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Some people in the comments said "yes, a church." No, churches aren't cults. I refer to my upbringing, which was quite extreme, as a borderline cult, but even that wasn't 'really' a cult. Cults are a dangerous and unique phenomenon and churches are quite harmless by comparison.

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Aella

@Aella_Girl

Oct 5, 2020

Do you know anybody who's been involved in a cult? (If multiple options apply, select the lower one)

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Then maybe you aren't sure exactly what a cult is? I've studied it academically and some churches definitely fit the definition. I would look into Steven Hassan and his BITE model. freedomofmind.com/bite-model/ Here is a good overview.

Aella

@Aella_Girl

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@DustinTPeterson

I feel pretty clear on what cults are. I agree some churches fit the definition, but it seems very unlikely that people who just went to church as kids were subject to the same thing as my friends who are recovering from the trauma of the little isolated cult they escaped.

6:57 PM · Oct 6, 2020

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It's a spectrum. Hassan is an expert. Good resource to become familiar with.