What Is The Conflict Theory And Differentiating Between Religion And Cults?

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Philip Seymour Hoffman once said, “One person 's religion is another person 's cult”. It is true that all religions were once cults. Many religions began with a single messenger who was sent revelations from God that no one had ever heard or seen before, thus making them the source of torture and ridicule. Once a cult gains a massive amount of followers and acceptance within society, it becomes a religion. Both entities incorporate beliefs, practices, and community, however, they acquire completely different lifestyles and restrictions. It is also important to observe how cults like the Taliban and the Branch Davidians were able to amass large amounts of followers and the influence they had left on society. Finally, the conflict theory and …show more content…

The conflict theory states that religion perpetuates social inequalities and comforts a person’s misery (Henslin 434). Of course, the functional perspective views religion as fundamental in reaching universal human needs: purpose, emotional comfort, social solidarity, and everyday guidelines (Henslin 429). Religion may provide a base to those who look for guidance and an afterlife or reward to work towards. Indeed, people may look to cults to gain solidarity but may soon find distress and isolation. In current events, Donald Trump has played the role of a charismatic leader. While encompassing a narcissistic personality and being charged with sexual assault on multiple occasions, he became President-elect in 2016. Donald Trump gripped the fear of the current political system in order to gain attention and praise from the silent majority. The way he promotes himself and speaks also invokes fear within Americans. Overall, by recognizing cult-like behavior, it will help people make informed decisions and become more aware of groups and/or leaders that bolster an extreme form of religion or

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