One thing I've been noticing more and more is that cults (and Christian people involved in cases of major moral failure) have really given Christianity a bad name.  When people are slightly interested in Christianity and start hanging out at Bible studies, they're always cautious about not spending too much time or effort there because some of the people's actions "seem a little cult-ish".  Yes, Christianity can look a lot like a cult because a lot of cults have been modeled after Christianity.  But the difference is that cult leaders usually assume a position higher than God and/or they convince their followers to do things that defy reason and sound judgment.  [Some may argue that Christianity in itself defies reason and sound judgment.  I won't address that point.]  But the real shame in all this is that people are really scared of devoting time to God and the Bible because they think any amount of extreme devotion is akin to cultism.  A leader of a Bible study hadn't seen one of the new attenders for a few weeks, so she said, "Hey, we haven't seen you in a while.  Where have you been?"  The new attender took this to mean that he had to give an account as to why he hadn't shown up in a few weeks.  He felt this was very cult-like and it made him uncomfortable.  When I was in college, I was trying to explain to one of my friends why I had made certain changes in my life and why I no longer did certain things.  I referenced several Bible verses that explained why I did things and how I felt, and he took that to mean that I had drunk the proverbial Kool-Aid of my school's Christian cult.  Since when do Bible verses mean I'm in a cult?  Another time in college, I was in a Bible study that met at a professor's house.  We met weekly, and we also met several Fridays or Saturdays during the semester.  Many people took this to mean that the group was a cult because we spent so much time together. 

In conclusion, cults have given Christianity a bad name.  Thanks a lot, ya buncha jerks. #religion