The twentieth century has seen the rise of literally dozens of new religious movements. Many have disappeared as quickly as they have appeared. Some have made news headlines by committing staggering and senseless acts of violence, and some have simply had the misfortune of espousing unusual beliefs or ideals in a time when many people are suspicious of anything out of the ordinary.

Social scientists label new religions that have both novel beliefs and which deviate from traditional systems as 'cults.' This is not a perjorative label; it is not meant to imply that there is anything incorrect or flawed about the beliefs or practices of a group. Unfortunately, the word 'cult' in the public mind today is rife with bad associations it was never meant to have- evoking visions of charismatic lunatics, bizarre behavior, weapons hoarding, or worse. It is often applied derisively to de legitimize someone's belief system, or to rationalize discrimination. The dictionary describes a Cult as a "religious sect considered to be extremist or false," implying that it is possible to determine what is "false" in religious belief- and "extremism" might cover a wide range of behaviors, from the unusual to the dangerous. This in itself is a dangerous view.

Many groups are classified cults because they take a different approach to established religions- the Hare Krishnas are a modern religious movement drawn from traditional Vedic religion in India, and don't differ terribly much in practices- but because they differ very much from traditional European practices, they are often scorned or disparaged, while unusual offshoots of traditional Western Christianity don't raise as much of a stir. Other groups, such as Wicca, take a new approach altogether, basing belief systems on novel concepts, or blending together elements from different religions.

According to some, what differentiates cults from other groups are Charismatic leaders who strictly control the beliefs and behaviors of their followers, and even incite them to violence or acts of suicide- the news in recent years has been filled with reports of groups committing mass suicide, or random attacks on the populace at large- to some, more than good reason to cast a suspicious eye on any new movement. Take, for example, the infamous Branch Davidians, who would technically be defined as a sect. Few people know that this group was an offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventist church, a peaceful Christian denomination with thousands of followers around the world. Of course, the SDAs were quite controversial at their founding in the nineteenth century by a charismatic ex-Baptist named Ellen White, simply because they adopted a doctrine opposed by the established church at the time.

Oddly enough, many members of so called 'revealed' mainstream religions such as Christianity, Islam, or Judaism often disparage new movements because their leaders may claim direct revelations from God- a trait all of these religions share in their own history, including violent, controlling charismatic leaders. Having the origins of one's movement in the distant past does seem to be the most important factor in determining which religions are legitimate- seldom does one hear of a religion older than a century or two referred to as a cult. While these groups fit the technical scientific definition of a cult, the public definition is so misapplied that some professionals have been forced to adopt the term NRM, or "New religious movement," an emotionally neutral term. Nonetheless, the term cult continues to be abused, exploited, and misapplied.

Social scientists suggest that a cult is simply a 'fervent' new religion, with novel beliefs or practices-usually using concepts which are unique in some way. A sect is an offshoot of an already established church that may have all of the same characteristics as a cult. Sects are commonly formed when members of an established group branch off over disputes about leadership, doctrine, or other issues, and try to 'reform' the parent religion. Both types of group, if they are accepted by the mainstream settle into society, become a 'church.'

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