Critically examine sociological explanations for the emergence and growth of religious sects in an apparently secular society.

The widely accepted definition of a sect is a religious group with characteristics, which distinguishes it from either a Church or a denomination. Many groups which fit this definition now prefer the less contentious title of "new religious movements", because over the last fifty years, sects have become linked with brainwashing, mass suicide, and even a murder. One of the examples is the suicide of 900 members of the People's temple. Sects are not a new …

…fulfillment is the attraction of religious cults. The church does not call on you to join them, whereas, sects or cults convince you to join the movement. Members are encouraged to think of themselves as an elite who possess special enlightenment or spiritual insight and salvation is generally claimed to be reserved for them alone. These are the few possible reasons which tell us why the religious sects are growing in an apparently secular society.