I was using the term "cult" loosely. But there is a big difference between religion, and cult. The cult's objective is the glorification of men, and the sacrifice of individual followers. Religions, like Christianity, don't require binding yourself to a group. You can follow the religion, and read the books, and worship God without church. Scientology for example is a cult, or like a cult, because it requires undue sacrifice for the organization, and there is an obvious hierarchal structure.

In Christianity, there is something resembling a hierarchy, but God is above all mortals, and nobody can supplant him. The decline of religion, any religion, creates cult-like groups that center around the worship of men. And men are extremely fallible, and they can remove your rights. In Christianity, there are commandments. Nobody can remove them from you because they are God given. When you have a man as a deity, then he can at a whim change your life, and manipulate.