[DManA]

Mormonism is not Christian but it also is NOT a cult. This is a misuse of the term.

Mormonism is considered a cult because it is outside the historical tradition of Christianity,

[Zakeet]

Mormonism is not Christian but it also is NOT a cult. This is a misuse of the term.

I have found the following helpful in answering this question:

DEFINITIONS OF A CULT

1. The Christian definition of a cult is a religious group that denies one or more of the fundamentals of Biblical truth. Or, in more simple terms, a cult is a group that teaches something that will cause a person to not be saved if they believe it. For example, teaching that Jesus was not God, or that salvation is not by faith alone – these two things are prime examples of a cult.

   The two most obvious example of cults are the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons believe many things that are in agreement with and/or similar to what the Bible teaches. However, they also believe numerous doctrines that are in clear contradiction to the Bible and the Biblical Gospel of salvation.

2. From a Christian perspective, a cult is a group of people who follow one man or the group's spiritual teachings and practices that, when compared with orthodox Christian doctrine always contradict them, as well as exalt the group's own unique religious perspective as the only way to truly serve God.

   From a purely Biblical perspective, 2 Corinthians 11:4 gives us the clearest and most concise description of how cults may be discerned. False teachings, the apostle Paul warned here, will introduce three major errors to the unsuspecting in the name of Christianity:

   1. First they will preach their own determination of who Jesus Christ is, denying his Biblically revealed identity as God the Son and exchanging it with another. They'll point to "another Jesus."

   2. Second, cult teachers will proclaim a "gospel message" that is ultimately is a message of works-centered salvation, in sharpest contrast to the Good News of saving grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). They'll preach "another gospel."

   3. Third, the revealed spiritual nature of the work of the cult claims to be, but actually is not, inspired by God the Spirit. Instead, a chilling reference is made to spiritual entities who lend tremendous spiritual power to their natural human puppets to preach deceptive gospels. They'll be empowered by "another spirit." This is the work of demonic agents in allegiance with Satan, the opposer of God throughout history.

In short, a cult will energetically claim to follow the Bible and be the only group to be found anywhere who really are interpreting it correctly (hence the rationale for some countercult workers calling some groups "Bible based"). Ultimately, once examined, a questionable group's doctrines will always deny orthodox Biblical truth in some manner.

CATEGORIES OF CULTS

1. Eastern Mystical: groups related to Hinduism, Buddhism and other pantheistic Eastern religions; examples in this category are Hare Krishnas and Self-Realization Fellowship.

2. Aberrant Christian: groups that claim to be Bible-based but which deviate in practice or belief, such as Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, The Way International, the Boston Church of Christ and the Shepherding Movement.

3. Psychospiritual or Self-Improvement: groups offering seminars or workshops providing self-improvement or personal transformation (a growing cultic trend), includes Transcendental Meditation, Lifespring and The Forum (formerly est).

4. Eclectic/Syncretistic: a combination of several religious traditions, includes the Unification Church ("Moonies") and the Church Universal and Triumphant.

5. Psychic/Occult/Astral: these groups offer "secret wisdom" and "lost truths;" examples include UFO cults and Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment.

6. Extremist/Political/Social Movements: groups cultic in the psychological or social sense including the Black Muslims, Aryan Nation, White Aryan Resistance and the Ku Klux Klan.

TEN COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF ABERRANT CHRISTIAN CULTS

Note: Any of the below is indicative of cults. The more attributes that apply, the more serious the problem.

1. A Founder who typically:
   1. Is charismatic (at least in the eyes of cult members)
   2. Has little or no formal or theological education
   3. Has poor character (e.g. dishonest, sexually licentious)
   4. Has noticeable personality disorders
   5. Is revered by cult members
   6. Claims special authority (e.g. prophet, apostle, divine messenger, etc.)

