain God never intended to tear marriages apart over a denomination.

>>I think it is a stretch to label COGIC-M's as a cult. An outsider is welcomed to their services, and an insider can walk away. (I did) Granted, you leave a lot behind, but you are not pursued and forcibly brought back.< <br>

Of course outsiders are welcome to their services! That's how cults recruit. (Don't forget, of course, that outsiders are NOT welcome at all of their services... which is pretty cult-like).

Yes, you can walk away. You can walk away from many cults, too. Of course cults will generally try to convince you to come back and consider you lost and anathema if you don't, or they might engage in character assassination or try to prevent parents from being in touch with their kids, unlike the Holdemans... waaiit a bit, that is what they do too. Well, if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck... Yup. The Holdie church is a cult. Period.