Anonymous #2 3d

I still identify as christian, but I practice at home and don’t exactly advertise it because I know it’s a touchy subject for people and I honestly don’t want to argue with others. But I’ll occasionally bring it up if it fits the context of a conversation

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Anonymous #2 3d

This is exactly me. Praying for your journey in faith <3

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Anonymous #2 3d

Honestly, same. I’m Catholic, but I’ve faced a lot of exclusion from church to church. I practice at home, and I have been teaching myself just because I am tired of being given the cold shoulder by literal fascists.

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Anonymous #2 2d

I’m convinced it is a cult and always was

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Anonymous #6 2d

You can’t even define a cult, you little edgelord lol.

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Anonymous #5 2d

^

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Anonymous #7 2d

Could you define a cult ? Sincerely.

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Anonymous #9 2d

Vast majority of Christians don’t believe anything you just said, though. That’s more like LDS, Jehovah’s Witness, strict Catholicism, etc. Maybe extreme sects in certain places, but it’s the vast minority for modern Christianity. You guys talk about it like it’s 12th century crusades lol

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Anonymous #5 2d

“Define cult for me! Bet you can’t you troglodyte”

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Anonymous #4 2d

No, I do think they can, so I’m establishing some premises. Why is having a nuanced conversation neckbeardy? Saying Christianity is culty is a very bold claim. I shouldn’t immediately suck dick and be like “omg yes yes it so is”, I should have my own identity and opinions and thoughts. If you can’t agree with that, then there’s nothing to say

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Anonymous #8 2d

Absolutely. And it sucks, because Southern Baptism scores about moderate with the BITE method, but I could see it scoring higher. Southern Baptism is the largest denomination, but only because it’s focused in the South. Once you leave the South, the second largest denomination is United Methodist Church, which scores very low with the BITE method. So making bold claims that a religion—which scores low on BITE—is culty, without doing any research, just sucks to see.

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Anonymous #5 2d

If you wanted to have a nuanced discussion, you could have approached this topic in a more appropriate manner. I just paying you back in kind for being a dick to people. Being a dick to people in the way you have been is VERY neckbeardy. If you want to start over and have a genuine discussion… lets do it.

1

Anonymous #4 2d

Calling someone’s religion “culty” without having done any research is being a dick, so I responded back. It didn’t come out of nowhere. And I responded to #8 with a comment explaining some things, basically that I can absolutely see Southern Baptism—the largest denomination—scoring high on the BITE method, no argument there. But it’s also based in the South. Once you leave the South, the United Methodist Church—the second largest denomination—scores very low with the BITE method.

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Anonymous #5 2d

So for those wondering why cult: 1. Cults base themselves around a highly charismatic leader (in this case Jesus with pastors working as smaller transmitters) who demands absolute devotion (no other god before me, Abraham and Isaac, Jesus first mentality) 2. Mind control techniques (chanting, prayer, rituals, the idea of absolute love and forgiveness followed by the shame (often public) that is imposed, the limitations on self expression, etc.)

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Anonymous #7 2d

3. Isolation and exploitation: trying to get people to join and alienating those who absolutely refuse to accept (don’t spend your time around ungodly people, don’t date people who aren’t Christian, everyone who isn’t Christian will go to hell, we are the chosen, those who haven’t accepted Jesus are lost, tithe, the social respect and importance placed on religious authority, the power to influence morality and action of followers)

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Anonymous #7 2d

Any of the ten characteristics of a cult can be found in Christianity (if anyone wants to talk I’d be happy to go further)

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Anonymous #7 2d

1. Jesus isn’t a functioning leader, isn’t alive, doesn’t issue new directives, can’t directly punish or reward behavior institutionally. Christianity is decentralized and fragmented, not leader-centric in practice. 2. Is the devotion enforced through control mechanisms? You can leave without being tracked down, you’re not cut off from society, where with high-control groups leaving means losing family, housing, identity, and dissent means punishment or shunning.

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Anonymous #7 2d

For reference I was raised Christian (though I am agnostic), attended Christian institutions from pre-school until college, and have spoken with leaders in the Lutheran, Catholic, and Baptist churches

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Anonymous #7 2d

And the mind control argument is sloppy by equating all ritual with manipulation. If chanting, repetition, rituals equal mind control, then meditation, sport team chants, military drills, concerts, etc, are all cult tactics. And prayer can be used manipulatively in certain settings, but that’s how it’s used, not the act itself.

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Anonymous #5 2d

1. This is highly dependent upon your denomination Catholics have the pope, pastors often assume the role of a leader, and the religion as a whole punishes and rewards behavior through other believers. There is also an aspect that causes self regulation (shame, sin is death, and feeling of inadequacy) 2. Unfortunately Christianity is so widespread “tracking down” is unnecessary you will experience recruitment in pretty much any place you the idea of eternal punishment,

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Anonymous #7 2d

You often loose friends or family members when deciding to leave the church, identity is pretty ovi lost, and there is shame associated with it - many times you are called a lost sheep, they will “pray for you”, etc

3

Anonymous #7 2d

It is always about how to “save you” or get you to rejoin “the flock” instead of accepting your new path because they fear for your soul (a method of control)

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Anonymous #5 2d

The military does use those tactics to manipulate people? That and the way Christianity uses those tactics to reinforce a belief or central dogma (I should have clarified)

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Anonymous #7 2d

OP said Christianity, so Catholicism isn’t a part of it. And the second largest denomination is United Methodist Church; and again, not saying 100% of churches, but most don’t have mechanisms that cause self-regulation like shame, sin is death, or feelings of inadequacy. If your church does this, or you know about one, it falls into the vast minority of Christian churches.

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Anonymous #7 2d

Do you mind if I ask what area of America you were raised in ? Just because the South plays a significant role in this.

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Anonymous #5 2d

Catholics are Christian?

1

Anonymous #5 2d

Midwest

4

Anonymous #5 2d

But yah Bible Belt is scary

3

Anonymous #7 2d

If your church or a church you know exhibits these traits, it falls into the vast minority of Christian churches. That’s it.

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Anonymous #5 2d

That’s what I was taught in my “non denominational” church. I think it was more southern Baptist though.

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Anonymous #9 2d

Non-denominational churches can be really progressive and mainline, or they can be really strict and Evangelical. Sorry yours was the latter.

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Anonymous #5 2d

I went to several, they were all like that.

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Anonymous #7 2d

No, look it up

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Anonymous #9 2d

Were you in the south, can I ask ?

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Anonymous #5 2d

I mean, you already said southern Baptist. So it’s already proved my point. It’s a southern thing.

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Anonymous #5 1d

So…. a cult 🤷‍♂️

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Anonymous #5 1d

So I have bad news for you on what Scientology and jehovahs witnesses have been classified as by multiple sources but go off I guess

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Anonymous #8 1d

I agree, but unfortunately for your argument, Jehovah’s Witness makes up less than 0.5% of Christians. Everyone knows Scientology is basically a cult; I meant more JW and LDS.

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Anonymous #5 1d

Then… why did you say it’s clearly not a cult…….

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Anonymous #8 1d

You’re deflecting, because I won the argument. I already clarified, but I’ll clarify again. I misspoke earlier. I believe Scientology is a cult, and even though both JW and LDS can exhibit cult traits, they are not cults by cult definitions. The OP said “culty” as in cult-like; not fully cult. I would agree if it were about Scientology, JW, or LDS. That’s what I said earlier. But only Scientology is a true cult; the other two only exhibit cult-like tendencies.

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Anonymous #8 1d

So once you realize how culty Scientology, JW, and LDS is, it’s baffling to think of most Christians as anything NEAR culty.

3