Christianity began as a cult within Judaism and developed into an established religion. Other groups that began as cults and developed into organized churches include the Quaker, Mormons, Christian Scientists, Methodists, Jehovah Witnesses, and Seventh-day Adventists. Today, the term is applied to groups that follow a living leader who promotes new and unorthodox doctrines and practices. Some leaders demand that members live apart form everyday society in communities called communes. Leaders claim that they possess exclusive religious truth, and they command absolute obedience and allegiance from their followers.
Some cults require that members contribute all their possessions to the group.
The Unification Church is one of the most famous and now a household word for many people because of the intense lifestyle of fundraising long hours a day and leaving college and jobs to be on mobile fundraising teams called MFT in the church. Everyone in the 60s and 70s lived in socialist communes and denied anything personal. There were many abuses then. In the excitement of finding the truth they pushed people too hard and many left. Even though there had been intensive witnessing, most who came left.