David said:
It's a good model, but there is another kind of group. As long as they avoid pogroms, there can be long lasting small religious groups, which keep their membership by making it very hard for their members to convert to other beliefs. Do you want to call these "established cults"? For example, some Amish sects fit this description.
I think those are groups undergoing the transition from cults to religions. The Plymouth Brethren, a substantial number of whom live in my neighbourhood, provide another example. But perhaps they're cases in which the transition is stalled and so they combine elements of both.
Rich _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
