cult with little tolerance for internal disagreement or external scrutiny.

And most importantly, it uses both formal and informal systems
of influence and control to keep members obedient,with little tolerance for internal disagreement or external scrutiny.
You might wonder whether some of these descriptions
might also apply to established religions.In fact, the world cultus
originally described people who cultivated the worship of certain gods by performing rituals and maintaining temples.But in time, it came to mean excessive devotion.Many religions began as cults,
but integrated into the fabric of the larger society as they grew.
A modern cult, by contrast, separates its members from others.
Rather than providing guidelines for members to live better lives,
a cult seeks to directly control them,from personal and family relationships,to financial assets and living arrangements.