The following is a description of what cult is:  

  1. A cult is a religious group with extreme beliefs and practices - beliefs that are often contrary to science and logic but they are believed as "obvious" truth by the cult members.
  2. The members of cults often isolate themselves from friends, family and society and use deceptive and unethical recruiting techniques
  3. Use manipulative methods to control the minds of followers
  4. Venerate a human leader or leaders
  5. Recruiting work is performed by all of the members
  6. People are not allowed to criticize the leader, the doctrine, or the organization, or read information that is critical of the cult.
  7. Members are trained to reject and disbelieve criticism of the cult as lies from Satan.
  8. Members spy on one another and report improper activities or comments to leaders.
  9. Members are taught to suppress anything which might reflect negatively to outsiders about the cult.
 10. The doctrine is absolutist and the ideology is internalized as "the Truth."
 11. Members are told to avoid contact with ex-members or critics, even their relatives.
 12. Members are instilled with a deep fear about ever leaving the organization, and anyone who does depart is of the devil and sometimes severely punished.
 13. Members are emotional controlled and warned of being caught and punished.
 14. Disciplinary action is administered by group leaders, which may involve excommunication for such things as questioning organization policy or doctrine.
 15. People are encouraged to sacrifice education, career and family interests to server the interests of the cult.
 16. Advocate socializing only with other members in the organization and avoiding outsiders.
 17. The belief in apocalypse and Dooms Day.

Source http://www.xjw.com/whatcult.html

All these traits are present in Islam.

  1. Islam claims to be a religion with strong devotion to Muhammad and a set of unsubstantiated doctrines presented by him. Monotheism is used as a pretext to exert absolute control over the believers, leaving them no chance to question or investigate alternative paths.
  2. Muhammad forced his followers to leave their families (8:72) and gathered them in Yathrib. He said: “And those who believed but did not leave their homes, ye have no duty to protect them till they leave their homes”. He warned those who did not follow him, leaving behind their families, will be cursed by Allah and “their habitation will be hell”(4:97). Muhammad went as far as to order his followers to murder those Muslims who defected his barricade.(4:89)  In Yathrib he banished and killed the Jews who did not believe in him, thus eliminating the chance of his followers coming in contact with outsiders and being influenced by anyone. In this way he exerted absolute control over the lives and the minds of his followers. Jim Jones did the same. He called his town "Jonestown". Muhammad changed the name of Yathirb to Madinatul Nabi (Prophet’s Town)
  3. He used manipulative methods to control the minds of his followers. These methods ranged from threat of hellfire, and promises of paradise, to exhaustive rituals of prayers and fasts, devised to numb the thought, and threat of physical punishment including execution and constant warfare, keeping his followers in perpetual state of agitation.
  4. He established himself as the sole authority among his followers and the only source of guidance to the extent that they looked up to him for every detail of their lives, including how to dress, how to shave, how to pray and even how to urinate and how to clean after bowl movement. Ostensibly the worship was to God but effectively he was the only object of veneration of his followers and the only authority. Nominally God was to be obeyed but he was God's proxy, thus assuming the authority of God.
  5. All believers were asked to promote his cause through Jihad, propaganda or by giving generously from their wealth. 4:95, 9:20, 49:15, 61:11
  6. The criticism of Muhammad and Islam was totally prohibited and if anyone dared to question him or his decisions, Omar swiftly unshielded his sword and threatened to slash the throat of the intrepid questioner forcing him to apologize. The message was sent in a very clear tone that no one must question Muhammad and his authority. 1400 years later, the message remains the same. If you question Islam you will be killed.
  7. Muslims are told to dismiss any criticism of Islam as coming from Satan and they often avoid reading critical views about their Faith. I have received testimonies of apostates who confessed that at first when they came across this site they stopped reading it and dismissed it as the work of Satan. See this I myself never read any book critical of Islam and once frowned at a friend who expressed her curiosity about Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses.
  8. Muslims are encouraged to spy on each other and report any sign of dissent. Amr bil Maroof wa Nahi anil Munkir (Commanding to follow the religion and preventing from doing what is prohibited) is a tenet of Islam. Every Muslim is required to poke his nose in the private lives of others, spy on them and tell them what they should do and what they should not do. Every Muslim is an enforcer of religion and the moral police for others.
 

About as convincing as the war vs terrorism thread.

Again, a cult is just a way for some to describe a religion they don't agree with. It's a religion that's lesser than other religions, as terrorism is war lesser than other war.

Since you're an atheist, wouldn't you believe all religions are cults? So why the distinction?

Wouldn't that question be better suited to the war vs terrorism thread?

Or perhaps a thread specifically about that question.

Wouldn't that question be better suited to the war vs terrorism thread?

I raised the issue there. I don't think I got a response.

This post of Abu's, obviates what so many find deceitful about religion, there are so many, TOTALLY, contradictory writings, that just about ANY action, can be justified by a follower, by choosing a particular text from their teachings.

I know a little of paradoxes, but come on now boys, how do you reconcile such contradiction without resorting to the old "moves in mysterious ways" jazz?

Muslims quote from the Qur'an (4:82) which says "do they not consider the Qur'an (with care). Had it been from any other than Allah, they would have found there-in many a discrepancy."

Does this mean you accept there are mistakes, but because they are from Allah, they are not really mistakes, just beyond your understanding?

I think we are back at number 7, all criticism of Islam is lies.

So mohammed was just talking about what he ordered in one situation, and forbids anyone to follow that example, or interpret his statements as meaning what they said.

Makes perfect sense, if you have stopped thinking for yourself.

You are right Abu, there are always interpretations, and they are personal, here are some of my interpretations of religious beliefs.


"Worship Me or I Will Torture You Forever. Have a Nice Day."­ God.

I Wouldn't Trust Your God Even If He Did Exist

Gods Don't Kill People. People Who Believe in God Kill People.

Blasphemy is a victimless crime.

There's A REASON Why Atheists Don't Fly Planes Into Buildings

And finally, People Who Don't Want Their Beliefs Laughed at Shouldn't Have Such Funny Beliefs 

It could be interpreted as an attempt at humour.

You totally miss my point on religion, I do not think it is a good thing, but if people keep it as a personal philosophy I couldn't care less what they believe.

I travelled a bit when younger, before any of the fundamentalist movement gained acceptance, and found great people of all faiths, because they were a lot less strident.

You seem to think you have to be extreme to be real, I contend the opposite is true.