The number of adherents only shows the popularity. That is not a fundamental difference.
Christianity was really small at one point. Hell, it was one person at one point. Popularity is an irrelevant, time dependent and insufficient distinction.
If I missed the point, I further missed the point of this.
If you are more explicit, perhaps I can understand what you are trying to say.
My statement was that usual and unusual are meaningless, or rather that they are meaningful only to the individual making the decision on what falls into each category.
If that was the point you were making, then we are in agreement. If that was not the point you are making, then please elaborate.
Yes that’s right it is only meaningful to the individual making the decision.
Which is also sort of the basis of language, a bunch of individuals coming to agreement on a particular meaning.
The word “cult” isn’t useful for any logical description or categorization of a thing. The only purpose of it is to draw a line between the more believed and less believed, the accepted or ridiculed.
Scientology isn’t a cult to scientologists, and if they took over the world they wouldn’t be a cult to you either.
Religion is the usual, cults are the unusual.
The real difference is number of followers. If I have 1,000,000 armed zealots and take Virginia, we’ll make sure Virginians call us a religion.
The number of adherents only shows the popularity. That is not a fundamental difference.
Christianity was really small at one point. Hell, it was one person at one point. Popularity is an irrelevant, time dependent and insufficient distinction.
And how’d the romans feel about Christ cult?
I think you missed the point.
If I missed the point, I further missed the point of this.
If you are more explicit, perhaps I can understand what you are trying to say.
My statement was that usual and unusual are meaningless, or rather that they are meaningful only to the individual making the decision on what falls into each category.
If that was the point you were making, then we are in agreement. If that was not the point you are making, then please elaborate.
Yes that’s right it is only meaningful to the individual making the decision.
Which is also sort of the basis of language, a bunch of individuals coming to agreement on a particular meaning.
The word “cult” isn’t useful for any logical description or categorization of a thing. The only purpose of it is to draw a line between the more believed and less believed, the accepted or ridiculed.
Scientology isn’t a cult to scientologists, and if they took over the world they wouldn’t be a cult to you either.