Really CRI? Let's define a "Cult"

[NeitherFirstnorLast]

I pray I'm not just ranting. I'm really feeling the need to vindicate myself, which is a very selfish ambition, I know... I just really need to explore this a little. Ignore me if you will, or add to it if you will...

Let me be honest, brothers and sisters. I've disliked the word 'cult' from the get-go. It smacks of "Satanism", or weird UFO buffs, or even Jim Jones and his poisoned koolaid. But after being rebuffed today, I was really interested (as you may note I always am), in really getting behind the meaning of the word "cult", in order to determine to whom it might apply. Here's what I found so far....

1) (excerpt from Wikipedia, ref. American sociologist Howard P. Becker), who defines "cults as deviant religious groups "derive their inspiration from outside of the predominant religious culture".[7] This deviation is often thought to lead to a high degree of tension between the group and the more mainstream culture surrounding it, a characteristic shared with religious sects.[8] Sociologists still maintain that unlike sects, which are products of religious schism and therefore maintain a continuity with traditional beliefs and practices, "cults" arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices.[9]

Surely the teachings of LSM derive their inspiration from outside the predominant culture of Christianity. Surely this deviation has led to a high degree of tension between LSM and the more mainstream Christian culture... surely we have spontaneously embraced novel beliefs and practices not found elsewhere in Christianity.

the anti-cult movement tends to define a "cult" as a group that tends to manipulate, exploit, and control its members. Specific factors in cult behavior are said to include manipulative and authoritarian mind control over members, communal and totalistic organization, aggressive proselytizing, systematic programs of indoctrination, and perpetuation in middle-class communities.[51]

Systematic programs of indoctrination? Communal and totalistic organization? Hmmmm.

Under the section on "Mind Control", I found...

Studies performed by those who believe that some religious groups do practice mind control have identified a number of key steps in coercive persuasion:[31][32]

1. People are put in physical or emotionally distressing situations; -OK: I can't testify that I have been put in such a situation in order to choose, although I am emotionally distressed at the moment, such distress was not used to bring me into the LC. However, please read on as the other points are quite pertinent...
2. Their problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized; Get in the flow!
3. They receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader or group; Well, certainly did until you try to leave it.
4. They get a new identity based on the group; 'Overcomer'!
5. They are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives and the mainstream culture) and their access to information is severely controlled.[33] Don't go online - you'll get poisoned by the opposers!

Regarding "Leaving" cults, this is posted:
There are several ways people leave a cult:[43][44] Popular authors Conway and Siegelman conducted a survey and published it in the book Snapping regarding after-cult effects and deprogramming and concluded that people deprogrammed had fewer problems than people not deprogrammed. The BBC writes that, "in a survey done by Jill Mytton on 200 former cult members most of them reported problems adjusting to society and about a third would benefit from some counseling".[45]

Who among us can testify that adjusting back into mainstream Christian culture was not without problems? Seems many on this board still post here because of post traumatic LC disorders.

...I've said enough. I don't even know that I have peace for this much...