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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

cult, religion, legal, American law

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Sociology

Abstract

While working at the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., my attempts to determine the legal difference between a cult and a religion were met by brick walls and forks in the road. The question became one fraught with sticky nuances and thinly drawn lines; it was an issue shrouded in grey. In today’s world, defining a religious belief is equivalent to opening a Pandora’s box; it only unleashes trouble and controversy. Consequently, my quest for greater understanding of the legal intricacies concerning religious liberty became frustrating. I found that the more I learned, the more questions I had. I began my search by reviewing Supreme Court decisions, transcripts of past Senate and House hearings on religious liberty, and interviewing those in positions of legal and religious doctrinal authority. This process eventually led to my clearer understanding of what defines both a religion and a cult in contemporary American law. Moreover, it brought about my newfound respect for the law and the justice it attempts to regulate.

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