In Reply to: Re: Don Lattin on using the words "cults" and "fundamentalist" posted by Jo on December 07, 2006 at 13:22:13:
I really don't care that you don't care what Lattin says. ;)
The important thing to remember when using the word cult in any communication is to make sure you and your audience are using the same definition. Otherwise you'll just be speaking past each other. The very first time I revealed to a health professional that I had spent years in a cult, the first thing he said was "What do you mean by cult?" The same with the second and third doctor. They all needed to know more about what lay behind the word "cult", the word on its own simply was not sufficient to convey any accurate meaning to them. In some settings, though, I'm learning that it is wiser not to use the term cult, at least not at first.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing with your point that TF is a cult. It most definitely is, by almost any definition you use. I also agree that applying the term new religious movement to TF tends to white-wash the illegal, unethical and immoral nature of that organization. On the otherhand, some may argue that all organized religions are similarily tainted, so the Family would not be out of place as a religious movement.