Is the Southern Baptist Convention a cult?

[memphis]

Another poster, who has also stated that he would like to become a clergyman, insisted in another thread that they are. I would say no because, in my view, the only difference between a cult and a religion is mainstream acceptance as a legitimate belief system. As the largest and most influential Protestant denomination in the US, they clearly meet the mainstream test. What say you?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No because they are far too decentralized in structure. They're not even a "church" in the way most denominations are thought of, if we consider a church to be a metaphor for a country they'd be closer to an association like the EU.

[The Simpsons Cinematic Universe]

What defines a "cult" has a lot more to do with organizational structure and practices than actual beliefs. As was mentioned above, they're far too decentralized to really be classifiable as a cult.

[DC Al Fine]

Another poster, who has also stated that he would like to become a clergyman, insisted in another thread that they are.

Link?

[Joe Biden 2020]

Another poster, who has also stated that he would like to become a clergyman, insisted in another thread that they are.

Link?

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=193864.msg4197618#msg4197618

[H. Ross Peron]

No (normal).

[rejectamenta]

lol. Christian takfir from the left, who would've thought?

No.

[Meursault]

"Cults" don't really exist.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What defines a "cult" has a lot more to do with organizational structure and practices than actual beliefs. As was mentioned above, they're far too decentralized to really be classifiable as a cult.

Exactly. You could make a case that some individual Southern Baptist churches are cults (though the ease of disaffiliation means that the worst ones in this regard usually do and just go independent Baptist) but the organization as a whole just can't be by any standard definition.

It's worth noting that opposition to hierarchical church structures is one of the base beliefs of Baptists in general, and one of the few things that pretty much all Baptist associations agree on (there's a HUGE range in theological and political liberalism/conservatism between differing Baptist groups.)

[Never]

What defines a "cult" has a lot more to do with organizational structure and practices than actual beliefs. As was mentioned above, they're far too decentralized to really be classifiable as a cult.

Right, you don't even have to agree with every view that the Southern Baptist Convention holds in order to be part of the convention.

The SBC is not a cult by any means.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Ugh, no...not at all. And neither is Mormonism for that matter.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

What defines a "cult" has a lot more to do with organizational structure and practices than actual beliefs. As was mentioned above, they're far too decentralized to really be classifiable as a cult.

Exactly. You could make a case that some individual Southern Baptist churches are cults (though the ease of disaffiliation means that the worst ones in this regard usually do and just go independent Baptist) but the organization as a whole just can't be by any standard definition.

I was just about to point this out. You could argue Bushie's church being a cult (although I wouldn't consider it one myself), but it would be just that, Bushie's church.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The convention as a whole certainly is not a cult, tho its loose organizational structure certainly makes it possible for cultic churches to be part of the membership.

[angus]

yes.