Sect/cult/religion

[wildwood]

Is there a distinct difference between a cult, a sect and a religion?

[Old_Geezer]

I think a religion is something established whereas the other two are descriptions of something smaller that the established religions wishes to show in a poor light.

[RATTER15]

I think cults and sect are viewed by most in a poor light, including Atheist I imagine.

[Clanad]

At least here in the U.S., there's a more acceptable view of sects than of cults.
A cult, generally, is described as a perversion of an existing (read established) religion, usually Christian, that begins, almost universally, with a new, "false" gospel and a single charismatic leader. Whereas a sect is a minor departure in particulars from the establishment.
An example are the well respected Amish and Hutterite sects here (and in Canada). "... the Hutterites are a communal group of families and individuals, living on large farms, called colonies. They trace the beginning of their religious group back to Europe in the early 16th century, in Germany and Switzerland. Like the Amish, they speak German to each other and in their church services.
Hutterites have more of a communal lifestyle, so while everyone eats all their meals in the large dining halls (separate dining rooms for children and adults) each family also has their own apartment. The women tend to the cooking, sewing and gardening, assigning chores on a rotation basis. All work and income is shared by the 65 to 140 people living in the colony. They have very few converts, but retention is high, so when the colony gets too large, they split into two colonies, and half the people move to the new colony and get another large farm establishment going. There are over 400 Hutterite colonies in the USA and Canada."
We buy most of our poultry products from the local Hutterite colony because of the quality and method of raising the fowl. They are friendly and very industrious and their theology isn't at all radical.

There are many other "sects" such as these, but the James Jones tradgedy in Guyana in 1978 that resulted in mass murder and suicide all due to the command of one man is a prime example of a cult. Not all, of course, end in such senseless acts...

[wildwood]

Sorry, animal people, I was under the impression that I had posted this in the Religion category.

Yes clanad, I remember the James Jones episode very well. This probably aided to generally (falsely?) portrait sects/cults in a bad light. Saying that, mainstream religions are not without their shameful circumstances.

I thought there might be some distinctive difference between sects and religion eg. registered charities or something.