The word ‘cult’ is never benign in religious terminology as it is in the world of art, where Johnny Stonenoggin filmster extraordinaire may cult-ivate a cult following for his eccentricity in artistry. Eccentricity in religion, if recent enough, is rarely welcomed with approving nods. And when eccentricity is welcomed by followers of a novel religion, those followers never designate the new religion as a cult. Such is the denigrating power of the word cult for religion.
Oddness in an ancient religion is no longer perceived as eccentric. No matter how implausible and bizarre a religious idea might be, if its pedigree is old, if generations are raised with that weird idea from youth, then that bizarre idea will become as believable, as commonplace, as immune to critical thought as a simple statement of fact about the color of summer grass.
If the idea had been taught for a thousand years that we may inhale the actual aroma of our God through the ritual of setting clover alight, we would accept that idea and practice it without scruple.
Categories: Religion