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An old joke says "A cult is what a big religion calls a small one." But in this case, I think there are a few reasons to consider it a cult:

An old joke says "A cult is what a big religion calls a small one." But in this case, I think there are a few reasons to consider it a cult:

# Absolutly crazy beliefs.

# Absolutly crazy beliefs.

# Accusations of brainwashing techniques.

# Accusations of brainwashing techniques, with court cases to back them up.

# Pseudoscientific 'Dianetics' theory and complete self-contained worldview serves to isolate members.

# Pseudoscientific 'Dianetics' theory and complete self-contained worldview serves to isolate members.

# A heavy element of a cult of personality - Ron Hubbard is revered.

# A heavy element of a cult of personality - Ron Hubbard is revered.

# Members are strongly pressured to convert others.

# Members are strongly pressured to convert others.

# A central controling organisation with exclusive authority.

# A central controling organisation with exclusive authority.

# And that turns a tidy profit.

# A long series of certifications and tests for members, each of which requires payment. Lots of payment.

 

All of these are cultlike aspects. Each of them alone would not be enough to call it a cult, but taken together... It sounds like a cult to me. And, really, if scientology had only a couple of hundred members, it would certinly be called a cult. Should mere scale allow it to turn somehow into a real religion?

All of these are cultlike aspects. Each of them alone would not be enough to call it a cult, but taken together... It sounds like a cult to me. And, really, if scientology had only a couple of hundred members, it would certinly be called a cult. Should mere scale allow it to turn somehow into a real religion?

== History of the word ==

== History of the word ==