So you're curious about non-conventional religious sects?

Over the past few days, I've been contemplating the subject matter of a presentation given by a couple of my now former students focusing, in part, upon the relationship between cults and conventional faith systems; theorizing that all traditions begin as cults, or "a system of religious worship directed towards a particular figure or object" (OED). Sound familiar? As the synoptic Gospels would have it, Jesus had twelve disciples [Bishops] with whom he indoctrinated his mysteries and a few hundred hangers on at best. Fast forward 2000 plus years, and we have as many sects of Christianity as there are indictments against Illinois public officials. The same is true of other enduring faith traditions, but how does one separate the "wheat from the chaff," so to speak? Here's some entirely unsolicited advice:

Look for children and the elderly:

A religious tradition that does not count children or the elderly among its members could be suspect, or a least radical, which isn't in and of itself, bad but can be indicative of deeper problems.

How much time or money does the community demand?

The key word here is "demand." Some may be inspired to give up worldly possessions or former associations, but if that is explicitly required, beware. When I was in college, a sect of the Church of Christ called "The Church of Christ Jesus" began soliciting membership from the campus community with a "back to the Bible" pitch. They would invite someone to a function and then systematically exclude him or her from friends and family with nightly group dates. Once someone decided to join the church, the congregation would surround the subject and vehemently accuse him or her of a number of sins. Once the person broke, they would build him or her back up by saying that only Jesus through their church can save him or her. Incidentally, this tactic is commonly used during hazing in fraternities and sororities.

Compelling theology or personality cult?

Founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness [a transplant of Bhrama Goudia Vaishna tradition of Bengal to the west], His Divine Grace A.C. Bhativedanta Swami Prabhupada, throughout his writing delineated the virtues and qualities of Krishna [God] and of the techniques of Bhakta yoga, but would not tolerate any suggestion that he was God. From his passing in 1977 until approximately 1990, his movement degraded itself into a series of competing personality cults, where Prabhupada's successors in some cases insinuated that they were God [those people are since long gone].

Where are the descenting voices?

A couple of years ago, I began attending a Bahia study group out of curiosity. Many of their ideas, particularly about marriage, I found compelling, but as I researched further into the canonical writings of the faith, I discovered an unflinching disdain for gay people; what's more, I the only support for gay faithful I could find was a website created by a non-Bahia for his lover. Now, my own faith tradition, the above mentioned Hare Krishna, isn't the most historically gay friendly sect out there, but gay-Vaishnavas have the second most active virtual Hare Krishna presence on the web, their own publication, and theological treatises written by prominent authorities in their support. The same may be said of gay Catholics, Baptists, etc. Descenting voices should be loud and clear.

Frankly, as HH Hridayananda das Goswami, a.k.a Dr. Howard J. Resnick, describes, why wouldn't God, the supreme parent, respond to the cries of his /her children regardless of the name used? Could you say "mom" as a two-day old?