Healthy spirituality respects the individual's autonomy.

Cults enforce compliance.

Healthy spirituality tries to help individuals meet their spiritual needs.

Cults exploit spiritual needs.

Healthy spirituality tolerates and even encourages questions and independent critical thinking.

Cults discourage questions and independent critical thinking.

Healthy spirituality encourages psychospiritual integration.

Cults "split" members into the "good cult self" and the "bad old self."

Conversion to healthy spirituality involves an unfolding of internal processes central to a person's identity.

Cultic conversion involves an unaware surrender to external forces that care little for the person's identity.

Healthy spirituality views money as a means, subject to ethical restraints toward achieving noble ends.

Cults view money as an end, as a means toward achieving power or the selfish goals of the leaders.

Healthy spirituality views sex between clergy and the faithful as unethical.

Cults frequently subject members to the sexual appetites of the leaders.

Healthy spirituality responds to critics respectfully.

Cults frequently intimidate critics with physical or legal threats.

Healthy spirituality cherishes the members' family.

Cults view the outside family as an enemy.

Healthy spirituality encourages a person to think carefully before making a commitment to join.

Cults encourage quick decisions with little information.

*The word "cult" is used in the context of a deceitful, abusive, mind-manipulating organization. See: Identifying Marks of an Exploitive, Abusive Group.