We of all people should have it down by now: a cult fits the BITE model to a high degree. What does this mean? It has a high to very high control over people's lives. They shun ex members, it's difficult to leave, they discipline the members harshly, they don't allow members to read negative information about the group, etc.
Compare these two situations:
A JW says to his JW family he doesn't want to be a JW anymore. He repeats the same to the judicial committee. He is disfellowshipped and shunned.
A run-of-the-mill regular Catholic says he doesn't want to go to church anymore to his family. His family is dissapointed temporarily. Nothing else happens.
There's a world of difference, therefore, between a regular Catholic and a regular JW. The Catholic Church, when measured solely over the de facto control it has over people's lives, is a very healthy church, and one could argue, the most "orthodox" of all.
But... I mentioned a regular Catholic. It is NOT so for a member of the Opus Dei. The Opus Dei is like Catholics on Steroids... super fanatic Catholics. Become a Numerary or Supernumerary and then leave the Opus Dei, and YOU WILL BE SHUNNED by the Opus Dei members. Therefore, Opus Dei, even though they are super orthodox, are a cult in the BITE model.
So back to my point:
There are four quadrants in the spectrum: Orthodox Healthy, Orthodox Cult, Heterodox Healthy, Heterodox Cult.
There are plenty of Orthodox Healthy denominations. I can't think of a Heterodox denomination that isn't a cult by BITE model standards.
Can you think of any? If so, which one, and why??
