2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual ; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious ; also : its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5 a: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book) ; especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b: the object of such devotion c: a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion
Dose Scientology fall under any of the 5 definitions Merriam-Webster gave us?
Obviously it dose.
Cult is not an offensive term on its own, suicide cults and violent acts committed by cults have made "cult" an offensive word despite its vague meaning.
A Scientologist however is offended and the suggestion that someone might think they are a cult.
One of Scientology major goals is to get its self in high standing in society. Someone thinking that it is a cult hinders that goal. So, Scientology has created a group of People called Antisocial Personalities
"
Attributes
The antisocial personality has the following attributes:
1. He or she speaks only in very broad generalities. “They say...” “Everybody thinks...” “Everyone knows...” and such expressions are in continual use, particularly when imparting rumor. When asked, “Who is everybody...” it normally turns out to be one source and from this source the antisocial person has manufactured what he or she pretends is the whole opinion of the whole society.
This is natural to them since to them all society is a large hostile generality, against the antisocial in particular.
2. Such a person deals mainly in bad news, critical or hostile remarks, invalidation and general suppression.
“Gossip” or “bearer of evil tidings” or “rumormonger” once described such persons.
It is notable that there is no good news or complimentary remark passed on by such a person.
3. The antisocial personality alters, to worsen, communication when he or she relays a message or news. Good news is stopped and only bad news, often embellished, is passed along.
Such a person also pretends to pass on “bad news” which is in actual fact invented.
4. A characteristic, and one of the sad things about an antisocial personality, is that it does not respond to treatment or reform.
5. Surrounding such a personality we find cowed or ill associates or friends who, when not driven actually insane, are yet behaving in a crippled manner in life, failing, not succeeding.
Such people make trouble for others.
When treated or educated, the near associate of the antisocial personality has no stability of gain but promptly relapses or loses his advantages of knowledge, being under the suppressive influence of the other.
Physically treated, such associates commonly do not recover in the expected time but worsen and have poor convalescences.
It is quite useless to treat or help or train such persons so long as they remain under the influence of the antisocial connection.
The largest number of insane are insane because of such antisocial connections and do not recover easily for the same reason.
Unjustly we seldom see the antisocial personality actually in an institution. Only his “friends” and family are there.
6. The antisocial personality habitually selects the wrong target.
If a tire is flat from driving over nails, he or she curses a companion or a noncausative source of the trouble. If the radio next door is too loud, he or she kicks the cat.
If A is the obvious cause, the antisocial personality inevitably blames B or C or D.
7. The antisocial cannot finish a cycle of action. Any action goes through a sequence wherein the action is begun, is continued for as long as is required and is completed as planned. In Scientology, this is called a cycle of action.
The antisocial becomes surrounded with incomplete projects.
8. Many antisocial persons will freely confess to the most alarming crimes when forced to do so, but will have no faintest sense of responsibility for them.
Their actions have little or nothing to do with their own volition. Things “just happened.”
They have no sense of correct causation and particularly cannot feel any sense of remorse or shame therefore.
9. The antisocial personality supports only destructive groups and rages against and attacks any constructive or betterment group.
10. This type of personality approves only of destructive actions and fights against constructive or helpful actions or activities.
The artist in particular is often found as a magnet for persons with antisocial personalities who see in his art something which must be destroyed and covertly, “as a friend,” proceed to try.
11. Helping others is an activity which drives the antisocial personality nearly berserk. Activities, however, which destroy in the name of help are closely supported.
12. The antisocial personality has a bad sense of property and conceives that the idea that anyone owns anything is a pretense, made up to fool people. Nothing is ever really owned.
"
