Expert: George A. Card,sfo, M.I - 1/8/2007

Question
Hello Mr George!
I'd like to ask you today about sects. Which groups can we call so, on what basis? For example, does the Roman Catholic Church say that the devotees of Hare Krishna constitute a sect? How about Jehovah's witnesses, is it a sect? How about Buddhism, as far as I know Buddhism is rather more a philosophical movement not a religious one, so can we call it a sect as well? How do you define which is a sect and which is not? Thank you!


Answer
Peace

dear Luke

Interesting question. The term sect from my readings, I take to refer any body of religious believers that has broken or formed some other manner from an original body
of religious believers.

For examples:

Lutheranism is the religious system developed from the work(s) of M. Luther.  His original body of followers are Lutherans. There are about 190 bodies of believers that call themselves Lutheran. Another way of saying this is-- there is One Lutheran Church and 190 distinct Lutheran sects.

Jehovah's Witnesses according some a sect of Millerites. They see themselves as coming from God directly so they say they are not a Millerite sect.

Generally, I consider a sect a small group of believers that is a body onto themselves,that broke from an original founder(s) or the magisterium they ordered if one was established by them. They are likely to have have a code, creed, cult that varies from the body of their origin.

I agree with you about Buddhism in general but there is Zen Buddhism that seems to haved evolved into a religion.


                        George