TLDR - what’s the question mark in the following scale
Cult(-1)……………….Religion(0)……………….???(+1)
Long version (a.k.a my stupid mind’s question that is keeping me awake):
My understanding of cult is a group of people with an absurd or even possibly nefarious belief system. Like something negative.
By that definition I would put religion in the middle (though a majority of it leans towards the cult side). A group of people that is very serious about what they believe in, no matter how illogical it is.
So with this understanding what would you call the positive side ? A group of people coming together to have a tradition and belief system just for the fun of it ? Is there such thing ?
There are many definitions of cult. It can be a negative or dangerous religious group. A religious subset focused on a specific practice. Or a group with an eccentric leader focused on claiming they have the correct interpretation of canon.
Knowing you mean the first negative definition, then religion as the standard doesn’t make much sense. The positive of religion would simply be the benefit of religion, which is dependent on whichever religion is being discussed.
For Buddhism it would be spiritual development, enlightenment, and freedom.