From a netfriend:

What is a “cult”?

http://www.dictionary.com

Cult ( P ) Pronunciation Key (klt) n.

A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.

The followers of such a religion or sect.

An exclusive group of persons…

—– One link you may be interested in:

x-cult Resource Center http://www.ex-cult.org/

— “Lifton’s Criteria for Thought Reform” —————————————-

DR. ROBERT J. LIFTON’S CRITERIA FOR THOUGHT REFORM THOUGHT REFORM: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TOTALISM CHAPTER 22 (Chapel Hill, 1989) THE FUTURE OF IMMORTALITY CHAPTER 15 (New York 1987)

Any ideology — that is, any set of emotionally-charged convictions about men and his relationship to the natural or supernatural world — may be carried by its adherents in a totalistic direction. But this is most likely to occur with those ideologies which are most sweeping in their content and most ambitious or messianic in their claim, whether a religious or political organization. And where totalism exists, a religion, or a political movement becomes little more than an exclusive cult. —- read more at: http://www.ex-cult.org/General/lifton-criteria ———————————————-

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=cult