Cult

A cult is a negative term applied to a religion or community of belief that is regarded as illegitimate, heretical, or far outside mainstream beliefs. Some cults have proven to be destructive, such as Jim Jones's group in the late 1970's in Guyana (see below).

Typical lists of "cult" characteristics given by their opponents include:

• recent origin
• autocratic rule by a single charismatic leader
• extraordinary demands on converts (such as that they surrender all their property to the cult) and
• a maniacal focus on proselytizing and winning new converts.

There have been cults which have claimed to be Christian, as well as cults which claim some other religious affiliation, or no affiliation at all. One notable example of a cult is the "Peoples Temple" operated by Jim Jones . Jones's insistence that all his true followers drink poisoned fruit punch led to the deaths of 913 of his converts at their enclave of Jonestown in Guyana.

Secular usage

In recent decades, "cult" has received a new definition by secularists. It is now typically used to describe groups that are considered "extreme" by some (usually unspecified) standard.