Cults

Much has been written about Cults. But just what is a cult, and how does it differ from other religious bodies? David Barrett in Sects, "Cults" & Alternative religions give the following definition:

A cult is usually a focussing on one person, on their teachings and their personality.... ...In general usage, though, the word "cult" usually implies a criticism of the practices rather than just the beliefs; cult members are thought to do something unsavoury or strange, from brainwashing converts to wearing peculiar clothing.

Certainly many religions look like cults to outsiders. Catholicism can look like a cult of the Pope, though in practice the average catholic does not have him on their minds much each day. I define a cult as a group that does the following:

1. has a single leader (or small group) who is exalted and raised above all others;
2. and ruthlessly suppresses individuality in members of the group (ie Mind control).

By this definition, most neo-paganist groups are not cults. Unlike Christianity or Islam, neo-paganism does not rely on a single or collection of holy books. Yes, if you go into a bookstore you might find heaps of books on magic, witchcraft, and paganism; but if you read all of them you'd find that inevitably they'd disagree and contradict each other.

Pagan belief comes from the heart just like any other religion. We are all individuals and interpret the divine in different ways. The variety and difference is a strength, not a weakness. Modern Paganism utilises folk tradition in the transmitting of its practices and beliefs. You can read from as many books as you like, but invariably nothing happens until you start to practice what you've read and agree with. That's why you don't see pagans on street corners prosthetalising for converts, each comes to it in their own way.

Most cults seem to be based on established "world religions" such as the above two. Does this mean that there are no cults in neo-paganism? Of course not, but just because a person doesn't belong to a popular religion, or to a widely known sect of that religion, it doesn't follow that they're in a cult.