2. Divine Revelation claimed by the founder (or by cult leadership) which is:
   1. Non-verifiable
   2. Easily discredited (by science, archaeology, internal inconsistency, etc.)
   3. Usually changes and/or evolves over time
   4. Often similar (or identical) to earlier documented heresies, especially: Aryanism, Gnosticism and paganism
   5. Intolerant – members cannot challenge (or even question) cult doctrine or decisions made by cult leadership

3. Overriding Authority (i.e. "correcting", amending or even replacing the Bible) attributed to the special divine revelation

4. Non-Biblical Doctrine derived from the overriding authority, most commonly:
   1. Denial of the authority and completeness of Scripture
   2. Denial of the deity of Christ
   3. Denial of the Holy Trinity
   4. Salvation by works

5. Sin resulting from the non-Biblical doctrine, such as:
   1. Poor treatment of women, disparagement of minorities and/or other forms of bigotry
   2. Sexual immorality
   3. Falsehood and deception
   4. Theft

6. Secrecy particularly relating to:
   1. Group finances
   2. Membership (and frequently leadership) rosters
   3. Doctrine – which may be only partially revealed (even to cult members) or may be revealed in a piecemeal fashion
   4. Rites, rituals and/or initiations
   5. Signs, signals or other means of identification and/or recognition

7. Seclusion, Isolation and/or Separation from society by:
   1. Living in isolation (or at least in separate housing quarters)
   2. Dressing differently, sometimes in special uniforms or costumes
   3. Special group manners and/or mores
   4. Unusual dietary requirements, or required abstinence from certain foods or other products (e.g. television, telephones, newspapers, etc.)

8. Control of Persons and/or Property such as:
   1. Forfeiture of individual identity
   2. Denial of an individual's decision-making
   3. Imposed poverty often through forfeiture of possessions (sometimes waived for cult leadership)
   4. Mandatory tithing
   5. Assigned duties and responsibilities
   6. Communal raising of children; shared parenting; forced attendance at cult schools
   7. Group sex, sharing of partners, and/or other forms of promiscuity
   8. Celibacy (sometimes waived for cult leadership)
   9. Involvement with psychogenic or hallucinogenic drugs

9. Strict Discipline through:
   1. Rigid enforcement of (often numerous and arcane) cult rules
   2. Guaranteed blessings and/or punishment in the afterlife
   3. Harsh punishment (often both physical and/or psychological) for disobedience
   4. Various ranks or levels of membership (e.g. priesthood), often with increasing benefits

10. "Group Think" by members frequently shown by:
    1. Blind obedience and/or unquestioning loyalty – members cannot (or will not) question or challenge cult doctrine or decisions made by cult leadership
    2. Inability to reason with cult members without their prior "deprogramming"
    3. Feelings of persecution
    4. Mass hysteria
    5. Personal or third party destruction (e.g. suicide, murder, etc.)

OTHER SATANIC PRACTICES

Note: Sometimes, it helps to offer a contrast. As noted above, cults are organized "groups" of persons. The below are not formally structured, therefore are cannot be classified as a true cult – but are similar in that they are evil, anti-Christian and have fanatic adherents.

1. Persecution of Christians and/or Christian beliefs (especially by Hollywood, the courts and Main Stream Media)

2. Promotion of false doctrine
   1. Relativism (e.g. denial of absolute truth, "personal belief systems")
   2. Abhorrent sexual behavior (e.g. homosexual "rights", sexual "liberation")

3. Promotion of false religions such as:
   1. Darwinism -- attributing mythical or magical properties to animals or inanimate objects (i.e. animism)
   2. Islam (e.g. advocating special rights for Muslims, overlooking Islamic deficiencies)

4. Destruction of life (e.g. abortion, euthanasia)

[RaceBannon]

I disagree.

The original use of the word was something that taught heretical doctrine and had a singular leader that the group adhered to, someone who had charismatic personality and whose word was considered as valid as God himself, and that salvation outside of the group was impossible

joseph Smith and Brigham young certainly fit this profile

just because Mormonism has cleaned up their act; ie: stopped half of the polygamy and stopped killing settlers who travel westward, does not mean they:
stopped having a singular leader,
stopped having a false heretical doctrine that is completely different than the Bible,
and stopped teaching that they alone were the path to salvation,
stopped teaching Biblical heresies that are well outside biblical doctrines to be so absurd that they are more than different

NONE of those things are true of the Mormon Church, and they deend doing such things today.

hence, they are a cult. A very rich one, with nice teeth.

but a cult none the less.

[reaganaut]

Mormonism is not Christian but it also is NOT a cult.

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Wrong. Mormonism fits all 3 disciplinary definitions of a cult. Anthropological, Sociological, and Theological. Would you like me to expand?