When does a cult become a world religion?

(This is an extension of a thread by headlightone.)

When does a cult become a world religion?

I posit that every world religion started as a small cult, only followed by a few "fanatics". Why did some fail while others blossomed into billion-member-religions? What parameters need to be in place for that to happen?

- charismatic leader?

- easy to understand doctrine?

- fear factor?

I'm looking forward to reading your replies.

All the best.

reply to post by Nichiren

1a substantial gain
1 fear factor eg the loss of 1a
2charasmatic leader
3 gullability/insecurity of the individual
4 incomprehensible doctrine
5 state backing by infiltration

L Ron Hubbard was missing number 5 wont be long before he's up there with the big players.

[edit on 11-3-2009 by moocowman]

I DON'T HATE CHRISTIANS, I JUST HATE WHAT THEY DO


Yea what is it that (we) do you biggot.




as for the OP I don't know. All i can say is that false prophets have a large role in cults.



[edit on 13-3-2009 by JesusisTruth]

Originally posted by JesusisTruth
I DON'T HATE CHRISTIANS, I JUST HATE WHAT THEY DO


Yea what is it that (we) do you biggot.

[edit on 13-3-2009 by JesusisTruth]

You ( the majority of xtians that is, I've no idea what you say personally) say things like ,

"God doesn't hate Homosexuals he just hates what they do"

Hardly bigotry, no need to apologize I already forgave you

[edit on 13-3-2009 by moocowman]

yea but the difference is that homosexuals go against nature and live a lifestyle of lust for no other reason then lust.

and this is something you will learn after death. What homosexualness is is a possesion of the spirit. God says that someone builds lust at an early age, then he gives their minds to shameful effections. The woman loses her feminity, the man loses his masculinity.

another thing is the God said that the possesion is so bad sometimes you can see it on their face, the way they walk. Have you ever seen some gays walk?


It's all spiritual.

But like I said, wait till death and you will see what's going on on the inside of souls.




The only thing a true christian, myself included if I am one, I hope I am, all we do is help our neighbor and love God.

those two things are the fullfillment of the law, if you can hate that, I'm amazed.


anyways God bless you, sorry for my response if it seemed hotheaded.


peace

God doesn't hate Homosexuals he just hates what they do"


I know but you really have to understand what God means by this. Lust destroys his spirit inside a human, and so what they do towards each other ruins his childrens souls.

God wants the best for every soul.

You see I can have man friends, no prob. I can love them. But I cannot take it to the point of a pointless lust when we are naturally not made for each other. The thought actually makes me sick. Why does it make me sick and not gays? Grace. it's all grace and spiritual.

God doesn't like it.


anyhow continue the thread. sorry OP.

reply to post by JesusisTruth

yea but the difference is that homosexuals go against nature and live a lifestyle of lust for no other reason then lust.

As neither you nor I are homosexual we cannot know this from a personal perspective.

I don't judge how they should live, how an individual chooses to live is their business unless it harms others.

You choose to accept what you are told by ancient manuscripts written by men, claiming to be inspired by a god, the evidence for which is zero.

Going against nature is just your opinion ie th opinion of others that you choose to accept. If it is the case that you accept that homosexuals go against nature then logically you would have to accept that other animals that practice homosexuality go against nature.

One animal that has an amazing sex life is the Bonobo and really gets stuck into gays sex, if we are to conclude then, that homosexuality is going against nature, we must logically conclude that the Bonobo is going against.

Going against nature by your definition is going against god, thus we have to conclude that the Bonobo according to your logic has free will, or is not created by your god.

If the Bonobo has free will then this would preclude the reality of your god, if the Bonobo is acting according to your gods design then this would preclude homosexuality being hated by this god, or another creator was involved.

You simply can't have it both ways, and as you simply cannot the homosexuality hating Yahweh, is anything but a mythological deity that appers in the bibles compiled at Nicea , then xtian bigotry is self evident.


No doubt xtians will jump through hoops and perform some amazing mental gymnastics, to get around the bigoted bibles, but nevertheless if hating some of the actions of xtians is bigotry then hating some of the actions of homosexuals is also bigotry.

reply to post by JesusisTruth

another thing is the God said that the possesion is so bad sometimes you can see it on their face, the way they walk. Have you ever seen some gays walk?

Yes, unlike the Bonobo which is a quadruped the homosexual is also a Homosapien which are bipedal, ie they stand upright and put one foot in front of the other to move in a forward direction.




[edit on 14-3-2009 by moocowman]