Original sentence: Due to the usually pejorative connotation of the word "cult", new religious movements (NRMs) and other purported cults often find the word highly offensive.In religion and sociology, a cult is a group of people (often a new religious movement devoted to beliefs and goals which may be contradictory to those held by the majority of society.Some purported cults have been known to insist that other similar groups are cults but that they themselves are not.The scientific validity, modern and historical use, and effectiveness (for religious conversion) of these techniques and terms are discussed within the linked articles.These techniques may include "brainwashing", "thought reform", "love bombing", and "mind control"
Edited sentence: Because of the increasingly pejorative connotation of the word cult, most members of these groups find the word offensive when applied to them.In religion and sociology, a cult is a group of people devoted to beliefs and goals which are not held by the majority of society, often religious in nature.The discourse on whether these techniques are scientifically valid, if these offer a better explanation for religious conversion, and whether they are in use, or effective, is addressed within their own articles.These techniques, include "brainwashing", "thought reform", "love bombing", and "mind control"